My United Nations General Assembly Takeaways

During the week of the United Nations General Assembly, I attended the 3 Trillion Reasons to Spend and Partner Better for the Global Goals, an affiliated session of the World Economic Forum’s official program. What follows are insights from my time in New York. I hope it motivates you to join the SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass movement to help the world spend better – with more efficiency, transparency and accountability in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Because businesses, governments and NGOs must work together to build ethical, sustainable supply chains. After all, we each have a role to play in making our world a better place.

The Global Goals and 3 Trillion Reasons

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The 17 SDGs – ranging from zero hunger to quality education and climate action – are integrated, meaning action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The purpose investment community aims to support the development of meaningful new ideas and business models that create positive impact for a better world. However, much of the purpose investment ecosystem works in siloes. The goal of the 3 Trillion Reasons event was to bring that community together – investors, startups, governments and corporations – united under the framework of the Global Goals to help magnify the need to scale impact opportunities around the world. The purpose investment ecosystem faces an incredible opportunity today to invest financial resources into the most effective purpose-driven startups developing revolutionary solutions to advance the 2030 Agenda, a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.

SAP believes that the best-run businesses make the world run better. At SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass, our goal is to help the world spend better. 3 trillion reasons comes from our unmatched business-to-business network, where nearly $3 trillion in commerce happens every year between buyers and suppliers from more than 4.2 million companies. That means the Ariba Network touches $3 trillion in corporate spending annually that can be funnelled to ethical, sustainable and diverse sources. Having a transparent supply chain, eliminating risk factors and incorporating women and minority owned businesses into your supply chain turns out to be good business.

When it comes to purpose and sustainability, our approach is three-fold – just like the Global Goals. We focus on the impact we can make from a social, economic and environmental standpoint. Consumers increasingly want to know where their products come from, and whether the company has ethical business practices that don’t compromise people or the environment. When businesses choose local, community-driven suppliers that operate without leaving a carbon footprint – or that operate without slave labour – they create a supply chain that consumers are eager to support. This in turn lifts society up in the most positive way while protecting our planet.

The UN SDG Pledge: Leave No One Behind

I think we can all agree that the challenges we face with climate change and environmental degradation are critical. A stable climate and stable economy are necessary on so many levels – whether it is to sustain job growth or to find new sources of energy and even food to feed billions of people, we must invest today for our future. As a former leader of mine once said, we are merely tenants on this planet and as such we must leave it better than we found it.  

Again, it’s about answering the question: what can we do to make a tangible impact on society, the economy and our environment?

At SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass, our investments into product strategy, the Ariba Network and our ecosystem, are designed to create a more sustainable future for all.

In fact, SAP just announced its intention to create a new digital marketplace using SAP Ariba solutions to expand the trade of recycled plastics and plastic alternatives. This is the next phase of Plastics Cloud, an SAP initiative launched last year to help reduce and ultimately eliminate the waste of single-use plastics.

About 40 percent of plastic produced globally is used in product packaging, but less than one fifth of plastic is recycled, creating serious environmental and human health problems, according to National Geographic. With some $10 billion worth of spend on packaging flowing through the Ariba Network annually, there is an opportunity for real impact.  

The goal here is to use our Ariba Network to connect buyers with new recycled plastics suppliers such as Bantam Materials and others that are certified by organizations such as OceanCycle, a social enterprise focused on creating traceability in plastic supply chains and helping businesses integrate ocean plastics into their products.

Plastics Cloud enabled by Ariba Network will enable brands to connect more sustainably with recycled plastics and alternative plastic supply sources through waste picker communities. Not only will this initiative be positive for the environment by reducing plastic waste, it will provide economic opportunities for the waste picking communities to help lift themselves out of poverty. As with all the Global Goals, you can see how progress in one area – Climate Action (SDG 13) like SAP’s Plastics Cloud – will positively impact the rest, including No Poverty (SDG 1), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Life Below Water (SDG 14).  

For more information on Ariba’s Purpose and Sustainability, visit the Ariba.com website.