The 2017 Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF), entitled “SDG Mainstreaming and Means of Implementation: A Retrospective and Prospective View” took place from 31 October to 2 November 2017 in Incheon, Korea. Over 100 international participants from governments, UN agencies, think tanks, development banks and academic institutions attended the forum.
Being an active contributor to the forum since its inception in 2014, the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) hosted the 4th session on SDGs and Finance, building on its annual conference that was held in September 2017 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The panellists were Mr Marek REPOVSKY, EU delegation in Seoul; Mr Sung-hwan SON, Advisory Ambassador for Green Climate Fund (GCF) Cooperation; Dr Rami AHMAD, Special Envoy on SDGs and Senior Advisor to the President, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group; Ms Jacqueline KACPRZAK, Coordinator, Unit of CSR and Stakeholders’ Affairs, Minister’s Office, Ministry of Economic Development, Poland; H.E. Mr POCH Sovanndy, Deputy Director General of Planning, Ministry of Planning, Cambodia; and Mr Thierry SCHWARZ, lecturer at Sciences Po, France.
The session explored a variety of financing options for the SDGs, including Official Development Assistance (ODA), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and newer or more innovative sources of funding, including Islamic finance and various taxes. The panellists noted that while there is an ample total sum of funds available, substantial efforts to channel the funds towards financing SDGs are required. Additionally, fiscal policy instruments, such as carbon pricing, can play a vital role in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
SDTF 2017 was hosted by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD). You can find ‘Session 4: SDGs and Finance’ presentations and more information on the forum here. More information on financing options for SDGs can be found in our publication “Who Will Pay for the Sustainable Development Goals“.