Leveraging the New UN Sustainable Development Goals: Expectations and Engagement Strategies for Brands

1. Aris Vrettos | @arisvrettos
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Leveraging the New UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Expectations and Engagement Strategies for Brands
Michael Spanos | @GlSustain
Global Sustain
Ole Lund Hansen
United Nations Global Compact
Silvia Donato
European Commission’s Directorate
General for Research and Innovation
Anna Swaithes | @annaswaithes
SABMiller

2. Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
for Sustainable Development
Leveraging the New UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Expectations and Engagement Strategies for Brands
Sustainable Brands 2015
London (Old Windsor), 17 NOVEMBER 2015
Silvia Donato
Policy Analyst
European Commission, DG Research & Innovation
Climate Action and Resource Efficiency Directorate, Unit I.1 Strategy

3. Sustainable development in the EU
• Art 3.3. TEU – "The Union shall establish an
internal market. It shall work for the sustainable
development of Europe […]. It shall promote
scientific and technological advance".
• Europe 2020 - A strategy for smart, sustainable
and inclusive growth
o Sustainable growth: promoting a more resource
efficient, greener and more competitive economy.
• In President Junker's Commission the FVP
Timmermans has horizontal responsibility for
sustainable development.

4. The EC response to the SDGs adoption
• 2016 Commission Work Programme '
No time for business as usual' reflects an internalisation of
the SDGs at the core of EU domestic policies beyond the
external policy focus of MDGs
o As part of 'A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment' priority
the EC will present a new approach to ensuring economic growth
and social and environmental sustainability beyond 2020, taking
into account the Europe 2020 review and the internal and external
implementation of the SDGs.
• Forthcoming circular economy package
• TTIP: Proposal for a chapter on trade and sustainable
development, including labour and the environment.
• Independent Expert Group Report on STI policies to foster
the implementation of the SDGs

5. The Innovation Union
• "The Innovation Union aims to improve conditions and access to
finance for research and innovation, to ensure that
innovative ideas can be turned into products and services
that create growth and jobs".
• Broad concept of innovation that includes both research-driven
innovation and innovation in business models, design, branding
and services.
• Innovation as a means for tackling major societal challenges,
such as climate change, energy and resource scarcity, health
and ageing.
• Target:
Ø By 2020 3% of EU GDP should be invested in R&D

6. A policy aiming to get ideas to the market
q How?
• Enhancing access to finance for innovative companies
• Creating a single innovation market
• Promoting openness and capitalising on Europe's creative
potential, including through international cooperation
(Open Science, Open Innovation, Open to the World)
• And in general creating the right enabling conditions for
innovation
q Whose ideas?
• All actors and all regions in the innovation cycle - not only
major companies but also SMEs, the social economy, citizens
and regions.

7. What is Horizon 2020?
§ The EU programme for R&I for 2014-2020 with a budget
of €77 billion (in current prices)
– The largest and most comprehensive programme of its type in the
world
§ A core part of Europe 2020, Innovation Union &
European Research Area:
− Responding to the economic crisis to invest in jobs and growth
− Addressing people’s concerns about their livelihoods, safety and
environment
− Strengthening the EU’s global position in research, innovation and
technology
§ Three pillars:
- Excellent Science; Industrial Leadership; Societal Challenges

8. A reinforced link with business
• Support industrial leadership
• Promote a strong SMEs participation, including
through dedicated instruments such as the 'SME
instrument' and the Fast Track to Innovation
• Stimulate Public-Private Partnerships
o Joint Technology Initiatives/Joint
Undertakings
o Contractual PPPs

9. • Horizon 2020: a tool for achieving the SDGs?
• The SDGs provide a common ground for engaging all countries
and different partners in the implementation of a universal and
transformational agenda
• H2020 promotes a transformative agenda towards sustainability
in Europe and globally
• Its 60% expenditure commitment to Sustainable Development
and 35% to Climate Change place the EU-funded research at
the heart of the realisation of the Post-2030 Agenda
• H2020 openness to the world is an opportunity for increased
international R&I cooperation in support of the SDGs, also
capitalising on global initiatives such as the Belmont Forum

10. Funding for Societal challenges (€ million)
⃰ Additional funding for nuclear safety and security from the Euratom Treaty activities
(2014-2018)
Health, demographic change and wellbeing 7 257
Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry,
marine and maritime and inland water research and
the Bioeconomy
3 708
Secure, clean and efficient energy * 5 688
Smart, green and integrated transport 6 149
Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and
raw materials
2 956
Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies 1 259
Secure societies 1 613
Science with and for society 445
Spreading excellence and widening participation 816

11. The 2016 – 2017 Work Programme:
an opportunity for corporate & brands
• Total budget over €16 bn. over two years.
• 63 calls for proposals and 588 topics
• Other actions includes public procurement, prizes…
• Covers all areas of R&I and the full innovation cycle
• Work programmes will continue to provide support to SMEs
o target to spend 20% of the budget of the Industrial and
Societal Challenges parts of the programme on SMEs
o around €740m ringfenced in SME only instrument in Work
Programme

12. Climate
ac*on
-­‐ Climate
services
-­‐ Low-­‐carbon
Europe
-­‐ Arc*c
dimension
Systemic
eco-­‐innova*on
for
a
circular
economy
Raw
materials
Sustainable
growth
by
harnessing:
-­‐ Earth
observa*on
data
-­‐ Cultural
heritage
Mainstreaming
water
R&I
• Societal Challenge 5 2016-2017 key objectives
Nature-­‐based
solu*ons:
-­‐ for
territorial
resilience
-­‐ for
sustainable
ci*es