Happy New Year!
We have put a historically tumultuous year behind us and are starting with fresh energy and determination into the next one. Incidentally, it was five years ago – on January 1, 2016 – that the world was doing something similar: By formally enacting the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that had been agreed upon in September 2015, society had declared its determination to create a safer, more equal, more sustainable future.
Where do we stand with these now?
Happily, we have made progress in some areas. The demand for renewable energy has never been higher, and the market share of clean sources that power communities and industry is constantly growing. Before the pandemic hit, worldwide poverty was steadily declining, evidence of our ability to move the needle on economic inequality if we apply our energies toward it. Between 2015 and 2020, many countries had even managed to slow their carbon emissions, although not nearly enough; we must invest considerably more effort and resources here if we are to keep a global temperature rise within the levels of the Paris Agreement.
And yet. The health and economic tremors of the COVID-19 outbreak threaten to shake the world off track. Previous gains across topics from poverty reduction to gender equality are being reversed. Moreover, emerging economies now more than ever are facing a shortfall in sufficient financing to grapple with these challenges. It is now critically important for governments, society, and private organizations to come together and renew our commitment to mobilizing funding to achieve sustainable development.
At Finance in Motion, directing resources toward the pursuit of these goals has always been at the core of our mission: We harness the power of finance to make a positive difference for people and planet. Our very impact strategy is closely aligned with the SDGs.
In honor of the fifth anniversary of this important blueprint for a better future, we spent the last several weeks of 2020 featuring one SDG on our social media channels each week to which our activities contribute, together with the funds we advise and manage.
Visit our Twitter and LinkedIn profiles for the full stories. Just look for the hashtag #FiMforSDGs.
We hope that as we close out a difficult year, you enjoy these positive examples of how impact investing can channel knowledge and resources where they are needed to make a beneficial difference.
A new year has begun, and it is time to roll up our sleeves.
We hope you will join us!
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