Welcome to the United Nations
SEED (hosted by adelphi)
Click here for summary of the side-event
The consequences of the Covid-19 on the people and the economies resulted in serious questioning of our lifestyles and development model. Building Forward Better should first recognise the non-sustainable pre-pandemic reality and consider all aspects of the SDGs. There is evidence on the importance of green recovery as a means for achieving our global goals and national economic recovery, however decision-makers struggle to prioritize and the attention is rarely put on the “Missing Middle”, the Small and Medium Enterprises, the SMEs, essential to the structure of all economies in all countries. Prioritizing attention to SMES and eco-inclusive enterprises will help in delivering triple returns - economic, social and environmental – in both short and long terms, delivering green recovery impact on the ground through their activities, products and services. Eco-inclusive SMEs are important job creators and drivers of green growth. They provide basic services and goods to underserved communities while supporting gender and youth empowerment. They also provide a source of income to low-income and marginalised groups in informal economies worldwide, while actively contributing to the value chains. The SMEs offer a largely untapped potential, including for decarbonizing, decoupling and digitalization, with their impact as drivers of innovations that secure local jobs, protect ecosystems, and enhance resilience.
The event will demonstrate, with practical cases and success stories from the various SMEs SEED have been working with, the potential and necessity to engage with and enable SMEs contributing to local and national process to build forward better, in the transition to sustainability.
