
Five Ways to Unlock SDG Progress
Time is running out for achieving the SDGs. But action at scale in these critical areas can unlock rapid progress.
Related Expertise: Social Impact, Humanitarian Response, Climate Change and Sustainability
The United Nations set the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 with an aim to deliver on them by 2030. We are at the midpoint, and the news is not good. Not one SDG has been achieved, and progress on most is too slow. But there are ways to accelerate the pace. We spoke with six BCG experts on how we can change the SDG trajectory. Here’s what they said.
Time is running out for achieving the SDGs. But action at scale in these critical areas can unlock rapid progress.
Companies can advance the SDGs while simultaneously expanding their business, bolstering the bottom line, and managing risk. It’s time to double down on the opportunity.
Digital technology has the potential to advance sustainability efforts in a powerful way. To seize that opportunity, countries need to develop a comprehensive digital strategy.
There is a nearly $4 trillion annual shortfall in SDG-related investments. New approaches—including ways to unlock private sector investment—can close the gap.
Public-, private-, and social-sector players need to cooperate to achieve the SDGs—but such collaborations often come up short. Here’s how to make them pay off.
The impacts of climate change—including increased floods, droughts, and fires—may put the SDGs further out of reach. That’s why investments in A&R are so vital.
Richard Hutchinson leads Boston Consulting Group’s Social Impact (SI) practice globally. He is also the leader of the firm's functional practices.
Wendy Woods
Vice Chair, Social Impact, Climate & Sustainability; Managing Director & Senior Partner
Boston
Wendy Woods is a Senior Partner and the Vice Chairman of the Social Impact practice at BCG. She is responsible for BCG’s work addressing global health, development, education, the environment, humanitarian response, corporate societal value, and impact investing. Wendy works with social sector organizations, governments, and businesses, helping clients create inclusive strategies, improve effectiveness, develop public-private partnerships, and drive change. She is passionate about improving cooperation across the private, public, and social sectors to help solve the world’s most challenging problems. Before joining BCG in 1995, Wendy had worked for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris and as a Senior Economist for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Maikel Wilms has been with The Boston Consulting Group since 1998. He is a core member of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice.
Qahir Dhanani is a member of the leadership team for Boston Consulting Group’s Public Sector practice. He leads the firm’s work in global development for North America, working with international development organizations based in the US. He is also a member of the agile leadership team.
Zoë Karl-Waithaka joined Boston Consulting Group in February 2021. She has more than ten years of experience in management consulting, advising multinational and African businesses on strategy and operations in a range of industries including agriculture, telecommunications, mining, and oil and gas. Zoë works with clients on customer experience, change management, and delivering large-scale organizational transformations.
Dave Sivaprasad
Managing Director & Partner;
Southeast Asia Lead, Climate and Sustainability
Singapore
Dave Sivaprasad is a core member of the Energy, Social Impact, Public Sector, and People & Organization practices at Boston Consulting Group. He is a member of BCG’s global climate leadership team and works with public and private sector clients on climate action and energy transition.
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