Making Globalisation work for the Sustainable Development Goals
Panel discussion
Globalisation describes the advancement of the global integration of the economy, culture and political structures. In political discussions on trade, globalisation refers to market liberalisation, shifting profits up the value chain and the interconnectivity of global markets. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of policy goals that attempt to implement the principle of sustainability on the economic, social and ecological level in every country of the world. The United Nations General Assembly decided to achieve these objectives by the year 2030.
A world that is more closely connected can be helpful to achieve the SDGs: It can lead to a deeper understanding of how our environment and our consumer goods are globally connected. The fight against climate change is one example, but also consumers that demand the fair production of their t-shirts can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. However, globalisation also poses challenges, unregulated trade exploits poor environmental and social standards globally, investor privileges create an imbalance that allows big capital to put pressure on democratically elected representatives of the people, and unregulated financial markets disguise tax fraud and threaten the stability of societies.
At this panel, we want to discuss how globalisation can support the achievements of the SDGs and what needs to be done in order to make that happen.
Panellists:
Moderated by Jakob Dalunde, Greens/EFA MEP, European Parliament
- Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Swedish Green Party
- Stefan Reinhold, Corporate Regulation and Extractives Officer, CIDSE
- Daniel Badman, Sustainability Strategy, Stora Enso Oyj
- Martin Koehler, Greens/EFA adviser on trade issues, European Parliament
