The private sector has moved from a sideline player to a key catalyst for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. For companies, it’s no longer about image and benevolence but about driving business growth contingent on an equitable, healthy, thriving world. CSR is out, ESG is in.

A global pandemic, rising inequality, and urgent climate crisis have pushed business to redefine its role in a global economy. New partnerships between companies and governments and civil society have catapulted, innovating new models in how they can work together. Through frank conversations with leaders at the intersection of business and global development we’ll explore these trends and how industries such as fashion, technology, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and more are changing how and who does development.

We live in a time of contradiction. In the midst of a health crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19, we find ourselves in a crisis caused by the spread of disinformation, misinformation, and censorship. These tactics obscure the facts and fracture or delude communities around the world. And yet despite these malicious or misguided efforts, personal stories continue to reflect deeper truths about human experience and to create affinity and understanding from narrative and emotion.

In this session, take a look at both sides of the issue — the rise of misinformation and the persistent powers of narrative and representation, and hear from the storytellers, activists, journalists, and tech leaders at the forefront of the information crisis.

The data revolution is here. Global health and humanitarian aid sectors are regularly flooded with information collected through digital devices that are becoming cheaper and more common. And while this abundance of data can enable more results-driven programs and solutions, it doesn’t come risk free. At times characterized as impartial, digitally collected data is subject to the same biases and power imbalances of the offline world when it comes to use and ownership. Security breaches can also compromise sensitive data and counteract humanitarian operations designed to protect the world’s most vulnerable people.

Being data-driven is no longer a question of if but of how. During this track, join us for a series of conversations on the power of data and the responsibility of the development sector to use, share, and safeguard that data accordingly.

Innovation is everyone’s favorite buzzword. But what does it mean to bring innovation to development? And how do we scale what works? From new technologies to new ways of solving problems, innovation is more than just what is coming out of Silicon Valley. It can be found on every corner of the globe.

COVID-19 provided a catalyst for innovations to scale faster than we’ve ever seen. What can we learn from this rapid adoption for the future? Together we’ll discuss how to find, fund, and operationalize innovation — wherever it is found — to accelerate progress on the SDGs.

Recent years have seen a steady growth of SDG-related investments and financial commitments. The time is ripe to operationalize those pledges and to improve alignment on performance standards. What exactly counts as climate finance and what will it take to finance a transition to net-zero? With ESG on the rise, how — and how quickly — will the global community develop comprehensive sustainability-related impact disclosures? We’ll take a look at these questions and more, unpacking the actions necessary to drive capital where it’s needed most to deliver on the SDGs.