Advancing the SDGs. From a Summary Compiled by Adam Zakman. University of California - Davis.

The 2025 SDG Global Business Forum, held as a high-level event today (7/22/25) in conjunction with the UN High-Level Political Forum, highlighting both the urgency and opportunity facing public and private actors committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adam Zakman from Creative Investment Research took part in this event and offers his summary and reflection below, drawing connections to our ongoing work supporting equitable economic development and impact investing.

The $4 Trillion Challenge—and the Private Sector’s Response

A central theme of the Forum was the staggering $4 trillion annual financing gap required to achieve the SDGs by 2030. While no one expects the private sector to close this gap alone, the forum made clear that institutional and impact investors are eager to deploy capital—if the conditions are right. “Profit is not a dirty word,” as UN Global Compact CEO Sanda Ojiambo reminded attendees.

Creative Investment Research has long argued that financial returns and social impact are not mutually exclusive. Our Fully Adjusted Return® Methodology, developed over two decades ago, remains one of the most rigorous tools for aligning financial capital with social good. We continue to use it to evaluate the effectiveness of ESG and impact investments, particularly in underserved communities.

Bottlenecks: Finance, Policy, and Trust

Several key bottlenecks to private sector SDG financing were identified:

• Access to Capital: Biased risk ratings and high premiums inhibit investment in low- and middle-income countries.

• Regulatory Complexity: Many sustainability-related rules, especially for ESG disclosure, are burdensome and misaligned.

• Mutual Distrust: Governments fear large enterprise dominance, and companies fear policy reversals and unstable environments.

This mirrors what we see in the U.S. context, especially in our work concerning NRSROs and our work with minority- and women-owned businesses. Without targeted policies and simplified access to sustainable capital, these enterprises—already disadvantaged—cannot fully engage in SDG-related markets.

What Works: Partnerships, Living Wages, and Just Transitions

Encouragingly, the Forum highlighted real-world innovations and collaborations that are moving the needle. These include:

• Strategic private-public partnerships across sectors and geographies

• Over 650 companies committing to living wages under the UNGC’s Forward Faster initiative

• Business-government collaboration on skilling informal sector workers to prepare for an AI-augmented economy

Creative Investment Research has directly supported efforts aligned with these themes. In 2023–2024, we advised the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) on economic research and survey development, including studies on inclusive access to capital. Our ongoing work promoting mental health resources, particularly for youth impacted by the COVID-19 economic fallout, are further testimony to our involvement in this area.

From the Ground Up: Insights from India, Ghana, and Finland

Session 2 of the Forum shifted focus to on-the-ground SDG innovations. Highlights included:

Mahindra Group (India): Industry-wide sustainability collaboration—advancing SDGs 9 and 16

Ghana: Pioneering business data integration into national SDG reviews—advancing SDGs 9, 16, and 17

Finland: Leading the world in SDG performance through business-government integration—advancing SDGs 8, 9, 16, and 17

Finland’s progress, in particular, underscores the importance of decentralized, integrated institutional roles in business, thereby strengthening the independence, embeddedness, legitimacy, and efficacy of its national institutions and companies alike. These models confirm what our research has shown: SDG progress happens when governments and businesses co-create policy, share data, and invest in long-term partnerships. 

Policy Recommendations

Key recommendations from the Forum include:

1. Predictable, Coherent Policy: Avoid sudden shifts that undermine investment confidence.

2. Simplified Regulation: Harmonize sustainability standards to ease ESG reporting burdens.

3. Systematic Engagement: Embed business voices in national reporting and policymaking.

4. Spillover Accountability: Use AI and digital tools to track cross-border sustainability impacts.

Creative Investment Research supports these recommendations through both our thought leadership and our ongoing policy advocacy. For example, our recent op-ed in the American Banker Newspaper on Federal Reserve independence underscored the importance of consistent, fair financial governance—an issue deeply relevant to SDG financing.

Conclusion: SDGs Require Business and Government Alignment

The Forum made clear that the SDGs are no longer just a moral framework—they are a business imperative. But action requires more than statements. It demands platforms for trust, tools for transparency, and a willingness to co-create value beyond traditional markets.

Creative Investment Research remains committed to this mission. We invite others to join us as we continue our work building financial systems that serve all communities and align capital with a just, sustainable future.