Sustainable Growth in Africa: Leveraging ESG Standards and Tech for Market Readiness
Sustainable Growth in Africa: Leveraging ESG Standards and Tech for Market Readiness
Panelists at the ABF2025 17 February 2025 ©United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
The Africa Business Forum 2025 (ABF), held on 17 February in Addis Ababa and organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), brought together thought leaders and stakeholders to explore pathways for transforming Africa’s regional value chains. A key focus was the roundtable discussion titled Achieving Sustainability and Standards Compliance: Unlocking African Value Chains for Local and Global Markets. Dr Hervé Lado, Africa Head, United Nations Global Compact, joined a distinguished panel including Dr. Debo Akande of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Ms. Serah Makka of the ONE Campaign in Africa; Amb. Albert Mudenda Muchanga of the African Union Commission (AUC); Dr. Hermogène Nsengimana of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO); and Dr. Sylvia Vito of Eva Pharma. Together, they emphasised the critical role of technology in advancing sustainability, driving efficiency, and enhancing global market readiness across key sectors such as leather, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
Dr. Lado highlighted the transformative potential of the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact
and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
in empowering African businesses, particularly SMEs, to thrive in emerging markets. He underscored how these principles—spanning human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption—provide a robust framework for aligning with universal sustainability standards. Through adoption of these principles, African SMEs can build trust, ensure compliance, and enhance their competitiveness in global markets while contributing to sustainable development. This alignment strengthens market readiness and positions SMEs as key players in driving efficiency and innovation across critical sectors.
For African SMEs, adopting these principles is a strategic advantage. Embedding sustainability into core operations improves reputation, attracts ethical investors, and opens access to international markets. The Ten Principles also serve as a foundation for achieving the SDGs, creating synergy between corporate responsibility and global development objectives.
A major challenge for African businesses is aligning with international Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, traceability, and quality requirements, which are critical for accessing global markets and securing financing. The UN Global Compact’s framework offers a roadmap for African SMEs to meet these demands while fostering innovation and resilience. For instance, adherence to ESG principles can unlock green financing and ethical supply chains, while traceability standards ensure transparency and accountability. These standards can emphasized position businesses as reliable partners in global value chains, from agriculture and mining to pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.
Technological innovations such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and green technologies are transforming African business operations. Blockchain enhances supply chain transparency, AI streamlines quality control, and green technologies drive sustainable production. These advancements enable African SMEs to compete globally, meet compliance requirements, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and contribute to sustainable development.
As engines of innovation and job creation, African SMEs are central to the continent’s economic transformation and the achievement of the SDGs. With the alignment of the Ten Principles, SMEs can advance goals such as poverty reduction, gender equality, climate action, and sustainable industrialization. Their emergence in global markets presents a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth. Through the right support, these businesses can scale operations, adopt sustainable practices, and access global markets, creating a ripple effect that benefits entire communities.
The Africa Business Forum 2025 underscored the transformative potential of aligning African value chains with global sustainability standards. The Ten Principles and the SDGs provide a clear pathway for African SMEs to enhance competitiveness, streamline compliance, and contribute to sustainable development. As Africa rises as a global economic powerhouse, integrating sustainability and technology will be key to unlocking its full potential, paving the way for a future where sustainability and competitiveness coexist and reinforce each other.
Efforts to drive private sector investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Rwanda received a significant boost as seven new companies pledged to join the United Nations Global Compact during a recent high-level Partners’ Forum in Kigali. This was further underscored during the Partners’ Forum, held under the theme “Can Do with Integrity” and organized in collaboration with MTN Rwanda and Mobile Money Rwanda on 7 August 2025. The forum, which brought together stakeholders in the Rwandan business ecosystem such as suppliers, vendors, franchises and other partners, was attended by over a hundred participants from various companies and received strategic support and guidance from the UN Global Compact. The commitments followed a presentation by the UN Global Compact on its value proposition and the benefits of joining the largest global sustainability initiative. Specifically, the forum served as an opportunity for the UN Global Compact to recruit new businesses to join its future Country Network and support them to address critical areas of regulatory compliance, fraud prevention and anti-bribery measures, procurement processes and standards, and ethics and integrity in business operations. During the engagement, the UN Global Compact reported on its progress in Rwanda, where the membership has grown from 1 to 27 companies since 2023, across sectors including banking, energy, mining, telecommunications, and construction. While Rwanda shows strong growth and retention; the relatively small size of the national economy and local businesses means that achieving viability for the network will require welcoming a hundred businesses.
Roundtable 25 September 2025, 2-4pm, New York City The current rising tariffs also call on the capacity of African countries to produce locally and trade goods and services among themselves. As the AfCFTA gains traction, new opportunities are emerging for Africa. This session will bring together African business leaders, government officials and representatives of African regional institutions attending UNGA to explore how trade, value chains, and investment can build sustainable economies, and how the UN Global Compact’s Africa Strategy can help harness this transformation. Explore the immense potential within regional value chains and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Discover how sustainable business models are creating unprecedented private sector opportunities, even amid global uncertainty. During this informative session, you will be equipped with key insights on: Shared understanding of Africa’s evolving development narrative post-aid Insights and case examples of successful public-private responses to aid reduction Identification of opportunities for investment, innovation, and collaboration under AfCFTA. Africa's transforming from aid-dependent to investment-led, trade-driven growth. This is your invitation to join the continent's dynamic future. For more detailed information on each session, please consult the full agenda here:
In rethinking financing for fragile economies, particularly in Africa and other emerging markets, the United Nations Global Compact hosted a roundtable titled ‘Reframing Risks and Rewards in Fragile Contexts”, at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, Spain. The roundtable was held on 2 July, 2025 and brought together stakeholders to seek bold innovative pathways that help address the pressing realities faced by these fragile economies which are often failed by traditional financing models. Chaired by Naomi Nwokolo, Executive Director at UN Global Compact Network Nigeria, the roundtable featured voices for whom fragility is not a theory but a lived reality and professional challenge. Opening remarks were delivered by Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO/Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. The High-level Executive Roundtable featured a line-up of visionary panellists, including Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, Executive Governor of Imo State; Patrick Akhidenor, Chief Risk Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., representing Olusegun Alebiosu MD/CEO FirstBank Group; Teresa Guardans, Co-Founder, Oryx Impact; Krisztina Tora, Managing Director, GSG Impact; and Hassatou Diop N'Sele N’Sele, Vice President/CFO of the African Development Bank, and other impactful speakers joined from the Green Climate Fund, Small Foundation, and Sida. The platform opened opportunities for collaborative action for capital mobilization to support the goal of rethinking finance to serve the most fragile and vulnerable communities. This collaboration from the various stakeholders is critical; governments, the private sector, finance institutions, nonprofits and the local communities must work together if a new model is to be successful and sustainable. Key takeaways from the discussion include: The current financial system isn’t made for the world we’re in – Most existing financing instruments are engineered to minimize risk, rather than to engage with the nuanced and layered complexities of today’s world. Yet fragility, marked by economic shocks, climate disruptions, and geopolitical volatility, is no longer an exception; it is fast becoming the prevailing context across many emerging economies. If the global financial architecture fails to evolve in response to this new reality, it risks reinforcing exclusion. Resilience is a return, not an expense - A recurring theme throughout the dialogue was a bold and necessary challenge to the prevailing perception that resilience-focused investments—whether in climate adaptation, local governance, or peacebuilding—are "too risky," "too slow," or unlikely to yield measurable returns. This outdated view continues to limit the flow of capital to the very places where it is most urgently needed. Africa is not the problem—it’s the solution - There was a collective rejection of the outdated narrative that paints Africa as a charity case. The truth is, Africa is a goldmine of innovation, talent, and leadership. But ideas alone aren’t enough. What is needed is trust, access, and catalytic capital. Youth must move from beneficiaries to financiers of the future - Africa is home to the youngest population in the world, yet youth continue to be overlooked in formal financial systems. Funding models must evolve to reduce barriers for youth-led solutions—not just through grants, but through ownership, equity, and co-creation. Ecosystems are everything - Resilience is not built by capital alone. It takes local infrastructure, technical expertise, smart policy, and a culture of trust. This means that systems change is essential. We must stop looking for silver-bullet interventions and start investing in the enabling environments that allow communities to build, adapt, and thrive. In fragile economies across Africa and the Global South, the stakes are incredibly high, and the system is not built for them. The traditional models of finance that have long governed how and where money moves are proving inadequate in the face of today’s most pressing realities: climate breakdown, political volatility, growing youth unemployment, and widening inequality. Fragility is no longer a footnote in development—it’s a defining context for the next era of global resilience. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) held from 30 June to 3 July, 2025, in Seville, Spain. It follows the 2002 Monterrey Consensus, the 2008 Doha Declaration and the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
The United Nations estimates that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will require between $3 trillion and $5 trillion annually. In Africa alone, the financing gap is an additional $194 billion each year – about 7% of the continent’s GDP. Against this backdrop, the Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK), in partnership with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), FSD Africa Investments (FSDAI) and the East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), convened relevant stakeholders for a roundtable to foster high-level, impactful conversations around pressing themes, such as accelerating sustainable finance for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) through local capital mobilisation and integrated sustainability-related factors. During the high-level roundtable, which took place on July 22nd, 2025, at the Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi, Kenya, attendees resolved that the urgency to accelerate sustainable finance has never been greater, especially against the background of global and regional challenges such as the escalating impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss as well as growing inequality and shrinking international aid. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK), Judy Njino, emphasized the role that the private sector and investment community have to play and underscored the importance of unlocking local capital to drive impact at scale. "Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or show moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly or making only marginal progress, while 18 per cent have regressed. The gap between our sustainable development aspirations and financing to meet them has continued to widen. With official development assistance declining and fiscal space constrained, the private sector & investor community have an opportunity to step up as an engine for inclusive & sustainable economic growth. We must ensure that businesses, especially local ones, are ready, aligned, and equipped to absorb this capital," she said. Meanwhile, David Atkin, Chief Executive Officer of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), emphasized that the PRI believes an economically efficient and sustainable global financial system is essential for long-term value creation. As such, a system rewards responsible, long-term investment while delivering lasting benefits to society and the environment. Critical takeaways from the roundtable include; a broad agreement on the need to foster collaboration between businesses, investors, and development actors; the need to shift toward practical, real-world financial solutions that address issues on the ground; and acknowledgement of the growing demand for financial instruments such as green bonds and impact investments that offer competitive returns while directly supporting SDG-related projects.
La deuxième édition du programme Fondements de la Durabilité d’Entreprise (FDE), qui s’est déroulée de mars à juillet 2025, s’est conclue avec succès. Le programme a mis en avant les perspectives africaines en matière de durabilité d’entreprise et a favorisé l’alignement des stratégies commerciales avec les normes mondiales de durabilité. Conçu pour renforcer les capacités des dirigeants d’entreprises africaines et de leurs équipes, le programme a offert des outils pratiques sur l’intégration des principes environnementaux, sociaux et de gouvernance (ESG) dans les opérations et processus décisionnels clés. Entièrement dispensé en français, le programme a proposé six sessions interactives de 2,5 heures chacune, animées par les réseaux locaux du Pacte mondial des Nations Unies en Afrique du Nord, Afrique de l’Ouest, Afrique centrale et Océan Indien. Chaque session mettait en lumière les priorités spécifiques de chaque région, assurant ainsi une contextualisation des meilleures pratiques internationales dans la diversité des environnements économiques africains. Le programme de cette année a couvert six thématiques essentielles pour la durabilité des entreprises sur le continent : la durabilité en tant que levier stratégique en Afrique; les droits humains et le travail décent; l’égalité des genres; l’adaptation des entreprises au changement climatique; le reporting en matière de durabilité; et le suivi des progrès. Ces thématiques traduisent à la fois les priorités mondiales et les enjeux sociaux et environnementaux propres aux entreprises africaines, en encourageant des solutions adaptées qui relient les standards globaux aux réalités locales. Si les normes internationales offrent un cadre fondamental pour guider les pratiques responsables, leur mise en œuvre concrète en Afrique reste un défi. Le Pacte mondial des Nations Unies, en collaboration avec les Réseaux Locaux du Hub régional Afrique et ses partenaires, s’est engagé à combler cet écart en promouvant la sensibilisation, l’apprentissage entre pairs et la mise à disposition d’outils pratiques permettant aux entreprises d’intégrer la durabilité dans leurs opérations. S’adressant à des entreprises de différentes tailles et secteurs, l’édition 2025 du programme FDE a réuni plus de 500 participants issus des quatre sous-régions. En complément des sessions virtuelles organisées via la plateforme UN Global Compact Academy, la sixième et dernière session s’est tenue en présentiel dans cinq pays : Côte d’Ivoire, Île Maurice, Maroc, République Démocratique du Congo et Tunisie. Ces sessions ont été organisées avec le soutien du Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France), en partenariat avec plusieurs institutions locales dont : Business Mauritius; Association Tunisienne des Investisseurs en Capital (ATIC); Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI); Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Franco-Congolaise; Conseil Bancaire et Financier; Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC); Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Côte d’Ivoire; Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM). Le programme s’est inscrit dans un contexte mondial marqué par des défis environnementaux et sociaux pressants, allant du changement climatique à la perte de biodiversité, en passant par la pollution, la raréfaction des ressources et les inégalités croissantes. Ces enjeux interconnectés représentent des risques majeurs pour le développement durable à l’échelle mondiale, notamment en Afrique, où leurs impacts sont particulièrement visibles. Les entreprises ont ainsi un rôle clé à jouer pour contribuer à l’atteinte des Objectifs de développement durable (ODD), en adoptant des pratiques responsables créatrices de valeur pour la société et l’environnement. “Cette deuxième édition du programme Fondements de la durabilité d’entreprise a constitué un moment fort de notre engagement collectif en faveur d’une croissance responsable et durable sur le continent africain. Ce qui m’a profondément marqué, c’est la richesse et la diversité des perspectives partagées par les entreprises participantes, des PME locales aux grandes entreprises, toutes guidées par une volonté authentique de faire évoluer leurs pratiques. Au-delà du renforcement des compétences techniques en matière de durabilité, le programme a permis de créer un espace unique d’apprentissage et de dialogue entre les acteurs économiques africains. Grâce à la mobilisation remarquable des Réseaux Locaux du Pacte mondial en Afrique et de nos partenaires institutionnels, nous avons pu proposer un programme à la fois ancré dans les réalités africaines et aligné avec les standards internationaux. Cette initiative démontre que lorsque l’on conjugue expertise locale, collaboration régionale et ambition globale, il devient possible d’accélérer la transition vers des modèles économiques plus inclusifs, plus résilients et plus durables.” Salma Boudina, Lead du Programme FDE . Des programmes tels que le FDE offrent aux entreprises les connaissances, les outils et le réseau nécessaires pour élaborer des stratégies de durabilité efficaces. Le Pacte mondial des Nations Unies continue d’accompagner les entreprises africaines dans leur transition vers des économies plus inclusives, résilientes et durables, en renforçant les capacités locales et en favorisant le dialogue à travers le continent.
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Sustainable business practices in Rwanda received a significant boost through the United Nations Global Compact, Communication on Progress (CoP) workshop, which was held in Kigali on 12 June 2025. The UN Global Compact, which supports sustainable business practices globally by encouraging businesses to align with its Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, established CoP reporting as an accountability mechanism to enable businesses to report annually on their sustainability progress. The CoP is a mandatory requirement for all business participants of the UN Global Compact, and companies that fail to meet this commitment risk being de-listed from the Compact. Currently, 26 organizations are signatories of the UN Global Compact in Rwanda, with 17 participants from 14 companies attending the CoP workshop in June. The workshop focused on familiarizing Rwandan businesses with the CoP template and supporting them in accessing valuable resources that can help them use the template efficiently to report their sustainability efforts. The Workshop is of particular significance as the UN Global Compact considers Rwanda an expanding country for its mandate, with this being the first time for the majority of participants to fill out the CoP digital report. Among them, some have started preparing their sustainability reports, while others are wondering how best they can use the CoP template to submit their annual report before the deadline. The submission period for the mandatory 2025 Communication on Progress (CoP) opens on 1 April 2025 and closes on 31 July 2025. The CoP workshop, among other offerings, aims to raise awareness and strengthen the capacity of Rwandan businesses to effectively engage with the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress (CoP) and its available resources, introduce participants to the CoP as the UN Global Compact’s standardized accountability framework, and promote active participation by guiding businesses in navigating and utilizing the CoP platform, including its tools, training modules, and support resources tailored to facilitate meaningful engagement. Dr Hervé Lado, UN Global Compact Africa Regional Head, emphasized that the workshop strengthened companies’ capacity to meet Communication on Progress (CoP) reporting obligations. He clarified that the CoP is a strategic transparency tool, not mere compliance, enabling performance measurement and accountability. Dr Lado urged timely submissions to bolster the initiative’s credibility and showcase responsible business actions, framing the CoP as an opportunity to advance sustainable development. Marie-Claire Dushimumukiza, UNGC Rwanda Country Manager, commended participants’ practical insights on sustainability reporting. After guiding them through the CoP template and resources, she stressed the importance of accuracy and deadlines while reaffirming her ongoing support. Participants highlighted gaining practical tools and peer insights, recognizing transparent reporting’s role in building trust, measuring impact, and aligning strategies with the Ten Principles for long-term value creation.
From Commitment to Action: Advancing Remedy, Reparations, and Responsible Business Conduct in Africa 07 – 09 October 2025 | Lusaka, Zambia The United Nations Global Compact invites African businesses to participate in the 4th African Business and Human Rights Forum , a pivotal regional gathering to catalyze corporate respect for human rights and sustainability across Africa. This year’s edition will focus on the concrete implementation of remedy and reparations frameworks and promoting responsible business conduct amid the continent’s evolving economic and regulatory landscape. About the Forum The Africa BHR Forum is an annual, multi-stakeholder platform that convenes business leaders, government representatives, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, national human rights institutions, and international partners to advance the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The 2025 Forum is aligned with the African Union’s theme: "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations." Building on past editions in Accra (2022), Addis Ababa (2023), and Nairobi (2024), which together gathered over 1,400 participants, the Forum continues to drive collaborative action, foster dialogue, and share innovative approaches that elevate corporate accountability and responsible business practices across Africa. Key Objectives • Strengthen Access to Remedy for victims of business-related human rights and environmental harm through policy frameworks, judicial capacity, and grievance mechanisms. • Advance Reparations by promoting state and private sector responsibility in addressing historical and ongoing injustices. • Promote Responsible Business Conduct through integration of human rights due diligence and alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and AU BHR frameworks. • Enhance Transparency and Accountability through technology, reporting mechanisms, and collective monitoring of commitments. Why Attend By participating in the 2025 Forum, you will: 1. Engage in high-level regional discourse connected to the UN Forum on BHR in Geneva. 2. Network with leaders across sectors – business, government, academia, civil society, and the UN system. 3. Exchange best practices on implementing effective due diligence and remedy strategies. 4. Gain insights into Africa’s growing legal and policy momentum around business and human rights. 5. Demonstrate leadership by showcasing your organization’s commitment to human rights. 6. Join free of charge and benefit from broad access to official and side sessions. Opportunities to Participate Companies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders are welcome to: • Take part in official sessions, panels, and side events (speaking roles by invitation). • Attend thematic trainings, clinics, and breakout dialogues on practical applications of BHR frameworks. • Engage with peers and experts at the UN Global Compact Networking Event on the final day. • Exhibit initiatives and innovations at the Forum showcase pavilion. Event Format and Interpretation • Hybrid Format: In-person and virtual participation to maximize access across the continent. • Languages: English with simultaneous interpretation in French. Learn more about the African Business and Human Rights Forum
