Executive Summary
Corporate
Disruptors:
How business is turning the
world’s greatest challenges
into opportunities
This report is in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Young
Global Leaders Community and an output of the YGL Sustainable
Development Goals initiative.
The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, diverse, global community
of the world’s most outstanding, next-generation leaders nominated under
the age of 40, who commit a portion of their time to jointly shape a better
future and thereby improve the state of the world. To achieve its mission,
of shaping a positive future, the Forum of YGL acts as a platform for
young leaders to be both a voice for the future in global thought processes
and a catalyst for joint action when appropriate. Together, its community
members form a powerful international force for the global common good.
2
Contents
Introduction4
A new world for business
5
What doesInfant
this have
to do with business?
Mortality
Maternal Health
Access to primary healthcare and changing demographics are driving the global
greatest goals
–
The world’s
health
and well-being
development
agenda
Deep Dive:43
From
the MDGs
tobirths
SDGs
deaths
per 100,000
(Against SDG target of 25)
8
10
210 deaths per 100,000 births
(Against SDG target of 70)
Key enablers
14
From responsibility
89% to opportunity
16
Over
80%
of 1.8 billion youth aged 10-24
of the world's aging population (over 60)
Infographics:18
2015
2050
live in developing economies today
will live in developing countries by 2050
Visual summary for the 17 sustainable development goals
References35
What does this mean for the business?
Enormous value creation potential by providing Quality healthcare at Affordable price in an easily Accessible manner.
$34 bn
Projected global telemedicine
market by the end of 2020
Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap has
an ambition to improve hand
washing habit of 1 billion
people, thereby reducing
incidence of child death up
to 44%.
$87.7 bn
8.9 bn
Low income Health Care Opportunity Potential access to skilled
professionals across 107 countries
Businesses need to invest in state of the art infrastructure,
identify the right partners and develop innovative operating
models to realize this value.
Read our full report
to find out how
3
Introduction
Shifting patterns of global growth, especially in emerging economies,
are making customers a moving target. Demographic changes are
roiling both the consumer and labor markets, posing significant
challenges for customer and talent acquisition and retention. Digitally
empowered consumers have higher expectations than ever, and are
taking companies to task that do not meet them. Enormous business
potential exists in the data companies collect, but pressure is increasing
to be much more vigilant in how that data is secured and used.
Demand for goods is outstripping the supply of
finite virgin resources, resulting in commodity
price volatility and escalation, as well as
severe negative environmental impacts.
Do these sound familiar? They should,
because that is the world in which
global businesses operate today.
As these five trends have converged to
create a world characterized by volatility,
uncertainty and complexity, companies
understandably find themselves in a quandary:
They are unsure of what it all means for their
business—both now and in the long term.
But perhaps even more important, there are
no clear clues for how they should respond.
Enter the global development agenda and
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As companies grapple with how they need
to change their organizations to thrive and
grow in today’s evolving, often chaotic, world,
the SDGs can serve as a guiding light. They
are a framework that can help companies
capitalize on the possibilities inherent in
these macro trends by entering new markets,
developing new solutions and services,
and creating entirely new businesses.
4
A number of leading companies—corporate
disruptors— have found a way to grow
and increase competitiveness despite, and
sometimes because of, the global challenges
they face. They are already using the SDGs
to help them replace the notion of Corporate
Social Responsibility with something much
more powerful: Corporate Social Opportunity.
In the process, they are creating new value in
new ways—whether it is by growing revenues,
reducing costs, mitigating risks, improving
brand value, or some combination of the four.
In the following report, we describe how
companies can move beyond a focus on
overcoming the volatility, uncertainty and
complexity of today’s marketplace. Instead,
we look at how companies can use the SDGs
to find opportunities to grow and “futureproof” their business—all while generating the
significant societal and environmental benefits
that their customers, as well as the global
community, increasingly value.
A new world for business
The world is changing rapidly—the evidence is all around us. The next few decades will
see significant shifts in consumer demand, buying power and expectations, driven by
massive population migrations and widespread information availability. At the same
time, an increasingly resource-constrained world will be forced to deal with decades of
unfettered growth and unsustainable consumption of natural resources. The implications
for businesses are significant: With these changes fundamentally redefining the rules of the
game, companies increasingly recognize they must take a deeper look at what this new day
dawning means for them and how they should respond. Five major trends, in particular, are
forcing companies to find new and innovative ways to deliver value for their stakeholders.
Shifts in global demand
For the past two decades, the global balance
of power has been slowly shifting from highly
developed to emerging economies. Developing
countries already hold around two-thirds of
the world’s total foreign exchange reserves.
And by 2020, the combined output of the
three leading emerging economies—China,
India, and Brazil—will surpass the aggregate
production of the United States, Germany,
United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada.1
Accompanying the rise of emerging markets
is an unprecedented wave of urbanization.
In 1950, rural areas were home to a majority
of the global population. Today, over half of
the world’s population live in urban areas.2
And the trend shows no sign of stopping:
Over two-thirds of the global population
will likely be urban dwellers by 2050, driven
predominantly by today’s emerging economies.
Perhaps these figures should not be surprising,
given emerging economies are projected
to represent a major share of global
population overall, with India, China and
Nigeria alone accounting for approximately
3.5 billion people (out of the projected global
population of around 9.7 billion) by 2050.3
Along with urbanization comes increasing
affluence. According to estimates by Reuters,
the global middle class is expected to more
than double by 2030, reaching 4.9 billion.5
These population growth patterns will shift
consumer growth and purchasing power from
rural to urban areas and from developed to
emerging economies. Businesses will need
to realign their growth strategies and their
suite of products and services to tap into
these new markets and consumer pools.
Figure 1: Top ten countries with highest forecasted urban populations (2050)4
Urban Population in 2050 (mn)
China
China
1,038 mn
India
875 mn
United States of America (USA)
365 mn
Nigeria
218 mn
Brazil
204 mn
Pakistan
199 mn
Indonesia
190 mn
Mexico
113 mn
Philippines
101 mn
Russian Federation
India
73%
54%
Pakistan
Indonesia
59%
66%
USA
90%
Mexico
88%
Nigeria
75%
Philippines
69%
Brazil
94%
Russia
83%
96 mn
Percentage (%) reflects the urban population as a fraction of the total population
5
The dual
demographic bulge
The world isn’t just growing. It’s growing at
opposite ends of the hourglass. At one end is the
elder population. Today, the global population
aged 60 or above is about 901 million, around
12 percent of the overall global population.6 By
2050, this is expected to jump to more than 2
billion, constituting almost 20 percent of the
overall population.7 Developed economies are
expected to contribute most significantly to
this aging trend.8 In Europe, for example, around
24 percent of the population is currently aged
60 or above, the highest in the world.9 By 2050,
with the exception of Africa, all major areas of
the world are expected to have more than 25
percent of their population above 60 years.10
On the other side of the hourglass is the
young population, generally centered in many
developing economies. In Africa, for example,
around 41 percent of the population is under
the age of 15, and an additional 19 percent
are between 15 and 24 years old.11 Similarly,
over 40 percent of the population of Latin
America and Asia is under the age of 24.12
Further illustrating the emerging-developed
economy divide is this: The median age in the
world’s least-developed countries today is
20, compared with 42 in Europe.13 By 2050,
we will likely see the same schism, with the
median age of the least-developed countries
rising to 26 compared with 46 for Europe.14
As these dual trends play out, businesses will
need to rethink their consumer and employee
strategies. There are certainly new commercial
opportunities in better targeting a young
population (often with more disposable
income) or an aging consumer base (often
with greater brand loyalty). But there also are
talent-related challenges as millions of people
leave and enter the workforce at very different
career stages. According to a recent Accenture
survey of more than 1,000 senior executives,
“attracting, retaining and developing skilled
talent” is a primary concern for business, and
that is not likely to change anytime soon.15
The rise of the
informed consumer
As the global population shifts, a different
kind of consumer is emerging, one who
is greatly enabled by the growth of
digital technologies. This consumer is
more connected and more informed
than ever, and has higher expectations
for both government and business.
Recent research backs this up. In a recent
study of around 30,000 consumers across
20 countries, almost 72 percent indicated
businesses are failing to meet their
expectations.16 That same study found today’s
consumers expect more from their purchases
than just the acquisition of products and
services—and it is an expectation that
companies currently fail to meet. For
example, almost 81 percent of surveyed
consumers said a product’s ability to enable
healthy lifestyles is an important purchase
criterion; however, only 42 percent believed
companies are currently meeting this need.17
At the same time, consumers are becoming
increasingly conscious of their purchases and
expect businesses to be both open and ethical
about their products and services—an area
in which businesses are also falling short.
For example, in a survey of 500 executives,
almost 83 percent think the transparency of
products’ supply chains affect consumers’
confidence in a brand and their buying
behavior.19 Yet, in another survey, 67 percent
of the 1,000-plus senior executives surveyed
said businesses are not doing enough
to tackle sustainability challenges.20
Perhaps the most severe criticism leveled
by consumers is the one that emerged
from a survey conducted by Edelman
Trust in 2015.21 More than half of the
people in that survey believe business
innovation is driven by greed and money
rather than an intent to benefit society,
and that there isn’t sufficient government
regulation for many industry sectors.
Digital technologies are helping companies
respond to consumers who demand more than
just products and services from business.
By 2030, Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) will connect 2.5 billion
extra people to the “knowledge economy.”22
This will provide 1.6 billion additional
people access to healthcare and almost
500 million new consumers access to
e-learning tools. And for businesses, the
opportunities to monetize this new ICTenabled access are huge. An assessment of
eight economic sectors—mobility and logistics,
manufacturing, food, buildings, energy, work
and business, and health and learning—found
ICT could generate more than $11 trillion
in economic benefits per year by 2030.23
Figure 2: Changing world order: Most populous countries from 1950 to 205018
1950 (Estimates)
Total Population = 2.52 billion
2020 (Projections)
Total Population = 7.76 billion
2050 (Projections)
Total Population = 9.73 billion
China
21.5%
China
18.1%
India
17.5%
India
14.9%
India
17.9%
China
13.9%
United States of America
6.2%
United States of America
4.3%
Nigeria
4.1%
Russian Federation
4.1%
Indonesia
3.5%
United States of America
4.0%
Japan
3.3%
Brazil
2.8%
Germany
2.8%
Pakistan
2.7%
Pakistan
3.2%
Indonesia
2.8%
Nigeria
2.7%
Brazil
2.5%
Brazil
2.1%
Bangladesh
2.2%
Bangladesh
2.1%
United Kingdom
2.0%
Russian Federation
1.8%
Democratic Republic of the Congo
2.0%
Italy
1.8%
Mexico
1.7%
Ethiopia
1.9%
Indonesia
Percentage (%) reflects the country’s population in the respective timeframe as a fraction of the global population
6
3.3%
Expectations for
digital responsibility
The exponential growth of digitally enabled
products and services will be a boon for
businesses everywhere. For instance, by
2030 there will be more than 100 billion
“connected devices” around the world.24
This surge in digital connectivity that will
enable organizations to access increasingly
large amounts of consumer data they can
use to create stronger customer engagement
and loyalty.
However, while digital connectivity presents
a huge opportunity to better target and serve
customers, it also poses a risk with respect to
ethical usage of consumer data—something
consumers are clearly worried about. In a
recent Accenture study, almost 44 percent of
consumers indicated that they are wary about
the information they share due to lack of
confidence in the online security that protects
their personal data.25 In another study, the
TRUSTe Consumer Confidence Index, nine in
10 internet users in the United Kingdom and
the United States said they would avoid doing
business with companies that do not protect
their privacy.26,27
The challenge for companies is how
to leverage digital and the data those
technologies generate to improve all
dimensions of their business (and society)
while ensuring they are responsible stewards
of all the data they collect and use.
Natural resource
complexity and
environmental
constraints
Beyond the price impact is the environmental
one. Based on historical trends, for every
1 percent increase in global GDP, CO2e
emissions have risen by approximately
0.5 percent and resource intensity by
0.4 percent.37 Under a “business as usual
scenario,” the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts temperature
increases of between 2.6 and 4.8°C by the end
of the century, driven by continued growth in
greenhouse gas emissions.38
Accenture’s recent research on the Circular
Economy finds that, at the current rate of
consumption, we will be over-utilizing the
planet’s resources by a factor of three by
2050.28 The demand for constrained resources
(such as biomass, metals, etc.) is expected
to grow from around 50 billion tonnes in
2014 to around 130 billion tonnes by 2050.29
Even in the best-case scenario, economies
are not expected to produce more than
80 billion tonnes of these resources by
2050—a gap of more than 40 percent.30
The inescapable conclusion from this data
is that the global economy must decouple
economic growth from the use of finite
virgin resources to avoid volatile prices as
well as reduce the negative impacts on the
environment. This will require businesses
to adopt new business models that enable
them to reduce (and eventually eliminate)
their use of finite virgin resources in their
value chains, products and services.
With demand continuing to far outstrip
supply, companies are bracing for the
impact on commodity prices. In fact, it is
already happening. During 1960 to 2000,
every 1 percent of growth in GDP was
accompanied by a 0.2 percent drop in the
commodity price index.31,32,33 Since the
start of the new millennium, we see price
moving in concert with growth: For every
1 percent increase in GDP between 2000
and 2014, there has been a 1.5 percent
increase in the commodity price index.34
Figure 3: Log plot of resource use and economic development (2010, 166 countries)35,36
Tons/Cap
100
the
join 2013)
o
t
vs.
ers
sum 100%
n
o
c
(+
new 2030
n
o
y
i
l
bil
ss b
China
2.5 dle cla
d
i
m
Resource use 10
Australia
Chile
Sweden
Brazil
Germany
Colombia
Niger
India
Bangladesh
1
100
1,000
Economic development
10,000
100,000
GDP/Cap
7
The world’s greatest goals –
What does this have to do with business?
The preceding discussion lays bare the enormous challenges companies
around the world face. The five macro trends are difficult enough to address
in isolation. Taken together, they can almost seem insurmountable. The
reality is, companies need to change—significantly—to be able to grow and
thrive in the coming decades. The question is, how? The UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) provide valuable guidance.
Figure 4: Continuum of corporate social opportunity maturity
Impact on business, community and environment
Strategic
Basic
• Limited awareness of SDGs
• May align a few CSR (Corporate
Social Responsibility) initiatives
to global goals
• May sponsor internal campaigns
or annual events; initiatives
typically funded through CSR
funds, usually without a
particular expectation of RoI.
• Diligent mapping of all CSR and
EHS (Environment, Health and
Safety) programs to the SDGs
• SDGs prioritized based on
organization’s core competencies
• Progress is tracked and reported
through chosen indicators
Transformational
Competitive
• Leverage SDGs as a framework
to grow business and gain
competitive advantage
• Typical ways of extending
competitiveness include
extending products and
services to new markets,
developing more resilient
supply chains, investing
in global workforce etc.
Corporate Social Opportunity – Maturity Continuum
8
• Develop new businesses
to respond to challenges /
opportunities outlined in
the SDGs
• Actively engage diverse
stakeholders (suppliers,
partners, consumers,
government, NGOs etc.)
to shape innovative
operating models
In considering the SDGs, companies face a
strategic choice: How deeply do they want
to engage in the pursuit of the SDGs? In our
research we found that the more strongly
a company commits to the SDGs, the more
significant the impact on its business,
the community, and the environment. As
illustrated on the maturity continuum in
Figure 4, leading organizations view global
goals as a framework to differentiate
themselves by expanding their customer
base, developing new products and
services, developing more resilient supply
chains, generating future talent for their
workforce and deepening their relationships
with their customers and partners.
Grow Revenue
(new products / services, serving
new market segments etc.)
Increase positive
Figure 5: Business value creation levers and the global goals
Short term
Build Brand
(positive image through
responsible operations,
digital responsibility etc.)
Long term
Reduce Costs
Mitigate Risks
(better resource efficiency,
circular operating models,
lower emissions etc.)
(license to operate, compliance
through better transparency,
traceability etc.)
Reduce negative
In September 2015, 193 countries adopted
the SDGs to guide global development in the
next 15 years (see “Deep Dive: From MDGs to
SDGs”). Through their ambitious and holistic
targets—covering people, equitable growth
and the environment—the SDGs can serve
as a framework for tackling the challenges
companies face. In fact, leading companies
view the SDGs as a way to help them migrate
from Corporate Social Responsibility to
Corporate Social Opportunity, thereby
becoming more competitive, resilient and
“future-proof” in an increasingly volatile,
uncertain, and complex world. Some
companies are even seeing Corporate
Social Responsibility as their reason for
being, developing new business models to
capitalize on the opportunities of the SDGs..
Those with the strongest commitment view
implementation of SDGs through the lens
of value creation—i.e. growing revenues,
reducing costs, mitigating risks and improving
brand value (Figure 5). These organizations
are positioning themselves to drive
profitable growth despite—and sometimes
because of—the external challenges.
In Figure 7, we highlight how some
of the world’s most forward-looking
organizations are creating value
by aligning with the 17 SDGs.
9
Deep Dive: From the MDGs to SDGs
The Millennium
Development Goals
The Sustainable
Development Goals
During the Millennium Summit in September
2000, the UN set out to establish its role in
the 21st century by drafting the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). These goals
were aligned to the basic human rights and
intended to reduce extreme poverty while
promoting gender equality, education, and
environmental sustainability. In the past
15 years, the MDG for extreme income
poverty was cut by more than half and
MDG-linked efforts have helped to reduce
child mortality by 50 percent. However,
despite these successes, not all MDGs were
met and a need to expand the development
agenda going forward remained. This
paved the way for the development of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To build on the sound foundation laid by the
MDGs, the SDGs were conceptualized at the
UN Sustainable Development Conference
in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 and formally
adopted by 193 member nations of the
UN in September 2015. The SDGs, also
referred to as The Global Goals, are a set
of 17 goals that are expected to set the
world’s development agenda for 2015–2030.
The 17 goals are augmented with 169
underlying targets, seeking to ensure the
measurability of progress.
Figure 6: 17 Sustainable Development Goals
10
“The Millennium Development
Goals have shown that we can
make profound differences in
people’s lives. The journey we
started in the year 2000 has
seen us build a solid foundation
for further progress.”39
Ban Ki-moon (September 25, 2013)
11
Figure 7: Illustration of companies creating value through alignment with SDGs
Organization
Action/Initiative
Daimler AG
Daimler AG partnered with POEMA (local antipoverty program) in the poverty stricken north-east
part of Brazil to construct a high-tech factory to manufacture headrests and seats out of coconut
fibers from locally grown trees. The factory contributed to the local economic development by
employing over 5,200 people and generating revenue by leveraging a locally sourced input.40
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Brand
TNT
TNT has partnered with the UN to combat hunger by leveraging TNT’s services of transport
optimization, fleet and warehouse management to improve aid delivery mechanisms. This partnership
has delivered close to 114 specialist aid delivery projects especially during natural calamities like
the tsunami in Asia in 2004, earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 and earthquake in Haiti in 2010.41
Impacted value levers: Brand
Unilever
Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap brand has undertaken an initiative to improve the hand washing habits
of 1 billion people, thereby reducing the incidence of child deaths by as much as 44 percent. To
implement the initiative, the company has rolled out several pilots in Asia, Africa and Latin America.42
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Brand
Dangote
Academy
Dangote Group (the largest manufacturing conglomerate in West Africa) invested close to
$6.5 million in Dangote Academy in Nigeria to address the difficulty of finding employees
with the right technical skills. The initiative is helping reduce talent sourcing costs while
providing vocational training to local youth.43
Impacted value levers: Cost, Brand
Care.com
While care is not a women’s issue, caregiving responsibilities are overwhelmingly managed
by women around the world. Care.com, through its unique model, aims to ensure that women
can get the care they need to stay in the labor force and sustain their professional careers.44
Impacted value levers: Revenue
SABMiller
In South Africa, SABMiller faced operational risks related to water quality concerns. The company
undertook a “beyond the breweries” approach and adopted a localized solution by involving local
communities and other stakeholders. This has helped the company reduce close to 23 billion litres
of water compared to the water usage in the breweries in 2008.45
Impacted value lever: Cost, Risk, Brand
Total
Total is undertaking initiatives to diversify its oil and gas business and grow its renewable
capabilities. The company is investing $223 million to transform its unprofitable LeMede oil refinery
into a bio-fuel plant. It is also planning to invest $500 million annually in developing renewable
energy capabilities.46
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Risk, Brand
Sun Edison
Sun Edison is partnering with Rockefeller Foundation to set up more than 100 off-grid solar energy
plants in rural India. The initiative is creating shared value by bringing economic opportunity to
villagers through the use of clean electricity while creating a new customer base for the company.47
Impacted value levers: Revenue
Google
Google has recently launched an initiative (called Sidewalk Labs) that will leverage technology
and innovation to improve urban life. The initiative seeks to improve city life by incubating
urban technologies to address such issues as cost of living, energy usage and transportation.48
Impacted value levers: Brand, Revenue
12
SDG Aligned
Organization
Action/Initiative
ITC Limited
ITC, a leading Indian based diversified conglomerate launched its “e-Choupal” initiative, which
provides internet access to rural farmers to help them make more informed business decisions.
The effort allowed ITC to better manage its up-stream supply chain while improving farmers’
quality of life.49
SDG Aligned
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Cost
E.ON
E.ON is creating an integrated energy infrastructure for a whole city district in Malmo, Sweden. As
part of this collaboration, it will supply electricity exclusively by renewable sources. It is also helping
lay communication channels looping all systems to minimize energy losses and meet high demands.50
Impacted value levers: Revenue
Michelin
Michelin has created an innovative business model to recycle tires close to the end of their useful
life. By offering tires as an extended service, it is not only creating additional revenue but also
promoting road safety (as customers are likely to return old or unsafe tires) and facilitating better
resource usage.51
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Cost, Brand
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors’ innovative electric car is designed for zero emissions. The electric car requires only
40amps for charging, which is equivalent to using an oven. The innovative product launch has helped
the company build its brand image as well grow revenues, while ensuing positive climate impact.52
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Brand
Tesco
Tesco adopted a sustainable seafood policy based on recommendations from the Marine
Stewardship Council. The company is also building a system to evaluate the sustainability quotient
of its fisheries. In addition to improving its brand, these initiatives could help Tesco generate
demand for new fish species farmed sustainably.53
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Brand
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser has been actively pushing the sustainable forest management agenda with more than
198,000 acres of land subscribing to third-party sustainable forestry standards. The company
is actively ensuring that all its forests and timberland have appropriate forest certification.54
Impacted value levers: Revenue, Brand
Nestlé
In Sri Lanka, the 30-year war ending in 2009, left a significantly underdeveloped dairy industry
in the Northern and Eastern provinces. By accelerating its dairy development efforts in 2009
and increasing its fresh milk collection, Nestle-Lanka enabled the resettlement of war-displaced
people and provided livelihood to 18,000 rural farmers.55
Impacted value levers: Revenue
MasterCard
MasterCard Aid Network, an end-to-end technology solution co-created with humanitarian
organizations, can distribute aid swiftly and safely even in the absence of connectivity.
The solution has helped 15,000 people in Yemen and 9,000 in Philippines receive aid
through programs managed by World Vision.56
Impacted value levers for partners: Brand
13
Key enablers
Given the 17 SDGs’ breadth of coverage and envisaged scale of
implementation, a variety of critical enablers will be needed to help
companies achieve their goals. The nature of enablers required may vary
depending on the nature of the goal. For instance, capacity expansion
and infrastructure investments may be needed to meet targets related to
sustainable cities or clean energy. Or a goal related to eliminating poverty
may require innovative partnership models (often with local NGOs), which
are critical to scaling and reaching masses at the base of the pyramid.
Through our in-depth analysis of the Global Goals we have identified
five key implementation enablers (see Figure 8).
Figure 8: Key enablers for Sustainable Development Goals implementation
$
Implementation
Enablers
Physical
Infrastructure
Brief Overview
Required to
upgrade / expand
capacity and add
the appropriate
infrastructure to
support the needs
of a growing
population
14
Digital
Infrastructure
In today’s age
of the “Internet
of Things (IoT)”,
a strong digital
infrastructure
is needed to
build efficiency
and eliminate
redundancies
in an increasingly
complex technology
ecosystem
Financing and
Investments
The envisaged
global scale of
implementation
will necessitate
going beyond
aid-flows to
identify sustainable
funding sources
Partnership
Models
Data and
Accountability
For the SDGs to
deliver inclusive,
scalable and
sustainable
impact, innovative
partnership models
that leverage assets
across multiple
sectors and actors
will be critical
Data will be critical
to providing timely
information for
decision-making
and relevant
inputs to measure
progress and
accountability
$
Physical Infrastructure
Financing and Investments
Data and Accountability
As highlighted earlier, at the current rate
of increasing resource consumption, we will
need three planets by 2050 to meet demand—
which is clearly not possible. Thus, a massive
drive is needed to expand the capacity and
resiliency of our physical infrastructure.
For example, as part of Goal 11 (Sustainable
Cities and Communities), we will have to
accommodate 2.5 billion new urban dwellers
by 2050.57
One of the fundamental ways in which SDGs
differ from MDGs is that these new goals
require sustainable funding sources to achieve
the ambitious targets set for the 2015-2030
timeframe. The investments are needed to
support all goals, including quality R&D for
innovation, massive capital investments for
infrastructure capacity and expansion, testing
and scaling of proven solutions, and financing of
new adaptation techniques. According to some
estimates, as much as $4.5 trillion per annum is
needed to meet these targets, which compared
with current investment levels, leaves a gap of
around $3.1 trillion to be filled.58
Data-driven decision making has been
a hallmark of successful companies for
decades. As near-real-time data and
analytics tools become increasingly available,
more business decisions—especially those
that involve long-term or socially driven
investments—will require reliable information
with a clear return on investment.
Digital Infrastructure
A digital infrastructure is expected to
play a key role in enabling responsible
growth in the coming years and to realize
targets laid out within the SDG framework.
Furthermore, the effective use of digital
solutions could significantly help decouple
national growth—especially those in emerging
and developing markets—from the use of
finite and constrained natural resources.
At the same time, data will be critical to
measuring the success and progress of
investments that provide both an economic
and social or environmental return. Availability
of quality, relevant and timely data—especially
related to new consumer classes and emerging
markets—will become increasingly important
to leading companies looking to leverage
the SDGs as a framework for growth.
Partnership Models
The SDGs are diverse and require action at
scale across all countries. General consensus
among experts is that the magnitude and scale
of impact envisaged mandate a collaborative
approach, one that extends beyond traditional
development institutions and north-south,
donor-recipient paradigms. The implementation
of SDGs by 2030 requires a multi-stakeholder
approach based on “mutual accountability.”59
Participants include government (both
national and sub-national), civil society,
private sector, social entrepreneurs, academic
institutions, multilateral institutions, faithbased communities, and citizens (especially
youth).60 Businesses are increasingly working
with local partners in form of development
organizations and NGOs to utilize their
valuable local knowledge and expertise
to deliver on the development goals.
15
From responsibility to opportunity
The Sustainable Development Goals represent by far the greatest
development agenda the international community has ever signed up
for. The overarching objective behind the SDGs may have been to drive
positive social and environmental impact. However, the SDGs can also
serve as an important framework for businesses to grow and become
more competitive, especially in an increasingly volatile, complex and
uncertain world.
Some companies will naturally align with one
or two goals, maybe even a handful of them.
Others may touch all 17, and still others may
choose to leverage non-aligned goals (or their
underlying business opportunities) to move
into new markets or create new businesses.
The key is that this is not an all-or-nothing
scenario. Whether a company is inventing new
widgets, producing goods, selling products
or delivering services, the SDGs provide a
universal framework for all businesses to
both play their part as global actors, as well
as create new opportunities for growth
and competitiveness. By addressing the key
challenges outlined by the SDGs, businesses
can partner with governments to enable them
to better structure their critical investments
and implementation approach in order to
drive future prosperity and development.
16
The examples above are just a handful of how
leading companies are already leveraging
the SDG goals to create business value in the
form of revenue generation, cost reduction,
risk mitigation, and brand enhancement.
In the remainder of this report, we look
at each of the 17 goals in more detail—
highlighting key global trends impacting
the goal, presenting some suggestions for
translating challenges into opportunities,
discussing key enablers, and showcasing
examples of how businesses are leading today.
The infographics that follow in the remainder
of this executive summary provide additional
detail on each of the 17 goals and examples
of how leading companies are making their
mark. The full report can be found at
www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors.
17
No poverty
Poverty reduction requires efficient labor use, inclusive growth and access to equal rights
EXTREME POVERTY IN THE WORLD
1in10
NEED FOR BALANCED GROWTH
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
people live on less than $1.90 a day
8trn
$
in infrastructure investment is required for inclusive
growth in Asia from 2010 to 2020
WIDESPREAD DISPLACEMENT
42,000 people per day abandoned
their homes due to conflict in 2014
What does this mean for businesses?
Untapped customer base offers business potential in terms of demand and low-cost production
UNTAPPED CUSTOMER BASE
LOW-COST PRODUCTION
20% of the population in developing
countries lives below poverty line
Develop products and services customized
for the poor through innovation
Nestle has rolled out a Women
Dairy Development Program
in a village in India to provide
livelihood for women, improve
the economic scenario and
secure its supply chain in
a fragmented dairy market.61
18
50% of global vehicle production capacity
will come from developing markets by 2050
Partner with industry players to develop
and deliver the right kind of products
Businesses need to focus on collaboratively
designing manufacturing and processes to
customize products to meet the needs of the poor
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Zero hunger
Malnutrition and food security are the biggest challenges to meeting the goal
of Zero Hunger
UNDERNOURISHMENT
AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT
795mn
70%
people across the world are undernourished
increase in output is required by 2050 to feed the
world’s population
$62.9 bn
Potential market size of organic
fruits and vegetables by 2020
24% up to 40%
Food loss that can be avoided in
developing countries through an
adequate distribution network
What does this mean for businesses?
Develop and make accessible
high-nutrition food items
Unilever has ensured that more
than 20% of its total food
and beverage (sales by volume)
products have a significant
content per serving of the five
key micronutrients implicated
in undernutrition.62
Partner to set up a robust
distribution channel
Develop and roll out farming practices
that improve productivity
Businesses may need to focus on and invest in research
and distribution infrastructure and develop global and
local-level partnerships for scale and reach
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
19
Good health and well-being
Access to primary healthcare and changing demographics are driving the global health
and well-being development agenda
GROWING YOUTH BULGE
AGEING POPULATION
89%
80%
of 1.8 bn youth aged 10 to 24 live
in developing economies today
of the world's aging population (over 60) will
live in developed countries by 2050
CHILD MORTALITY
MATERNAL HEALTH
43 deaths per 1,000 births
210 deaths per 100,000 births
(SDG target: 25)
(SDG target: 70)
What does this mean for businesses?
Enormous value creation potential by providing quality, affordable and easily accessible healthcare.
$34 bn
$87.7 bn
8.9 mn
Projected global telemedicine
market by the end of 2020
Base-of-the-pyramid
healthcare opportunity
Potential access to skilled
professionals across 107 countries
GlaxoSmithKline is re-investing
20% of its profits in the Least
Developed Countries (LDCs)
to develop the healthcare
infrastructure by training
frontline health workers.63
20
Businesses may need to invest in state-of-the-art
infrastructure, identify the right partners and develop
innovative operating models to realize this value
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Quality education
Access to education and financing is needed to bridge the skill and education gap
ACCESS TO EDUCATION
FINANCING GAP
57mn
38bn
$
children of primary school
age do not attend school
financing gap for basic and lower education
in Asia, Africa and Latin America
SKILL GAP
63% CEOs are concerned
about availability of key skills
What does this mean for businesses?
$70 bn
30%
$7 bn
The market size of mobile
education by 2020
CEOs who feel that talent
constrains them from pursuing
market opportunities
Global financing gap that
can be addressed to meet
financial literacy needs
Econet Wireless Group has
leveraged its competency in
mobile technology (mEducation
platforms) to make commercial
investments in education through
its Eco-school to improve access
to educational content.64
Businesses can build human capital through sustained
sourcing of an educated workforce and enhance brand
image through education initiatives
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
21
Gender equality
Increasing need to drive gender participation and contribution in education and workforce
42-48%
4.5years
Participation rates for women in universities
in India and China
Women are likely to spend 4.5 more years in
retirement than men
ONLY
4.8
% CEOs of Global Fortune 500
companies are women
What does this mean for businesses?
Gender-diverse companies are likely to benefit through:
MARKET SIZE
MARKET SHARE
45% more likely to witness
market share growth
Develop financial products that
suit women’s needs
YES Bank’s LEAP program—which
is aimed at providing financial
services like credit, saving and
micro insurance to women—
has been in contact with about
40,000 Self Help Groups (SHGs)
as of March 2014.65
22
70% more likely to
successfully capture
new markets
Promote skill development and
technology access for empowerment
EQUITY
Likely to achieve 53%
higher returns on equity
Create an employee value proposition
to achieve diversity goals
Businesses may need to develop an enabling ecosystem
for women and provide them with technology access
and skill development
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Clean water and sanitation
Lack of clean water and sanitation facilities have a significant impact on global health
ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER
IMPACT ON CLEANLINESS
780mn
2.5bn
lack access to clean drinking water
people do not have access to adequate sanitation
IMPACT ON HEALTH
6-8 mn people die annually from disasters
and spread of water-related diseases
What does this mean for businesses?
Water protection measures can future-proof operations and generate attractive returns
ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED
SECURITY OF SUPPLY
$1 spent on water and sanitation
generates $4 in increased
economic activity
Develop new products and services
for better access
Coca-Cola's RAIN initiative
aims to enhance water access
to 2 million people in Africa.
The company has committed
$30 million over 6 years and
provides clean drinking water
access to more than 1 million
people. 2 billion litres is
replenished annually, thus
reducing risk and building trust.66
Companies must address a potential
50% increase in water withdrawal
in developing countries by 2025
Minimize seepage and replenish water
through innovation in operations
Increase productivity through reduced
disease incidence and higher morale
Businesses must focus on and invest in developing clean and
efficient water and sanitation infrastructure leveraging digital
technologies and the knowledge of NGOs and governments
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
23
Affordable and clean energy
Growing pressure to curtail emissions is driving efforts in renewable energy development,
energy efficiency and distributed power
RENEWABLE ENERGY
7.7times
increase in installed capacity in the past decade
DISTRIBUTED POWER
$150 bn in capital investments in
decentralized power installations in 2012
What does this mean for businesses?
Increased demand for clean energy provides new revenue and cost-saving opportunities
RENEWABLE ENERGY
DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
Over $131 bn in
investments in developing
countries in 2014
Develop clean energy solutions
such as renewables and
mini grids
China’s Longyuan Power has helped
setup the country’s first micro grid
with a total installed capacity of
13.4 megawatts (Solar PV).
It will provide clean energy power
to more than 7,000 households
and 20,000 local residents.67
24
$
$206 bn in investments
in decentralized power
installations by 2020
Streamline processes and
operations to improve efficiencies
Invest in and partner to drive
green growth
Businesses need to develop partnerships and invest in
setting up clean, decentralized energy solutions with
the help of digital solutions to help scale these solutions
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Decent work and
economic growth
Infrastructure and technology can bridge the gap between the need for and
availability of employment
UNUSED SKILLSET
TECHNOLOGY
2.6mn
skilled people may potentially not have job
opportunities every year till 2018
2.4
new jobs emerged for every job lost due to technology
MICRO GRIDS
FINANCIAL SERVICES
$19.9 bn in revenue by
2.5 bn people are currently
2020 globally from micro grids
financially excluded and can be targeted
What does this mean for businesses?
Some business opportunities can add revenue streams while driving socio-economic development
Provide basic services, infrastructure and opportunities to
the base of the pyramid to create a new customer base
Barclays, CARE International UK
and Plan UK have joined forces
to tackle the issue of financial
inclusion by taking a savings-led,
rather than credit-led approach to
microfinance through their
initiative ‘Banking on Change.’68
Set up small businesses and a conducive environment
near labor hubs to drive employment
Businesses need to develop the physical and
financial infrastructure and provide basic services
in partnership with local stakeholders to set up
business hubs to employ more people
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
25
Industry, innovation
and infrastructure
Resilient infrastructure and inclusive industrialization are needed to support rapid
growth in urbanization
NEED FOR RESILIENCE
INCLUSIVE INDUSTRIALIZATION
3.3bn
people will be living in urban areas in Asia by 2050
50-60%
Small and medium enterprises account for
50% to 60% of total global employment
TECHNOLOGY AS A CATALYST
80%
of CEOs feel that innovation drives efficiency
What does this mean for businesses?
Technology can help companies capitalize on the market opportunity presented by the infrastructure sector
INFRASTRUCTURE
TECHNOLOGY
$4 trn in infrastructure investment
is needed globally as of 2014
Develop smart products for
resilience and inclusive growth
Gujarat International Finance
Tec-City (GIFT) the first of its kind
financial and IT services hub
in India was developed in
partnership with IL&FS, a leading
infrastructure provider. This city will
provide close to 500,000 direct
and indirect jobs in India.69
26
15% performance improvement in buildings can
be achieved through intelligent commissioning
Use technology to drive innovation
to connect infrastructure products
Invest in products and services for
inclusive and resilient growth
Businesses need to develop resilient and sustainable
products, integrate layers across products and services
and collaborate with industry and cross-industry players
to drive infrastructure improvements
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Reduced inequalities
Income inequality and gender discrimination erodes the quality of life and impedes
economic growth
WEALTH GAP
GENDER DISPARITY IN INCOME
85
of the wealthiest people own the equivalent of the
bottom 50% of the global population
24%
Globally women typically earn 24% less than men,
with majority of jobs being informal or unprotected
GROWTH
OPPORTUNITY SIZE
The microfinance market will grow
Asia’s 2.86 bn
10-15% by 2016
BOP consumer base has an
aggregate income of $3.47 trn
What does this mean for businesses?
Base of the pyramid (BOP) presents a huge market opportunity for existing and new products
Develop programs and offer
services to empower the poor
through Self Help Groups (SHGs)
Annapurna Microfinance, which
was designed to form and promote
self-help groups, seeks to empower
250,000 poor women and
households by 2015 to enhance
their economic security.70
Develop skills and promote
technology access to improve
BOP livelihood
Enact a diversity agenda
to build a productive and
balanced workforce
Businesses need to create an enabling environment
for the underprivileged and leverage improved
processes and higher productivity to develop
products that suit their needs
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
27
Sustainable cities
and communities
Strong and rapid urbanization requires sustainable technology transfer through innovative
financial instruments and mechanisms
NEED FOR RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
URBANIZATION WAVE
60%
of the world’s population will be city dwellers by 2030
60% to 80%
of the planet's resources are consumed
by only 3% of Earth's area
FINANCING GAP
$174.4 bn
global investment in technologies is
required to support sustainable cities
What does this mean for businesses?
The need to sustainably support rapid urbanization is creating new market opportunities
CONNECTED DEVICES
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
2.7 bn connected
devices will be in use
in smart cities by 2017
Market to grow from
$7.7 bn in 2013 to
$24.2 bn in 2020
Develop sustainable products and services
Telefonica has assisted the city of
Valencia in fulfilling its target of
becoming a smart and sustainable
city through a single connectivity
platform with 350 sensors to
provide real time data on traffic
management and help in making
prompt real time decision making.71
28
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Market will grow from
$83.5 bn in 2012 to
$271.7 bn in 2019
Leverage technology to trace resource
use and enhance connectivity
Businesses need to develop capabilities for clean energy
and smart devices, as well as products that leverage the
knowledge of cross-sector players
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Responsible consumption
and production
Increasing demand for resources is making extraction prices more volatile and putting
unsustainable stress on natural ecosystems
UNSUSTAINABLE DEMAND
HIGH EXTRACTION PRICE
Earth’s worth of resources are being consumed
by the global population
increase in commodity price index for 1% increase
in GDP
1.6 times
1.5%
STRESSED ECOSYSTEMS
More than 60%
of Earth’s ecosystems are seriously degraded
What does this mean for businesses?
Increasing relevance of resource efficiency is reducing costs and creating new revenue opportunities
BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS
$2 bn to $3.4 bn
growth in market value
between 2015 and 2020
Leverage technology and investments
to minimize waste and use of
virgin material
H&M partnered with I:Collect to
setup a recovery and collection
system for used clothes in
48 countries. Clothes are
resold, transformed or recycled
depending on quality.72
AUTOMOTIVE REMANUFACTURING CIRCULAR OPPORTUNITY
IN TEXTILES
$139.8 bn
market size by 2020
$59.5 bn to $70.5 bn
cost savings per year in
apparel industry from
shift to a circular economy
Develop modular products and
circular business models to reduce
ownership costs
Create partnerships and linkages
to enable collection mechanisms
and recovery
Businesses need to develop processes and capabilities
for reuse and recovery and establish supply chain
traceability to identify waste-recovery opportunities
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
29
Climate action
Global climate action must be scaled to mitigate the increasing frequency and impacts
of climate-related events
GLOBAL TEMPERATURE
2 degrees
Agreement by 195 nations at COP21 to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius
IMPACT OF COLLABORATION
35%
reduction in carbon emissions from 1990 levels through collective efforts
What does this mean for businesses?
Accelerated climate action presents an opportunity for clean energy solutions
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
20 mn are estimated
to be on the road
by 2020
Reduce resource dependence
and minimize emissions
SaskPower has developed the
world’s first and largest
commercial-scale CCS project
with capabilities to lower
SO2 emissions by almost
100% and CO2 by 90%.73
30
RENEWABLE ENERGY
17% surge in investments
by 2014 to $270 bn
Launch new products and diversify
revenue streams
Businesses must focus on and invest in developing
clean and efficient energy solutions in partnership
with cross-industry players
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Life below water
Increasing risk to marine ecosystems has made the need for sustainable fishing
more urgent
RISK OF DEPLETION
MAJOR SOURCE OF FOOD
3bn
people depend on fish as a source of protein
100%
Potential for stock of all fished species to collapse
by 2048
SUSTAINABLE FISHING
Eco-labeled fishery product increased
147% between 2010 and 2014
What does this mean for businesses?
Depletion of ecosystems has created attractive business opportunities for sustainable fishing
MARKET SIZE
PROFITABILITY
Potential for fishing sector to boost
profits by $51 bn with sustainable
fishery policies within 10 years
Eco-labeled seafood currently
is a $4.8 bn retail market
Unlock potential revenue through labeling
and charging premium prices
Yooji has launched the first ever
baby food to bear the Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC)
ecolabel. The new frozen protein
are portions made of 100%
MSC-certified flaked cod.74
Leverage technology to make
sourcing sustainable Businesses may need to develop transparent
and traceable supply chain as well as a
sustainable sourcing infrastructure
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
31
Life on land
Heightened stress on land ecosystems has increased the need for sustainable
forest management
STRESSED ECOSYSTEMS
1,000 times
“At risk” species face extinction at 1,000 times
the natural rate
INCREASING DEMAND
13mn
hectares of forest was lost worldwide between
2000 and 2010 to meet global growth demand
FOREST MANAGEMENT
Planted forest areas covers only
7% of the world's total forest area
What does this mean for businesses?
Forest management presents new product and market opportunities
CERTIFIED WOOD
BIOFUELS
Certified wood products globally carry
a 15% to 25% price premium
Use innovation to minimize waste and maximize
resource efficiency and reuse
TetraPak has developed and sold
the world’s first fully renewable
high-performance food packaging
carton that uses FSC-certified
paperboard and plastic derived
from natural sugarcane.75
32
Second-generation biofuels have
a $23.9 bn global market value
Set up monitoring and security mechanisms to minimize
variability in the ecosystem's social and environmental value
Businesses need to develop capabilities for
maximizing output and recovering value from
used products through cross-sector partnerships
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
Peace, justice and
strong institutions
Rise in conflicts around the world is causing forced displacement and hampering
socio-economic development
ARMED CONFLICTS
3.2x
The number of fatalities due to conflicts increased by a factor of 3.2 between 2008 and 2014
DISPLACEMENT
59.5 mn people have been forcibly
displaced due to various conflicts in 2014
What does this mean for businesses?
Help conflicted regions recuperate
through infrastructure services
and low-cost products
Safaricom worked closely with
various political parties and
content service providers in Kenya
in 2013 to set guidelines and a
systematic process to ensure
that inflammatory messages
were not spread through bulk
messaging services to help
address election-related
violence and riots.76
Employ digital vigilance and resilience
to protect vulnerable customers
Create partnerships for responsible
and ethical sourcing
Businesses need to focus on reinstating infrastructure
in conflicted regions, leverage digital technologies to
disseminate emergency and awareness information
and develop partnerships for setting codes of ethics
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
33
Partnerships for the goals
Business-centric, multi-stakeholder partnerships are needed to drive investments
and technology transfer to meet Sustainable Development Goals
GAP IN INVESTMENT FOR SDGS
3.1trn
$
per year is current gap in investments identified to meet SDG targets
BUSINESS-CENTRIC PARTNERSHIPS
GeSI represents 30 companies in ICT collaborating to
meet emissions, productivity and social development goals
What does this mean for businesses?
Innovative business models generate attractive returns while meeting social and environmental goals
Enable low cost production and connectivity to remote
areas to spur the growth of developing countries
International Air Transport
Association (IATA) Alternative
Fuels Program is working with
260 member airlines to switch
to sustainable alternative fuels
and has tested 50% blend of
sustainable bio-based jet fuel
in over 1,700 passenger flights
across 21 member airlines.77
34
Create partnerships to leverage public sector funds
and drive alternative business models
Businesses should set up local production
facilities aligned to sustainable development,
leveraging digital technologies in partnership
with industry and civil bodies
Data and figures collected as part of secondary research conducted by Accenture Strategy
All references and additional details can be found in the full report at www.accenture.com/corporatedisruptors
References
28 Peter Lacy, Justin Keeble and Robert McNamara,
Accenture, “Circular Advantage: Innovative Business
Models and Technologies to Create Value in a World
without Limits to Growth”, 2014, https://thecirculars.org/
documents/Accenture%20Circular%20Advantage%20
Web%20Single.pdf
1
United Nations Development Programme, “Summary:
Human Development Report 2013”, 2013, http://hdr.undp.
org/sites/default/files/hdr2013_en_summary.pdf
2
Population Division, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, United Nations, “Population Facts No. 2014/3”,
August 2014, http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/
population/publications/pdf/popfacts/PopFacts_2014-3.pdf
3
Population Division, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, United Nations, “World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision”, 2015, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/
DataQuery/ (Raw data acquired via website)
30 Ibid
4
United Nations Children’s Fund, “The State of World’s
Children 2012: Children in an Urban World”, February
2012, http://www.unicef.org/sowc2012/urbanmap/ (Raw
data acquired via website)
5
Reuters, “The Swelling Middle”, 2012, http://www.reuters.
com/middle-class-infographic, accessed January 7, 2016
32 The World Bank, “World Bank Commodity Price Data”,
December 2014, http://databullet.in/15433/world-bankcommodity-price-data-pink-sheet-december-2014,
accessed January 7, 2016
6
Population Division, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, United Nations, “World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision”, 2015, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/
publications/files/key_findings_wpp_2015.pdf
7
Julika Erfurt, Athena Peppes and Mark Purdy, Institute
for High Performance, Accenture, “The Seven Myths of
Population Aging: How Companies and Governments Can
Turn the “Silver Economy” into an Advantage”, February
2012, https://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/
pdf/active-healthy-ageing/accenture.pdf
8
Population Division, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, United Nations, “World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision”, 2015, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/
publications/files/key_findings_wpp_2015.pdf
9
Ibid
10 Ibid
11 Ibid
12 Ibid
13 Ibid
14 Ibid
15 Accenture and Oracle, “The Future of HR: Five Technology
Imperatives”, 2014, https://www.accenture.com/in-en/~/
media/Accenture/Conversion-Assets/DotCom/Documents/
Global/PDF/Digital_1/Accenture-Oracle-HCM-eBookFuture-of-HR-Five-Technology-Imperatives.pdf
16 United Nations Global Compact, Accenture and HAVAS
Media, “The Consumer Study: From Marketing to
Mattering”, June 2014, https://www.accenture.com/
t20150523T022414__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/Accenture/
Conversion-Assets/DotCom/Documents/Global/PDF/
Dualpub_1/Accenture-Consumer-Study-MarketingMattering.pdf
17 Ibid
18 Population Division, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, United Nations, “World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision”, 2015, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/
Download/Probabilistic/Population/ (Raw data acquired
via website)
19 TRACEONE, “TRACE ONE’s survey links supply chain
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35
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Acknowledgements
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Ross, Bruno Sánchez-Andrade Nuño,
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About Accenture Strategy
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The team would like to thank those who
contributed case studies, reviews and
guidance, including Daniella Ballou-Aares,
Jen Ace, Aneri Amin, Michael Argosh, Zubaida
Bai, Analisa Balares, Brad Brekke, Charlotte
Deal, Nishan Degnarain, John Dutton, Anna
Easton, Jillian Fisher, Timothy Fort, Kate
Garvey, Elizabeth Gore, Celine Herweijer,
Catherine Howarth, Sony Kapoor, Justin
Keeble, Peter Lacy, Sheila Marcelo, Rosy
Mondardini, James Mwangi, Valeria Orozco,
Avra Siegel, Shamina Singh, Natasha Sunderji,
Renee-Maria Tremblay and Mark Vlasic.
Several people were critical to the creation
and publication of this report, including
Graham Girling, Palak Kapoor, Sally Lavelle,
Winsley Peter, Sundeep Singh, Abhishek
Srivastava, Liz Steel and Bernie Thiel.