G7 Germany Presidency Global Briefing Report Review 2022.

WELCOME TO THE SCHLOSS ELMAU EXPERIENCE

Just 100 km south of Munich is Schloss Elmau, tucked deep in the calm of the Bavarian Alps. A sanctuary, framed by dramatic peaks, whispering forests and rushing streams.

A spa retreat and cultural hideaway, a family escape and romantic haven. A place to feast on outstanding food and unbeatable music –to relax, breathe deep and discover.

Turkish Airlines to Debut Pangea-Inspired

‘We are all Connected’ Campaign with Super Bowl Ad Featuring Iconic Actor Morgan Freeman

On the heels of a successful year of increased demand and recovery for the airline industry, Turkish Airlines is launching a new global advertising campaign. Centered around the concept of Pangea which millions of years ago was a single and connected supercontinent the campaign stars Morgan Freeman narrating a captivating, inspiring message about reunification and reconnection of people and their worlds. The commercial is set to debut online on February 10 and will air during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022.

The campaign’s concept pays homage to Turkish Airlines’ extensive connectivity as the global carrier that flies to more countries than any other airline, offering a “We are all connected” message as the world prepares for a bright and promising future. While today Pangea no longer exists, Turkish Airlines is proud of reconnecting people with their loved ones and fostering this sense of reconnection, as the global airline bringing more people and countries together. Through this new campaign, the leading carrier is powerfully communicating its objective to “make far feel close” and “bring there to here.”

Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee,

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat commented: “After months of creative ideation and production, we’re glad to share our Pangea campaign that features Morgan Freeman with the world during the most watched sporting event on the global calendar. Travelers are increasingly hopeful and enthusiastic to safely explore new destinations or reunite with loved ones, and as a leading global airline, we hope to spark inspiration and instill confidence as we strive to reconnect the world.”

To bring the story to life, Turkish Airlines commissioned renowned actor and narrator Morgan Freeman, who was also featured in the airline’s 2017 campaign. With this project again, Freeman lends his talent to the production, captivating audiences with his strong narrative presence and iconic voice.

The campaign, which began production in September 2021, was shot on location in Istanbul and New York. In addition to live action footage, the commercial also features computer generated animation scenes that depict continents and landmasses reconnecting to illustrate Pangea in an arresting and visual way.

This is the brand’s sixth ad that will be featured at the Super Bowl, one of the most watched sports events around the world, alongside a lineup of some

of the world’s other most recognizable brands. ‘Pangea’ will air in 136 countries and follows a number of high-profile commercials that Turkish Airlines has previously aired at the Super Bowl.

In 2016, Turkish Airlines debuted the “Fly to Gotham and Metropolis City” ad which was a part of the carrier’s “Batman v Superman” campaign; in 2017, with “Widen Your World,” Morgan Freeman invited viewers to explore its wide route network; and in 2018, the “Five Senses” campaign starring Dr. Oz, who experienced the wonders of the world through five senses. Ridley Scott directed the 2019 Super Bowl commercial ‘The Journey,’ a cinematic and thrilling chase through the stunning sights of Istanbul and the new Istanbul Airport. Lastly, “Step on Earth” aired in 2020.

As a leading global carrier, Turkish Airlines connects countries and cultures from 334 destinations across 128 countries spanning five continents. In addition, with a centrally located hub between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, Turkish Airlines provides excellent connectivity through the new Istanbul Airport. ■

To view Turkish Airlines’ new commercial, click: https://we.tl/t-tikb9zla4U and for more information, please visit turkishairlines.com

Dear G7 Global Community,

As the 2022 German G7 presidency is coming to an end, I would like to thank the German G7 host committee for their continued support. We have had an excellent relationship since 1999, and the Group of Nations looks forward to working with the German host committee again as the authorized G7 publisher.

The world is slowly returning to normal after two years of global unrest due to the pandemic. However, we are now facing another challenge: global inflation; with interest rates rising to an all-time high in recent years, the global outlook does not seem that bright.

We all are disgusted by Russia’s behaviour in invading Ukraine. This unjustified act has led to many sanctions on Russia by the international community. We hope that

Russia will change its ways and start to act like a civilized country.

Looking back, the German G7 presidency has been a success. They have made great strides in dealing with climate change and started a G7 climate club. As the chancellor mentions in his review of the summit, “The meeting was an impressive demonstration of our unity and our determination,” he said. The G7 fully supports Ukraine, plans to fight world hunger and is leading the way in climate protection.”

As we look ahead toward the Hiroshima Japan Summit in 2023, we must continue to work together to solve the world’s most pressing problems. The Group of Nations’ mantra is “Solutions Through Inclusivity”. Only by working together can we hope to make the world a better place for all.

Thank you for your time. Enjoy this edition, and please share it with your network.

a signal of clarity and strength

TheG7 countries are working together as close friends and allies – this was stressed by Federal Chancellor Scholz after the Summit in Elmau. “The meeting was an impressive demonstration of our unity and our determination,” he said. The G7 fully supports Ukraine, plans to fight world hunger and is leading the way in climate protection.

The G7 Summit in Elmau demonstrates the great power of democratic alliances. This was borne out by the final declaration and other statements issued by the G7 and its partners said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the three-day conference. “The G7 Summit in Elmau was a crucial meeting at an exceptional time,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz.

There are three messages to come out of the Summit in Elmau

At the meeting under the German Presidency, the G7 Heads of State and Government focused closely on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – and its fundamental significance for the global community. “It is clear to all of us that there can and will be no going back to the time before this war. And it is clear to all of us that we are in for a period of uncertainty,” said Scholz. This made it all the more

important to have close friends and allies in the world such as the G7 countries, he said.

According to Federal Chancellor Scholz, there are three messages to come out of this Summit:

1. The G7 stands together in its support for Ukraine: “We all agree that President Putin must not win this war,” said the Federal Chancellor. Here he referred to the budget support for Ukraine of 29 billion US dollars. The G7 would continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance too, he said. In Elmau, the Heads of State and Government had already discussed longer-term reconstruction as well, said the Federal Chancellor: “We need a Marshall Plan for Ukraine”.

2. The G7 is fighting world hunger together: “We have forged a global alliance for food security,” says Scholz. Germany is making a substantial contribution to the financial pledge of 4.5 billion US dollars. The climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and not least the war against Ukraine had once again exacerbated the threat of hunger, he said, adding that the G7 was working with the United Nations to make the stocks of grain and fertiliser stored in Ukraine available to the world.

3. The G7 will not lose sight of its long-term tasks: The G7 countries intend o live up to their global responsibility – for example in the area of climate protection, stressed the Federal Chancellor. In Elmau, the Heads of State and Government agreed to establish a Climate Club at the end of he year. “We need to be more ambitious if we want to meet our climate targets,” said Scholz, adding that the open Climate Club would aim to promote collaboration, help maintain competitiveness and make climate protection a competitive advantage.

Shared values unite the G7

The fact that the G7 had made good use of the Summit in Elmau was also a signal of clarity and strength, stressed Federal Chancellor Scholz. “What unites us is our shared values: democracy, human rights, peace and freedom.” This was what the G7 nations had in common with each other and with the partner countries that were invited to the Summit, namely Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa. “Only by working together will we manage to achieve our goal: progress towards an equitable world.”

G7 Summit in Elmau demonstrates the great power of democratic alliances. This was borne out by the final declaration and other statements issued by the G7 and its partners said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the three-day conference. “The G7 Summit in Elmau was a crucial meeting at an exceptional time

Policy Priorities for Germany’s G7 Presidency in 2022

1 The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal forum of leading industrial nations and democracies. Alongside Germany, its members comprise Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The European Union is also represented at all G7 meetings.

Overview

On1 January 2022, Germany assumed the Presidency of the Group of Seven (G7)1 for one year. For the Federal Government, the G7 Presidency – and the G7 Summit in particular, to which the Federal Chancellor will be inviting the Heads of State and Government of the G7 members to Schloss Elmau from 26 to 28 June 2022 – presents a major opportunity to play an active role in shaping global issues already at the beginning of the legislative term. We want to seize this opportunity in order to tackle key issues of multilateral coop-eration, cohesion in and between societies and common global challenges together with our partners.

During Germany’s Presidency of the G7 in 2022, we will follow up on the results and decisions of previous presidencies, ensure the continuity of the G7’s work and implement measures adopted in the past. At the same time, we will set our own priorities as the G7 Presidency and initiate new models of cooperation for overcoming global challenges.

Progress towards an equitable world should be the objective that guides our work. Our agenda will be geared towards the following fields of action, which are interlinked in diverse ways. Specifically, we want to deliver progress towards:

1. A sustainable planet: pioneering strong alliances for progress on climate protection, especially through the establishment of an open and cooperative international climate club, on the protection of the environment and biodiversity and on accelerating the global energy transition

2. Economic stability and transformation: setting the course for economic recovery, financial stability and for a sustainable, social and just global economic system.

3. Healthy lives: strengthening global health with pandemic preparedness and response and an improved international health architecture.

4. Investment in a better future: promoting sustainable development and infrastructure, expanding partnerships on the climate, energy and development, as well as a commitment to peace and security.

5. Stronger together: committing to open, resilient and gender-equitable societies and human rights, defending liberal democracies, social participation, freedom of science and of the press, tackling disinformation, promoting the digital order and digital progress.

We will focus on measures that are of particular global urgency and of great importance to people’s everyday lives. We want, to this end, to achieve tangible improvements for the people – within G7 countries and beyond, especially in newly industrialising and develop-ing countries. As leading industrial nations and partners with shared values, the G7 countries have a particular responsibility for shaping a future worth living in for all people, on a healthy planet, with sustainable economic recovery, the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement in mind. As part of our Presidency, we want to further strengthen the G7’s responsibility for the global common good and, to this end, to be open to cooperating with all partners, especially within the framework of the United Nations and the G20, on the basis of a fair and rules-based multilateralism. The objective here is always for as coordinated and common an approach as possible on the basis of our shared democratic values and universal human rights. The connectivity of our work as well as active dialogue and cooperation above and beyond the G7 – with other countries, communities of states, at local and national level, and with civil society – are therefore important priorities for us that are reflected in the way in which our efforts are shaped, both in terms of contents and process.

Our priorities in detail

A sustainable planet

Protecting the climate, environment and biodiversity, an accelerated global energy transi-tion, and a sustainable and fair economic system are essential for a good life for all on our planet. Linking up with previous projects and initiatives of the G7 and G20 as well as within the framework of the United Nations (in particular, the Climate Conference in Glasgow/COP26), we want to take another significant step towards concrete implement-tation, “from ambition to implementation”. Building on experiences to date, we want to (further) develop joint approaches and create strong alliances and forge ahead with these important issues during our Presidency. Establishing a global alliance for climate protection. We want to accelerate global climate and environmental protection through close collaboration among the G7 countries and targeted cooperation with wider international partners. →

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A key role is played here by the energy sector, which is responsible for a significant part of all greenhouse gas emissions. In order to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to achieve the 1.5 degree target, we want to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by advancing their regulation including through pricing and by investing in sustainable climate and energy concepts. Following up on the resolutions of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 26 UNFCCC), we want to drive forward the energy transition by accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power, promoting the decarbonisation of sectors – especially industry, transport and construction – with the help of innovation, regulation and financial incentives, and strengthening international climate financing. Furthermore, we want to promote the contributions to climate protection made by agriculture, the healthcare sector and the digital transformation as well as by urban development to serve the public interest and make our societies and economies within and beyond the G7 more resilient and adapt-able. With this in mind, we want to use our Presidency to drive forward and collectively pioneer as the G7 the discussion on a cooperative global climate club that is open to all countries, expanding international partnerships above and beyond the G7, especially with G20 partners. The climate club’s objective is to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, among other things by reaching agreement on uniform standards for the emission and pricing of CO2, as well as with common measures for supporting coun-tries that implement ambitious climate protection measures. Partnerships above and beyond the G7 are intended to promote the transfer of knowledge and technology, support climate policy reform and to accelerate the just global transition towards sustain-able and climate-neutral societies. Last but not least, we want to achieve further progress in research on tackling climate change and more closely dovetail climate aspects with the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals and, with a networked ap-proach in mind, also with our security policy approach in order to tackle climate change as a driver of poverty, hunger, gender inequality, conflict and displacement around the world.

Protecting the environment

The preservation of biodiversity will also play an important role during our G7 Presidency. The climate and biodiversity crises are closely linked. We therefore want to strengthen natural climate protection.

Among other things, we want to work to achieve a high level of ambition, sustainable financing, regulatory approaches and swift implementation in the field of biodiversity protection, linking up with the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15), the main part of which is scheduled to take place this year in Kunming, China. Moreover, we want to strengthen the activities of the G7 in the area of resource efficiency and the circular economy as a contribution to achieving climate change targets and preserving biodiversity. Together with our G7 partners, we also want to improve sus-tainable chemicals management and thus reduce global pollution by chemicals with all due resolve.

We also want to drive forward the protection and sustainable use of the seas. In continual cooperation with the G7, we want to improve the protection of marine biodiversity in the high seas, the Southern Ocean and the deep sea and continue to do our utmost to devel-op measures to counter the pollution of the seas. Last but not least, we want to achieve progress in the field of sustainable agriculture and international water governance and to drive forward the fight against illegal financial flows in connection with environmental crimes.

Economic stability and transformation Safeguarding economic recovery and financial stability

We firmly believe that an environmental and socially just transformation and economic prosperity can go hand in hand. The joint focus on sustainable economic recovery and inclusive growth is therefore important to us. We are committed to a post-pandemic economic and financial policy that is geared to stability and growth and promotes resilience and price and financial market stability in a sustainable manner. The G7 plays an important role as a global anchor of stability especially in view of state debt, which has risen as a result of crises –both in the G7 and around the world.

The support measures put in place so far in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are historic and are making a key contribution to stabilising the global economy and safe-guarding employment. The better coordinated these measures are, the more effective they will be. As the G7, we will continue to closely coordinate our efforts to shape the recovery of the global economy, which continues to be hampered by the impacts of the pandemic, and scale back our support measures in an appropriate and gradual manner. Coordination among the leading industrial nations remains important in view of the complex global situation. With our measures, we must also set the course for a sustain-able future. We are committed to sustainable as well as intergenerational and gender-equitable public finances.

Facilitating sustainable business and a socially just transformation. Against the backdrop of decarbonisation, digital transformation and demographic change, we, as the G7, face major transformation processes for economic, mobility, labour and social security systems around the world. We intend to shape these processes – also by harnessing the transformative power of cities – in a socially just manner and to seize opportunities for new jobs and forms of employment. This is why we are committed to strengthening the employability of citizens with a special focus on inclusive continuing education and training, to creating high-quality decent work for a sustainable future economy and to strengthening the establishment and expansion of social security systems

We are committed to a post-pandemic economic and financial policy that is geared to stability and growth and promotes resilience and price and financial market stability in a sustainable manner.

that are able to withstand crises.

In cooperation with our G7 partners, we want to work towards the strengthened interna-tional implementation of sustainable finance and increase transparency on sustainability and climate aspects so that financial market stakeholders can better reflect these consid-erations in their decisions. The political agreement on reallocation of taxing rights achieved in 2021 for major multilateral companies (especially in the digital economy) and for the introduction of a global minimum tax rate is a major step towards greater tax fairness around the world. During our G7 Presidency, we want to work to ensure that these decisions are implemented in good time and that the capacities of developing countries are strengthened in this regard. Moreover, we will address the issues of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and the improvement of cross-border payments. In order to alleviate the debt burden of many countries, which has increased considerably once again as a result of the pandemic, we want to continue to work to strengthen the global financial architecture and ensure that the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments is implemented effectively.

Moreover, we are committed to rules-based free trade that takes into account fair social, environmental and human rights standards as the foundation for prosperity and sustain-able business. We will therefore, as part of our G7 Presidency, work to strengthen multi-lateralism with a global trade policy and to tackle protectionism and unfair trade practice-es. To this end, we want to support the reform and further development of the World Trade Organization (WTO), also with a view to an overhaul of the rules on market-distorting subsidies and safeguarding a level playing field, ending the deadlock in the area of the dispute settlement mechanism and gearing efforts toward the Paris Climate Agreement as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Moreover, global supply chains play a key role for functioning global trade, the global economic recovery and sustainable development as a whole. We therefore want to work together to address disruptions in supply chains with common action and, by creating suitable conditions, to support international companies in their efforts to make their supply chains even more resilient and sustainable in the future.

Rules-based free trade is an important prerequisite in this regard. We want to work to ensure that international environmental, labour and social standards constitute the framework for doing business and discuss requirements with respect to an internationally accepted, binding standard for corporate due diligence. Companies should contribute to achieving environmental, social and economic Sustainable Development Goals around the world via their supply chains. Further policy priorities include strengthening sustainable supply chains in agriculture, which make an important →

→ contribution to safeguarding the global food supply, as well as promoting deforestation-free supply chains, which play a major role in the area of climate protection and the protection of biodiversity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also turned the spotlight on issues of health and safety in the workplace; we want to focus on these issues during our G7 Presidency. In so doing, we will also address the challenges posed by climate change with respect to health and safety in the workplace in a targeted manner.

We want to realise the potential of sustainable occupational health and safety for productivity and safeguarding employment and are committed to improving the enforcement of standards around the world.

Healthy lives

Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics

With its unprece-dented social and economic impact, the global COVID-19 pandemic, which is far from being overcome, has underscored the importance and currency of global healthcare issues at the international level. The G7 plays an important leading role, primarily with its commitment to and investments in pandemic preparedness and response, as well as strengthening global healthcare structures. Overcoming the pandemic

around the world is the most pressing objective. A substantial acceleration of the global vaccination rollout and strengthening of healthcare systems especially in the poorest regions is vital in order to achieve the objective of the World Health Organization (WHO) of vaccinating 70 percent of the world’s population by the middle of 2022. Appropriate and timely support for all pillars of the ACT Accelerator including its vaccination pillar COVAX, as the core multilateral initiative, is an important component to this end. In this regard, we want to continue to support vaccination rollouts and local vaccination production in developing countries. Moreover, we want to step up our efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the “silent pandemic” that is already under way – and to develop appropriate medical countermeasures.

Improving the global health architecture. It is important at the same time, on the basis of the experiences of the current pandemic, to strengthen the global healthcare architecture in the medium and long term; this should be underpinned with tangible and structural measures. A practical exchange of experiences is intended to take place in the form of a pandemic exercise together with the newly established WHO Hub in Berlin. At the same time, we want

to expand the dialogue on the worldwide course of the pandemic and the insights gained in this context to date. We also want to discuss the connection between climate change, biodiversity and global health issues with the One Health approach in mind. We want to hold discussions in the G7 on the further funding of global health. In struc-tural terms, this means strengthening the WHO’s leading and coordinating role in partic-ular, as well as preventing future pandemics with sustainable and reliable funding and the implementation of the International Health Regulations.

Investment in a better future Global sustainable development with the 2030 Agenda in mind is the basis for a just and better future for all. We therefore want to use our G7 Presidency to drive forward international cooperation, first and foremost in climate, environmental, healthcare and urban development policy. We intend, to this end, to strengthen, expand and establish new partnerships on climate, energy and development. A particular focus will be on the promotion of sustainable infrastructure as well as the dialogue and cooperation with selected African and Indo-Pacific countries. This is also coupled with enhanced cooperation with the most vulnerable countries on adapting to climate change

and the approach to climate-related loss and damage.

Promoting sustainable infrastructure and investments. In their transformation towards sustainable and climate-neutral societies, industrialising and developing countries around the world have an enormous need for investment that has yet to be met. Promoting socially, economically and environmentally sustainable infrastructures and framework conditions is essential for bringing about this transformation. We are seeking a stronger role for and common global commitment on the part of the G7 to this end. Our objective in this regard is to develop concrete initiatives for promoting high-quality infrastructure – and thus for strengthening global public goods in the fields of climate, global health and the digital transformation, as well as gender equality and education – that take social security into account and are sustainably planned and implemented. As such, the G7 will make a relevant and high-profile contribution to the global and socially just transforma-tion. We also want to promote support for developing countries with a view to the mobilisation of private resources, for example by strengthening the global tax architect-ture, developing local financial markets and improving conditions for sustainable invest-ment. An approach geared to demand and rooted in a spirit of partnership, flanked by joint and active dialogue with partner governments, is a priority in this regard. To this end, we want to use existing initiatives such as the G20 Compact with Africa, Global Gateway and Build Back Better and drive forward their concrete form and links between them. Furthermore, we want to closely involve national and international development banks and financing institutions and improve the coordination among them, increasingly gear our efforts to financing global public goods such as the climate, biodiversity, environment and health and strengthen the targeted involvement of private stakeholders.

The 2030 Agenda, which is supported by all member states of the United Nations (UN), continues to be the central international frame of reference for our commitment to sustainable development. The pandemic has led to severe setbacks to the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We believe that the G7 has a special responsibility to

It is important at the same time, on the basis of the experiences of the current pandemic, to strengthen the global healthcare architecture in the medium and long term; this should be underpinned with tangible and structural measures.

implement the SDGs ambitiously – locally, nationally and globally. To achieve this, the transformative power of cities and municipalities is key to this end. Promoting good governance at local level creates the preconditions for a successful approach to global challenges. We want to use our G7 Presidency to shape the urban lives of citizens – within the G7 and beyond – in a sustainable manner and intend to launch international alliances to this end. In implementing the SDGs, we want, moreover, to make tangible progress in the areas of food security and girls’ education.

Implementing measures adopted in the past is also particularly important in this context. In order to keep track of this, we want to draw up a comprehensive review of the state of implemen-tation of the key G7 obligations with respect to development policy of recent years.

Strengthening the G7’s role as a bridge-builder and mediator for peace and security

On the basis of their shared values, the democratic G7 countries can adopt a clear stance with respect to international crises. Firmly embedded in the multilateral rules-based order, especially in the framework of the United Nations, we want to outline solutions for crisis situations and

global challenges with common initiatives and work to implement them together with the international community. Closely coordinating our efforts with partners around the world and advocating for our positions are at the core of the G7’s work in this context. With a preventive and transformative agenda in mind, we therefore want to work to protect and strengthen democratic institutions and human rights worldwide, in addi-tion to promoting accountability for human rights violations. Moreover, there will be a focus on the expansion of strategic foresight, crisis prevention and disarmament, as well as on strengthening the multilateral rules-based order. We will defend international law with all due resolve. In the 20th year of the G7-led Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, we want to focus on biosecurity, also in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a view to improved prevention, we want to strengthen anticipatory humanitarian assistance in order to avoid impending – including climate-induced – humanitarian crises before they occur.

Stronger together

A resolute commitment to open societies and human rights as well as the defence of liberal democracies, both within the G7 countries and in the broader international community, forms the basis of our actions. The ongoing fight against organised crime, extremism and terrorism and against hybrid threats is also part of this. The pandemic has put societies around the world under pressure and set many citizens back both economi-cally and socially, while at the same time exacerbating spatial segregation, which is making municipalities in particular face major challenges. Social inequality undermines confidence in the ability of democratic systems to function, while increasing insecurity sets the stage for disinformation and is exploited to dismantle civil society and the rule of law. A commitment to human rights, the rule of law, civil and political rights and eco-nomic, social and cultural participation for all, to gender equality and social security, as well as against polarisation and the curtailment of freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly, and to an inclusive global digital order, will therefore guide our actions during our Presidency.

→ Safeguarding freedom and the integrity of information. Free and independent media and secure, reliable information each play a key role for strong democracies and resilient societies. Democratic opinion-forming processes must be protected against disinformation and distortion, hate speech must be fought, the freedom of opinion ensured and the security of journalists must be safeguarded. Linking up with existing processes, we, as the G7, want to develop suitable preventive approaches to improving the integrity of information and offering our citizens even better support with respect to being able to identify and actively counter disinformation and conspiratorial ideologies. We want to emphasise the role of free and independent media in this regard. The G7 brings together some of the world’s leading locations for science and research. With common science and research projects, we want to develop suitable approaches and counterstrategies for curbing disinformation. Moreover, we want to protect the freedom, and therefore also the integrity and security of science and research, to an even greater extent, as well as to ensure the participation of civil society and to strengthen scientific communication.

Strengthening gender equality

Gender equality forms the basis of an equal society and is a key value of the G7’s open, inclusive and democratic societies. As part of our G7 Presidency, we want to also advance equality between women and men and non-binary people globally and work to ensure that all people have the same opportunities in all areas. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls has negated hard-fought achievements in the area of gender equality in recent months. We want the G7 to work to turn this development around and to further promote gender equality, setting ourselves the aim of ensuring that everyone, including LGBTI people, has the same opportunities and is protected against discrimination. We want to focus on the issues of care work and equal pay and work towards the more equal participation of women in leadership positions. Together with the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, we will continue to promote and develop the monitoring of the G7’s gender equality goals. Our approach is consistently guided by the principle of gender mainstreaming, i.e.

We want to continue the work of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council and to strengthen its role.

During Germany’s G7 Presidency, a comprehensive dialogue with non-state actors in a total of seven dialogue forums is planned (Business7, Civil7, Labour7, Science7, Think7, Women7 and Youth7)

Together with our G7 partners, we want to work towards an open, reliable and secure internet that does not restrict, but rather strengthens democratic principles and universal human rights. Furthermore, we want to develop a common understanding as the G7 with respect to the areas of the global digital order in which we must strengthen international cooperation with like-minded partners. In this context, we are, together with our G7 partners, seeking to achieve stronger international coordination with respect to setting standards and norms that are embedded in an open, democratic and rules-based order.

Process

In addition to the summit of the Heads of State and Government at Schloss Elmau from 26 to 28 June 2022, numerous meetings of the relevant G7 ministers are scheduled to take place during Germany’s Presidency (see Annex).

the obligation to take into account the different impacts on men and women in all areas of action and decisions. Moreover, we will promote an intersectional approach with regard to gender equality and take the links between different forms of inequality and discrimination into account. It is important in this regard to continue to advance gender equality in our own countries, to integrate it as a key value in our global commitment to sustainable development and to promote it in a targeted manner.

Advancing digital progress in an inclusive global order. The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear reminder of the need to speed up, and also to shape the digital transformation. The approach that countries take at national and international level will have a profound impact on innovation, economic progress and prosperity. As part of our Presidency of the G7, we want to promote the free flow of data with trust across borders, counter digital inequality, strengthen security on the internet, advocate good governance in cyberspace, facilitate fair competition and improve connectivity. In doing so, we also want to work to harness the potential of the digital transformation for a sustainable way of life and economy even more effectively while making digital progress itself more sustainable and inclusive.

The personal representatives of the Heads of State and Government, known as G7 sherpas, meet at regular intervals in preparation for the Summit of the Heads of State and Government.

We want to continue the work of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council and to strengthen its role. During Germany’s G7 Presidency, a comprehensive dialogue with non-state actors in a total of seven dialogue forums is planned (Business7, Civil7, Labour7, Science7, Think7, Women7 and Youth7). Within the dialogue forums, representatives of the respective groups will develop common positions on the issues of the G7 agenda. These groups will be solely responsible for their opinion-forming processes.

The Federal Government will, as a rule, forgo sponsoring services as part of its G7 Presidency. Necessary additional expenditure is taken into account in budget planning. Exceptions to this can, on a small scale, be made in the form of regional products (sponsoring in kind), taking into account the requirements of the administrative regulation on sponsoring applicable to the federal administration.

We will host the events of the Presidency in accordance with tried and tested sustainability criteria in order to avoid greenhouse gases as far as possible. Any remaining emissions will be offset, thus making the Presidency climate-neutral. ■

As CEO and Chairman of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), it gives me great pleasure to welcome all the participants in the 2022 G7 Summit to Schloss Elmau. GTAI is Germany national agency for promoting business to and from the country, so we share a lot in common with the G7 in terms of our goals and general

outlook. One of things we do is help German companies do business with other countries around the world, so we are per se internationalists who believe that cooperation and friendly rivalries are good for all. In this spirit, we wish you all maximum success at this year’s summit.

As Jürgen Friedrich’s fellow CEO, I join him bidding you a warm welcome to Germany. One of GTAI’s other main functions is to assist international companies in setting up shop and doing business in Germany. This reflects the German conviction that no one nation benefits by going it alone.

We at GTAI, too, were appalled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which underscores how important it is to work together in frameworks like the G7. That violation of international law lends even greater urgency to this year’s summit, and we hope all the more that it is a success.

Germany’s New Government: Innovative Continuity

The German national election of September 2021 truly marked the end of an era. After more than 16 years under the leadership of Angela Merkel, Germany got a new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats (SPD) polled the most votes. That result meant a departure from power of the conservatives and a novel three-way coalition between the traditionally labor- and union-based SPD, the historically left-of-center, environmentalist Greens and the businessfriendly, personal-liberty-oriented Free Democrats (FDP).

The new government, which took office in December 2021, is unmistakably centrist, as were the four Merkel administrations preceding it. Chancellor Scholz himself served under Merkel, first as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and then from 2018 to 2021 as Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor. He thus personally embodies the continuity and stability of German politics across peaceful changes in government. Other SPD ministers from the final Merkel-led administration, where the Social Democrats were the junior collation partners, have also remained members of the present government cabinet.

Therefore, it is hardly surprising that continuity and stability are major themes of the 177-page coalition agreement negotiated by the SPD, Greens and FDP. The word “prosperity” appears on the very first page of that document and is repeated numerous times throughout. But it is important to understand two major connections. Firstly, Germany conceives of its national prosperity as inseparably linked to the ideas of freedom and security. Secondly, Germany is all too aware that its own national freedom, prosperity and security is part of that of Europe and its allies and partners around the globe. German companies will continue to seek business opportunities abroad while encouraging international firms to find a home in Germany as well.

“More than anything the new government promises stability and a high degree of continuity, personified in Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz,” commented Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) CEO Robert Hermann when the coalition agreement was announced. “But the presence in the government of two new parties will intensify certain priorities.”

Indeed, a new emphasis on innovation

is the other major theme running throughout government policies. “It will only be possible to secure our prosperity in times of globalization, if we continue to be in the top ranks of business and technology and develop the innovative potential of our economy,” the coalition agreement reads. It is in this area that the handwriting of the government’s two junior partners is particularly evident.

The first page of agreement already mentions the climate crisis as a major threat to international freedom, prosperity and security, and the government has pledged to transform Germany’s traditional social market economy into a “social-ecological market economy.” Government leaders – with the newly named Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Greens’ Robert Habeck, at the forefront –have explicitly acknowledged that Germany will have to radically accelerate its transition to clean forms of energy, if it is to meet its climate-protection goals. (see accompanying article)

The other major push for innovation is in the area of digitalization, a major caused advanced by the Free Democrats, whose party leader, Christian Lindner is now the German Finance Minister. Pages 8 through 24 are specifically about the government’s digital agenda, which includes everything from streamlining bureaucracy and expanding Germany’s ICT infrastructure to improving Germany’s already excellent standing as a scientific and research location and using digitalization as a means of advancing its environmental goals.

“In the past, there has been a tendency sometimes to conceive of digitalization and environmentalism as topics unto themselves,” explains GTAI CEO Robert Hermann. “The new government is taking a far more holistic approach. And that is perhaps the biggest overarching difference between the current and previous administrations.”

More than anything the new government promises stability and a high degree of continuity, personified in Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Germany’s Accelerated Clean Energy Transition

The new German government that took office in December 2021 had already agreed a raft of measures to speed up the country’s conversion to renewable power sources, when Russia invaded Ukraine in the waning days of February 2022. That violation of international law not only elicited horror and sorrow among Germans, particularly older people who remember the terrible nature of warfare. It also caused an immediate rethink concerning German dependency on Russian energy sources and lent even further urgency to the country’s pursuit of a decarbonized future.

To be clear: This doesn’t represent a radical change in government policy. The Olaf Scholz administration emphatically committed itself from day one and the first page of its coalition agreement to stepping up the fight against climate change, including the aim of becoming greenhousegas neutral by 2045. The government’s coalition agreement already contains pledges of tens of billions of euros to be spent on Germany’s climate goals every year.

“We will orient our climate, energy and economic policies nationally and in the European and international arena around the 1.5 degree [limit on global warming] and activate our potential at all levels of state,” one key passage of that agreement reads.

But the invasion of Ukraine has essentially turbo-charged and expanded these efforts. According to official sources, Russia supplied more than half of Germany’s natural gas and around a third of its oil in 2021 – a situation that suddenly became politically untenable. Both Chancellor Scholz and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Change Robert Habeck swiftly called for Germany to diversify its energy supplies and increase the pace of decarbonization in the interests of bolstering energy security. Among other

all indications are that the orientation away from Russian energy will continue and be permanent. This is a fundamental shift.

Germany has already reduced its Russian energy imports in the past few months by twenty percent and more. And the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action’s “Energy Security Progress Report” of March 25, 2022 projected that the country could virtually or completely phase out Russian oil and coal by the end of the year. It also predicted Germany could reduce its gas imports from Russia to ten percent by mid-2024.

This will require some flexibility. Although Germany remains committed to eventually phasing out natural gas as a power source, it has taken quick steps to secure non-Russian short- and medium-term liquid natural gas supplies and to build four floating LNG terminals. And it has eased regulations and streamlined approval processes to boost onshore wind energy production.

The country’s overarching strategy is impressively broad. Germany has gone all-in on green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, with the previous government passing a nine-billion euro National Hydrogen Strategy. Further funds are earmarked for hydrogen projects on a nearly monthly basis. Notably, this strategy is per se international since Germany recognizes it will need to import green hydrogen to meet demand.

measures, the Nord Stream II Pipeline project was immediately and indefinitely put on hold.

“The situation is very volatile at the moment,” commented Germany Trade & Invest CEO Robert Hermann when the new policies were announced. “But all indications are that the orientation away from Russian energy will continue and be permanent. This is a fundamental shift.”

In addition to producing and using more green energy, Germany is also intensifying efforts to improve energy efficiency and conserve resources. It’s bolstering heating and building standards, for instance, and facilitating the integration of waste heat into networks on an industrial scale.

“Germany is appalled by the suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly to ordinary Ukrainians,” says GTAI CEO Hermann. “But one small consolation could be that one of its sideeffects is quicker implementation of the inevitable transition to carbon neutrality and a display of incredible innovation and determination toward that end.”

Leaders’ Statement

Council and the OSCE’s mission of experts.

We will further raise the cost of this war for the architects of this aggression, that is Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accomplices, through coordinated action, continuing to act in unity as we apply economic and financial measures in reaction to the ongoing escalation of the war. As a matter of priority, we will immediately take the following actions, consistent with our respective legal processes:

Putin’s regime will no longer be able to rely on these institutions as economic back-stops to stabilise its economy and pursue its objectives.

Fifth, we will continue and elevate our campaign against the elites and their family members who support President Putin in his war effort and squander the resources of the Russian people. Consistent with our legal frameworks, we will impose sanctions on additional individuals and entities.

We,the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), condemn in the strongest terms the appalling atrocities by Russian armed forces in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns. We continue to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

The mass killing of civilians and noncombatants is categorically prohibited under international humanitarian law. We support the UN Secretary General’s call for anindependent investigation that leads to effective accountability for these atrocities.

We underscore that those responsible for war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, including the indiscriminate use of force or attacks intentionally targeting civilians, must be held accountable and brought to justice. We welcome and support the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence on this, including by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Independent investigation commission mandated by the UN Human Rights

First, we consider new investment in the economy of the Russian Federation incompatible with our security interests and our objective to end this war. We are therefore banning new investment in key sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy sector. The unprecedented private sector exodus from Russia has already compounded the powerful effects of our collective sanctions. As long as the war continues, Russia will face a long descent into economic, financial, and technological isolation.

Second, we will further extend trade export bans on advanced goods and specific services important to Russia’s security, state, and economy. We will also increase import restrictions on a range of Russia’s revenue raising exports.

Third, we will continue to disconnect Russian banks from the global financial system. We have already significantly degraded Russia’s financial system by targeting the transactions involving central bank assets and a number of other financial institutions.

Fourth, we will escalate pressure, including by imposing additional sanctions on stateowned entities that comprise the main drivers of Russia’s economy. President

Sixth, we will impose additional sanctions against Russia’s defence sector to undermine and erode the capabilities of the Russian military to wage war.

Seventh, we will expedite our plans to reduce reliance on Russia for our energy, which include phasing out and banning Russian coal imports. We will also accelerate our work to reduce our dependency on Russian oil. As we do so, we will work together and with partners to ensure stable and sustainable global energy supplies, including by accelerating reduction of our overall reliance on fossil fuels and our transition to clean energy.

We will intensify our collective implementation and enforcement of existing measures, including by strengthening our national enforcement authorities and working with our partners to prevent “sanctions busting” through evasion, circumvention and backfilling.

President Putin’s war of aggression is causing global economic disruptions. Its impact on Ukraine’s internationally significant agriculture sector places global food security under severe strain, for which President Putin and his accomplices bear the full responsibility. We will continue to work with partners to actively address energy, food and other impacts of Russia’s action on

third countries and our own people. In particular, we will address the consequences of the global crisis on food security through a joint G7 effort, in close cooperation with international bodies such as the World Food Programme, Multilateral Development Banks and International Financial Institutions, and including through exploration of the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM). Our sanctions packages are carefully targeted so as not to impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance or the operation of the global agricultural trade, utilising explicit exceptions as appropriate.

We will continue to provide coordinated political, financial, material and humanitarian support to the Ukrainian people and Government both for their immediate needs as well as with a view to the longer-term reconstruction of the country, including by exploring a Ukraine Solidarity Fund. ■

President Putin’s war of aggression is causing global economic disruptions. Its impact on Ukraine’s internationally significant agriculture sector places global food security under severe strain, for which President Putin and his accomplices bear the full responsibility.

ESG: do corporates need a Chief Risk Officer?

TheG7 in Germany this year made clear that urgent global action needs to be taken for Sustainability, in terms of both investments and required ESG regulation, and that extensive funding is required to make tangible progress, reinforcing the commitments made at the G20 in Rome and the COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.

Chris Atkins interviews Gianluca Riccio, CFA, vice-chair of the Business at OECD (BIAC) Finance Committee and a member of the B20 Finance and Infrastructure Taskforce since 2015. In 2021, Mr. Riccio was also a member of the Action Council for Sustainability and Global Emergencies.

Chris Atkins (CA): Gianluca, from a corporate’s perspective, are Sustainably and ESG a set of requirements to be met, a cost or an opportunity?

Gianluca Riccio (GR): In reality they are all of the above; the challenge lies in the need to strike a balance: Sustainability is a massive need and opportunity for all, the regulations around it need to be thought carefully to ensure that they support rather than hamper the very sustainability efforts which they are designed to protected, by creating burdensome unintended consequences.

• As suggested by the B20 in 2021: “Sustainable investments are an overarching scope of action to properly tackle global emergencies.” Consistent regulations and reporting standards addressing synergically the three broad categories of ‘environment’, ‘social’, and ‘governance’ are necessary to tackle the undeniable challenge our world is facing in the long term, and therefore need to be embedded in all future investments and activities.

• Implementing ESG regulations will inevitably turn into costs for firms. Incorporating ESG into business activities must be achieved by striking an acceptable balance mindful of the costs / administrative burdens to ensure that they provide tangible benefits to companies.

From a compliance perspective, the constant flow of increasing requirements and reporting needs brings on extensive additional compliance challenges for firms.

CA: Given the significant funding the G7 and the G20 are committing, the benefits are expected to prevail over the costs.

GR: Resources alone will not be sufficient if firms face difficulties in accessing such funding due to high regulatory and transaction costs, long-dated inherent risks and fragmented ecosystems. The use of global data standards, such as the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), will prove essential to reduce costs and fragmented approaches across borders for the business community and will help set the stage for better risk management in future. Government leaders do recognize how challenging this is and will be, indeed the G7 “urged to actively cooperate to reach standards that can be implemented globally”. The pandemic has shown that a significant policy challenge does not only relate to adopting sustainable solutions to reduce global crises, but critically revolves around the need to implement such policies in a coordinated and cooperative way at the global level: without cross-border and cross-policy coherence, investments cannot deliver their full potential.

CA: Is it all down to Governments?

• However, the opportunities are massive, and not just to deliver the Sustainability targets such investment commitments are aimed for, but they do represent also a unique opportunity to address long-standing issues that have curtailed productivity and growth in recent years; for example, Sustainabilityled investments can be leveraged upon to support the systemic ability to net payments and bolster working capital of firms at all stages of Global Value Chains (GVCs). These are the ideal opportunity to test innovative ideas which will increase firms’ productivity and make global GVCs more efficient, enabling financing to be accessible to both MSMEs and larger corporates on a long-term basis, as well as ensuring transparency and payment “traceability”.

GR: Not at all. For corporates of all sizes, sustainability is not just an ethical, but also an economic objective — generating a new type of risk: ESG risk, from both a management and a compliance perspective. Firms ought to approach ESG risks in a holistic fashion when embedding policies into their end-to-end processes. ESG needs to become a core part of firms’ productivity frameworks. When ESG risks occur, they will have or may have negative impacts on assets, financial liquidity, earnings, and/or the reputation of a firm. ESG will need to be at the core of firms’ risk management frameworks, key in defining their future strategies.

CA: Do Corporates need a Chief Risk Officer like Banks?

GR: Yes. Risk Management is becoming a key part of businesses’ strategies, and ESG

is accelerating such process, both from a compliance and from a management perspective. Firms need a Risk department to consolidate the otherwise dispersed requirements, which would inevitably result in an increased risk of mis-compliance (with significant regulatory and reputational consequences). The lack of a Risk function is also a missed business opportunity, as this function offers insights and opportunities to the wider firm’s business.

• From a compliance perspective, the constant flow of increasing requirements and reporting needs brings on extensive additional compliance challenges for firms. Additionally, firms’ risk strategic awareness and management is a growing focus when Banks perform credit risk assessments of firms, and therefore critical for firms who wish to be at the forefront of the market.

• From a management perspective, this needs first to translate in the formation of robust risk appetite statements. While ESG risk is not a fully stand-alone risk type, it exerts influence on both financial and non-financial risks present in a firm to varying degrees. Hence, risk management methods and processes must be amended, considering the complex cause-effectrelationships across risk types. This involves risk measurement / assessment techniques in production processes as well as in stress testing applications. Besides embedding risk frameworks, firms need to consider risk related issues in product design, pricing, and sales decisions, all of which are of vital importance for fostering profitability.

CA: In conclusion an additional cost or an opportunity?

GR: If firms tackle the increasing requirements and reporting needs simply to comply within the current firms’ setups, it will be just a cost, and an expensive one, coupled with the opportunity cost of all the related missed opportunities. On the other hand, if firms tackle ESG risks together with other already existing financial and nonfinancial risks and requirements, making their holistic assessment and management a core factor required to define and implement a sensible business strategy aimed at sustainable development, firms can make it a relative advantage towards their productivity and profitability goals in

terms of both avoiding costs and increasing efficiency. A centralized holistic view is vital.

CA: What would be a good example?

GR: Stress testing. The design and derivation of possible scenarios will become a regular part of firms’ assessment of their strategies and their current health. ESG risks materialize in known risk types; one of the greatest challenges is to break them down in their individual (yet interrelated) aspects, but not treat them as completely distinct. They are part of complex causeeffect relationships across customers, service providers and the financing providers, as well as across both financial and non-financial risks. This involves establishing risk measurement/assessment techniques, which need to be centralized to be efficient and consistent in order to ensure the outcomes are made transparent and appropriately considered in the risk management process.

The risk strategy then needs to be operationalized through a corresponding system of Risk Appetite Statements as part of the firm’s productivity framework.

CA: Thank you Gianluca, any concluding considerations?

GR: Sustainability is not just an overarching global goal, critical to our future, but it is a significant opportunity for growth. In order to achieve this, firms have to revisit their productivity frameworks, and Risk Management will play a key role in future strategies. This will mean that firms will increasingly need a Chief Risk Officer who centrally co-ordinates and ultimately owns the firm’s risk architecture as well. ■

Disclaimer: Presented are personal views rather than a formal representation of the Business at OECD, which is a consensus driven organisation, its Committees and its Committee leadership employers.

G7 to set up Climate Club

The G7 is to act on Federal Chancellor Scholz’s suggestion to establish a Climate Club. “We will work with partners towards establishing an open, cooperative international Climate Club consistent with international rules by the end of 2022,” says a G7 statement released after the leaders’ meeting in Elmau. “We need to be more ambitious if we want to meet our climate targets,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz at the G7 Summit.

As an intergovernmental forum, the Climate Club will be open to all countries committed to full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the resolutions subsequently adopted on this basis.

Partners such as the major emitters, the G20 and developing and emerging countries are invited to intensify discussions and consultations with the G7 on this matter.

Federal Chancellor Scholz: “We’re in agreement,” said Federal

Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the end of the three-day summit in Schloss Elmau: “We need to be more ambitious if we want to meet our climate targets”. Scholz said that the Climate Club was the G7’s contribution

in this area, adding that the forum would be based on three pillars:

• advance ambitious and transparent climate mitigation policies to reduce emission intensities on the pathway towards climate neutrality

• transform industries jointly to accelerate decarbonisation

• establish international partnerships to encourage and facilitate climate action and promote a just energy transition.

Each G7 member will appoint ministers responsible for developing comprehensive terms of reference. They are to reach out to interested partners. The ministers are to report to G7 leaders for approval of the next steps to establish the Climate Club by the end of 2022. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are invited to support this process. ■

We need to be more ambitious if we want to meet our climate targets.

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Inan interconnected, global world, a transparent, immediate, seamless traceable, forgery-proof and chronological record of transactions of as many assets as possible becomes a major challenge. Blockchain technology is the long-sought solution to this. The hype has given way to a certain scepticism in recent months. Two misconceptions are responsible for this.

On the one hand, blockchain is too often reduced to its best-known application the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

And Bitcoin, like all cryptocurrencies,

Blockchain and sustainability: contradiction or complement?

has recently had to struggle with enormous price fluctuations. On the other hand, blockchain has the reputation of requiring enormous computing capacities and of being an energy hog. However, such concerns only apply to certain applications of the underlying technology, such as Bitcoin.

Depending on the network architecture, choice of protocols and set-up, a modern blockchain does not consume more energy than conventional database solutions. This last objection in particular has caused concerns to

be expressed about blockchain, especially in the fight against climate change. Yet blockchain technology can certainly be described as a booster in the fight for a more sustainable world.

Digitalisation and sustainability: the twinset of the future

Liechtenstein and its banks have never joined this chorus of critics. On the contrary: for us banks, digitalisation and sustainability belong together like twins. They are therefore also the two cornerstones of the Roadmap 2025,

LIECHTENSTEIN BANKERS

multi-year strategy published last year. It is certainly also important that we define sustainability much more comprehensively than the admittedly currently most urgent fight against climate change. We align our efforts with the broadly defined 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, not only the banks, but also Liechtenstein’s government recognised the potential of digitalisation very early on. For example, with the socalled Blockchain Act, a holistic and technology-neutral, legal framework for all blockchain related applications has been introduced for the first time worldwide already back in 2020.

Transparency, new sources of financing and new incentives

But how exactly can blockchain make the world more sustainable or help reduce CO2 emissions in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement?

The traceability of transactions on a blockchain, once again, plays a central role. For example, the technology makes alignment with sustainability goals more visible by enabling data and information about projects to be tracked and understood transparently.

Blockchain-based platforms can be used to standardise data, evaluate investment performance and improve compliance with ESG standards, for example. This potential will be amplified in the not-so-distant future when the Internet of Things is integrated and linked with artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

However, other aspects are at least as important in this context. For example, blockchain makes it possible to open up new sources of financing and to better mobilise existing industry commitments to CO2 reduction by setting up new financing platforms.

As a reminder, at the global level, it is estimated that the annual investment required to achieve the SDGs is around USD 7 trillion. A substantial part of this will have to come from the private sector. Reducing the cost of capital for infrastructure projects while improving liquidity, transparency and access to finance can make the ambitious goals much more realistic. Finally, blockchain

LIECHTENSTEIN AND ITS BANKS HAVE NEVER JOINED THIS CHORUS OF CRITICS. ON THE CONTRARY: FOR US BANKS, DIGITALISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY BELONG TOGETHER LIKE TWINS. THEY ARE THEREFORE ALSO THE TWO CORNERSTONES OF THE ROADMAP 2025, OUR MULTI-YEAR STRATEGY PUBLISHED LAST YEAR.

can improve awareness and access by acting as a transaction-enabling infrastructure for new business models. This creates incentives and thus increases the willingness of institutions and consumers to contribute to building a sustainable economy and society.

Blockchain: a sustainability accelerator

The potential applications are vast.

According to a new study by the World Economic Forum and PwC, two-thirds of the 169 sub-goals of the SDGs could be supported or even fuelled by technological innovations.

About Liechtenstein Bankers Association (LBA)

With the Blockchain Act and the experience already gained with it at an early stage, the Liechtenstein financial centre is in an excellent position to use the new technologies to fulfil its responsibility for and aspiration to greater sustainability. The financial resources are available, as is the knowledge of what needs to be done. What is needed now is consistent action and the necessary courage and leadership. In this way, the financial centre will live up to its claim of “thinking in generations”, i.e. above all also for the future. ■

The Liechtenstein Bankers Associafion was founded in 1969 and is the voice of Liechtenstein banks at home and abroad. It is one of the most important associafions in the country and plays an important role in the successful development of the financial centre. As a member of the European Bankers Federafion (EBF), the European Payments Council (EPC), the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (EPFSF), the Liechtenstein Bankers Associafion is an important member of key bodies at European level and plays an acfive role in the European legislafive process. Since 2017, the Liechtenstein Bankers Associafion has also been a member of the Public Affairs Council (PAC) with offces in Washington and Brussels, and since 2018, a member of the internafional network “Financial Centres for Sustainability” (FC4S). With the Roadmap 2025, the LBA has placed an even stronger focus on the two major topic «sustainability» and «digitalisation». As a consequence, the LBA joined the following two initiatives in 2021, each of which is a leader in its field: firstly, it has become an offcial supporter of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and secondly, it has become an affiliate member of the Canada-based Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), an independent, global think-tank dedicated to inspiring and preparing private- and public-sector leaders to be the catalysts of the blockchain transformation.

About LBA’s Roadmap 2025, the strategy for the entire Liechtenstein banking cente The Roadmap2025 is the multi-year strategy of the Liechtenstein banking centre. It is all about “growth through sustainability and innovation”. Ongoing climate change is one of the greatest global challenges. We are the first generation to sustainably destroy our planet and probably the last to prevent it. The financing needed to achieve the Paris climate goals as well as the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations is enormous. According to PWC, the annual global investment required to achieve the SDGs amounts to 7 trillion US dollars. Currently, only one seventh of this is financed by the public sector. A substantial part must therefore come from the private sector. The financial sector, and banks in particular, can and must therefore play a central role in mobilising and channelling these financial resources. This means a great responsibility, but also brings with it a great opportunity. If we successfully accompany this transformation, we will create the necessary growth to continue to create prosperity. Increasing digitalisation has a huge potential to accelerate the needed transformation for the benefit of our future generations.

INTRODUCTION

Transition to net zero: Is it a government or business responsibility?

There is deepening consensus amongst governments, businesses and societies that climate change is global, the consequences are intensifying, and anthropogenic (human caused) factors are the driving force. As spelled out by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change1, climate change (and the actions required to address it) will have consequential impacts on economies, financial systems and the companies that operate within them.

Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) held consultations with business leaders, investors, and policy developers to assess responsibility for climate action and whether a national strategy is required to achieve success in the transition to net-zero. Differing opinions emerged regarding responsibilities.

There was consistency amongst those engaged, that all sectors and participants, including policy makers, NGO’s, academia, investors, industries, their supply chains and all levels of governments must play a role to achieve a desired outcome, and that collaboration amongst those groups is central to success. However, thoughts about the degree of involvement varied considerably. Agreement was unequivocal on the need to get past talk, policy papers and plans to move to taking action. One participant noted that “we need to stop talking and start acting.” This article will focus on the role of a few key groups

Context

An increased focus on climate issues is prompting new regulations and challenging historic political reticence to carbon emissions regulations. Public interest is also driving investment decisions by retail investors and beneficiaries of managed investments. Regulators, investors, customers and employees are driving initiatives that stipulate useful, transparent, consistent and comparable climate-related information. This is achieved through enhanced reporting of climate changerelated risks, mitigation strategies and opportunities but also through good planning and good governance.

Perhaps one of the most notable outcomes of this shift in public interest,

CPA CANADA

is the formation by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation of an International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). This initiative is driving the establishment of a global reporting framework concerning climate-related disclosures, with a goal of comparable information. The ISSB is also tasked to develop a comprehensive global baseline of high-quality sustainability disclosure standards to meet investors’ information needs. It is anticipated that this may be the catalyst that pushes global companies to take climate action.

Central banks, investors, lenders and insurance have all stepped forward to acknowledge the global scientific consensus on the risks and severity of climate change. But their role in mitigating climate change, as well as the role of governments, the private sector, and professional groups must be unambiguously clear. Who will absorb costs? How will changes in government impact commitments? Does politics have a place in climate mitigation or adaptation? How will action ensure transition to net-zero is not unduly punitive to those who are acting? These are key questions that must

be considered as governments and businesses transition to net zero.

Role of government/regulators

There are currently 193 parties committed to the Paris Agreement2 What is not clear however, is how many of those have an unambiguous plan and pathway to achieve their directives within the timeframe they’ve committed to. Government policy must be clear and unequivocal about how innovation will be funded, who is going to play, to pay, who does what, and when.

Many of those CPA Canada consulted, propose that government can play a significant role in tackling climate change and getting to net-zero by providing a national strategy, policy direction, and incentive through investing in innovation and funding transition efforts. Others, however, suggest government can assess the merits of solutions only if companies, who have been incentivized, are able to bring those solutions forward.

And others say we could not expect government to possess the level of expertise necessary to create policy and must count on industry sectors, who have experience and expertise, to lead.

Many called-upon the government to act by offering a clear strategy that guides businesses, municipalities, and citizens toward action. They proposed public/private partnerships as an ideal approach to finance and build innovative solutions that properly align capabilities with needs. To see benefits in the end game of solutions to the economy and themselves, companies and citizens need a credible, transparent risk-return strategic plan.

Others suggest that the diversity amongst industries, provinces or states, and citizens would render a single government proposed strategy impractical and impossible to execute. They say each sector needs a roadmap and that collaboration across supply chains is the answer. Some go further to suggest waiting for direction from government is an excuse for entities to delay their own response.

Globally, governments are creating advisory committees or action councils

to develop plans to finance or take climate actions. As well, regulatory bodies are developing policy and enforcement actions to govern compliance. It is pertinent, though, that those groups understand industry and sector issues, and that the plans are realizable by the private sector.

Carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, restrictive legislation and even lawsuits to protect communities may make it difficult for companies to carry on with “business as usual”3 but the alternatives must be doable and just.

For example, as scope 3 emissions get more attention from regulators, disclosure may be required. Industry members at all levels (those executing, executives and boards) must understand what scope 3 emissions include and why disclosure is pertinent. Education will be required as well as guidance to support companies to correctly measure and report on scope 3 emissions. If an industry cannot meaningfully measure particular emissions, legislators and regulators must support them to find viable solutions to ensure scope 3 emissions data is accurate.

Many countries are also utilizing regulators or committees to develop finance taxonomies. Taxonomies are definitions of sustainable finance designed to be comprehensive classification systems. →

GLOBALLY, GOVERNMENTS ARE CREATING ADVISORY COMMITTEES OR ACTION COUNCILS TO DEVELOP PLANS TO FINANCE OR TAKE CLIMATE ACTIONS. AS WELL, REGULATORY BODIES ARE DEVELOPING POLICY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TO GOVERN COMPLIANCE. IT IS PERTINENT, THOUGH, THAT THOSE GROUPS UNDERSTAND INDUSTRY AND SECTOR ISSUES, AND THAT THE PLANS ARE REALIZABLE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

CPA CANADA

→ When appropriately designed, sustainable finance definitions and taxonomies can improve market clarity by providing precise and consistent definitions of which investments are “green” and “sustainable.” This may facilitate investment by giving confidence and assurance to investors.4

Role of business

There are many factors that influence business response to climate change.

Business decisions and actions will slow or accelerate climate change, and climate change will drive risks and opportunities for business.

Organizations must understand how they will view climate change when significant global trends and investor scrutiny are influencing their actions.

Management is responsible to make decisions and execute a plan to assess and respond to business risks, including climate related issues. Momentum has been growing around climate change for some time, but we are now at a point where the viability of many organizations depends on their ability to adapt and change their business models as quickly as possible.5

Achievable plans must be divided into bite-sized pieces, so that actions can be put in motion rapidly, and results, be measured and communicated in the interval. Looking forward to 2050 without considering the necessary steps required in the next 5, 10 and 15 years will be overwhelming and seem impossible. Organizations need to have realistic goals and specific actions planned for the short, medium and long term to ensure they are prepared for any outcome.

Role of Governance

Regulators, investors, and employees expect organizations’ boards of directors to establish that climaterelated risks and opportunities are being systematically embedded into the company’s strategic planning. This will require boards to review committee mandates, so climate action is planted into committee responsibilities. However, climate change is a new and complex issue for many boards that entails grappling with scientific,

macroeconomic and policy uncertainties across broad time horizons. It requires boards of directors to contemplate intersecting scientific, macroeconomic, and policy-related uncertainty over long timeframes.6 If boards do not understand these issues neither mandates nor government policy or strategy will be useful. The audit committee has expertise in, and is supported by, an extensive underlying infrastructurefor financial reporting. For this reason, among others, the audit committee may be the board committee best positioned not only to oversee the financial reporting implications of climate change for the corporation, but also the development of the infrastructure to ensure that reported climate change metrics are relevant and accurate and that any voluntary climate-related reporting (e.g., in corporate sustainability reports) is consistent with the corporation’s reporting for regulatory purposes.7 The board must rely on and trust data available to them and ensure they have the right measures in place. They will need to trust the data in scope 3 emissions.

The audit committee can support the board to satisfy itself that management has internal expertise or has obtained external expertise to determine which metrics are most appropriate to the corporation’s circumstances. Finally,

1 IPCC Reports on Climate Change (conservation.org)

2 The Paris Agreement | United Nations

3 Climate risk: Is it on your radar? (cpacanada.ca)

they should also consider the nonfinancial risks affecting the long-term value of the organization, should climate-related issues affect the market environment of the business.

CONCLUSION

Consultations carried-out by CPA Canada with business leaders, investors, members of advisory panels and trade organizations provided some clarity on the role of various parties in a transition to net-zero and many opinions on the benefits or challenges each might bring to the table. The role of government is less clear than that of regulators and businesses. Participants proposed that imposed climate actions must be achievable without causing undue competitive disadvantage for the country or particular sectors in business.

Some participants recommended that a national strategy be set out by government, others believe initiatives are in place but not well communicated, and a few indicated that waiting for national direction may provide various sectors justification to wait and see. There was categorial agreement that getting past policy and words and taking a concerted and coordinated approach is compulsory. The courses of action routinely recommended were unambiguous communication and targeted, practical guidance and education for all sector leaders.

There is opportunity to capitalize on momentum by using the specific, targeted education that exists and creating supplemental programs where necessary. To support the role of business, education for businesses and their boards of directors must be comprehensive, prescriptive, action oriented and supplemental to important introductory courses that are currently available. Climate informed leadership is a long-term ambition that requires immediate action to achieve a fair and just transition to a net-zero economy. ■

4 developing-sustainable-finance-definitions-and-taxonomies-brief-for-policy-makers.pdf (oecd.org)

5 Path to net zero: CPAs can play a central role (cpacanada.ca)

6 Supra note 4

7 A role for audit committees in oversight of climate change (cpacanada.ca)

ORGANIZATIONS MUST UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WILL VIEW CLIMATE CHANGE WHEN SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL TRENDS AND INVESTOR SCRUTINY ARE INFLUENCING THEIR ACTIONS.

Helping businesses navigate climate change

Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) can help your organization make more informed decisions — and increase resilience — in the face of climate change. How? By identifying climate-related risks and opportunities. By estimating financial impacts and performing scenario analyses. By advising on long-term business performance. Need a strategic response to climate change? Enlist a CPA.

Sustainability more than a buzzword

Sustainability is not just a key issue on the 2022 G7 agenda. It is also an important organizational concern on site: the Federal Government is seeking to ensure that sustainability is a priority of its entire G7 Presidency as well as the Summit of the G7 Heads of State and Government, which is due to take place at Schloss Elmau from 26 to 28 June.

Avoid, reduce, offset

With its numerous events, every G7 Presidency leaves a carbon footprint – not least as a result of participants’ travel to and from the venue as well as accommodation, catering and local transport. In order to make its G7 Presidency sustainable, the Federal Government is avoiding and reducing these emissions as far as possible.

Here are some examples of measures:

• Raising awareness of the use of rail and public transport for travel to and from the Summit wherever possible, bearing security concerns in mind

• On-site transport using battery-powered vehicles

• Ensuring venues and hotels hold environmental certification and are compliant with s ustainability standards

• Maximum use of regional and fair-trade food, plant-based products and tap water

• Sustainable procurement or reuse of products

• Concepts for minimising waste

• No small gifts for visiting delegations

Greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be avoided are offset elsewhere. Offsetting is carried out through the purchase of UN emission reduction credits, which are used to finance high-quality climate protection projects such as those promoting the use of household biogas and efficient cooking stoves in developing countries.

Constant focus on environmental protection and nature conservation

The area around Schloss Elmau is particularly in need of protection from a nature conservation perspective. The Federal Government is aware of this and, together with the state government of Bavaria, is taking the full range of precautions to limit the unavoidable impact of this international summit meeting to the absolute essentials.

Sustainability

All planning steps are carried out bearing nature conservation and landscape protection concerns in mind and in close coordination with the responsible authorities. The measures are designed to avoid or minimise intervention. ■

Sustainability at Schloss Elmau: Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps meets not just the logistics and security needs of a G7 Summit but also sustainability requirements.

We will organise Presidency events according to proven sustainability criteria, avoiding greenhouse gases as far as possible. Any remaining emissions will be offset, thereby making the Presidency climate neutral.

Chris Atkins: Welcome Florian thank you for the opportunity to speak with you and welcome to group of nations and the G7 Global Briefing Report . Please us a little bit about your background and how you decided to get involved in renewable energy arena. Florian Strunck: Hi, Chris. Really nice to talk with you. So let me give you some idea about how that went. I engaged with renewable energies in 2019, exactly the year when we founded ampere. cloud, this was my direct involvement, but my co-founders Eric and Frederick already started to engage with this topic and our mission a few years earlier, this one was when my best friend who runs PV company here in Berlin asked me if I know some developers who could help them to develop a solution for their monitoring of PV plants.

The situation was that the market is still so fragmented. We have so many solutions in the market that the

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THE Backbone of Energy Transition

companies that are at the forefront of energy transition, like the company of my friend, are really struggling to master their growth channels.

And so I brought together my best friend and my then co-founders who started to develop a pilot of what we do today at ampere.cloud. So they developed a very customized solution. This solution was so awesomely helpful to the company of my friend. So they could really run much more plans immediately with the same team than before that we, finally, in 2019 commonly decided to start ampere. cloud and bring this solution to the market in order to enable the enablers of the energy transition so to say, the companies that are building and running PV plants, but also wind plants. And this was basically my tip off with renewable energies. And since then, you will talk about it later, but we built up a team of more than 30 passionate people from

many parts of Europe and even from Brazil. And we are not the only one who are passionate about energy transition, but it’s really great to see this group of people pushing forward our mission.

CA: So tell us what does PV stand for? FS: PV stands for photovoltaic, so photovoltaic system. Yeah. What is maybe important to mention here, Chris, is that our operating system for renewables is totally agnostic to the type of energy production. Historically, we come from photovoltaic because this is where we started and developed this pilot for the company of my best friend and started ampere.cloud and the photovoltaic sector. But we have connected to wind farms. We have connected wind farms, we have connected heat, we have connected storage. So the important thing is our system is agnostic and it’s the operating system for the moment.

AMPERE CLOUD

CA: So when you were with your best friend and the co-founders, that’s how the idea of ampere.cloud started? Can you explain that to us.

FS: This was when things started to get concrete. So the idea, I would say indirectly already started in the preface when I connected my co-founders with my best friend and they for four years roughly started working on the pilot, but then in 2019 anmpere.cloud was founded.

CA: That’s fantastic how things develop over time and then the idea sparks. That’s fantastic. So what about the operating system for renewables are you using and why is it necessary and how does it help companies?

FS: So you have to mention that our customers are typically asset owners and/or companies that operate from a technical and financial perspective, power plants, of course, global power

plants. And these companies heavily struggle with managing their growth, because we all know that we have to grow that sector. So this is what energy transition means, right? But in many parts, they are working very manually. They have manually operations for doing reporting, for doing maintenance work for all this essential task around running power plants. And our clients typically not have just one plan. They typically have up to hundreds of plans under management. So what is important here is to raise their efficiency and their ability to run power plants with a limited amount of workforce, because this is something that is really limiting energy transition.

And this is really a threat to energy transition, that we have limited number of workforces, but for doing operations and maintenance, we will need so many people through our next decade. Therefore, our operating system is dramatically raising the efficiency of our customers by giving all the essential tools by their hand in just one system to run their whole portfolio. For many of our customers, the first time that they have their whole portfolio of plans in just one system. So this is one reason why it’s necessary. The other is that we see dramatically threat to grid stability. I mean, we come from a situation where we had a very linear electricity market that production distribution was on the hand of few companies. And now we are in a market due to energy transition that is highly, decentral, highly fragmented. So many new players in the market, completely new use cases. And

we have an indeterminate feed in through decentral power generation. And this is a threat for the grids, so we could see massive blackouts. So this is why, for example, our operating system together with our hardware that we developed, this is a so called park controller can steer and control facilities from remote is stabilizing the grids. And even a third point that is very important. When we talk about energy transition, we talk about a completely new market and wherever energy is produced, it needs to be traded somehow, right? Whereas this is the market principle, but this market is still highly inefficient. So the producers and the traders are working on behalf of incorrect, instable data but the traders need to take really informed information about how to steer the facilities. So this is also something that our operating system is providing stable and accurate data in order to take the best informed decisions about how to control and steer facilities.

CA: Well that’s impressive. That’s a lot of programming you have to do for that?

FS: Actually, yes, it is. And what is impressive to me is that we started in a very niche, Chris. So we were another monitoring system at the beginning, but our vision always have been to develop the operating system for renewables, a system that is agnostic that is not just solving a narrow problem, but that is really attacking the key threats to the energy transition and we are really proud of that. And our sustainable growth has shown us that we are really able to brings this out to the market. And we will. Every day I see people outside are developing this system further and further.

CA: So you mentioned also that ou have a hardware component, explain what that is.

FS: Yeah, sure. So this is a real IOT hardware. You have to, you have to imagine that power plants need to be controlled, right? So at least the grid operator needs to be able to shut down the power plant if there’s some overload on the grid or something. →

WE ARE THE FIRST IN THE GERMAN MARKET THAT IS DOING HARDWARE AS A SERVICE IN THAT SECTOR. AND THIS MEANS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY CAN TOTALLY RELY ON US.

AMPERE CLOUD

→ In Germany, we have some really, really strict regulations on that. Also the trader needs to be able to steer the power plant, and this usually happens via a control unit. In the old market, it has been that way that this control unit really expands the special hardware that was sold to the plant operator or owner, tens of thousands of euros but we said, this is an old model and people were sometimes overwhelmed by all the technique and costs, of course. So what we did is we developed an IOT tool that we are bringing as a service into the market.

We are the first in the German market that is doing hardware as a service in that sector. And this means for our customers that they can totally rely on us. They are partly outsourcing their hardware responsibilities to us, and this tool is really working in the purest sense of IOT. So the whole calculation, everything is done by our cloud, and this device is just transmitting control orders and transmitting data. So it’s really a simple tool. There’s no display on it or something. It’s really doing just this job, and this is enough. Even if you think about that, we’re serving a market where, for example, the smallest PV plant under management of our operating system is really, I think it’s two kilobyte peaks. It’s a very small one family house unit, but the biggest is more than 150 megawatts, so really the whole range and all served by this one tool.

CA: Very impressive. So what kind of companies are using your product? And I take it the purpose is like you said, to stabilize and control their systems more efficiently. So what companies are using your product right now?

FS: So our core customer, our direct customer is typically a company that is doing operations and maintenance or for own PV plants or wind farms, or for customers farms. And this way, our typical customer has several, sometimes even several hundreds of PV plants under management and has to take care of them that they run smoothly, that they run due to regulations that they produce the power expected,

because we also have to mind that there’s a market incentive behind energy transition as well. I mean, we know that energy transition is, to say is a more a moral, I think is the word, is a moral imperative. So a climate imperative, but it’s also a huge, major economic growth program globally. And this is important because companies behind the energy transition have a market incentive. So it’s not steered by nations or by governments. It’s really something, where there’s a market principle behind it. And therefore this is an investment, an investment in renewable power plants and investors need that their investment runs smoothly, that they can see how it’s generating benefits for them, and this is also guaranteed by our system that is used then by these companies, for example.

CA: That makes sense. So obviously with electricity demands increasing, because obviously a lot of people are going to electric vehicles. That’s increasing, so renewable energies obviously have a crucial role still and could only increase. So people obviously will be wanting to reach out to your product more to help with the overall working of their company. Is that a fair statement?

FS: You mean... Just to see if I understood correctly, so you mean Chris, that we are now focusing on a certain part of energy transition with our services and covering?

CA: Yes. Because I think obviously electricity is always increasing. So renewable energies, we have to look at the renewable energies as a whole, so that still has a crucial role in what you are doing. And obviously with the globe in terms of, obviously everybody’s trying to reach their net zero, their 2030 goals when it comes to sustainability matters. So obviously this is a crucial product that people need to look at.

Is that correct?

FS: Absolutely. I mean, what is important here? I mean, at the moment, Chris, we serve the whole post-installation value chain of our customers. We are the very first

operating system for renewables. When we talk, for example to climate and impact for our financing and funding structure, for them, it’s total crucial to understand how we help to reduce the CO2. We have calculations behind it, but what we see and what also our existing investors see is that with every renewable power plant built and operated in a lean way, we will be able to reduce the [inaudible 00:19:34] emissions and substitute the old fashioned electricity production. And with ampere.cloud, you can simply build and run more renewable energy power plants. And we directly see the impact in that field as well. So you’re totally right. We have to see it as a complete picture and maybe just to give some words on the vision, Chris, because I think this is connected here as well on our vision. We want to take a key role in every process, in every part where renewable energy is produced, distributed and used. So of course in future, this can also include immobility topics, but we do very well at the moment to focus on what we know best.

SO OUR CORE CUSTOMER, OUR DIRECT CUSTOMER, IS TYPICALLY A COMPANY THAT IS DOING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OR FOR OWN PV PLANTS, WIND FARMS, OR FOR CUSTOMERS FARMS.

CA: So are you based just in Germany? Are you spreading your wings to different countries?

How’s that working?

FS: Yes. Good question. So we started selling our operating system to the market in March ‘22. And I think you will have in mind what also happened in March ‘22, so we went to market together, this Corona, Virus and the first moment was really a tough thing o do. So we had to pivot our sales its approach completely to a remote and digital setting. And we heavily focused the last two years on the German market. The German market within Europe is such a growth market. It’s so big in itself that it was really that we really had to prosper in sustainable growth. But now until the end of the year, we want to start bring ampere. cloud to other countries as well. So we are focusing, for example, on Spain, that can be a very good target for us. We already are kind of international through the operations of our customers because our customers run power plants in several parts of world. So we have projects in Brazil,

AMPERE CLOUD

many projects all across Europe, but now actively, we will internationalize at the end of the year, most likely to Spain and also some overseas countries are in our focus.

CA: Perfect. That’s good. So is it easy for these companies to transfer their processes to digitalization?

That’s the next question.

FS: Yes. I mean, obviously we help them to digitize a main part of their tech stack, of their operations. Because we offer them the operating system, but many of the companies, I’m not just talking about our smaller clients, also bigger up to utility scale companies, surprisingly run their operations on a manual or legacy system where this is impressive. That’s the status quo. They don’t criticize it. As an entrepreneur, I see this as a chance, but it’s also kind of threat to energy transition. So we really need to speed up the digitization in these companies that are at the forefront of energy transition, as I mentioned, and from our perspective as we do, I mean, you just decide once maybe for an operating system. As our

clients just need one operating, they don’t need two or three. We make it really easy for them through our processes, but also our system itself with open interface and all that, to bring their assets to our system, so we really help them accelerate their own digitization and therefore accelerate energy transition et al.

CA: Perfect. So that being said, what countries, I know we mentioned countries earlier that you are trying to get into, but what countries right now around the G7 G20 APEC are doing things right, are forward thinking.

FS: Good question. So this is just my humble opinion, and I see it very much through the perspective of ampere. cloud of course, but to give you my opinion to this, Chris. I would always name Germany as well, because the whole energy transition topic started here some decades ago and we can really see things happening here, as I mentioned, and there are still when we have a look on the added annual capacity in photovoltaic, Germany is within the top three globally. →

→ So this is really impressive. But of course also to mention the U.S. There’s so much happening in the U.S., we would love to go to U.S., but we are really a bit hesitating because U.S. market is really, how to say, huge fragmented. I think this is really something that will be on our plate l ater on, but U.S. is also developing so strong. Also to mention overseas, China, India, just having an eye on the added end-year capacity, these are also within the top five.

And in Europe, this is also really very interesting, Spain, France, Poland.

AMPERE CLOUD

There are many countries that are really also incentivized by the governments are developing really, really strong on that sector. So I think what we can see now, and this is undoubtable, energy transition already started. So it’s not about talking about we have to start. It’s already started, but we see that this is some data from the IAE that between 2030 and 2050, we need at least something around 600 gigawatts globally in yearly additional capacity and photovoltaic to reach net zero by 2050. This is why from an entrepreneurship point of view,

I’m so optimistic that ampere.cloud is just at the right point with the right topic and that we can help. We won’t be the only one. We won’t be the Google of energy transition, so to say, but this is also ot [inaudible 00:26:58]. We want to push things forward as we can do.

CA: You mentioned a few countries now. How does that work when it comes to renewable energy regulations? I’m sure different countries have different regulations. Is there an agreement within the countries in the renewable field about... Are they the same? How does that work with what you are doing?

FS: Interesting question. I mean, sorry that I start again mentioning Germany here, but I think at least within the European union and maybe worldwide, Germany has at least one of the most restrictive regulations when it comes to renewable energy production and feed-in. And this is mainly because, I think, it’s a small country but with a major industry sector, so that needs to run stable. We have very distributed, decentralized energy productions for renewables. This challenge will arise and therefore Germany set really strict regulations here, and many countries in the EU, but also in overseas are having an eye or two on the regulations and how they work in Germany. So they are rotating themselves on base of these regulations. And when it comes, for example, to the intermittent feed-in to the grids, I mean, we have feed-in regulations and codes in Germany that are really, really strict. I mean, to give you an idea, we have 800. It’s a small country, we have 800 local grid operators that have their own grid codes and regulations, how in their region, the feed-in works.

CA: Wow

FS: This is a mess, but this way they want to stabilize the grid, so it’s honorable. And as the yearly additional capacity in PV and wind is also rising in many, many countries over the world, they will have very similar challenges very soon. And I can guarantee you, many of them are already thinking about how to regulate the feed-in as

AMPERE CLOUD

well and many of them are having an eye, as I mentioned, on the German regulations. It’s necessary because otherwise we risk major blackouts, so yes.

CA: That makes sense. So obviously, again, we mentioned that the renewable energies is a massive, massive market. So how do you see that over the next five years, that particular sector, and then obviously as that grows, industry needs more people to be certified in this particular sector. So talk a little bit about that.

FS: I don’t have the absolute correct number by hand now for the investment side, but if I’m not wrong, it’s 14 billion of U.S. dollars in that case of investment that is needed until 2030 order to just be heads up with the capacity building for renewables. Right. And when it comes to the workforce that you mentioned, I’m quite sure that until 2050, in order to reach net zero, we will need more than 50 million additional qualified workers just in the sector of operations and maintenance globally.

CA: How many was that? 50 million?

FS: 50 million. Five-O, so this is really massive. Of course, renewable energy isn’t the only sector that will have heavy requirements when it comes to workforce. So we are in competition with other sectors. And therefore it needs smart systems like ours, for example, in order to reduce the need, to add workforce because we make processes more efficient and more automated, and therefore we can run more power plants, build, run more power plants with a smaller workforce as well.

CA: Wow. So there’s obviously massive growth.

FS: Exactly.

CA: In the next five years. That’s tremendous. So, okay. As you mentioned, you are a small company. You’ve obviously been around a couple of years and you’re currently going through a round of fresh investment. So what kind of investors are you

looking for to grow obviously, ampere.cloud?

FS: The very opportunistic answer to that would be every investor that is willing to share our mission. So we could say everybody who, who believes in our mission from a certain point of view is highly welcome, but we have a focus on investors that do two things, basically. First, that bring in smart money. So we really are looking for investors that can help us to open up new markets to spread the words about our mission, about ampere.cloud to really grow. We are still a small company, but we really want to grow because we see the impact in our own market, and we really want to bring this further. And the second is that we are talking climate and impact for this. This is really the sweet spot to be honest, personally, for me, because there the smart money and sharing the same mission is really coming together and this is something that is very attractive talking from a personal point of view for me.

CA: And then last question I have for you then, how do you measure and ensure that ampere.cloud annual OS renewables are able and crucial to reach these net zero targets? Because obviously everywhere we see in the news, everybody’s trying to reach their net 2030 goals, some 2050 goals. So talk to us a little bit about that.

FS: Maybe starting for a quite general point of view, as I mentioned, we significantly help to build and operate more renewable power plants. So that’s a starting point, and every kilowatt hour that is produced by a renewable power plant is substituting a kilowatt hours that is produced by atomic power plants or coal power plant.

So on the base of this, we can do bottom up calculations on what we’ve done throughout the last two years and due to our business plan, business modeling, what we will be able, scaling throughout the next years. And this is what we directly can translate into, as I mentioned, these substitutes, renewable energy versus old energy, so to say. And this is how we calculate our impact, our footprint on the energy transition. Of

course, we have exact numbers around this about... Depends on the perspective, are you having an eye on the next five years or throughout the lifetime of ampere.cloud? We can give several different calculations, but the basis is always the same. We aim that in the end we substitute kilowatt hours produced by an old fashioned, so to say, by renewable energy, and this is what we, through different ways that we talked about throughout last minutes, are significantly pushing forward.

CA: And then tell us where people can find you. Give us your website address so people know, and if there’s a phone number or email address, so people can obviously touch base if they have some questions for you.

FS: Yes. So they can always find us in Berlin when they are around. Then of course, our website is www.ampere. cloud. And you can always reach out to me on LinkedIn.

CA: Great. Thanks for your time Florian. What a tremendous insight to ampere.cloud and thank you for obviously being part of this, and we wish you all the great success for the future.

FS: Thank you very much. ■

WE AIM THAT IN THE END WE SUBSTITUTE KILOWATT HOURS PRODUCED BY AN OLD FASHIONED, SO TO SAY, BY RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND THIS IS WHAT WE, THROUGH DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THROUGHOUT LAST MINUTES, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY PUSHING FORWARD.

Digital Ministers’ meeting

1. We, the Digital Ministers of the G7, met on 10 and 11 May 2022 under the chairmanship of Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport of the Federal Republic of Germany, to discuss current issues associated with digital transformation and related frameworks, aiming to be ‘Stronger Together’.

2. We are appalled by and condemn in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. This war is raging not only on the ground, but also online. We, the G7 Digital Ministers, have therefore discussed the pressing issue of cyber resilience and issued a “Joint Declaration by the G7 Digital Ministers on cyber resilience of digital infrastructure in response to the Russian war against Ukraine” on 10 May 2022.

3. We are resolved to counter the use of the digital sphere as a battleground. We denounce Russia’s malicious cyber activities, information manipulation, interference, and online disinformation campaigns, which we will continue to address. We affirm the right of people in Russia to access unbiased and factual information and we commit to defending freedom of expression online.

4. We therefore welcome the G7 Media Minister meeting on 19 June 2022, which will take a closer look at the current global media policy situation, including with regards to addressing disinformation and protecting freedom of expression for members of the press.

5. We strongly support the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (A/HRC/49/L.31/Rev.1) led by Ukraine on the ‘Role of States in countering the negative impact of disinformation on the enjoyment and realization of human rights’ adopted at the 49th Human Rights Council Session on 1 April.

6. We remain committed to the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) in order to protect our democratic systems and open societies from foreign threats to democracy, and aim to strengthen our capacity for a coordinated response to information manipulation, disinformation, and other forms of foreign malign activity, in line with existing initiatives. →

We affirm our support for international cooperation within the G7 and with likeminded partners to support the development of open private sector-led, voluntary andconsensusbased standards based on inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches in line with our open, democratic values and principles.

7. We are commited to strengthen collaboration with relevant international organisations, such as the OECD, as well as other initiatives, civil society, academia and industry to address information manipulation, disinformation, and malicious activity online that can compromise security, undermine democracy, or limit the enjoyment of human rights.

8. How countries address digital transformation at the local, national and international level has a significant influence on innovation, economic progress, the environment, prosperity and equal opportunities for all.

9. Governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders around the world increasingly rely on the Internet, digital technologies and data to help tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and environmental as well as other global challenges and to build more prosperous and resilient economies and societies.

10. We will continue to make concerted efforts to maintain a free, global, open, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet that supports innovation and strengthens respect for democratic values and universal human rights. We reaffirm our opposition to measures which may undermine these values and rights.

11. We reaffirm our commitment to upholding and advancing the vision set forward in the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.

12. In this regard, we also welcome the work of the G7 Foreign Affairs SousSherpas to shape digital transformation in line with our liberal democracies.

13. We take note of the discussions at the G7 Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Data Governance and Flows and the Digital-Environment Nexus held online on 6 April 2022, where stakeholders from government, civil society, the academic and scientific communities and the private sector exchanged views on related key issues and policy approaches. We are committed to act on the call of stakeholders for closer cooperation in the G7 on these topics and consider their suggestions for the ongoing work in the G7 Digital and Tech Track.

14. We discussed how to better harness the potential of digitalisation for the environment and climate, while reducing the carbon footprint and resource consumption of digitalisation itself, support international cooperation on standardisation, foster Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), support competitive digital markets, enhance eSafety for a safer online environment, and promote the use of electronic transferable records (ETRs) and other digital information related to the transport of goods . Digitalisation and the Environment

15. We reaffirm our commitment in the 2021 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Carbis Bay to the objective of protecting our planet and emphasise the contribution that digital solutions can make to enhancing environmental protection and reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we recognise the rising energy and resource demands of the increasing use of digital technologies and services, such as data centres and telecommunications networks, and the environmental impacts of production, use and disposal of digital equipment and devices.

16. In dialogue with stakeholders from the private sector, civil society and academia, we will seek ways to better harness digital technologies for a net zero, nature positive, and resource-efficient economy and digital ecosystem, recognising the importance of more holistic measurement of all impacts of digitalisation on the environment and climate.

17. In order to tap into this potential, we will bring together our experts and stakeholders under the German G7 Presidency, including for an event in the second half of 2022 with an aim to:

• develop a toolkit that identifies the potential of digitalisation and policy measures to help the private sector, MSMEs in particular, to better use digital technologies for reducing their environmental footprint, including via digitally enabled business models;

• share approaches and suggestions for enhancing transparency and creating incentives to increase energy and resource efficiency in the use of digital technologies and services, such as in data centres and telecommunications networks;

• share approaches and suggestions for promoting energy- and resource-efficient production, use,

reuse, and disposal of hardware and software, including new digital technologies, for example, through technical standards, sustainability by design and empowering end-users, without duplicating existing work.

standardisation

18. We affirm our support for international cooperation within the G7 and with like - minded partners to support the development of open private sector-led, voluntary and consensus-based standards based on inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches in line with our open, democratic values and principles. We state again our opposition to any governmentimposed approaches that fundamentally seek to reshape how technical standards are developed and further strengthen efficient and continued G7 coordination, without duplicating existing processes.

19. In this context, we reiterate the need for technical standards development to continue to be underpinned by transparency, openness of process and participation, relevance, and consensus-based decisionmaking in line with the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Code of Good Practice and the TBT Committee Decision on Principles

for the Development of International Standards.

20. We welcome the events under the German G7 Presidency, including the high -level multi stakeholder event planned for September 2022, which will build on discussions started at the multi-stakeholder expert workshop held in April 2022. We also welcome the efforts of the German G7 Presidency to foster discussion on supporting standardisation towards digital and green transformations, as well as on areas for improving the participation of MSMEs in and education on standardisation, to help remove barriers of entry to the standards development process.

data

21. We recognise that “Data Free Flow with Trust” (DFFT) underpins innovation, prosperity and democratic values. Building on the 2019 G20 Osaka Leader’s Declaration, the UK 2021 G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust , and the UK 2021 G7 Digital Trade Principles, we adopt a “G7 Action Plan Promoting Data Free Flow with Trust” (Annex 1) to continue work on this topic.

22.We reaffirm our shared democratic

privacy, data protection, and the protection of intellectual property rights.

23. Building upon the Leaders’ G20 Rome Declaration, we will strengthen our efforts to further our common understanding and to work towards identifying commonalities, complementarities and elements of convergence between existing regulatory approaches and instruments enabling data to flow with trust, in order to foster future interoperability.

24. With the adoption of the G7 Action Plan for Promoting Data Free Flow with Trust, we express our commitment to strengthening the evidence base for DFFT, building on commonalities in order to foster future interoperability , continuing regulatory cooperation, promoting DFFT in the context of digital trade, and sharing knowledge about the prospects for international data spaces.

COMPETITION

25. Competitive digital markets have demonstrated potential for innovation and strong, sustainable, inclusive growth of the global economy. We also recognise the need for effective competition policy instruments in view of dynamic developments in digital technologies and markets, and that new or updated regulatory and competition frameworks that address competition concerns raised by online platforms may berequired to complement or adjust the existing competition policy instruments. This may be particularly important in connection with safeguarding contestability and fairness.

26. Building on the recent work of the French and the UK G7 Presidencies, we decided to further deepen cooperation, in particular through existing international and multilateral fora, on digital competition issues including with regards to platforms regulation and its implementation.

values, our determination to realise the benefits of DFFT, and our opposition to digital protectionism. While recognising our varied approaches to data governance, we will continue to cooperate on leveraging opportunities and addressing challenges raised in particular in relation to security,

27. We will compile a comprehensive overview of legislative approaches to competition, contestability and fairness on digital markets within the G7, in order to improve mutual understanding of relevant frameworks and rules in the G7, with a view to fostering greater coordination to support competitive digital markets. →

We affirm our support for international cooperation within the G7 and with likeminded partners to support the development of open private sector-led, voluntary andconsensusbased standards based on inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches in line with our open, democratic values and principles.

28. We support further discussions in Autumn 2022 to facilitate an exchange on enforcement and policy approaches related to competition in digital markets and related topics among relevant G7 decision makers.

29. We welcome the continued exchange of information and experiences among G7 competition authorities. This should enable policymakers and competition authorities to benefit from lessons learned elsewhere and to share good practices, striving for common goals.

E-SAFETY

30. We reaffirm our commitment to improve online safety and reduce illegal and harmful content and activity on the Internet, and will continue the cooperation initiated under the UK G7 Presidency in 2021, incorporating relevant stakeholders.

31. We welcome the multi-stakeholder dialogue scheduled for Autumn 2022, which aims to assess how eSafety technologies work and are already in use, and what action is necessary to make the online environment safer. Improving eSafety is a shared responsibility of governments, companies, academia, civil society and other stakeholders. Besides technical solutions, safe and responsible Internet use requires informed decisions by everyone, empowered through improved digital skills and media literacy.

32. We should protect our citizens online, especially those most affected and vulnerable, in particular women and children. We call on platform providers and other relevant companies to comply with the existing rules and strengthen their voluntary measures to foster a safe online environment, in addition to their legal obligations. Their decisions and measures to combat illegal and harmful online content and activity should be transparent at global, national and regional levels, easily understood, applied consistently and in line with their Terms of Service, and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms online, such as freedom of expression.

Electronic Transferable Records and Other Digital Information Related to the Transport of Goods

33. Building on the Framework for G7 Collaboration on Electronic Transferable Records decided under the UK G7 Presidency in 2021, our experts from both government and industry continue to engage in dialogue on the design and implementation of appropriate legal frameworks consistent with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records to facilitate the use and acceptance of electronic transferable records, as well as on best practices and solutions for the exchange of freight transport information and documents using electronic platforms.

34. We endorse the “Principles for domestic legal frameworks to promote the use of electronic transferable records” as contained in Annex 2.

35. In addition, we recognize the importance of promoting legal frameworks that enable the use of electronic transferable records across borders as well as the use of digital communication by businesses with authorities to facilitate freight transport, including by supporting technical interoperability. To this end, we promote and support legal reform internationally, as provided for in the Framework for G7 Collaboration on Electronic Transferable Records, including by promoting the Principles contained in Annex 2. Furthermore, we work towards the digitalisation of administrative procedures related to freight transport to ensure that paper does not remain the default option. We will continue to support ongoing work in relevant international fora on interoperability and the development of international standards for the use of new technologies in trade processes.

WAY FORWARD

36. Through our work in the Digital and Tech Working Group and based on our shared fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, we have deepened our common understanding of policy issues that require stronger cooperation among like-minded partners in order to be stronger together in adigitally connected world.

37. We recommend that the G7 leaders address these topics during the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau from 26 to 28 June.

38. We welcome the intention of the Japanese G7 Presidency in 2023 to continue work on the basis of this declaration on online safety and DFFT, including promoting regulatory cooperation for DFFT, in particular through round table discussions of data protection and privacy authorities. The Japanese G7 Presidency also intends to focus on other digital priorities, such as the promotion of emerging technologies that enhance trust, beyond 5G/6G and a human-centric approach to artificial intelligence, based on our shared democratic values. →

75 Years, the Destination for Middle East Learning and Culture in the

Capital

G7 Digital Ministers’ Track G7 Action Plan for Promoting Data Free Flow with Trust

G7 countries share a commitment to promote data free flow with trust (DFFT). To this end, we, the G7 Digital Ministers, will keep cooperating to address issues on the four pillars set out by the UK 2021 G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on DFFT, namely (1) regulatory cooperation, (2) data localisation, (3) government access to personal data held by the private sector, (4) data sharing for priority sectors. Under the pillar on data sharing approaches, we note a new focus on knowledge sharing on international data spaces.

Together, we are committed to the following actions:

Strengthening the evidence base for DFFT

Support work to better understand the opportunities and challenges created by crossborder data flows. This includes deepening our understanding of existing regulatory approaches and instruments enabling DFFT including related to privacy, data protection, security and the protection of intellectual property rights. It further includes work on better understanding data localisation measures and their potential implications, including the impact on MSMEs, and considering alternatives to localisation.

Building on commonalities in order to foster future interoperability

Build upon commonalities, complementarities and elements of convergence between existing regulatory approaches and instruments enabling data to flow with trust, in order to foster future interoperability. This may include further analysis of increasingly common practices such as standard contractual clauses and

potential of technologies that enhance trust.

We also continue to support work at the OECD to identify common practices, including the work of the drafting group on trusted ‘Government access to personal data held by the private sector’, which aims at developing high-level principles on government access to personal data held by the private sector, to facilitate DFFT.

Continuing regulatory co-operation

Support efforts to promote regulatory cooperation for DFFT including through the continuation of dialogue among G7 policy officials and Data Supervisory Authorities and/or other competent authorities for data, including through dedicated roundtables. This may involve discussions around regulatory approaches related to privacyenhancing technologies (PETs), data intermediaries, web tracking, emergent risks, cross-border sandboxes, the promotion of interoperability of data protection frameworks, the OECD work on trusted government access, and the Global Privacy Assembly October 2021 Resolution on Government access to personal data. We support constructive participation in programs such as the UN PET Lab. Additionally, we support other continued efforts to promote regulatory cooperation for DFFT, including between data protection and privacy authorities on enforcing data protection and related laws and regulations.

Promoting DFFT in the context of digital trade Build on the Digital Trade Principles developed by the G7 Trade Track in 2021 and coordinate on promoting DFFT. Continue supporting ongoing discussions at the WTO for an outcome at the Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce.

Sharing knowledge about the prospects for international data spaces

Foster knowledge exchange on “international data spaces” and facilitating an enabling policy environment. Data spaces can be seen as an emerging approach to trusted and voluntary data sharing within and across organisations and sectors, whether domestically or internationally, to support innovation in academia, industry and the public sector. →

G7 Digital Ministers’ Track

Principles for domestic legal frameworks to promote the use of electronic transferable records

which requires substantial investments. Relevant provisions from the MLETR include, for example, reliability, singularity, and exclusive control over ETRs.

Technological neutrality

Legal frameworks should use technologically neutral terminology that provides flexibility to the parties, while remaining applicable to technologies developed in the future. Legal frameworks should avoid prescribing or favouring a specific technology, as this could undermine innovation and not reflect commercial needs and practices.

Functional equivalence and non-discrimination

Legal frameworks should allow ETRs that perform the same functions as their paper equivalents to enjoy the same level of legal recognition.

In the 2021 G7 Digital and Technology Ministerial Declaration, we recognized that paperbased transactions, which still dominate international trade, are a source of cost, delay, inefficiency, fraud, error, and environmental impact. We affirmed our shared view that, by enabling businesses to use electronic transferable records (ETRs), we will generate efficiencies and economic savings that will strengthen the resilience of our global economic system and facilitate trade recovery across the G7.

We value the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) on ETRs. We support the principles proposed by our experts, as laid out below, which complement and are consistent with this work. The principles should serve as guidance for the adoption or review of domestic legal frameworks to promote the use of ETRs. They aim to ensure that legal frameworks remain easily applicable as technology develops and do not require early adjustment. We support the adoption of domestic legal frameworks that are consistent with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) and with these principles.

Legal clarity

Legal frameworks should be clear and unambiguous to ensure that all parties understand the requirements with which they need to comply and are able to design the technical systems needed to create, process and exchange ETRs accordingly,

Interoperability

Interoperability of the technical systems needed to create, process and exchange ETRs can facilitate their widespread and cost-effective use. Interoperability will prevent lock-in and enhance the range of services from which businesses may be able to choose, including services tailored to the needs of SMEs. It will also have a positive impact on competition among providers of such services. Ultimately, interoperability will further support the creation of a dynamic market for ETRs, because it would provide confidence in the reliability of platforms.

Global acceptance

Legal frameworks should accept ETRs regardless of whether they have been created, processed or exchanged domestically or abroad – as long as the creation, processing or exchange meets the applicable substantive requirements. Legal frameworks that deny the legal validity of “foreign” ETRs on the sole ground that they were created, processed or exchanged abroad, would significantly impede international trade and severely limit the benefits of switching from paper to ETRs.

Transparency and stakeholder engagement

Legal frameworks should be developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders. Drafts should be published for commenting.

The story of Brunnbäck Water

Thestory of Brunnbäck Water Brunnbäck is a small community with about 23,000 inhabitants located in the southeast of Avesta, a municipality in Dalarna province in Sweden. Brunnbäck is a beautiful place up on the hill with forest and the big Lake Dalälven that stretches 541 km. Avesta is famous for having the Worlds biggest Dalahorse at 13 meters high and is also known as the hometown of Niklas Lidström (An ice hockey player playing for Detroit Red Wings in NHL), Armand Duplantis (World record holder of the pole vault at 6.21 m).

In 1521, there was a historic battle between Sweden and Denmark (War of Liberation 1521-1523) where Sweden won over Denmark. This was a massive victory for Sweden and Gustav Vasa. At Brunnbäck, there is a big Stone as the symbol for the 1521 victory, and the people can go there and read this historical memory on site. Hence the name of this historic Water from Brunnbäck and where our Water is coming from.

The Water is approved by the Swedish Livsmedelsverket, a Report issued by Accredited Laboratory and Eurofins with a pH of 7.8.

My name is Rickard Nilsson. I’m 37 years old and I am the CEO & Founder of Brunnbäck Sweden Natural Mineral Water AB. I was born and raised in Avesta and live 2,5 miles from Avesta in the countryside with my family today. I was born in an entrepreneur family, where my father used to run a real estate company and a solar energy company in Sweden & Spain. My sister and my wife are also running their own beauty salon business. However, life has not been easy for me when I was 17 years old, I played floorball semipro, but during one match, I died for 9 minutes. Even though I miraculously survived,

I learned that we had a heart problem in our family genes, which means that if we do not get the right medicine, the heart stops. I have had a Pacemaker implanted for 17 years and feeling great.

In 2014, I tragically lost my father, who took his own life. My father was an entrepreneur with passion; he saw the significant potential and colossal benefit to the environment with solar energy; he decided to make a lot of investment in the Solar energy business, but it was just too early, and we lost 2.5 million EUR which ended up with my father being so physically bad that he chose to take his own life. I have been through many hardships in my youth, but life is about facing challenges, and every adversity I’ve had has strengthened me. I genuinely believe that if you have the willpower, the strength, and a proper attitude, everything will work out for the best. Many people ask me how I cope with all these, and the answer I give to them is that nothing can bring me down, and I have a vision and call in this life, and it has taken me eight years to realize what it is. It is to make a difference in this world with the fine Water from Brunnbäck, I would like to put Brunnbäck on the world map.

Water is the primary raw material we have, many experts are talking

about water scarcity by 2040, but it’s already starting now. So now, I founded Brunnbäck Sweden Natural Mineral Water AB on February 20th, 2022. We are growing slowly but at a good pace. My vision is to start selling this fine Water worldwide, and I will also focus on helping vulnerable people who need Water by donating a million litres of Water each year to them.

We need to start rethinking and doing the right thing other than profitability. The earth and we as a species must start working together and contribute to a better world on all fronts, such as storage, solar energy, and transport.

Switch to Green Energy, but it must be allowed to take time and don’t make a quick decision. After a while, we will see that the decision to take time was wise; however, we still need to move fast. So we need to take a decisive conclusion. Our water Factory will be 100% powered by solar energy, and our Water will be transported and distributed to our customers by electric trucks or vehicles. We are going to sell our Water in Pet and glass bottles, but we are looking for better options for bottles and labels.

We will focus very much on making everything much better for the environment. If you who read this article feel and think like me that you want to make a difference in this world, I am looking for the right investment partners to help me start to build the Factory and sell this quality water worldwide. I plan to launch the products to the market in Q1 2024. I want to invite my future investment partner to come to Sweden and Brunnbäck, and I will show you the location and the plans. So you are most welcome if you are likeminded to me. I have had this vision/call since 2013, and now is the right time to put Brunnbäck Sweden on the world map and help a better world. ■

BRUNNBÄCK

THE EARTH, AND WE AS A SPECIES, MUST START WORKING TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER WORLD ON ALL FRONTS, SUCH AS STORAGE, SOLAR ENERGY, TRANSPORT.

MINISTERIAL DECLARATION

G7 HEALTH Ministers’ COMMUNIQUE ’

1. We, the G7 Health Ministers, met in Berlin, Germany, on 19 and 20 May 2022, at an extraordinary time of multiple, acute crises. We affirm our common values as a strong basis of collaboration and responsibility in challenging times like these: We have a special responsibility to foster better health solutions for the G7, as well as for all people. We are committed to work in multilateral cooperation and partnership with other countries and stakeholders based on our shared values, as laid out in the G7 Leaders’ Communiqué 2021 and other relevant G7 declarations. Participatory processes, including a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, in strong cooperation with civil society, are central to our work and to delivering improved health outcomes for all.

2. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has blatantly violated the rules-based international order, international law and humanitarian principles and it has breached universally agreed and legally binding fundamental principles such as peaceful cooperation, sovereignty, selfdetermination and territorial integrity. We reiterate our constant call on Russia to put an end to the war it started and to end the suffering and loss of life it continues to cause. We underscore the significant disruptions of the Ukrainian health system caused by the Russian war of aggression,

with hundreds of hospitals and health facilities damaged and destroyed by attacks, with thousands of health workers being displaced. Millions of displaced people currently have limited or no access to health services, and people are dying because of disrupted life-saving treatments. We are committed to supporting the government of Ukraine in their continued effort to protect the health of the Ukrainian people from public health threats. We will continue to support Ukraine with a view to strengthen the operation and the rebuilding of the health system now and in future and will closely coordinate our respective G7 endeavours as a central part of the G7 work in the second half of 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic is in its third year, and new variants and sub-variants continue to threaten progress we have made. The silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance, and disruptions to routine health services, have set us further back from achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 3 on health and well-being. Climate change detrimentally impacts the health of all people, and our common future.

3. The multiple crises affect certain populations such as women and girls and those already experiencing health inequities based on race, culture, gender, age, socioeconomic status, ability, and geographic location as well as those living with chronic physical or mental illness. →

We need to strengthen health systems to restore essential health services for women and girls, including to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impacts on sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, including access to comprehensive sexuality education, contraception, and safe abortion and post-abortion care.

5. We recognise that the G7 plays an important role in taking forward lessons learned from COVID-19 and strengthening the global health architecture. We must strengthen our capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to future global health emergencies and make further efforts to achieve universal health coverage. G7 Health Ministers discussed the important issue of vaccine equity in a joint session with G7 Development Ministers. We will continue our support for international organisations, and will increase our focus on the human-animal-climate-environment nexus through the One Health approach. We will continuously strive to close financing gaps recognised inter alia by the G20 Joint Finance-Health Taskforce, in part through a new financial intermediary fund for pandemic preparedness and response, and will continue to work in close collaboration with Finance Ministers. G7 Health Ministers welcomed having a discussion on global health issues in a joint session with G7 Finance Ministers and key international organisations.

fragmented global governance for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, guided and coordinated by a strengthened WHO. Sustainable and reliable funding, as well as international cooperation and political commitment, are crucial to help prevent and prepare for future pandemics. To strengthen global cooperation on issues of concern to all we refer to the Foreign Ministers’ Communiqué dated 14 May 2022 including Taiwan and believe it is vital to ensure inclusive processes in international organisations. The international community should be able to benefit from the experience of all partners.

Protecting all people from new variants and further outbreaks –G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness

→ We will pay special attention to those groups and regions, develop gender-, age-, and culturally sensitive responses, and reduce health inequalities within and between communities, regions and countries. We need to strengthen health systems to restore essential health services for women and girls, including to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impacts on sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, including access to comprehensive sexuality education, contraception, and safe abortion and post-abortion care.

4. We commit to transparent decisionmaking and clear communication that is based on scientific evidence. The multiple crises that impact health require strategic foresight, connecting data from the human, animal and environmental sectors, and harnessing the strengths of digitalisation, which allows for new forms of analysis and more inclusive, agile cooperation. Therefore, we will improve the generation, exchange and application of scientific evidence, integrating the One Health approach, placing a special focus on surveillance, early detection and warning based on a specifically educated and trained pandemic workforce to strengthen the global network approach.

6. We fully support the World Health Organiziation (WHO) and the crucial leadership, convening and coordination role it plays in global health, to strengthen multilateral cooperation and guide the world’s prevention, preparation, detection and response to public health emergencies. We recognise that improving the way WHO is financed is essential if the organisation is to play the leadership role we all want to see. Therefore, we strongly support the recommendations of the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing that call for the development of budget proposals for an increase in flexible funding for WHO’s base budget by raising the assessed contributions by WHO Member States. This is with the aspiration to reach the level of financing 50 % of WHO’s 2022-2023 base budget through assessed contributions, by 20302031, while aiming to achieve this by the biennium 2028-2029 concurrently with further reforms to strengthen the agility of WHO, and call on all other countries to support these recommendations at the World Health Assembly (WHA).

7. We have to ensure a more effective, better coordinated, inclusive, gender-responsive and age-sensitive, equity-driven and less

8. We underline the need for the G7 to advance and optimise coordinated and targeted support and partnerships to strengthen global health security. We therefore support a G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness. The Pact is a coordinated approach – building upon past and current initiatives and experiences – to strengthen and to align our efforts for worldwide pandemic readiness in close cooperation with WHO, supported by its partner organisations following the One Health approach. The Pact will support the advancement of a global network, based on local, national and regional proven structures, to enhance collaborative surveillance to detect emerging threats and predictable rapid response capabilities and capacities. We aim for a strengthened, highly qualified and trained public health workforce at all levels. In this regard, we will consider the white paper by WHO on strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience.

9. As part of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we commit to strengthening and supporting the development of integrated, interoperable and interdisciplinary surveillance and crosssectoral surveillance capabilities that aim to cover all countries, multiple pathogens, antimicrobial resistance and human, animal, environmental, and climate-related inputs, as part of the One Health approach, to reduce the risk of future cross-sector health threats.

10. As part of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we commit to continue building and strengthening cross-sectoral genomic sequencing networks and capabilities including for surveillance to detect new variants and pathogens as they arise in people, animals, both domesticated and wild, and environmental samples. By doing so we support WHO’s 10-year strategy for genomic surveillance of pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential. Further, we commit to explore options to support national authorities in the efforts to implement non-invasive methods such as national wastewater surveillance systems, utilising the rapid improvements in the infrastructure for wastewater screening that has developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the detection of outbreaks as early as possible, screen for new SARS-CoV-2-variants and monitor the spread of infectious agents, such as SARSCoV-2, poliovirus, influenza virus and drug resistant pathogens by 2024.

11. As part of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we support the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and its innovations that will drive improved analytics and a linkage of data systems to predict, detect and address worldwide health threats. This will be done including by advancing efforts to strengthening surveillance and analysing data on potential outbreaks, including rapid and transparent cross-sectoral information and data-sharing also in relation to medical countermeasures, following the One Health approach. In this context, we also recognise the crucial and central importance of multi-stakeholder bodies such as the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) and the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and collaboration among them and the WHO Hub.

12. We also welcome the recently announced operational definition of One Health by the work of the One Health High Level Expert Panel, endorsed by WHO, FAO, OIE and UNEP, and its forthcoming gap analysis and recommendations on monitoring and surveillance of emerging zoonotic diseases and priority activities, looking forward to considering the results of the One Health Intelligence Scoping Study as we agreed last year, as G7 Health

Ministers, and we support the consideration of the inclusion of the One Health dimension in the new WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. We encourage other initiatives aiming at strengthening the implementation of the One Health approach such as Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) and Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE).

13. While strengthening surveillance and intelligence systems for emerging infectious disease threats, we recognise the crucial importance of transparent global cooperation and national capacity building to assess outbreaks and risks more quickly and to respond to them in a concerted and more predictable manner as part of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness. We stress our commitment to cooperate with WHO-led international expert-driven, timely, transparent and independent missions to investigate potential outbreaks or health emergencies of international concern. We aim at strengthening and fostering structures, including technologies and other tools, people and training programmes with up-to-date curricular, processes for public health risk assessment and rapid response

to support public health capacities and always-ready health emergency workforce, familiar with and trusted by the communities they serve. As part of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we want to support the further enhancement of a global network of experts and trainings, including among others the further development of WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and WHO’s Academy and the related G20 Public Health Workforce Laboratorium. We also acknowledge the role of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins on Novel Pathogens (SAGO). We underline that a highly qualified workforce is central for successful implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).

14. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, we need to continue our efforts. Within the framework of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we will build on the commitments made in the Leaders’ Declaration at Elmau in 2015, and reiterated in subsequent years, to continue our support for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in implementing the core capacities required in the International Health Regulations (IHR) for another 5 years until 2027 toward our collective →

→ goal to assist at least one hundred countries implementing the IHR core capacities. This can be done through coordinated bilateral and multilateral work, including through existing initiatives such as the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), while recognizing the work of the Global Strategic Preparedness Network (GSPN) to emphasise, bridge, and match efforts for IHR implementation.

15. We underline the need to strengthen the monitoring of IHR implementation and IHR compliance. In this regard, we acknowledge the recent update of the State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) framework and welcome the upcoming 3rd edition of the WHO Joint External Evaluation IHR monitoring tool. We look forward to reviewing the findings of the first WHO pilot stage of the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) which will be presented at the 75th WHA as a potential new whole-of-government and whole-of-society-based mechanism that could complement the existing IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF).

16. To implement the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we will follow up with the guidance of WHO and key stakeholders on these aforementioned initiatives in three meetings in the second half of 2022 in order to compile a general roadmap for G7 coordinated action, deciding on major principles for further practical cooperation.

17. Global health security must also be ensured through country and international capacity building in biosafety and biosecurity to protect from pathogenand toxin-related risks. We reiterate the importance of using and further strengthening existing networks, such as the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) and the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, to jointly analyse, assess and counter further chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats in order to reinforce health emergency preparedness and response beyond pandemics.

18. We reiterate our support of the decision of the World Health Assembly Special

Session in 2021 (SSA2(5)) to establish an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response with a view to adopt under Article 19, or under other provisions of the WHO Constitution as may be deemed appropriate by the INB. We commit to supporting this global process to achieve its overall objective. In addition, we recognise the value of the IHR as a legal framework for global health security. In particular, the IHR underscores the role that country-level preparedness and response capacities can have in the world’s ability to effectively respond to health emergencies that transcend borders. We therefore support strengthening the IHR through targeted amendments in an inclusive process as recommended by the report of the Working Group on

Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (WGPR) to be considered at the 75th WHA.

Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022

19. To overcome the COVID-19 pandemic now, coordinated action and substantial acceleration is still needed in order to ensure global equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics (VTD), and advance towards the WHO COVID-19 target of vaccinating at least 70 % of the population in all countries while adapting to local contexts and needs, focusing on reaching the most vulnerable. G7 members have so far pledged 18.3 billion USD to Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), of which 12.36 billion USD has been pledged to COVAX. G7 members at

We will step up our support to address the barriers to vaccine rollout, including by supporting logistics and delivery, strengthening health systems and by supporting health care workers especially in Africa and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where vaccination rates are still low.

ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, which are most sensitive with regards to their production, it must be accompanied by corresponding capacity building to ensure appropriate regulatory systems and quality control mechanisms. We are willing to support this endeavour through sharing of regulatory expertise and best practices. We welcome and support the work of WHO, the Medicines Patent Pool, the private sector, and others to establish the mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa and extend its spokes globally.

Carbis Bay furthermore pledged 870 million vaccine doses, mostly to COVAX. We underline our support for all four pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), including its COVAX facility and recognise that supporting ACT-A by all means, including with adequate funding, is central to end the acute pandemic, as laid out in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Action Plan. We will step up our support to address the barriers to vaccine rollout, including by supporting logistics and delivery, strengthening health systems and by supporting health care workers especially in Africa and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where vaccination rates are still low. As multiple variants have shown, the pandemic is far from being over anywhere until it is over everywhere.

20. Local and regional research, development and manufacturing capacities need to be scaled up along with more sustainable supply and distribution mechanisms in order to support faster, equitable, global access to safe and effective medical countermeasures. We stress the importance of expanding sustainable vaccine, therapeutic and diagnostic manufacturing production in LMICs, in close cooperation with industry and in a manner that ensures sustainability between emergencies. Considering the importance of

21. We acknowledge that increased investments are required to develop new vaccines faster, while ensuring their safety, effectiveness and quality. Building upon the 100 Days Mission – supporting science in a mission to develop safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics within 100 days of a declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – we therefore support initiatives aiming to facilitate the deployment of such instruments, such as the 100 Days Mission, to support science and innovation. We support the role of organisations contributing to develop safe and effective vaccines, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), alongside our relevant authorities such as the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). We welcome the discussions and lessons learned from the tabletop exercise “Every Day Counts” hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, CEPI, and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, which was a side event of the Munich Security Conference and focused on accelerating the development and worldwide availability of safe and effective vaccines. We will continue working to achieve this goal and make the necessary investments.

22. We note that mid- and longer-term health impacts of COVID-19 are increasingly evident, both within the G7 and around the world, and are widening inequities. We will continue our work on understanding post COVID-19 symptoms and to address negative mental health impacts and substance-use-related harms,

including on health and care workers, as well as to take strong action against the increases in domestic and gender-based violence, which disproportionately affects women and children. We are concerned about the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on routine health services such as postponement of surgical interventions, a decline in preventive medical check-ups, interrupted routine vaccination campaigns, and setbacks in the fight against other infectious and non-communicable diseases and endemic and emerging AMR, all of which demonstrate the need for continued focus on building sustainable, resilient and inclusive health systems.

23. We recognise challenges regarding vaccine confidence and uptake, the use of non-pharmaceutical protection measures and mis- and disinformation. We, as G7, commit to tackling these challenges by better informing and supporting all parts of society, especially where inequalities may exist, including through supporting context-adapted, science-based information campaigns and strategies to improve vaccine confidence and address access barriers.

Tackling the “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance

24. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and in particular resistance of bacteria to antibiotics (antibiotic resistance), is an urgent public health and socio-economic problem that has a profound effect on the world causing an estimated 1.27 million deaths attributable to antibiotic resistance in 2019. Modern medicine depends on effective antibiotics. The impact of drug resistance could affect people anywhere. Moreover, inappropriate use of antibiotics further exacerbates AMR. The World Bank estimates that up to 3.8 % of global GDP could be lost due to AMR by 2050. Although the risks of AMR are shared by all countries globally, low- and middle-income countries bear a more significant burden of infectious disease and will be most adversely affected by AMR. Building on previous G7 commitments, alongside those in the WHO AMR Global Action Plan, we acknowledge AMR as a shared responsibility and we commit to intensifying our activities and to take further urgent and tangible action in order to address AMR. We are convinced that the time to act is now. →

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25. We acknowledge that AMR further emerges and spreads at the human, animal, plant and environment interface and requires an integrated One Health approach. We will lead by example and commit to contributing to establishing new and/or improving existing national integrated surveillance systems on AMR and antibiotic use in the human, animal and plant production and environmental sectors, in cooperation with WHO, FAO, OIE and UNEP, enhancing the scientific basis to inform risk assessments and identify opportunities for mitigation. This data will form the basis for further targeted measures and evidence-based information campaigns at national level that follow the One Health approach. We welcome Germany’s proposal to host an expert meeting of the G7 on how best to establish such surveillance systems in autumn 2022.

26. We commit to continue our contribution to and collaboration through the WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). We recognise the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in the food chain as a fundamental part of safeguarding human, animal and environmental health. We welcome the Codex Alimentarius “Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance” (CXG 94-2021) and the “Code of Practice to Minimise and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance” (CXC 61-2005) as important steps towards reducing AMR in line with the One Health approach.

27. We reiterate our commitment to promote the prudent and appropriate use of antimicrobials (i. e. antimicrobial stewardship) and access to new and existing antimicrobials under the One Health approach in order to preserve effective treatment for current and future generations. To promote the prudent and appropriate use of antimicrobials, we will encourage antimicrobial stewardship, including strengthening prescription practices in line with appropriate use, their availability by prescription only, and education across all relevant human health sectors, and with a focus on equity and socio-behavioural evidence to encourage prudent use practices. To be able to assess the progress of our

efforts, we will define national measurable targets on AMR in line with domestic authorities, including antibiotic usage in human health (both volume and appropriateness, whenever possible), with the aim of having them in place preferably by the end of 2023.

28. We commit to strengthening and assessment of the implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs across the One Health spectrum, in particular for health care facilities in line with the IPC minimum requirements identified by WHO, taking into account the learnings from and response investments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognise the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as a key element in AMR prevention and response. We will support other countries within the framework of existing programs, (e.g., through the exchange of best practice examples) to strengthen IPC capacity in health care facilities. We welcome the recently published first WHO Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control. WHO’s new report shows that where good hand hygiene and other cost-effective practices are followed, 70 % of healthcareassociated infections during hospital stays can be prevented. We note ongoing work by WHO and OECD to prepare the upcoming report on IPC and present it at the World Health Summit in Berlin in October.

29. We note with concern that delayed diagnosis and management and/or ineffective or unavailable antibiotic treatment leading to sepsis is killing an estimated 11 million people per year globally. We will intensify our efforts to strengthen early detection, diagnosis and therapy of sepsis and ensure synergy with antimicrobial stewardship and IPC programmes, e.g., through national educational campaigns, and boost the implementation of the WHA Resolution

“Improving the Prevention, Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Sepsis” (WHA Res. 70.7). We are committed to supporting LMICs to strengthen prevention through capacity building where appropriate, and access to diagnosis and treatment for resistant infections.

30. We recognise the urgent need to foster innovation and to strengthen the research and development (R&D) pipeline. We therefore highlight the importance of accelerating the early and late-stage development of urgently needed new antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, alternative therapeutics and diagnostics. We value and support initiatives such as the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) and the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and will continue national and international efforts on AMR research and development for new therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. We underline the importance of closing GARDP’s funding gap to facilitate GARDP’s “5 by 25”-Initiative for the delivery of five new treatments by 2025.

31. We acknowledge that it is essential to ensure a sustainable market for existing as well as new antibiotics. This includes appropriate steps to address antibiotic market failure and to ensure the commercialisation and provision of existing and new antibiotics for unmet public health needs while taking into account stewardship and equitable access. Building on the G7 Finance Ministers’ Statement of 2021 on Action to Support Antibiotic Development, we commit to expedite implementation of existing strategies and to take additional specific and appropriate steps in our domestic markets and health systems, underpinned by the 2021 G7 Shared →

We reiterate our commitment to promote the prudent and appropriate use of antimicrobials (i. e. antimicrobial stewardship) and access to new and existing antimicrobials under the One Health approach in order to preserve effective treatment for current and future generations.

→ Principles for the Valuation of Antimicrobial Therapeutics. Recognising country-specific circumstances and member state competences, we will explore a range of market incentive options, with a particular emphasis on supporting relevant pull incentives. We welcome the progress update by the Global AMR R&D Hub and the WHO to support and strengthen the work on pull incentives. We welcome the SECURE initiative’s pilot project to overcome critical access limitations to essential old and new antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries and to promote stewardship and improve their market situation alike.

32. We recognise that nearly 90 % of countries have developed a multi-sectoral national action plan on AMR. However, only 20 % have identified funding for implementing and monitoring these plans. To address this main challenge at country level and to facilitate the mobilisation of domestic and external financing, we support the development of national investment cases on AMR response across all sectors in LMICs. We call upon the Quadripartite (FAO, OIE, WHO, and UNEP) to facilitate these investment cases in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. We call on WHO to develop guidance on a costed core package of AMR interventions that all countries, and especially LMICs could include within their primary health care (PHC) strengthening initiatives. We welcome the work of the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund, which focuses on development financing to support implementation of One Health National Action Plans, and support to this Fund on a voluntary basis. Finally, we look forward to the launch by the Quadripartite Alliance of the AMR multi-stakeholder partnership platform, which will mobilise all stakeholders in an inclusive manner. Assessment is critical for ensuring that resources are effectively targeted. We commit to annual assessment using the Tripartite AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS) tool.

Climate-resilient and sustainable, climate-neutral health systems

33. As the G7 Health Ministers, we acknowledge the importance of combating climate change to protect health: climate protection equals health protection. Climate change is already affecting the

health of people, animals and ecosystems globally, and robust projections indicate increasingly negative health impacts. Climate change exacerbates both directly and indirectly heat-related illnesses and premature deaths and can increase the burden of disease from infectious and non-communicable diseases. We acknowledge that the impacts of climate change may also increase risks to mental health and well-being. Higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires and floods, as experienced by many of our countries as well as other,s place additional stress on populations, the capacity of the health systems and critical infrastructures of public health. Further, climate change and the related biodiversity loss are some of the drivers increasing the risk of zoonoses, and therefore increasing the risk of future pandemics. Land degradation and desertification also challenge the resilience of health systems.

34. We recognise that climate action aligned with the goals and targets of the Paris Agreement including the goal of keeping 1.5°C within reach could save millions of lives and lead to improvements in air quality, positive impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. We encourage climate decision-making processes to account for direct health effects and health co-benefits connected especially with clean air, healthy diets and physical activity, and advance their socio-economic evaluation. It is critical that health expertise is centrally involved in climate decision-making processes at all levels, taking a One Health approach, to ensure that health and equity considerations are well understood and accounted for when developing climate policies.

35. We acknowledge the key role of the health sector for climate adaptation, the need for more climate-aware health sector planning, and the need for health systems worldwide to become more environmentally

We recognise that climate action aligned with the goals and targets of the Paris Agreement including the goal of keeping 1.5°C within reach could save millions of lives and lead to improvements in air quality, positive impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.

sustainable, better prepared for and more resilient to multiple concurrent threats such as climate change, pandemics, and other risks in order to protect populations from environmental threats and respond to and prevent adverse health effects alongside mitigating indirect socio-economic impacts. We recognise the disproportionate effects on marginalised and vulnerable groups and the importance of reducing health inequalities. As climate change impacts can vary greatly at the local level, we also recognise and support locally and community-driven actions to protect health.

36. To strengthen the climate resilience, sustainability and to achieve climate neutrality of our health systems, we commit to generating, harnessing and pooling scientific evidence, monitoring of both impacts and effectiveness of solutions, and increasing information and knowledge sharing. We will also provide support for the development and exchange of evidence-

based, efficient, effective and inclusive resilience measures at local and national levels. We will also encourage other countries to develop climate-resilient health systems through actions such as the expansion of international dialogue, cooperation in research, and capacity building to support climate adaptation. By achieving climate-resilient health systems, the health sector will be in a stronger position to advocate for other sectors to pursue the same goal.

37. We aim to build climate-informed health systems and surveillance systems that integrate socio-demographic, climate, environmental and animal and human health data as well as early warning systems, foresight modelling, and risk assessments to enable early detection and responses to climate-sensitive health risks and disease outbreaks nationally and globally. We will promote the development and dissemination of data and evidence.

38. We commit to advancing the integration of adaptation to climate change and environment-related health impacts into care and the expansion of prevention efforts. We aim to include climate change-related aspects into the education and training of health care and public health professionals. We promote the planning and conducting of climate change, health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, sharing best practices, building capacity and specifying interventions to increase resilience and protect population health. Additionally, as national public health institutes are key players in strengthening environmental health protection, we will promote the collaboration of the G7 public health institutes on climate and environmental health impacts. We also support the Roadmap for Action on Health and Climate Change of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI).

39. We acknowledge that mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions can have significant health co-benefits. As such, health care systems need to be part of climate change mitigation and naturepositive transition efforts. We acknowledge the unsustainable footprint health care systems including medical supply chains can have and commit to supporting more sustainable supply chains from production to end of life. We welcome with strong appreciation the joint initiative of WHO and the UK Presidency of COP26 on climate-resilient and sustainable lowcarbon health systems. We aim to build environmentally sustainable and climateneutral health systems at the latest by 2050 and to support other countries in this effort. This can be supported through the use of emissions accounting systems for the health care sector, which can serve as a basis for developing roadmaps to achieve climateneutral health care systems. We will also support other countries to develop their climate neutral health systems by enhancing dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building. We welcome the important work of WHO and other agencies in providing guidance and expertise to countries for the development of climate-neutral health systems. ■

The G7 stands united alongside Ukraine

TheG7 leaders’ deliberations on the second day of the Summit in Elmau focused on further support for Ukraine.

Further support for Ukraine was the focus of the G7 leaders’ deliberations on the second day of the Summit in Elmau. “As we have reaffirmed, all of us will continue to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia,” stressed Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the consultations. The war marked a “radical turning point in international relations,” said the Federal Chancellor. “All the rules, all the agreements we made with each other about the way our nations should cooperate have been broken

– in particular the understanding that borders should not be changed using force.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the talks at Schloss Elmau via video link.

The G7 agreed that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine would shape international relations for a long time to come, said the Federal Chancellor. “In relations with Russia, there can be no going back to the time before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” The G7 has pledged financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia – and this support is not subject to a time limit.

Federal Chancellor Scholz and US President Biden previously discussed this issue at their bilateral talks about the war on Sunday. The two leaders were unanimous in their assessment, said Scholz: “Germany and the USA will always act together when it comes to questions of Ukraine’s security.” →

All the rules, all the agreements we made with each other about the way our nations should cooperate have been broken – in particular the understanding that borders should not be changed using force.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the talks at Schloss Elmau via video link.

G7 united in its belief in democracy and the rule of law

Since Sunday, the Federal Chancellor has been chairing the consultations of the G7 Heads of State and Government. The leaders of the economically strong democracies are meeting for three days at Schloss Elmau. “We share a common view of the world. We’re also united by our belief in democracy and the rule of law,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz at the beginning of the Summit, adding that this would be a key factor in the consultations.

The G7 countries had stood closely alongside each other from the outset when it came to organising support for Ukraine, as had the European Union and NATO, said Scholz. Recent missile attacks on houses in Kyiv had once again demonstrated what a brutal war Putin was waging, he said. “This shows that it’s right for us to stand together and support Ukrainians in defending their country, their democracy and their freedom to self-determination,” said the Federal Chancellor.

Standing side by side to solve global problems

At the first working session on Sunday, the G7 leaders discussed global economic issues. All the G7 countries were concerned about the crises they currently faced, said Scholz – falling growth rates in some countries, rising inflation, raw material shortages and supply chain disruption. These were by no means insignificant challenges, said the Federal Chancellor, which was why it was important to bear joint responsibility.

“The G7 is a good community in which to develop joint solutions in response to the challenges of our time. Here it is crucial for us to take action that is both decisive and united – the two go together,” said the Federal Chancellor.

Partnership for global infrastructure and investment

The G7 made it clear at its second working session that it aims to make major investments in global infrastructure. Together with US President Biden, Federal Chancellor Scholz presented the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. To this end, the G7 partners plan to mobilise up to 600 billion US dollars in public and private investments over the next five years. “The G7 are seeking to make the

world a better place with a better infrastructure,” said the Federal Chancellor.

The G7 infrastructure initiative was building on strong regional initiatives such as the EU Global Gateway Initiative and the work of all G7 members, said Scholz – another example of close cooperation among the G7 countries.

Among other things, Germany is offering South Africa a KfW development loan of 300 million euros under the Joint Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) to finance the energy transition. In addition, Germany is part of the European Global Gateway

Initiative, which aims to mobilise up to 300 billion euros in public and private investment for global infrastructure and connectivity by 2027.

“Progress towards an equitable world”

Further working sessions dealt with issues of investment in global infrastructure, foreign and security policy, and climate protection.

The G7 Summit is also addressing the global consequences of the war in Ukraine: rising energy prices, the shortage of raw materials and the threat of worldwide famine.

Nonetheless, many countries in the southern hemisphere are still struggling with the consequences of the pandemic. This is why the Federal Government has made a point of inviting influential representatives of the Global South to Elmau. “Listening to each other establishes mutual understanding, and this facilitates cooperation,” said Scholz after the consultations with the partner countries, adding that there had been very open and constructive discussion of issues such as climate protection, energy supply and the fight against world famine.

A strong, rules-based international order cannot be achieved without solidarity and cooperation among the world’s democracies – both within the G7 and beyond. Global partnerships and initiatives are needed to make real progress on the important challenges facing the world of the future. This is why the G7 members are not just keeping to themselves in Elmau: Germany has invited five partner countries to attend the Summit, all of which embrace freedom and the rule of law: Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa.

“Progress towards an equitable world” –this is the goal Germany set itself on taking over the G7 Presidency at the beginning of the year, laying out five areas of action to guide the work of the G7. ■

In addition to the partner countries, the following international organisations are participating this year: the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) is also represented.

All the G7 countries were concerned about the crises they currently faced, said Scholz – falling growth rates in some countries, rising inflation, raw material shortages and supply chain disruption.

leaders

We,the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), met in Elmau on 26-28 June 2022, at a critical juncture for the global community, to make progress towards an equitable world. As open democracies adhering to the rule of law, we are driven by shared values and bound by our commitment to the rulesbased multilateral order and to universal

human rights. As outlined in our Statement on support for Ukraine, standing in unity to support the government and people of Ukraine in their fight for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future, we will continue to impose severe and immediate economic costs on President Putin’s regime for its unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, while stepping up our efforts to

counter its adverse and harmful regional and global impacts, including with a view to helping secure global energy and food security as well as stabilising the economic recovery. At a time when the world is threatened by division, we will jointly assume our responsibility and work with partners around the world to find solutions to pressing global challenges such as →

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tackling climate change, and securing a just transition as well as addressing the current and future pandemics and achieving gender equality.

We were joined in Elmau by the Leaders of Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa, with whom we are united in our commitment to protect and strengthen our democracies, and to jointly address global challenges in close cooperation with other international partners and organisations. The commitments we make today will shape our path towards a sustainable development and inclusive economic recovery, and a prosperous and peaceful future, in line with the Agenda 2030.

A Sustainable Planet Climate and Energy

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the Paris Agreement, and its strengthened implementation. Informed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we note with concern that currently neither global ambition nor implementation is sufficient to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We highlight the increased urgency to act to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by around 43 per cent by 2030, relative to the 2019 level, in light of the latest findings of the IPCC, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. As a response and in the run up to COP 27, we commit to urgent, ambitious, and inclusive action in this decade and urge others to do so as well. We also commit to keep a limit of 1.5 °C temperature rise within reach, to enhance resilience and adaptive capacity to the impacts of climate change, and to align financial flows with the goals of the Paris Agreement. We will fully play our part in urgently implementing the Glasgow Climate Pact. We strongly support and recall its request to Parties to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their NationallyDetermined Contributions (NDCs) as necessary to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2022. We urge all countries – especially major emitters – whose 2030 NDC targets are not yet aligned, to increase their ambition and align 2030 NDC targets with a 1.5 °C pathway well before COP 27.

We will effectively implement domestic mitigation measures to achieve our NDC targets and commit to increase our

ambition, including for example, by adopting or strengthening sectoral targets, non-CO2 sub-targets, or stringent implementation measures. We commit to enhance our support for developing countries in updating and implementing their NDCs and Long-Term Strategies, including through our contribution to multilateral funds or bilateral support. Enhancing action and support for adaptation and resilience in vulnerable countries, we will work towards ambitious results for a global goal on adaptation. We recognise the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, stability, and security, and will work together with the global community to counter these impacts. We will continue to coordinate on the most appropriate economic and fiscal policies to support decarbonisation in an efficient, effective, and equitable way.

We recognise the importance of innovation in driving deep decarbonisation. We commit to a highly decarbonised road sector by 2030 including by, in this decade, significantly increasing the sales, share and uptake of zero emission light duty vehicles, including zero emission public transport and public vehicle fleets. We recognise the range of pathways that we are adopting to approach this goal. We commit to support a Paris-compatible global goal on net-zero emissions from international aviation no later than 2050, to strengthen global efforts to achieve net-zero emissions from international shipping by 2050 at the latest.

We will continue to be mindful with regards to our long-term drive towards alternative fuels for transport, to our objectives on climate and biodiversity and food security. We commit to reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) throughout the life cycle and welcome international efforts and knowledge sharing initiatives in this regard. Reaffirming our commitment to the Global Methane Pledge, we will step up efforts to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by at least 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030.

We recognise that combating climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution requires mobilising private and public, domestic, and international financial resources. To this end, we commit to implementing with others clear policies and strategies to align financial flows G7

with our climate and biodiversity objectives and are committed to mobilising resources from all sources.

We renew our strong commitment and will intensify our efforts to delivering on the collective USD 100 billion climate finance mobilisation goal as soon as possible and through to 2025. Building upon the Climate Finance Delivery Plan, we will demonstrate progress on the report’s collective actions ahead of COP 27 to reinforce confidence that it will be met in 2023. We commit to working alongside others towards the implementation of the Glasgow Climate Pact’s call to collectively at least double the provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing countries from 2019 levels by 2025. We highlight the importance of improving access to climate finance, with a specific focus on poor and most vulnerable countries.

We recognise the urgent need for scalingup action and support to avert, minimise, and address loss and damage particularly in vulnerable developing countries. We commit

Agreement and reaffirm our commitment to the elimination of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. Those G7 members party to the Convention on Biologial Diversity also commit to redirect or eliminate incentives including subsidies harmful to biodiversity by 2030 at the latest, taking initial steps without delay. We emphasise the importance of resilient financial markets for mobilising private sector finance to facilitate the transition of the whole economy towards sustainability, net-zero and nature-positive outcomes. We support the implementation of the G20 Sustainable Finance Roadmap and urge others in adopting its actions to scale up sustainable finance. We support the Financial Stability Board Roadmap for Addressing Climate-related Financial Risks. We welcome the inauguration of the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) and its progress of work on the global baseline of sustainability reporting standards. We support mandatory climate-related financial disclosures and look forward to the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

We endorse the goals of an open and cooperative international Climate Club, and will work with partners towards establishing it by the end of 2022, as laid out in our stand-alone statement.

to scale up climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI) and will work towards a Global Shield against Climate Risks, building on the InsuResilience Global Partnership and other initiatives. We ask our Development Ministers to make progress on the Global Shield by COP 27.

We are committed to mobilising resources from all sources and to substantially increasing our national and international funding for nature by 2025 to support the implementation of an ambitious global framework. We encourage countries beyond the G7 to join us in this endeavor. We commit to enhance synergies between finance for climate and biodiversity, including increased funding for Naturebased Solutions. We commit to ensure our international development assistance does no harm to nature by 2025, and delivers positive outcomes overall for people, climate, and nature.

We call on multilateral development banks (MDBs) to further strengthen ambitious climate and biodiversity action.

We urge all countries –especially major emitters –whose 2030 NDC targets are not yet aligned, to increase their ambition and align 2030 NDC targets with a 1.5 °C pathway well before COP 27.

To this end, we call upon MDBs to develop methodologies for Paris alignment before UNFCCC COP 27, to enhance the mobilisation of private finance, to support regulatory reforms via development policy operations, and to increase and disclose their finance for nature, pledging concrete amounts to international biodiversity finance before CBD COP 15.2.

We stress that fossil fuel subsidies are inconsistent with the goals of the Paris

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine impacts energy markets and supply security globally. We are committed to counter these impacts and risks to the energy supply security of G7 members and beyond. We are working to make sure Russia does not exploit its position as an energy producer to profit from its aggression at the expense of vulnerable countries. While taking immediate action to secure energy supply and stop the increases in energy prices driven by extraordinary market conditions, we will not compromise our climate and biodiversity goals including the energy transition nor on our commitments to phase out our dependency on Russian energy, including by phasing out or banning the import of Russian coal and oil.

We are concerned about the burden of energy price increases and energy market instability, which aggravate inequalities nationally and internationally and threaten our shared prosperity. In coordination with the IEA, we will explore additional measures to reduce price surges and prevent further →

→ impacts on our economies and societies, in the G7 and globally. In our own societies, we are providing short-term fiscal support to the most vulnerable groups to support affordability, as well as to businesses and industry. We will also provide assistance to developing countries, and will intensify our steps to support global energy market stability, through short term increase in our collective production, appropriate use of our energy reserves and by working with international partners to do the same. We encourage producer countries to increase their production to decrease the tension in energy markets, and in this context welcome OPEC’s recent responses to tightening international markets. We call on them to continue action in this regard. We will increase coordination with partners committed to bolster efficiency, stability and transparency in energy markets.

We reaffirm our commitment to phase out our dependency on Russian energy. In addition, we will explore further measures to prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression. As we phase out Russian oil from our domestic markets, we will seek to develop solutions that meet our objectives of reducing Russian revenues from hydrocarbons, and supporting stability in global energy markets, while minimising negative economic impacts, especially on low- and middle-income countries. In this respect, we welcome the decision of the

We will increase electricity generated by renewable energies, as well as the use of renewables in all sectors, and commit to remove barriers and obstacles that currently hinder or slow down the expansion of renewable energies and to reduce energy consumption.

below a price to be agreed in consultation with international partners. In considering this and other options, we will also consider mitigation mechanisms alongside our restrictive measures to ensure that most vulnerable and impacted countries maintain access to energy markets including from Russia. We invite all likeminded countries to consider joining us in our actions. We task our relevant Ministers to continue to discuss these measures urgently, consulting with third countries and key stakeholders in the private sector, as well as existing and new suppliers of energy, as an alternative to Russian hydrocarbons.

We will reduce our overall reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the clean energy transition towards achieving netzero emissions no later than 2050, keeping energy security and affordability at the core of our action. We will support partners in developing countries and emerging markets to also make their just transitions to clean energy through ambitious new development partnerships and accelerating access to financing, including through Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), supported by the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII).

European Union to explore with international partners ways to curb rising energy prices, including the feasibility of introducing temporary import price caps where appropriate. We will further reduce reliance on civil nuclear and related goods from Russia, including working to assist countries seeking to diversify their supplies. We task our relevant Ministers to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of these measures urgently.

As for oil, we will consider a range of approaches, including options for a possible comprehensive prohibition of all services, which enable transportation of Russian seaborne crude oil and petroleum products globally, unless the oil is purchased at or

We have ended new direct government support for unabated international thermal coal power generation by the end of 2021. In addition, recognising the importance of national security and geostrategic interests we commit to end new direct public support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022, except in limited circumstances clearly defined by each country consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit and the goals of the Paris Agreement. In this context and with a view to accelerating the phase out of our dependency on Russian energy, we stress the important role increased deliveries of LNG can play, and acknowledge that investment in this sector is necessary in response to the current crisis. In these exceptional circumstances, publicly supported investment in the gas sector can be appropriate as a temporary response, subject to clearly defined national circumstances, and if implemented in a manner consistent with our climate objectives and without creating lock-in effects, for example by ensuring that projects are integrated into national strategies for the development of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen.

→ We also emphasise the central role of and confirm our strong financial commitment for the market ramp-up of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, for hard-to-abate sectors and zero-emission thermal power generation, shifting towards a world economy based on low-carbon and renewable energy sources. We will work with all partners to ensure stable and sustainable global energy supplies. We acknowledge that a greenhouse gas neutral energy supply with strong reliance on energy efficiency and renewable energy is economically sensible, technically feasible, reliable and safe. To this end, we commit to achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonised power sector by 2035. Recognising that coal power generation is the single biggest cause of global temperature increase, we commit to prioritising concrete and timely steps towards the goal of accelerating phase-out of domestic unabated coal power generation. We will increase electricity generated by renewable energies, as well as the use of renewables in all sectors, and commit to remove barriers and obstacles that currently hinder or slow down the expansion of renewable energies and to reduce energy consumption. Those countries that opt to use it reaffirm the role of nuclear energy in their energy mix. Those countries recognise its potential to provide affordable low-carbon energy and contribute to the security of energy supply as a source of baseload energy and grid flexibility. They state their assessment that the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies including small modular reactors within the next decade will likely contribute to more countries around the world adopting nuclear power as part of their energy mix. The G7 underlines that the highest standards of nuclear safety and security are important to all countries and their respective publics.

Conserving and making efficient use of energy and resources yields multiple benefits across environmental, economic and social dimensions. We will increase energy efficiency in all sectors through regulatory frameworks and incentive-based policy instruments, public and private finance, as well as public guarantees to de-risk private investments. We ask Energy Ministers to identify areas of action to enhance gender equality and diversity in the energy sector by the end of the year.

Environment

To our deep concern, biological diversity is being lost at unprecedented and alarming rates, jeopardising sustainable economic development and human health and well-being. Reaffirming the G7 2030 Nature Compact, we remain committed and will, leading by example, intensify ambitious action to achieve the global mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. We also commit to conserve or protect at least 30 per cent of land and 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030, nationally and globally, according to national circumstances and approaches. We stress the urgency of adopting a transformative Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 and its timely implementation. We will advocate for an ambitious and effective Framework, to be adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15), with ambitious goals and targets, strengthened

We will increase electricity generated by renewable energies, as well as the use of renewables in all sectors, and commit to remove barriers and obstacles that currently hinder or slow down the expansion of renewable energies and to reduce energy consumption.

implementation, and enhanced mechanisms for review and accountability. We will act right away to implement this, submitting revised and enhanced National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans by CBD COP 16. We continue to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and will increase ambitious restoration initiatives nationally, regionally, and globally. We restate our commitment to achieving land degradation neutrality. We commit to mainstreaming, enhancing, and scaling up the implementation of Nature-based-Solutions (NbS), and will advance the implementation of integrated One Health approaches.

Recognising that the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are mutually reinforcing, we will intensify our actions in an integrated and holistic manner. We commit to stopping and reversing the overexploitation of natural resources, ending illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and the degradation of the marine environment; to combating pollution including through the sound management of chemicals and waste; and to reversing biodiversity loss and tackling climate change. A clean, healthy, and productive ocean, with resilient marine ecosystems, is essential for all life on earth. We commit to leading the global effort on the protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable and equitable use of the global ocean including by the conclusion in 2022 of the legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (BBNJ). We commit to fight plastic pollution worldwide by committing to the rapid progression of negotiations towards an internationally legally binding instrument initiatied under the UNEA 5.2 resolution 5/14. To this end, we endorse the G7 Ocean Deal and ask Environment Ministers to report back on progress by the end of the year. We are committed to increase resource efficiency and a circular economy to reduce environmental pressures and yield multiple benefits. To this end, we endorse the Berlin Roadmap on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy. Through a more circular economy, we contribute to resilient and sustainable supply chains in particular with regard to critical minerals and raw materials.

As key stakeholders in the global agricultural sector, we are committed to spearheading its transformation towards sustainability and resilience. Strongly

determined to halt and reverse land degradation and forest loss by 2030, we will work collaboratively, share best practices and foster dialogue with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we reach joint solutions along whole supply chains. We are committed to improving the quality and, where possible, coherence of G7 policy measures to promote sustainable supply chains. As a means to this end, we look forward to the results of the OECD inventory of G7 voluntary and mandatory due diligence measures for sustainable agricultural supply chains. We will strengthen the agricultural sector’s contribution to food security and to fighting climate change and biodiversity loss. We share the conviction that enhanced soil carbon sequestration activities improve climate stewardship and biodiversity conservation while at the same time increasing agricultural productivity and creating a source of income for farmers, in particular smallholder farmers.

Economic Stability and Transformation Global Economy and Finance

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and impeded the recovery that began in the second half of 2021, by dragging down growth, causing significant increases in commodity, energy and food prices, and thereby pushing up inflation to levels not seen for decades in the G7 and beyond, particularly for some emerging markets and developing countries. Against this backdrop, we remain committed to continued coordination to minimise the impact of the war globally, as well as on our own economies and population, including by providing well-targeted support, where necessary. We reaffirm our existing G7 exchange rate commitments.

We continue to strive for a strong, sustainable, balanced, gender-equal, and inclusive global recovery. We remain committed to a stability- and growthoriented macroeconomic policy mix, which ensures medium-term sustainability of public finances and preserves the resilience of the financial sector. We will maintain and strengthen a safe, resilient, equitable, and rules-based open global economic system. We are united in our strategic response to the structural economic changes made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic and

Russia’s war of aggression.

We remain committed to jointly addressing challenges to long-term growth, including facilitating the net-zero and digital transitions, and the massive investments required. We commit to mobilise high levels of private and public investments, including those in human capital, to unleash the potential for innovation, productivity gains and emission reduction. In doing so, we recognise the importance of diversity and that the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and underrepresented groups is crucial for the long-term success of our economies. This includes the need to remove structural barriers to gender equality, including through inclusive and supportive economic and fiscal policy frameworks.

Given the deteriorating and highly challenging debt situations of many developing countries and emerging markets – with more than half of low-income countries in debt distress or at high risk of debt distress – we recognise the urgency of improving the multilateral frameworks for debt restructuring and to address debt vulnerabilities. We underscore our commitment to successfully implementing the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative. We encourage further efforts to ensure an accelerated implementation of the G20 Common Framework and increased predictability. We call on all G20 partners to join us in this regard. We urge all relevant creditors, including non-Paris Club countries such as China, with large outstanding claims on lowincome countries facing debt sustainability challenges, and private creditors in line with the comparability of treatment principle and mutual accountability to contribute constructively to the necessary debt treatments as requested. We reaffirm our commitment to promoting transparency across all debtors and creditors, including private creditors, for improved debt sustainability.

We reiterate our strong political commitment to the timely and effective implementation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) / G20 Inclusive Framework Two-Pillar Solution, to address the tax challenges arising from globalisation and the digitalisation of the economy with a →

→ view to bringing the new rules into effect at the global level. We will continue to provide support to developing countries for the implementation of this historic agreement.

Trade and Supply Chains

We stand united in out commitment to free and fair trade as foundational principles and objectives of the rules-based multilateral system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core, which proves more important than ever in the current geopolitical environment. It should reflect our shared values, which include openness, transparency, and market-oriented competition, grounded in the rule of law. In a joint effort with others, we have acted over the last months to suspend the MostFavoured-Nation treatment to products and services from the Russian Federation. We will continue to remove unnecessary trade barriers, including by working against trade-restrictive measures and non-market practices to maintain open and transparent markets, and call on others to do likewise. We renew our commitment to reform the WTO to achieve a fair, predictable, and stable trade environment. Our global trade rulebook must enable economic transformation, sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth, and be responsive to the needs of global citizens. This includes

reforming the WTO’s functions of monitoring, negotiation, and the dispute settlement mechanism. We underscore the importance of plurilateral initiatives to negotiating meaningful and relevant outcomes at the WTO, including by fostering creative and practical approaches. To this end, we applaud the outcome of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in response to major global issues such as fisheries subsidies, the emerging food security crisis and equitable access to vaccines and the commitment to work to towards necessary reform of the WTO. With a revived multilateral trading system, we look forward to matching this ambitious progress at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, by advancing negotiations on E-Commerce and finding a permanent solution for the moratorium on E-Commerce customs duties, closing the gap in the fisheries negotiations, addressing agricultural reform, and making concrete progress on WTO reform. We will further step up our efforts working towards a level playing field through more effective use of existing tools, as well as developing stronger international rules and norms on nonmarket policies and practices, for example harmful industrial subsidies and tradedistorting actions by state-owned enterprises, notably those that lead to excess capacity.

We will support structured discussions at the WTO, on facilitating trade in environmental goods and services, and on how traderelated climate and environmental measures can contribute to meeting our Paris and Glasgow commitments while being consistent with WTO rules and principles.

Trade flows play an important role for the green and just transition and for the diffusion of environmental goods, services, technologies and innovations. Through a mix of binding and non-binding measures, we commit to advancing sustainable supply chains that are net-zero aligned and climate resilient, decouple agricultural production from forest loss and land degradation, use resources sustainably, reduce environmental impact, foster circularity, and promote decent work. We will coordinate to maximise the coherent implementation of and compliance with international standards relating to human rights, environment, and labour across global supply chains. We are committed to tackling child labour, and to ensuring decent work, including fair wages, working closely with the private sector. We are concerned by the use of all forms of forced labour in global supply chains, including state-sponsored forced labour of vulnerable groups and minorities, including in the agricultural, solar, and garment sectors. We agree on the importance of

upholding human rights and of international labour standards, including those deriving from International Labour Organisation (ILO) membership, throughout global supply chains and tackling instances of forced labour. We commit to accelerating progress including through our own available domestic means and multilateral institutions with a view to remove all forms of forced labour from global supply chains, including state-sponsored forced labour. We commit to taking measures to strengthen our cooperation and collective efforts towards eradicating the use of all forms of forced labour in global supply chains, including through increased transparency and business risk advisories, and other measures to address forced labour globally.We will align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) and the OECD guidelines relating to responsible business conduct, and call on others to join us in these efforts. We are committed to working towards an international consensus on business and human rights to strengthen compliance with international standards, including through mandatory measures that protect rights-holders, provide for greater multilateral cooperation to address abuses,

and support remedy, thus enhancing predictability and certainty for business.

Recent crises have highlighted systemic vulnerabilities to chronic risks and acute market shocks, affecting our supply chains and economic security. We stand firmly for the principles of openness, inclusivity, and competition in a rules-based environment which facilitates sustainable, transparent, diverse, and secure global supply chains through ambitious, values-led trade policy. We recognise that diverse, competitive, and dynamic global supply chains not only guard against monopolisation and economic vulnerability, but also foster interconnectedness, improved welfare, and shared prosperity. Recognising where our markets are vulnerable, we will enhance collaboration, including with industry, to understand vulnerabilities and to strengthen security of critical supplies, particularly in key raw materials and critical minerals. We will focus on promoting market circularity and support diversification by exploring investment in alternative resources, processing capabilities, sustainable practices, and new technologies. We will also coordinate to share insights and best practice on mechanisms for identifying, monitoring and minimising vulnerabilities and logistical bottlenecks in advance of shocks, including cooperative scenario-based stress-testing. To inform this, we welcome the OECD’s work on the Security of Supply for Critical Raw Materials. We ask our relevant Ministers, across their areas of expertise to intensify work towards building responsible, sustainable, and transparent critical minerals supply chains, and establishing a forward strategy via international cooperation‚ policy, and financial tools. This should include addressing export restrictions and trade barriers at the international level, and consider all parts of critical minerals supply chains, including processing, refining and the circular economy.

More generally, and taking stock of our existing cooperation on economic security in the face of external shocks and wider risks, we commit to ongoing strategic coordination as the G7 on this matter. We will increase our vigilance to threats, including economic coercion, that are meant to undermine global security and stability. To this end, we will pursue enhanced cooperation and explore mechanisms to improve assessment, preparedness, deterrence, and response to

such risks, drawing upon best practice to address exposure both across and beyond the G7.

Employment and Just Transition

We commit to promoting decent and high-quality work, particularly in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the digital and net-zero transformation on labour markets and associated demands on companies and workers. To this end, we will spare no effort to train and equip all working-age adults to meet the needs of a changing labour market for a green and digital economy. We therefore commit to significantly strengthening our efforts to foster continuing education training (CET) with a focus on low-skilled adults, as well as those who face systemic barriers. We ask the OECD to monitor this progress. By 2025, we will increase the share of our ODA employment and skills promotion programmes that is directed specifically towards green sectors and greening traditional sectors in alignment with our emerging and developing partner countries’ strategies, and subject to our budgetary processes.

We recognise the importance of effective occupational safety and health (OSH) measures to protecting workers, ensuring decent work, maintaining high productivity and promoting employability, including in the face of new challenges due to structural reasons and climate change. We endorse the G7 Roadmap towards Safe and Healthy Work in a Green Economy, underline the importance of close cooperation with social partners, and reaffirm our commitment to improving OSH in global supply chains including by supporting the Vision Zero Fund in its work.

To promote continuity and prioritise coordinated action across the G7 on critical labour, social, and employment issues, we will establish a standing Employment Working Group within the G7.

We emphasise the value of social protection, particularly in times of crises and in the face of climate change and environmental degradation, and underscore the human right to social security. The effects of climate change disproportionately affect the marginalised and most vulnerable in society, exacerbating poverty and economic, gender and other social →

We will focus on promoting market circularity and support diversification by exploring investment in alternative resources, processing capabilities, sustainable practices, and new technologies.

→ inequalities. To address these effects, we will accelerate progress towards universal, adequate, adaptive, shock-responsive, and inclusive social protection for all by 2030 in line with the UN Secretary-General’s initiative for a “Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for a Just Transition”, which aims to create 400 million jobs and to extend social protection. We will moreover continue our intensive efforts to mitigate the social impacts of the rising energy and food prices, which have been exacerbated as a result of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice in Ukraine, paying special attention to disproportionately affected households. We strive to shape the transition towards net-zero, nature positive economies and societies in a manner which contributes to our objectives of achieving decent work for all, social inclusion, the eradication of poverty, and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Healthy Lives Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response

To overcome the COVID-19 pandemic now, we reaffirm our commitment to enabling equitable global access to and delivery of safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other essential medical goods. We have successfully exceeded last year’s commitment of sharing 870 million vaccine doses; in fact, we have made available a total of over 1.175 billion vaccine doses. We underline our support for all four pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), including its COVAX facility and recognise that supporting ACT-A by all means, including with adequate funding and through in-kind contributions, is central to ending the acute phase of the pandemic. The G7 has already provided and pledged USD 18.3 billion for the Accelerator, corresponding to 83 per cent of the structure, including USD 4.1 billion since the start of the current budget cycle in October 2021.

We further commit to support health sovereignty globally through the expansion of sustainable local and regional manufacturing capacity for vaccines, therapeutics, and other essential medical products in developing countries, including

through technology transfer hubs, and to strengthen regulatory frameworks critical for equitable access to vaccines and other therapeutics in current and future pandemics. To limit the emergence of new variants of concern and support the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global and countries’ individual vaccination strategies, we stand ready to support strengthening rollout capacities and efforts to increase vaccine confidence and demand in implementing countries, especially to turn vaccines into vaccinations, and endorse the Action Plan on COVID-19 to this end.

We recognise the need to foster R&D preparedness, as illustrated by the table top exercise Every Day Counts: A Pandemic Vaccine Exercise to accelerate vaccine development against current and future pandemic threats. In this context, we welcome the progress made on the 100 Days Mission to support science to develop safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. We will step up, align, and track our efforts on pandemic preparedness in close cooperation with WHO. In this regard, we acknowledge the criticality of open and timely sharing of health data and biological samples. To gather further evidence, we welcome the work to strengthen genomic sequencing and explore options implement national wastewater surveillance systems by 2024 to identify potential outbreaks earlier. We are also committed to spearheading research on post COVID conditions in view of their individual, social and economic repercussions.

In order to avoid devastating consequences of future pandemics, regain lost ground and attain universal health coverage (UHC) per the 2030 Agenda , we reaffirm our commitment to work in partnership to strengthen health systems worldwide and step up our efforts in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response under the One Health approach, as well as ensuring that our collective investments and measures to end COVID-19 contribute to enhancing improvements in health systems performance and global health security capacities, including in biosafety and biosecurity.

Acknowledging the rapid rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the global scale, we reiterate that we will spare no efforts to continue addressing this silent

We underline our support for all four pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), including its COVAX facility and recognise that supporting ACT-A by all means, including with adequate funding and through in-kind contributions, is central to ending the acute phase of the pandemic.

pandemic. We will continue to promote the prudent and responsible use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine, raise awareness on sepsis, lead in the development of integrated surveillance systems based on a One Health approach, concurrently advance access to antimicrobials, strengthen research and innovation for new antibiotics in international partnerships, and incentivise

the development of new antimicrobial treatments with a particular emphasis on pull incentives.

We acknowledge the key role of the health sector in climate adaptation, and commit to making our health systems environmentally sustainable and climateneutral at the latest by 2050, as well as more resilient.

Global Health Architecture

We will strengthen global pandemic readiness including by enhancing collaborative surveillance and predictable rapid response, based on a highly qualified and trained public health workforce at all levels, and endorse the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness to this end. Within the framework of the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness, we will provide support to assist at least one hundred low- and middleincome countries (LMICs) in implementing the core capacities required in the International Health Regulations (IHR) for another 5 years until 2027. We welcome the ongoing negotiations on a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response as well as the efforts to strengthen the IHR.

We reaffirm our strong belief in a cross-sectoral and multilateral approach to global health, including for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. We applaud the decision at the 75th World Health Assembly to work towards increasing the share of assessed contributions to 50 per cent of WHO’s base budget by the 20282029 biennium, taking into account budgetary proposals and progress on reforms, with a view to sustainably finance the organisation to fulfill its leading and coordinating role in global health. We support the work of the WHO Hub on Epidemic and Pandemic Intelligence, including with a view to improving strategic foresight. In light of lessons learned from COVID-19, there is no doubt that global health capacities must be underlaid with sufficient, reliable and sustainable funding.

We welcome the outcomes of the Second Global COVID-19 Summit on 12 May 2022, incuding the support for the establishment of a new financial intermediary fund, housed at the World Bank, to catalyse investments in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and support the ongoing work of the G20 Joint Finance Health Taskforce in this regard.

We also acknowledge the role of the WHO

Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO).

We will support a successful Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) with the goal of ending the three diseases, while contributing to achieving UHC. We are strongly committed to strengthening primary health care, continuing to address noncommunicable diseases including mental health, recognising the need for accessible and effective mental health services, and Neglected Tropical Diseases, and increasing our collective efforts to achieve comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for all. We also reiterate the crucial importance to put gender equality at the core of our multilateral contributions to global health, and reiterate our efforts to address the particular needs of the most marginalised and those in vulnerable situations. We reaffirm our continuous efforts to improve women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health by contributing to relevant funds such as the Global Financing Facility for women, children and adolescents (GFF). We will continue to support polio eradication through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

Investment in a Better Future

Sustainable Infrastructure

Building on our commitments in Carbis Bay, we have further shaped and implemented our Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) as a joint offer to narrow the investment gap for sustainable, inclusive, climate resilient, and quality infrastructure in emerging markets and developing countries, based on intensified cooperation, democratic values, and high standards. We will mobilise the private sector for accelerated action to this end. Over the last year we have made concrete progress in fostering investments in local vaccine and medicine production as well as on Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in emerging markets and developing countries. We launched the first JETP with South Africa at COP26 and welcome the progress set out in the update to Leaders and are currently working towards further JETPs with India, Indonesia, Senegal, and Vietnam. Building on these important steps we underscore our commitment to countryled partnerships in close dialogue with interested partner countries, aligning with existing initiatives and using existing coordination mechanisms.

We will continue to operationalise, implement, and promote high international standards for transparency, good governance, environmental, and climate as well as financial and debt sustainability, such as the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment. We call on all international public and private actors to further align and join our efforts towards putting these standards into practice at policy and operational levels, strengthening the necessary capacities and improving enabling environments.

Recognising the importance of mobilising private capital for sustainable infrastructure and the key role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in leveraging private capital and shaping and implementing country-led partnerships, we will further intensify dialogue and joint action with interested partners, in particular MDBs, DFIs and private investors, to better align efforts and consolidate a pipeline of bankable projects including flagship

sustainable infrastructure projects by the end of the year. We also welcome further steps to deepen collaboration among MDBs and DFIs, by pooling forces with a particular focus on project preparation capabilities and aligning support for policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable infrastructure investments.

We welcome the Emerging Market Climate Action Fund as an example of a concrete innovative and market-led approach to mobilise private investments for climate relevant infrastructure and to enhance multilateral finance and collaboration.

Sustainable Development

Recognising the particular strain multiple crises have put on developing countries we reaffirm our strong commitment to put the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda at the center of our agendas to mainstream sustainable development across all policy priorities. We will accelerate our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 by mobilising all sectors and levels of society.

We will spare no effort to increase global food and nutrition security and to protect the most vulnerable whom the food crisis threatens to hit the hardest, as laid out in our Statement on Global Food Security.

projects reflecting G7 collaboration to narrow the infrastructure gap and drive transformational progress globally.

Building on our initiatives and strong commitment, and using all financial instruments at our disposal, we aim at collectively mobilising up to USD 600 billion in public and private investments with a particular focus on quality infrastructure over the next five years.

We welcome the Joint Action Proposal of the MDB/DFI Expert Group on Infrastructure and Investment, and look forward to a concrete proposal for developing an investment platform for

Guided by the objectives of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, we are determined to deepen our partnerships with African countries and organisations in compliance with multilateralism and the rules-based international system. We reiterate our support to initiatives to strengthen the business environment and sustainable infrastructure investments in Africa.

With the support of our partners we have made significant progress towards and are approaching the targets agreed last year by the G7 and G20 to complement the 2021 general SDR allocation for countries most in need, especially in Africa, including through voluntarily channelling SDRs or budget loans, to reach a total global ambition of USD 100 billion. We call on others to join us in the endeavour to increase the amount of total support to the most vulnerable countries, including through pledges to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and Resilience and Sustainability Trust. →

Building on our initiatives and strong commitment, and using all financial instruments at our disposal, we aim at collectively mobilising up to USD 600 billion in public and private investments with a particular focus on quality infrastructure over the next five years.

→ We welcome the independent review of the Multilateral Development Banks’ capital adequacy frameworks. We call on MDBs to urgently assess how to step up their policy and financial support, and maximise the pace of their disbursement, including of USD 170 billion committed by the World Bank Group to respond to the current crisis, to help vulnerable countries and households in response to compounding crises while preserving their credit ratings.

In the spirit of feminist development, foreign and trade policies and to empower women and girls, we will strengthen the rights, resources and opportunities for women and girls in all their diversity in every sphere. We are deeply concerned about the deepening learning crisis generated by emerging conflicts and chronic emergencies worldwide, particularly for the most marginalised learners, and stand steadfast in our commitment to protecting and prioritising girls’ education.

Cities are places of diversity and identity, exchange and integration, creativity, and solidarity. They are crucial to driving prosperity and ensuring equal opportunities for all. We acknowledge the significant role of cities, their associations, and networks as actors in our transformation towards sustainable development. We commit to foster exchange among and with cities.

We task our relevant Ministers to develop a joint understanding of good urban development policy to be adopted at the first ever G7 Ministerial Meeting for Sustainable Urban Development, and to decide on joint initiatives for unlocking the full potential of cities to promote social, cultural, technological, climate-neutral, economic, and democratic innovation for the common good.

We endorse the Elmau Progress Report 2022, following up on our developmentrelated commitments in previous years.

Foreign and Security Policy

We reiterate the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo Pacific, which is inclusive and based on the rule of law. We re-emphasise our support for ASEAN unity and centrality and commit to explore concrete cooperation in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion that increase tensions. We emphasise the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the ocean and the seas. We stress that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. In this regard, we urge China to fully comply with the arbitral award of 12 July 2016 and to respect navigational rights and freedoms enshrined in UNCLOS. We urge all parties to resolve disputes over maritime claims through peaceful means consistent with international law and support using the dispute settlement mechanisms established by UNCLOS. We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

In the context of our cooperation with the largest economies, including in the framework of the G20, it is necessary to cooperate with China on shared global challenges, in particular addressing climate change and biodiversity loss and other relevant multilateral issues. We continue to call on China to uphold its obligations under international law and to contribute to international security. We remind China of the need to uphold the principle of the UN Charter on peaceful settlement of disputes and to abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation measures or use of force.

As Russia is waging its unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine, we call on China to press Russia to immediately comply with the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice of 16 March 2022 and to abide by the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and stop its military aggression –

and immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

We call on China to honour its commitments made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, which enshrine rights, freedoms and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.

We remain committed to upholding fair and transparent competition in the global economy and strengthening international rules in this regard. With regard to China’s role in the global economy, we are continuing to consult on collective approaches, also beyond the G7, to challenges posed by non-market policies and practices which distort the global economy. We will build a shared understanding of China’s non-transparent and marketdistorting interventions and other forms of economic and industrial directives. We will then work together to develop coordinated action to ensure a level playing field for our businesses and workers, to foster diversification and resilience to economic coercion, and to reduce strategic dependencies.

We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in China. We will continue to promote universal values, including by calling on China to respect universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, including in Tibet and in Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us.

We continue to condemn in the strongest terms the military coup in Myanmar and express deep concern about the political, humanitarian and human rights situation. We call on the military regime immediately to end the use of violence, free all political prisoners and those arbitrarily detained and return the country to a democratic path. We will continue to support all efforts by ASEAN and the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus in all its dimensions. We also remain fully supportive of all efforts by the United Nations, and encourage strong coordination between the ASEAN Special Envoy and the Special Envoy of the United Nations SecretaryGeneral on Myanmar.

We strongly condemn the continued, unlawful testing of ballistic missiles by the DPRK, including the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launches conducted on 24 March and 25 May 2022. We demand that the DPRK abandon its unlawful

We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in China. We will continue to promote universal values, including by calling on China to respect universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, including in Tibet and in Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us.

weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. We further call on all states to fully and effectively implement these resolutions, and to remain vigilant for sanctions evading activity. We urge the DPRK to engage in diplomacy and to resume dialogue towards complete denuclearisation. We reiterate the urgent need for the DPRK to improve the humanitarian and human rights situation, address its COVID situation effectively, facilitate access for international humanitarian organisations, and resolve the abductions issue immediately.

We reiterate our clear commitment that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. We regret that, despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), Iran has not yet seized the opportunity to conclude a deal. The G7 commits to working together, and with other international partners, to address the threat posed to international security by Iran’s nuclear escalation. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme. We urge Iran to cooperate substantively with the IAEA and to act on an urgent basis to fulfill its legal obligations by providing technically credible information that the Agency requires to clarify and resolve outstanding issues related to nuclear safeguards, as called upon with an overwhelming majority by the resolution adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors on 8 June.

We strongly condemn Iran’s continued destabilising activity in the region. We call upon Iran to stop all ballistic missile activities and proliferation inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 and other UNSC resolutions. Iran’s threats to maritime security further impair regional stability. We welcome regional initiatives to improve bilateral relations between partners in the region and call on Iran to contribute actively and constructively to fostering regional peace and security in the Middle East. We reiterate our shared profound concern over the continued human rights violations and abuses in Iran, including arbitrary arrest and detention, and condemn Iran’s increased use of capital punishment. We call on Iran to end arbitrary arrest and detention of foreign and dual nationals for the purposes of political leverage. We continue to support international efforts to hold Iran to account for the unlawful shooting-down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

We express our deep concern about the political situation and the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban take-over. We reassure the people of Afghanistan of our principled support and continued humanitarian assistance and assistance to cover basic human needs, based on the respect for humanitarian principles and fundamental human rights, including women’s rights. We also reassure the people of Afghanistan the provision of swift relief, in coordination with the UN, to the communities struck by the recent earthquake. We are united in our strong condemnation of the ongoing violence ith recurring terrorist attacks particularly targeting members of ethnic and religious minority groups. We call upon the Taliban to respect human rights, especially the rights of women and girls and members of minority groups, including the right to education for all without discrimination. We urge the Taliban to take significant steps in support of creating inclusive and representative governance of Afghanistan, and to ensure safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access, combat terrorism in line with their relevant commitments including the Doha agreement, and allow safe passage for all Afghans in need of protection travelling abroad. The type and scope of our engagement that goes beyond →

→ humanitarian assistance and assistance to cover basic needs are to be informed by the concrete achievements of the Taliban to meet these expectations widely shared by the international community.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to the UN-facilitated, Libyan-led and Libyanowned political process and the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya. We recall that free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections need to be held as soon as possible, leading to a representative and unified government. We underline the continuing need to observe and implement in full the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, such as the Wagner Group. Progress must be made on justice and accountability for human rights abuses, including conflict-related sexual violence and regarding refugees and migrants. We urge the full resumption of oil production in Libya and call upon all actors to refrain from using it as an instrument of political confrontation.

We reiterate that there is no alternative to an inclusive political solution on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 in Syria, and therefore we reaffirm our full support to the UN Special Envoy Pedersen. We will not normalise relations with the Assad regime until we witness enduring and meaningful progress in the UN-facilitated political process. We urge continued humanitarian and development support for Syrian refugees and host countries, until Syrians can voluntarily return home with safety and dignity according to UN standards. We also strongly support the re-authorisation and expansion of crossborder humanitarian assistance by the UN Security Council in July. Moreover, we urge the regime to comply with its international obligations. We remain firmly committed to pursue accountability for the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons, human rights violations and abuses and other violations of international law, including humanitarian law. We welcome ongoing efforts by national jurisdictions to prosecute crimes committed in Syria, and underscore the urgent need for progress on the fate and whereabouts of tens of thousands forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained Syrians and recall that accountability and justice for victims is essential for a stable, peaceful

Syria. We underline the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in northern Syria, which ensures collective efforts to fight Daesh can continue and if broken, risks exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation including through the further displacement of people. We reaffirm our shared commitment to work towards a sustainable solution to the Syrian crisis.

We are encouraged by recent developments in Yemen and welcome the two-month extension of the truce, brokered by the United Nations. We urge all parties to implement the associated confidence building measures, especially the opening of roads in and around Taiz. We call on the parties to the conflict to make use of the extension to engage in constructive talks under the leadership of the United Nations, to convert this truce into a sting ceasefire and to ultimately reach a durable peace.

We are deeply concerned by the continuing deterioration of the political and security situation in the Sahel, the threat of terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea and littoral states, continuing attacks against civilian populations, as well as the worsening food and humanitarian crisis. The intervention of the Wagner Group in Mali and atrocities linked to their presence are of great concern and we call for accountability of those responsible for violations or abuses. We urge all actors to respect human rights and international humanitarian law. We support the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States in response to the events in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea and the African Union in Chad. We call for free and fair elections in order to allow for a durable return to constitutional rule. We recognise the efforts in Niger and Mauritania to consolidate democratic institutions strengthen the rule of law and good governance including migration governance and foster stabilisation. We reiterate ur strong commitment to support the populations of the Sahel countries, help stabilise the region and tackle the root causes of terrorism and instability as outlined within the Sahel Coalition.

The G7 remains concerned about peace, security, and humanitarian challenges in the Horn of Africa. Democratic achievements, economic reforms, and above all the well-being of the populations in the region are threatened by

political instability, weak governance, armed conflicts, militias and terrorist groups as ell as by the effects of climate change and natural disasters. Country health systems continue to be stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic which has negative implications for overall health service delivery as well as health capacity building efforts. Human rights violations and abuses, including s exual and gender-based violence, and a lack of accountability remain major concerns.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has compounded food insecurity worldwide, especially in the Horn of Africa, where worsening drought is affecting over 18 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. We emphasise our commitment to work with countries and institutions in the region to foster peaceful and sustainable development in the Horn of Africa, and will support as a priority effort to tackle one of the worst droughts in its history. We welcome the peaceful conclusion of the electoral process in Somalia and reiterate our commitment to work alongside the

African Union and Somali authorities to counter violent extremism and other significant challenges. We are also encouraged by the humanitarian truce in Ethiopia and call on all parties to begin talks toward a durable ceasefire and a political solution to the crisis that lays the foundation for durable peace. Safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access has to continue. It is essential to address human rights issues and provide transparent accountability. In Sudan, a swift return to a civilian-led government and democratic transition process is urgently needed. We fully support the tripartite efforts by UNITAMS, AU and IGAD and call on all stakeholders to engage actively in a constructive dialogue.

In view of the 10th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in August 2022, we are united in our resolve to comprehensively strengthen the NPT, promote its universalisation, re-inforce the importance of commitments made at past Review Conferences and advance implementation of the Treaty across all

three of its mutually reinforcing pillars.

We underline the authority and primacy of the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. The G7 reaffirms its commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all, achieved through concrete, practical, and purposeful steps. The overall decline in global nuclear arsenals must be sustained and not reversed. We welcome the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races of 3 January 2022, including the important affirmation that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. However, we condemn Russia’s provocative statements which signal the threat of use of nuclear weapons. This undermines the credibility of Russia’s commitment to the Joint Statement. Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or related materials by Russia in Ukraine would be met with severe consequences. →

We will further promote and implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. We will improve documentation and accountability for human rights violations and abuses, such as sexual and genderbased violence, including in conflict situations.

→ The Russian war against Ukraine and other conflicts have pushed the number of people worldwide forced to flee war, violence, human rights violations and persecution to a record high of 100 million, evidencing the urgent need to address the root causes of refugee movements and internal displacement, as well as to provide safe, dignified, and sustainable solutions. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting refugees, supporting forcibly displaced persons and supporting host countries and communities, ensuring the full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms f refugees, and addressing the particular needs of women and children in conflict, crisis, and displacement. Recalling the commitment of the Global Compact on Refugees to share responsibility more equitably, we will continue to promote international solidarity with refugees and host countries, including by expanding resettlement programmes. We also call upon the international community to follow suit and increase their protection of refugees and support to forcibly displaced persons and for host countries, in an effort towards global responsibility-sharing. We affirm the importance of, combating human trafficking and related illicit financil flows, smuggling of migrants, and countering related disinformation.

Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine, the wholesale rollback of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan since the forceful take-over of power by the Taliban, and the impact of war, conflict, and forced displacement worldwide clearly demonstrate that women, girls, and those most vulnerable based on gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability are disproportionately affected, and yet at the same time severely underrepresented in decision making roles. We will further promote and implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. We will improve documentation and accountability for human rights violations and abuses, such as sexual and gender-based violence, including in conflict situations. We reiterate the need to strengthen the implementation of international architecture to prevent and respond to conflict related sexual violence, and will support the empowerment of women and girls as critical agents for conflict prevention, crisis management, conflict resolution, relief and recovery, and long-term peacebuilding.

Stronger Together

We are convinced that democratic values make us stronger in tackling global challenges and working towards an equitable and prosperous world for all. We will work together with civil society and our partners internationally to strengthen the resilience of our democracies, as laid out in the 2022 Resilient Democracies Statement.

Gender Equality

Achieving gender equality is imperative as we strive for resilient, inclusive democratic societies, and to counter the rising tide of authoritarianism and backlash against women’s and girls’ rights across the globe. We reaffirm our full commitment to a sustained focus on realising equality between women and men as well as transgender and non-binary people, and to ensuring that everyone – independent of their gender identity or expression or sexual orientation – has the same opportunities and is protected against discrimination and violence. To this end, we commit to redoubling our efforts to overcome longstanding structural barriers and to addressing harmful gender norms, stereotypes, roles, and practices. We seek to ensure full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTIQ+ persons in politics, economics, education and all other spheres of society, and to consistently mainstream gender equality into all policy

areas. Building on the recommendations by the Gender Equality Advisory Council as well as Women 7 we will introduce a mechanism to continuously monitor G7 commitments and progress towards achieving gender equality. To this end, we endorse the G7 Dashboard on Gender Gaps which covers key indicators across a range of policy areas that are relevant to the progression of gender equality, and look forward to its regular annual update. In addition, we look forward to receiving the first implementation report from the OECD and will continue to reach out to partners.

As we strive to tackle the global challenges of our time, we recognise that they are far from gender-neutral and are determined to address their gendered impacts. We commit to make every effort to collectively increase the share of G7’s bilateral allocable ODA advancing gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment over the coming years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women and girls and has highlighted the essential role of care work – both paid and unpaid – for the functioning of our societies and economies, but also as a key cause of gender inequalities due to its unequal distribution. It is of paramount importance to recognise, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work, and to reward paid care work adequately, guaranteeing care workers representation. To that end, we will support efforts to expand global access to quality childcare infrastructure including through our collective support of USD 79 million for the Childcare Incentive Fund, thereby improving women’s economic empowerment, child outcomes, family welfare, and overall economic growth.

The pandemic has also deprived millions of women of sexual and reproductive health services – putting at risk the progress made in the past 20 years on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. We reaffirm our full commitment to achieve comprehensive SRHR of all individuals, and stress the importance of access to emergency sexual and reproductive health services in humanitarian crises. We recognise the essential and transformative role of SRHR in gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, and in supporting diversity, including of sexual orientations and gender identities. →

We reaffirm our commitment to protecting refugees, supporting forcibly displaced persons and supporting host countries and communities, ensuring the full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of refugees, and addressing the particular needs of women and children in conflict, crisis, and displacement.

Extremism, Disinformation, Foreign Interference and Corruption

We are committed to providing security to all our citizens in an open and pluralistic society. To this end, we will intensify our cooperation to fight all forms of violent extremism and terrorism.

To halt democratic backsliding and undermining of our fundamental values, we will coordinate closely across the G7 and with our partners to strengthen democracies and our institutions against disinformation, including foreign information manipulation. In light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we remain committed and enhance our cooperation through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) in order to protect our democratic systems and open societies from foreign threats, such as information manipulation and interference, including disinformation. We welcome the immediate response by the G7 RRM, including its collaboration with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in establishing a multi-stakeholder crisis network comprised of G7 governments, social media platforms and civil society to support the integrity of the Ukrainian information environment in the face of Russia’s unprecedented information war.

To this end, we will further develop the G7 RRM through an expanded focus on hybrid threats and will enhance its capabilities to respond to foreign interference also at the sub-national level. More broadly, we will also enhance the resilience of public actors and institutions, business, academia, and civil society through a whole-of-society-approach as well as cooperation within the OECD.

We also commit to further strengthening our internal security in light of transnational threats including those posed by Russia and other authoritarian regimes, particularly in the field of cyber security, illicit finance and law enforcement. To further ensure the security of our citizens, we will intensify our fight against transnational organised crime, including cybercrime and environmental crime, particularly in fragile contexts, in close cooperation with civil society and international actors such as Interpol and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The pandemic, the war against Ukraine and further international conflicts, including in Afghanistan, have exacerbated the threat of trafficking in human beings, aimed at sexual and labour exploitation and abuse,

particularly of children and women. We commit to step up our fight against trafficking in human beings and our efforts to prevent and combat child sexual abuse and exploitation globally, both online and offline. We ask our Interior Ministers to take forward the implementation of the Action plan to combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse from September 2021.

Corruption and related illicit finance and proceeds of crime drain public resources, can often fuel organised crime, enable kleptocratic systems to accumulate wealth and power at the expense of citizens, undermine democratic governance. The Russian war against Ukraine has highlighted how kleptocracies pose an immediate threat to the freedom and national security of our societies. In order to defend the integrity and transparency of democratic systems, we will continue to step up our fight against corruption in all relevant bodies, and accelerate work on implementing and strengthening our beneficial ownership transparency registers, including by improving their accuracy, adequacy, and timeliness. In this regard, we also welcome the recently strengthened standards on beneficial ownership transparency of legal persons by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and look forward to their swift implementation. To hold kleptocrats, criminals and their enablers to account globally, we will broaden our global fight against cross-border corruption, including by supporting African partners in setting up 15 additional beneficial ownership registers. Also, building on the work of the Russia Elites Proxies and Oligarchs Task Force, we will further intensify our cooperation and ask the Task Force to report back to us by the end of the year on potential additional measures to be taken.

Digitalisation

We will work together to help shape an inclusive and global digital ecosystem that fosters an open, free and secure Internet, competition and innovation, protects privacy and personal data, and promotes respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as reflected in the G7 Resilient Democracy Statement.

Everyone should feel safe online. We affirm our commitment to empower citizens, especially vulnerable groups to use the Internet and digital technologies safely

and securely. We will continue our efforts to combat any forms of online harm and protect people online. Global digital cooperation is key to our common agenda. In this endeavour, we will build on already existing frameworks such as the Christchurch Call, the Paris Call for Trust and Security in the Cyberspace, and the outcomes of the Future Tech Forum. We welcome the Declaration for the Future of the Internet and invite like-minded partners to join us in advancing its vision, thereby opposing the trend of rising digital authoritarianism.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine poses widespread threats, including to our critical infrastructure. We are therefore taking steps to increase cyber resilience of digital infrastructure within and across our respective countries. We endorse the Joint Declaration on Cyber Resilience of Digital Infrastructure in response to the Russian war against Ukraine in this regard.

We reaffirm our commitment to the framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, and are working together to develop and implement robust international

cyber norms. We are taking steps to strengthen our collective cyber defences, including in response to new and disruptive digital technologies, such as quantum computing, and will continue to work in close cooperation against the malicious use of cyberspace by both state and non-state actors. We will continue to discuss implementation of international norms and review of lessons-learned from existing efforts to include the attribution of cyber incidents, including by intensifying and elevating our cooperation on cyber within the relevant G7 Working Group. We will also continue to discuss ways to cooperate on emerging technologies, including new quantum-resistant cryptographic standards.

We will support other states to increase digital access while ensuring that security, interoperability and respect for human rights are built into global connectivity.

Digitalisation can significantly contribute to combating climate change and protecting the environment. At the same time, the rising demand for energy and resources resulting from the increasing use of digital technologies and services must be

significantly reduced, and negative environmental impacts fostered by the use of digital technologies must be addressed. In this regard, we will better harness digital technologies for a net-zero, nature-positive, and resource-efficient economy and digital ecosystem. We reaffirm our support for international cooperation within the G7 and with like-minded partners to support

conclusion

the development of standards - based on inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches in line with our open, democratic values, and principles – and to further discussion on supporting standardisation towards digital and green transformations. To this end we look forward to building upon the work of a number of multilateral dialogues and fora to deliver democratic and market-oriented standards in technology, trade and innovation to improve the lives of our citizens and be a force for greater prosperity, such as the Trade and Technology Council (TTC), the Quad, the Future Tech Forum and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). In this context, we also acknowledge the EU Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles.

We strengthen our efforts to facilitate data free flow with trust across borders, continue to harness opportunities, and to address challenges raised in particular in relation to security, privacy, data protection, and the protection of intellectual property rights. To this end, we endorse the Action Plan for Promoting Data Free Flow with Trust. Furthermore, we are commited to advancing the e-commerce Joint Statement Initative.

We will continue the discussion on competition in digital markets, including with regards to platforms regulation and its implementation, and look forward to the G7 Digital Ministers’ comprehensive overview of legislative approaches to competition, contestability, and fairness on digital markets within the G7, with a view to fostering greater coordination to support competitive digital markets. ■

Under the German Presidency, the engagement and exchange with civil society has been instrumental for the G7 as a group of democracies. To this end, we thank the G7 Engagement Groups – Business 7, Civil 7, Labour 7, Science 7, Think 7, Women 7 and Youth 7 – for their important input to our deliberations. We are furthermore grateful for the valuable contributions from the Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank (WB), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as well as the Chair of the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) who joined us in Elmau. We stand ready to reconvene whenever necessary. We will support the Indonesian G20 Presidency in finding solutions to the most pressing global issues. We welcome the offer of the Prime Minister of Japan to host our next Summit in Hiroshima in 2023.

We strengthen our efforts to facilitate data free flow with trust across borders, continue to harness opportunities, and to address challenges raised in particular in relation to security, privacy, data protection, and the protection of intellectual property rights.

The U7+ Alliance Contributes to a More Equitable World

TheU7+ Alliance of World Universities is the first coalition of university presidents aimed at defining concrete actions that universities can take to collectively address global challenges in coordination with government leaders in G7 countries and beyond.

Alliance members meet annually to establish a common agenda and identify key areas for coordinated action. Together, U7+ university presidents take stock of their universities’ unique civic and social responsibilities, and pledge concrete action on behalf of their institutions to address the world’s most pressing challenges at local, regional, and global levels through an innovative lens.

The U7+ Alliance includes 100+ presidents and top leaders of universities from over 20 countries, who meet annually at the U7+ Presidential Summit, which typically takes place immediately before the annual G7 Summit of world leaders. Rather than being designed as a scientific colloquium, the U7+ Presidential Summit prioritizes issues aligned with the priorities set by the G7 Presidency of that year. University presidents also plan on the concrete innovation initiatives and actions that our universities can take as engaged global actors on issues where they can have a demonstrable impact.

Following the inaugural Presidential Summit in France in July 2019, U7+

Alliance members self-organized into working groups, each of which is dedicated to addressing a concrete global challenge— small yet critical and collective steps toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 193 countries have adopted.

As the U7+ Alliance, we are also dedicated to training the next generation of global leaders and fostering intergenerational dialogue around pressing global challenges. The Alliance hosts an annual U7+ Worldwide Student Forum and the U7+ Intergenerational Roundtable Series, which convenes students and scientists from across the globe for vigorous debate on the global challenges confronting future generations, from climate change and sustainable innovation to gender inequality and women’s rights.

These are some of the key achievements that the U7+ Alliance has made over the last three years:

• The Launch of HAICU (Human-centered AI+ for/by Colleges and Universities), a lab dedicated to promoting cooperation between universities and other stakeholders to ensure AI+ is envisioned, developed and used in a human-centered fashion.

• A statement and commitment from 29 university members from 12 countries to ensure that students have access to sustainability courses, and commit to ambitious climate change action plans and targets to reduce and offset GHG emissions associated with their operations.

• A 2020 Worldwide Student Forum dedicated to bringing youth voices to the fore of discussions amongst university leaders on how to prepare students as they enter the labor force, and a 2021 Worldwide Student Forum on climate change.

• Ongoing participation in multilateral discussions and governance, including COP26 in Glasgow.

Strong Alliances for a Sustainable Planet

The goal set by the 2022 German presidency of the G7 to create strong alliances for a sustainable planet is more urgent than ever. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released April 4th 2022 has once again warned that climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying, and that the opportunities to prevent global temperatures from rising above the 1.5C threshold are rapidly disappearing.

Members of the institutions of the U7+ recognize that universities are uniquely situated to partner with one another and with governments to help address this urgent climate crisis. Universities are key to addressing our planetary crisis, leading research and innovation on climate change mitigation, and through engagement of the next generation of citizens. Thus, U7+ Alliance members are committed to promoting socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable infrastructure and to accelerating the global energy transition starting on our own campuses. We are also committed to training all our students in sustainability, as part of building a better future.

As an Alliance, U7+ endeavors to amplify research, teaching and sustainable operations through participation and engagement with the UNFCCC and our G7 leadership. As hubs for intergenerational dialogue and action, we build opportunities to elevate youth voices in designing the solutions future generations will depend on.

Our commitments to protect our planet and ensure a greener, more resilient future for everyone are codified in the U7+ Statement on Climate Change and Sustainability, signed by 32 U7+ universities in 13 countries, including all G7 countries. This statement calls on each of us to:

• Reduce campus GHG emissions from 2018 levels by 2030, with the goal of developing and publishing a specific target for this reduction.

• Promote that all students at our universities will have access to courses related to climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.

Member universities of the U7+ Alliance are working together to advance in these goals and lead by example on their respective campuses, leveraging learnings from colleagues to accelerate impact together. The participating universities have committed to collaborate on two specific actions:

Action 1: To promote access to courses related to climate, biodiversity, and sustainability for all students at our universities. Twenty-eight U7+ member universities have committed to this action, which is co-championed by the University of Toronto, Université PSL, and the University of Edinburgh.

Action 2: To improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2018 levels by 2030, and at a minimum to develop and publish a specific target for this reduction by 2030. Twenty-one U7+ member universities have committed to this action. Action 2 is co-championed by University of Edinburgh and University of Toronto.

Key experts across member universities committed to Action 1 have met regularly over the past year and half, including for a workshop in June 2021 to share institutional learnings and contribute to strengthening sustainability courses. Taking a cue from the UK-hosted G7 Summit, workshop participants shared perspectives and experiences on expanding access to sustainability curricula in U7+ universities through an action-oriented approach that includes:

• Developing sustainability course inventories. This involves collecting data on existing courses with sustainability-related content, expanding the courses offered, and increasing awareness amongst students about these inventories through social media campaigns and presentations at university fairs.

• Investigating sustainability pathway programs and how they can be adapted to different institutions, with the objective of making these programs widespread and gaining credibility and validation.

• Engaging all students as actively as possible and inviting them to participate in the sustainability education conversation. To exemplify this principle, the workshop incorporated students both as panelists and as attendees participating in the discussion. →

Participant institutions in the Action 1 workshop:

Aix-Marseille Université (France), Ashesi University (Ghana), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India), Juniper Tree Learning (USA), National Autonomous University of Mexico (Mexico), Northwestern University (USA), Osaka University (Japan), University of Naples Federico II (Italy), Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (Morocco), Université PSL (France), University College London (UK), University of British Columbia (Canada), University of Cape Town (South Africa), University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Toronto (Canada), University of Ottawa (Canada).

Ensuring a holistic approach to problem solving that includes engagement with non-academic partners. This transdisciplinary approach includes faculty members across departmental and faculty boundaries while also engaging non-academic partners in the generation of actionable knowledge.

Many U7+ members have also committed to engaging students through “living labs,” where students have real life opportunities to study sustainability initiatives being implemented on campus and in the community. Living lab projects contribute to meeting the universities’ targets to be a zero-waste and net-zero carbon in the coming years. Universities are also setting ambitious goals on the number of students who will be engaged in sustainabilityoriented projects, often with partner organizations.

Also in June of 2022, following the G7 meeting in the UK, 21 member universities of the U7+ Alliance, led by the University of Edinburgh and the University of Toronto, developed a joint framework for Greenhouse Reduction and Energy Efficiency as part of our commitment to Action 2. The 21 participating institutions committed to improving energy efficiency and reducing their level of greenhouse gas emissions from 2018 levels by 2030, in accordance with the Paris Agreement commitments to halt global warming and reduce net zero carbon emissions by half by 2030. Many U7+ members have already committed to ambitious plans to reach net zero in the coming years and are sharing best practices through the Alliance.

In taking appropriate measures on reducing greenhouse gases, the participating universities are taking action across all three scopes of GHG emissions: direct emissions from sources that are owned by the university, such as boilers, furnaces, or vehicles (Scope 1); emissions from the generation of purchased electricity (Scope 2); and GHG emissions that occur as a consequence of university activities from sources not owned or controlled by the university, such as travel or emissions associated with purchasing or investments (Scope 3).

Examples include commitments to incorporating energy efficient and renewable energy technologies into design and construction standards, developing decarbonization retrofit strategies, and

optimizing water efficiency in existing buildings and grounds. Universities are also making significant investments in green technologies, from the ambitious development of geoexchange systems that store surplus heat generated by mechanical systems in the summer for use in the cold Canadian winter months, to the extensive use of solar panels that generate significant power for campuses in warmer climates. Some members are also committing to divest from investments in fossil fuel companies. And many Alliance members are adopting guidelines to guide sustainable business travel.

The following framework for institutional GHG reductions was developed to encourage all universities to set, measure and achieve reductions goals:

Step 1: Measure

U7+ universities commit to measuring their Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions using standards tools, such as ISO 14064 Part 1, and ISO 50001 for Energy Management Systems. This establishes a process for quantifying GHG emissions, identifying specific emission sources, and providing reliable data. The challenges around measuring Scope 3 emissions, which are the indirect emissions generated by such things as growing and transporting food, travel, investments, and producing the goods we buy, can be tackled by using the Corporate Value Chain Accounting and Reporting Standard. This tool allows companies to assess their entire value chain emissions impact and identify where to focus reduction activities.

Step 2: Benchmark

U7+ universities also commit to benchmarking their energy consumption and GHG emissions to determine where opportunities for reduction exist. They will do this by combining both internal and external benchmarking. Internally, they will assess how each building measures up against other similar buildings on campus, as well as across the country, and how buildings measure against themselves year after year. Externally, universities will assess how buildings measure up against other buildings of similar nature within the city, nationally, and globally.

Some recommended tools for this process are the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

for tracking and benchmarking against Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) or, in the UK, the Energy Benchmarking tool that will be launched by the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) to provide relevant and reliable benchmarks that represent the current trends of energy use in buildings. Other tools include the RET Screen Expert, which provides a comprehensive database compiled from many energy surveys in different countries for different building types with open information source. After completing this high-level benchmark analysis, each university can then prepare a more detailed Performance Analysis to better estimate the energy savings, GHG emissions reduction, cost savings, and/or production potential for their facilities.

Step 3: Target

U7+ universities commit to energy and GHG reduction targets, setting up priorities, limitations, and expectations with internal stakeholders, senior leadership, and planning and budget offices. Recommended tools for this step are ASHRAE standard 100, and

the ISO 50001 Energy Management System Certification. The targets that institutions establish for GHG reduction should be measurable, monitored, communicated, and updated.

Step 4: Plan

U7+ universities commit to developing an in-depth plan to achieve established GHG emissions targets and to publish this plan. Many members have already done this. Resultant policies and programs should consider regional contexts to leverage existing infrastructure advantages, such as local renewable energy sources where available. Universities will mobilize the collaboration of internal stakeholders in the development of the plan, aligning finances, capital/deferred maintenance, sustainability, and academic priorities and budgets.

RETScreen and eQuest are some of the proposed tools that can be used for simulation and modelling for energy efficiency.

Step 5: Implement

U7+ universities implement policy and programs focused on energy and GHG

emissions performance and embed sustainability targets into all projects and operations. Institutions also ensure sustainable procurement practices for equipment, systems, processes, and personnel that contribute to energy performance.

U7+ universities review and evaluate the performance to see whether the targets were achieved and report on annual performance and inventories. This is an iterative process to continually monitor, evaluate, and adjust the plan and targets.

Step 7: Engage

U7+ universities engage stakeholders, recognize action, and communicate results. They should engage their staff and students in their GHG reduction and energy efficiency plans. Depending on their priorities, actions, and context, there will also likely be opportunities to engage their suppliers and contractors. In this step, institutions recognize where wins have taken place and celebrate the outcomes achieved. They also report and communicate on their performance to their stakeholders and build further support for deeper action. →

Participant institutions in the Greenhouse Reduction and Energy Efficiency Framework workshop: Australian National University (Australia), Columbia University (USA), École Polytechnique (France), HEC Paris (France), London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), McGill University (Canada), Northwestern University (USA), Sciences Po (France), Seoul National University (South Korea), Université de Bordeaux (France), Université Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (Morocco), Université Paris Saclay (France), Université PSL (France), University College London (UK), University of British Columbia (Canada), University of Cambridge (UK), University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), University of Montreal (Canada), University of Ottawa (Canada), University of Toronto (Canada).

The U7+ Student Forum on Climate Change

Even as climate change is likely to have serious consequences for our planet and all its inhabitants, it is the younger generations that will disproportionately suffer the consequences of the climate crisis. Longterm environmental degradation caused by activities for which youth bear no responsibility will nevertheless shape their future. Understanding that intergenerational dialogue and centering the voices of the younger generation is essential to solve the climate crisis, the U7+ Alliance convened the 2021 U7+ Worldwide Student Forum, titled “Climate Change: Intergenerational Conflict or Intergenerational Alliance?”. The Forum, which amplified student voices to incorporate the interests and rights of future generations into climate action, policy, and planning, was led by University College London, alongside

The Forum, which amplified student voices to incorporate the interests and rights of future generations into climate action, policy, and planning, was led by University College London, alongside Northwestern University and the U7+ Student Leaders Board.

Northwestern University and the U7+ Student Leaders Board.

Over the course of five months, students engaged in a series of academic events and conversations. Ninety-four student delegates from U7+ partner universities across 12 countries, with a wide variety of academic backgrounds, fields of study, and interests participated. This included students of law, climate science, geography, anthropology, psychology, and engineering, among other disciplines, each of whom were nominated to participate in the Forum. Through peer-to-peer discussion, these delegates engaged in small group conversations and produced a series of recommendations for U7+ Presidents about the role that universities should adopt in addressing climate change.

Student delegates made the following recommendations:

Through governance:

• Governmental bodies should create positions for students, to enable them to actively lobby for their interests. Governments would benefit from this because student sustainability leaders are the perfect ambassadors to relay innovative suggestions and unique ideas to the public.

• Within global government structures, countries with unstable governments should also have their youth included, to ensure that developed countries do not dominate the conversation.

• Advance the role of youth as stakeholders in policymaking. Because of the voting disaffection of a big part of youth demographics, politicians do not prioritize issues affecting young people’s interests in their agendas. If young people become main stakeholders, they can force change.

• Form advisory boards connecting student voices to those holding decision-making power.

In universities:

• Establish meetings within university settings where corporate and government representatives are invited to hear the perspective of students and in turn explain to students how their decision-making processes on climate-related issues work.

• Include young people (15-35yrs) who are external to universities in student advisory boards to provide a wider spectrum of perspectives and ideas, preventing the bottleneck of university “elitism.”

• Prioritize intergenerational discussion between students, professors, and community leaders outside of universities.

• Develop curricula that take into account climaterelated topics and bring together different disciplines, faculties, and subjects

• Encourage student research in and engagement with sustainability through scholarship programs.

• Provide professional development for students on how to translate the work they are doing in university into “green careers” and connect students to professionals, companies and organizations working in sustainability. Implement internships in which university students can strengthen their relationships with corporate and government entities.

• Make the campus “greener” by creating plasticfree zones, treating food waste, or redistributing leftover food.

• Educate on the links between environmental impacts and socio-economic issues.

• Provide degrowth content alongside other perspectives favoring growth, such as productivism in economics. Form Research and Degrowth Academic Associations that work on specific degrowth goals. →

Research for impact:

• Research in climate change and sustainability needs to be interdisciplinary and involve collaboration between people in fields as different as environmental science, economics, and psychology.

• Universities should provide courses that introduce the fundamentals of policy-making processes for students and academics who are interested in communicating their research recommendations on sustainability to a broader audience.

• Develop strategies to communicate research results effectively not only within the academic sphere, but also to critical stakeholders in corporate and political spheres.

• Engaging local communities through university partnerships with local governments and businesses.

Ensuring a strong student voice is a significant strength of the U7+ Alliance. From climate action to social justice, U7+ universities are listening and learning and together taking major strides to incorporate sustainability into every facet of their institutions. We see our students and alumni as essential contributors to social change, as well as future global leaders who will contribute to economic stability and transformation.

Setting the Course for Economic Stability and Transformation

The path to economic stability, and to addressing global inequalities, requires access to opportunity for all. Our universities

create opportunity and attract talent from our local communities, as well as from all over the world, including those most who are most disadvantaged, bringing together the most curious minds to address the most critical global challenges and fostering a more equitable and globally connected world. In our classrooms, we prepare the global workforce for tomorrow’s international economy. In our laboratories and libraries, we imagine new paths forward for people and the planet.

The U7+ Alliance universities are fostering the sharing of resources, including defining best practices and policies across the network to collectively drive growth and economic stability and nurture the next generation of innovators. A decentralised approach ensures that innovative ideas

originate from many different resources rather than a single point and mindset. More than 2 million students attend U7+ universities. For this reason, and many more, intergenerational justice is at the core of the U7+ Alliance and its university partners. Striving to become innovation engines is the mission that universities and their students aim to achieve. By preparing a new generation of global leaders, we are preparing the world for a new era of economic stability and transformation in our classroom. To build a new culture requires a new mindset, which in turn requires thedrive and the courage to transform. The task at hand is the construction of a sustainable economy, which is a process rather than an endgame, and one that we are actively preparing our students to engage with. At the U7+, we do not think of learning as a process of transferring knowledge from one generation to the next. Rather, our focus on intergenerational justice challenges to think of it as a bi-directional process where students are learning from faculty, and also contributing their own learning and knowledge in practice and through recommendations to their faculty, administrators, and experts beyond the university.

To codify this commitment to intergenerational learning and engagement within the U7+, a group of students founded a new organization within the

The U7+ Alliance is a tool to bring value to intergenerational justice, asthe preparation for a future generation starts with the current.

Alliance to formalize the process of working together with our Alliance leadership. The U7+ Student and Alumni Network (U7+ SAN) and vision came to light in August 2020, following the inaugural U7+ Worldwide Student Forum, when a select number of students delegates from various universities spanning across six continents joined forces as a united student-led team for three main purposes:

1. To represent students’ interests and advocate for improving the educational environment and experience

2. To remain a prominent and integrated resource and partner to the alliance

3. To bring value to the notion of “intergenerational justice” by relaying students’ viewpoints on issues that impact the educational ecosystem to decisionmakers across the network

The Intergenerational Roundtable Series

The U7+ SAN supports the U7+ Alliance to transform and drive innovation, introduce new policies, build students’ core knowledge, and ensure smooth integration into the professional world. The Intergenerational Roundtable Series 2021, co-organised by Northwestern University, Georgetown University, and the U7+ SAN was a driving force of the alliance between students and university administrators.

The intergenerational roundtables, for the first time, brought together students, professors, and other university policymakers to converse on key topics that included climate change, the global gender gap, and sustainable digital transformation

These topics are intertwined and play a determining role in assuring students’ future employability as global government officials continue to tackle such issues from local, regional, and national levels. For example, the third intergenerational roundtable, co-hosted by Ecole Polytechnique and Osaka University, discussed redesigning our ecosystem in two ways: changing the technological culture and rethinking social implications. During this event U7+ student representative Shayan Khan argued that it is not just the technologies we use, but the systems in which we use them that matters.

Osaka University professor Atsuo Yamada built on this concept, relating it to the legal system by asking, “if the law is set in our society to be individualistic, then how can

we have a very sustainable society in the future?” Technological, environmental, and financial are some of the many facets that are becoming more common to all career fields and that universities aim to further include in their curricula. The themes discussed, encouraged by universities and pursued by students, can instigate a tangible and positive impact on society.

The 2022 Student Challenge

At the dawn of 2022, the U7+ SAN and Ecole Polytechnique co-organised the U7+ Student Challenge, centred around promoting interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on sciences and related disciplines. Students with their respective professors along with Sustainability Ambassadors selected from the expertise of the U7+ SAN’s delegates, aimed to merge technological ambitions with sustainable development goals. The diversity of the universities represented in this project-including students from Ashesi University (Ghana), Ecole Polytechnique (France), Northwestern University (United States) and University of Ottawa (Canada)-highlight the endless possibilities of bringing together global partners to work for economic development and sustainable digital transformation.

When innovating for economic development and digital transformation, it is imperative to learn lessons from the

Industrial Revolution, which despite its groundbreaking character, resulted in substantial side-effects, such as the climate crisis that we are facing today. Thus, it is the responsibility of universities to prepare students for the professional world by educating and directing them to advance economic and digital progress while taking into account its social outcomes. The current and forthcoming generations’ role is summed up in these two key notions: progress and protect – progress to develop, but protect to preserve.

The projects presented by the students during the 2022 Challenge perfectly crystalized this vision, showing innovative ways to progress and protect. Innovative ideas came from students who are willing to contribute to policies and usher a new beginning that will yield long-lasting and positive outcomes.

The team from Northwestern University in the United States presented an initiative that they have developed to diversify the medical profession by promoting information and access to support underrepresented students interested in exploring careers in healthcare and preparing them to be successful candidates for medical school. The team from Ashesi University in Ghana conducted a research project to understand the complexities of illegal gold mining in the country, seeking to document the devastating effects on the →

→ economy, the environment, local communities, and women’s security, while also developing solutions to the problem. Teams from Université d’Ottawa and École Polytechnique worked together to improve a food storage system and develop a program to support access to food and reduce food scarcity in local communities.

This process of exploring local challenges with a global community of student innovators is but one example of how universities are preparing students to set the course for economic stability in their own lives and careers, and how we can influence economic transformation by building programs to help the next generation labor force to understand and address problems differently.

Sustainable Investments in a Better Future

The emergence of new technologies based on recent advances in fundamental science strongly impacts the global outlook. In particular, the digitalization of virtually every sector of economic, political and cultural life requires new technological developments, new regulatory responses, and new investments in human capital.

The U7+ Alliance of world universities is contributing to bringing about a better future through global sustainable development. In addition to providing future generations with sustainability training and education and reducing the environmental impact of our campuses and operations, we also invest our communities’ talent into the creation of innovative solutions to current global problems. We participate in the creation of sustainable, high-quality infrastructure, contributing to sustainable urban development initiatives within our cities and municipalities. We lead the digital transformation by innovating in leadingedge areas such as artificial intelligence. Finally, we also contribute to peace-building by responding in a timely and humanitariancentered manner to contemporary global challenges such as the war in Ukraine.

How Can Universities Contribute to the Development of Smart and Sustainable Cities and Territories?

Université Côte d’Azur, the host institution of our 2022 U7+ Alliance Presidential Summit, is developing its innovation ecosystem dedicated to smart and sustainable territories.

A major challenge of the current century

is to provide our societies with strategies to face the threats, reduce the risks, and promote the well-being of all living species, including humans, in a sustainable way. Observing, understanding, and modeling our planet and its environments are major challenges for the 21st century if we want to enable societies to better manage and control the natural and man-made risks that threaten our planet. In this context, the role of universities is of utmost importance.

Universities have a major role to play in the development of smart and sustainable territories. In 2016, Université Côte d’Azur committed to developing a strong axis dedicated to smart and sustainable territories, fueled by research and strongly embedded in its local innovation ecosystem.

As a university, we were convinced we could be a motor of growth to:

• Support transdisciplinary research leading to groundbreaking innovation.

• Train new generations to become the leaders of tomorrow.

• Anchor academic activities in the socio-economic world, providing applicable solutions in response to urgent issues.

• Connect the local innovation ecosystem to the European and international levels.

Smart and Sustainable Territories rely on core interconnections between people, societies, environments, and the Earth. This encompasses a wide range of multidisciplinary fields including the physical, natural, and social sciences. It also requires developing new research approaches that overcome the current fragmentation of research, integrating scientific knowledge across different disciplines and stakeholders, and co-creating scientific questions and projects. Finally, this calls for the need to develop transdisciplinary research that fuses physical, natural, and social sciences, and integrates scientific experts, practitioners, and civil society.

We believe that only such an integrated transdisciplinary approach of academic research can help us understand natural and human environments, decipher their complex four-dimensional interactions (space, time, type of risk, and resilience), and protect them sustainably.

To create a favorable environment to adopt this transdisciplinary approach, the Space, Environment, Risk and Resilience Academy of Université Côte d’Azur was created as a hub for over 400 researchers from 17 research laboratories (archeology, computer science, physics, astronomy, marine resources, to name a few), four national research institutes (CNRS, Inria, IRD, INRAE), one Observatory and two Schools (Mines Paris Tech and Skema).

Since 2016, 58 projects have been funded to support this growing dynamic. Recently, the Academy brought together chemists, biologists, physicians, mathematicians, and risk management professionals to develop new methods and criteria to measure toxicological risks in a population and help manage crisis situations.

Train the next generation of leaders

Training the next generation is a core mission of universities. Academia must use its scientific potential to renew this training to adapt to new jobs and realities. To address this challenge, Université Côte d’Azur transformed its education program to provide agile structures capable of offering training fueled by research to address the socioeconomic challenges of today, which future generations will need to tackle tomorrow. As a result, specific degrees, such as the MSc Engineers for Smart Cities, the MSc in Environmental

Hazards and Risks Managements, and the Master of Environmental Management were created. Because “smart and sustainable” is a global issue, dedicated training modules were also created in non-specialised master’s programs, such as the Risks and Sustainable Development track included in the Master of Business Law, and the Eco-citizen Communication,

Heritage and Sustainable Development track included in the Master of Information and Communication.

Anchoring academic activities in the socioeconomic world through public-private partnerships

One of the values shared among all partners of the U7+ Alliance is that →

The university has changed and the Université Côte d’Azur is a prime example. Recognized as a university of excellence in 2016 with the Idex and its UCA Jedi project, and strengthened by its values of responsibility, commitment and ambition, the Université Côte d’Azur is developing a collective agility and carrying out an ambitious project around the notion of an intelligent and friendly territory. This dynamic is being developed through its research, the transformation of its training and the dynamics of innovation with its socio- economic partners. The challenge is to produce a dynamic around the objectives of sustainable development and to transmit this dynamic to companies, the territory and beyond.

Despite immense progress in understanding natural and human environments, the diversity, complexity, and interconnections of the ecosystems that make our planet remain a mystery. The need for fundamental academic research is essential.

Urban management has become one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. By 2050, 70% of the world population will live in urban areas. Cities produce 80% of CO2 emissions and concentrate 3/4 of the energy needs of the planet. The goal of smart cities is to better manage the city and make it more pleasant for its inhabitants, its economic actors and its visitors.

IMREDD has the ambition of building the Mediterranean city of tomorrow.

→ academia should not be a passive observer nor a service provider but rather, a solution innovator. To do so, we must provide the necessary opportunities for academia to go beyond the walls of the laboratory and demonstrate that science improves lives.

To this end, Université Côte d’Azur has created the Mediterranean Institute of Risk, Environment, and Sustainable Development (IMREDD) dedicated to smart territory, risk management, and prevention. Taking advantage of the French riviera’s international influence and appeal, and participating in its development, the IMREDD brings together researchers, teachers, students, entrepreneurs, economic partners and local authorities to craft inclusive and efficient solutions for the territory of the future. Examples include the development of a living lab to address local environmental and economic challenges, such as optimizing water use in agriculture and increasing energy efficiency at local ski resorts and greenhouses.

IMREDD develops its activities around four strategic activity areas (SAAs): energy through intelligent buildings/ neighborhoods, mobility, risks, the environment and, across these areas, human beings.

effective connections and interactions between fundamental research and innovation. Furthermore, building upon the commitment to smart territories, the Interdisciplinary Institute for Artificial Intelligence Côte d’Azur (3IA) is dedicated to the application of artificial intelligence to smart territories. Within AI for Smart and Secure Territories, the group works to design intelligent systems that should help communities to predict risks, extract knowledge from data, and ultimately report back to users. Areas of impact include predicting earthquakes and preventing forest fires using AI.

It is imagined and designed around the Smart City Innovation Centre, an open Technological Platform that ensures the

The 3IA Côte d’Azur Institute is one of the four 3IA institutes labeled in France in 2019 and relies on six key academic actors of AI in the region, while being supported by local partners including more than 100 companies and start-ups. The Institute has established itself as a unifying force and a local gateway for transforming AI technological innovation emerging from research laboratories into use cases for companies and local authorities, while supporting all citizens to train in or become familiar with these technologies. Since its inception, 3IA has funded a large diversity of projects, including, but not limited to: 3D modelling of large-scale environments for smart territories, territorial security through environmental risk management and distributed dark fiber optic sensing for smart cities monitoring.

From the 3IA standpoint, the concept of smart and secure territories refers to sustainable cities, non-urban areas and communities with networked intelligent systems that place the users at their core and deliver personalized services and resources suited to wide range of behaviors, constraints, and preferences. Such intelligent systems should help sense complex situations, make decisions, predict risks, extract knowledge from data and report back to users.

Shaping The World’s Digital Transformation: The Role of Universities

Under the priority “advancing digital progress in an inclusive global order,” the Report on the Policy Priorities for Germany’s G7 Presidency in 2022 states that “the COVID-19 pandemic was a clear reminder of the need to speed up, and also to shape the digital transformation. The approach that countries take at the national and international levels will have a profound impact on innovation, economic progress and prosperity.” The German Presidency’s Report also notes that the production and use of digital technologies that are “embedded in an open, democratic and rules-based order” will have to be strengthened.

centric; that is, that it enhances human well-being and capacities at all times.

The U7+ Alliance is strongly convinced, as mentioned in a Université de Montréalled report it sponsored in 2020, that universities can and “should play a more active role in systems of research and innovation, and that this role should transcend their current boundaries.” The U7+ Alliance is also convinced that, as sources of information that citizens and political representatives consider highly credible, universities are well positioned to play the role of trust brokers in the digital ecosystem and engage with its other stakeholders (e.g. firms, NGOs, citizen forums).

It is clearly the intention of the U7+ Alliance to play an active part in future collaborative efforts to shape the digital transformation of our economies and societies and to help develop norms required to ensure that technology is human

Among other things, this conviction led the U7+ Alliance to support the creation, in 2021, of the HAICU Lab (the “Human-Centered AI+ for/by Colleges and Universities” Lab, where AI+ stands for artificial intelligence and other digital innovations). The HAICU Lab’s goals include: (1) promoting high-impact →

→ international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral dialogue and research on human-centered AI+; (2) creating, sharing and promoting best practices, tools and solutions that contribute to embedding responsible human-centered digital innovation principles and mechanisms within the university’s core mandates of research and education (and other key processes like student recruitment) and within society; and (3) developing innovative evidence-informed digital solutions.

The HAICU Lab has already launched a series of projects that will contribute to reaching these goals.

For example, its first book (HumanCentered AI: a Multidisciplinary Perspective for Policy-Makers, Auditors and Users, Routledge’s Chapman & Hall/CRC Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Series, 2023) will provide a solid academic understanding of the many meanings and components of human-centered AI, but it will mostly emphasize concrete examples and use cases to reveal practices, challenges, and opportunities across a wide range of industries, and present lessons learned and promising practices that will inform policy-making and policy innovation. To enrich the academic perspective of the book and encourage discussions between the emerging science of human-centered AI and views from regulators, developers and users in various spheres of activity stakeholders, each section will be supplemented by interviews with key institutional players.

Another key project of the HAICU Lab will address the fact that there’s been an increasing number of academic-industry collaborations in AI in recent years. Recent articles have highlighted the potential benefits (e.g. increased research dollars) and drawbacks (e.g. changes in research directions or restrictions on academic freedom) associated with the establishment of these collaborations. But it’s not clear how researchers and universities, on the one hand, and AI technology firms, on the other, should act, in concrete terms, to mitigate the detrimental consequences of university-firm collaborations while maximizing their benefits. To contribute to addressing this challenge, the HAICU Lab will characterize the relationships established between universities and firms in the development

of research in different sectors of activity; it will define the issues associated with the establishment of this type of partnership, as well as the benefits that are expected from them and that result in concrete terms; and, finally, it will identify the strategies to put in place to ensure the international governance of these relationships, in order to maximize the benefits for all concerned parties.

These projects will only succeed because of the applied work conducted and the vast network of relationships established by the 13 universities that are currently HAICU Lab members (3 from Canada, 3 from France, 1 from India, 2 from Italy, 1 from Japan, 1 from Senegal, 1 from the UK and 1 from the US).

To conclude, Georges Clémenceau famously said that “war is too important to be left to the generals.” There is no doubt in our mind that the digital transformations our economies and societies have started undertaking are too important to be left to firms, computer scientists and governments alone. There is a need for universities to co-lead initiatives with the other players of the digital ecosystem. The U7+ Alliance, the HAICU Lab and academia in general certainly intend to collaborate with other stakeholders and make their voice heard loud and clear in the years to come.

It is the intention of the U7+ Alliance, a group that comprises more than 50 universities from around the world, including institutions from G7 countries, to play an active part in future collaborative efforts to shape the digital transformation of our economies and societies and to help develop norms required to ensure that technology enhances human wellbeing at all times.

The U7+ Alliance as Mediator for Peace and Security: Responding to the War in Ukraine

In addition to the U7+ Alliance work in creating sustainable infrastructure, participating the in the development of smart and sustainable territories, and innovating in human-centered technology, we are also committed to building a better future through our role as bridge-builders and mediators for peace and security in global conflicts.

Upholding the democratic principles that lay at the foundation of higher education, as well as the multilateral rules-based order established within the framework of the United Nations, and the stated “Stronger Together” goal of the G7 German presidency in 2022, members of the U7+ Alliance have long worked to support students and scholars at risk due to conflicts around the world.

Following this pattern of action, in 2022 members of the Alliance have taken a clear stance on the crisis in Ukraine. Shortly after the Russian military entrance on Ukraine’s territory, Presidents of the universities that form the U7+ Alliance have signed a statement standing “in solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian universities, and with all those affected by the violence currently perpetrated by the Russian government.” In addition to this collective statement, member institutions in the U7+ Alliance have individually put out statements and signed resolutions condemning the invasion, suspending relationships with Russian institutions, and reviewing their institutions’ portfolios of investments to cut ties with the Russian state.

U7+ members have risen to the global challenge posed by the displacement of Ukrainian refugees. They have created scholarships, fellowships, and residences through a variety of funding sources, such as emergency funds, donations, and existing Scholars-At-Risk international programs, to open positions at their home institutions for Ukrainian scholars, researchers, and students fleeing Ukraine. Universities currently engaged in these programs include the University of Toronto, the University of Montreal, Columbia University, Northwestern University, Freie Universität Berlin, Università degli Studi di Milano, the University of Tokyo, Imperial

College London, University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Strasbourg, and Université PSL. Northwestern University is offering summer fellowships and the University of Toronto is offering tuition support for current Ukrainian students who cannot return home. Université Paris Saclay has offered accommodation assistance to the families of current Ukrainian students who wish to join them in France. Our German partners at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Technical University of Munich, and University of Heidelberg are collecting donations to support Ukrainian students and scholars.

Some of our partners have also extended support to Ukrainians refugees who are neither students nor scholars. University of Naples Federico II is collaborating on the ground with non-profit organizations who are helping refugees crossing the Ukrainian borders. At Imperial College London’s Business School, a team of students, faculty and staff have been working with the French charity Solidarité Ukraine and created a guide that provides practical advice on how French community leaders can best manage the arrival and resettlement of Ukrainian people.

Many U7+ universities have also expanded the support offered on their campuses to current Ukrainian students and researchers, as well as Russian students and scholars who, by opposing Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine, face the potential of political prosecution from the Russian government. Mental health resources have been made available for people of all nationalities affected by the conflict at University of Toronto, Université Grenoble Alpes, and Université Paris Saclay, among others.

Faculty affiliated with the U7+ institutions have been offering insightful and unflinching expert commentary since the beginning of the conflict, helping the world understand what is happening. In addition, events bringing together expert voices from both inside and outside of academia have been organized by members of our Alliance and in collaboration with other universities around the world. A plethora of lectures, panel discussions, colloquia, and conversations have covered topics as important as current diplomatic strategies, humanitarian aid, Russian

censorship and propaganda, analyses of the Ukrainian and Russian militaries, and the risk of nuclear confrontation. Columbia University has hosted panels with the latest commentary on the war, as well as the status of Ukrainian studies in the academy. The London School of Economics has hosted a series of panels to discuss the war’s impact on current global issues. Imperial College London has analyzed what the war means for climate change. And Seoul National University has hosted discussions about war and gender by analyzing the impact of the conflict for Ukrainian women.

In the few months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, scholars affiliated with U7+ universities have also produced numerous publications that seek to contribute to civic discourse on the war. In blogs, articles, and think pieces disseminated across different media, they have provided expert opinions on the situation in Ukraine from a variety of geopolitical, economic, historical, and social perspectives according to their areas of expertise.

Students at our institutions have shown incredible commitment and creativity coming up with gestures of solidarity and gathering material support for Ukrainian

people. Students at Freie Universitat Berlin have created an online platform that connects refugees in need of temporary accommodation with volunteers who can accommodate them. Student networks at the Sapienza University of Rome have been collecting supplies to send to Ukraine and collaborating with the Red Cross to raise funds. Marches for peace, vigils, rallies, and other gatherings of support have taken place at Georgetown University, Sapienza University of Rome, Australian National University, and University of Edinburgh. Members of the McGill University students trumpet studio recorded a moving instrumental version of the Ukrainian national anthem.

While the alliance has made a demonstrated effort to support Ukrainians and Russian dissidents, we are also committed to supporting values of peace and open societies everywhere. All violence and all wars anywhere on the globe are, at their core, a devastating collapse of respect for humanity. We urge that all refugees fleeing conflict be treated equally and with compassion, without prejudice based on race, nationality, gender, or any other identity, and we commit to supporting our global community. →

Stronger Together: A Resolute Commitment to Open Societies

Academic freedom is in crisis around the world. The resurgence of autocracy has stripped many universities of the autonomy necessary to fulfill their core mission -- the creation of knowledge and education of future generations. At the same time, the crisis of democracy, evident in rising political extremism and polarization, has threatened the freedom of some university faculty to address controversial topics in research and teaching. In civil society at large, disinformation and misinformation have become rampant. Developing suitable approaches and counterstrategies to counter these developments is of outmost importance.

In line with the G7+ “resolute commitment to open societies and human rights as well as the defence of liberal democracies,” the U7+ Alliance is committed to protecting academic freedom and strengthening scientific communication. For member institutions of the U7+ Alliance, prioritizing the integrity and security of science and research is an integral component of liberal democracy and the preservation of open societies. Given its foundational commitment to academic freedom and its global reach, the U7+ Alliance is well positioned to address academic freedom issues, in full awareness of the very different challenges that universities face in diverse contexts around the world.

The U7+ Alliance is committed to protecting academic freedom and strengthening scientific communication, and therefore prioritizing the integrity and security of science and research as integral components of liberal democracy and open societies.

at every annual U7+ Presidential Summit, setting the agenda for discussions on academic freedom.

Academic freedom has two interrelated components -- institutional and individual. At the institutional level, universities must have the capacity to organize the pursuit and transmission of knowledge free of political interference. Although they vary in their dependence on governments for institutional support and financial resources, even universities tied to the state must be assured ample freedom to execute their academic mission free of partisan political pressure. At the individual level, university faculty must be free to express themselves in the classroom and in publications. This freedom of research and teaching is not absolute. Faculty are expected to adhere to professional standards in their work. And, even in democracies, their freedom of expression has justified limits, as in the case of prohibitions on anti-Semitic and racist speech.

The basic ambiguity in both components of academic freedom -- both must be protected, yet neither is absolute -- can serve as a starting point for a conversation about challenges to the freedom of universities and individual faculty and how best to address them in practice.

The U7+ Academic Freedom Working Group of administrators and faculty, championed by Georgetown University, was created in 2020 and has since been present

Contributors:

Other key issues concern the scope of academic freedom (freedom in research and teaching vs freedom of expression more broadly – on campus and in the public sphere) and the importance of university autonomy from pressures from donors, as well as government agencies. The autonomy of institutions and academics from government interference and the interests of private capital has to be protected in order to guarantee their credibility as legitimate expert vis-à-vis civil society. ■

Annelise Riles, Executive Director of Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, Leader of U7+Alliance Secretariat at Northwestern University Catherine Régis and Jean-Louis Denis, co-leaders of the HAICU Lab of the U7+ Alliance, University of Montreal

Gwen Burrows, Executive Director, International, University of Toronto

Tom Banchoff, Vice President for Global Engagement, Georgetown University Shayan Khan, Chairman U7+ Student and Alumni Network

Cecile Sabourault, Vice President of International Development, Université Côte d’Azur Saranne Comel, Université Côte d’Azur

The new genius is a collaborative genius

UK-India partnership upwards trajectory is positive for the world

After a positive summit last year in Cornwall, it is great to see India returning to the G7 Summit this year; a clear illustration of India’s rising position as an influential and important player in the world.

Ongoing events – most notably the global pandemic and conflicts around the world (including most recently the Russian invasion of Ukraine – have shown that cooperation and collaboration with likeminded partners has never been more critical.

The UK and India have a deep and wide relationship, which is strengthening and impacting on critical issues such as trade, development, defence and security, and healthcare.

Trade to Grow

The UK and India are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, which seeks to grow trade, investment and collaboration between our two countries. As the 5th and 6th largest economies in the world, a UK-India FTA would help to create significant opportunities for both economies by making it easier for businesses to trade and invest within the UK-India corridor, building on the more than 550-strong UK businesses invested in India employing more than 400,000 people, and over 850 Indian companies in the UK employing over 95,000. Reducing the barriers to trade and cooperation would help to create more jobs, develop industry in both countries, and contribute to economic development.

Wider business impact

Increased trade and investment would also more widely support our populations’

livelihoods. As well as UK businesses contributing to India’s development through investment, the jobs they create, the technology and knowledge they transfer, and the products and services they provide, they also contribute through the programmes and initiatives they run, through research, and training, in areas such as education, healthcare, digital technology, infrastructure, and energy. See some great examples in a recent UKIBC report.

Businesses all over the world are increasingly, and rightly, taking up their role in contributing to sustainable development and a positive societal impact. That includes supporting a greener future, helping to nurture widespread education, maintaining a healthy population, and upholding equality for all people. As this duty extends across national borders through trade and investment, the scope for international collaboration and learning is hugely

positive for wider society.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are the universal framework for sustainable development, made up of 17 goals that cover all aspects of development, from hunger and sanitation, to industry and climate action. With India home to around 1/5 of the world’s population, close Indian involvement in seeking solutions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be critical to the world’s achievement. That is

enough reason alone for India and the G7 countries to come closer and work together, but the positive development in these bilateral and multilateral corridors is also relevant the world over, as these leading countries simultaneously support third countries.

Partners in Addressing Climate Change

At COP26, Prime Minister Johnson and Prime Minister Modi jointly announced three high-profile commitments that will see the UK and India work in partnership across renewable energy grids, finance, and disaster relief. This partnership between the UK and India leading together on a global stage is right and appropriate for the fifth and sixth largest economies in the world. Clearly, there is always more that can be done, but it is good to see action being taken.

Defence and Security Collaboration Defence cooperation between the UK and India has strengthened in recent years too, most visible when the UK Carrier Strike Group visited India last November. A greater UK-India defence and security partnership is a real win-win, which supports India’s defence modernisation goals. UK defence firms generally support India’s self-reliant mission ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and India’s push for defence manufacturing indigenisation. During PM Johnson’s visit to India, he and PM Modi jointly announced that our countries will work together to boost security in the Indo-Pacific, with support from the UK to collaborate with India on new fighter jet technology, helicopters and collaboration in the undersea battlespace. Greater cooperation between friends is evidently required in current times.

Combatting Covid and pandemic preparedness

From the Oxford University, Astra Zeneca and Serum Institute of India collaboration on vaccines, to sharing critical PPE and oxygen in times of need, the UK and India have supported each other throughout the pandemic. The pandemic was mostly a reactive phenomenon that countries all around the world were underprepared for. Forging greater partnerships for similar scenarios in the future, and supporting

populations now, is hugely positive.

All these areas of cooperation will benefit from an FTA as it is ultimately people and businesses that define a bilateral relationship. Businesses in both countries feel that rationalisation in tariffs, removal of nontariff barriers, data adequacy agreements, and protection of intellectual property will go a long way in creating meaningful opportunities for trade and investment. Sectors such as digital and ICT, food and drink, defence, healthcare and pharma, and heavy engineering will benefit, strengthening both countries’ economies through increased employment, security and economic contribution.

All this is underpinned by the people living in and between our two countries. This ‘Living Bridge’ binds our countries together and enables us to share ideas, expertise, and work on common goals.

The Indo-Pacific is where much of the world’s economic growth will take place in the coming decades. No wonder, therefore, that the UK and other G7 members have made it their missions to develop their relations in the region.

India’s ties with the UK, US, Canada, EU and Japan will be crucial for its technological and economic transformation. It will also be crucial for the world that our countries work together towards shared goals and shared prosperity. ■

Defence cooperation between the UK and India has strengthened in recent years too, most visible when the UK Carrier Strike Group visited India last November. A greater UK-India defence and security partnership is a real win-win, which supports India’s defence modernisation goals.

Germany and Japan are partners through shared values

On his visit to Tokyo, Federal Chancellor Scholz underlined the close partnership between Germany and Japan. Scholz stressed the importance of the partnership, not only with a view to supporting Ukraine but in its wider context of the Indo-Pacific region and challenges for the future of the whole world such as climate protection.

Federal Chancellor Scholz travelled to Japan to harmonise policy objectives on current issues with Germany’s close G7 partner. In a joint press conference at the end of their first meeting on Thursday, Federal Chancellor reflected on the initial outcomes of his talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Both leaders were unanimous in their condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Germany and Japan are “shoulder to shoulder”

The Federal Chancellor expressed Germany’s gratitude to Japan for joining sanctions against Russia and for the support it is providing to Ukraine. Scholz said Germany and Japan were “shoulder to shoulder” in defending the United Nations Charter, the rules-based international order and human rights.

On the issue of Ukraine, Prime Minister Kishida said that the international status quo must not be changed through violence and unilateral action – something that also applied to the Indo-Pacific region. Kishida

went on to say Japan was helping Ukraine in a range of ways. He expressed his gratitude for Germany’s offer to take Japanese aid supplies for Ukraine back on the Federal Chancellor’s official aircraft.

Agreement on regular government consultations

The two heads of government underlined the close cooperation between Germany and Japan, not only in supporting Ukraine but also on other political issues such as global challenges around climate protection, securing supply chains and preserving free trade routes. Bilateral relations would be intensified and improved through regular government consultations starting next year, the two leaders said.

G7: Japan takes over Presidency in 2023

Scholz and Kishida also stressed the importance of close coordination between the two countries within the framework of the G7, which provides for cooperation between the world’s major industrial nations.

Germany currently holds the G7 Presidency, which Japan will take over next year.

Federal Chancellor attends business conference

Federal Chancellor Scholz began his visit to Japan on Thursday by taking part in the German-Japanese Business Dialogue conference. Following their one-to-one meeting, the Federal Chancellor and Prime Minister Kishida met senior business representatives. That evening the Federal Chancellor attended a dinner hosted by the Japanese Prime Minister.

Before returning to Germany on Friday, Scholz also visited a hydrogen production facility in the city of Kawasaki. The Federal Chancellor stressed Germany and Japan’s ambitious goals for climate challenges, “so it will also be important for us to collaborate on technology, such as on issues of the hydrogen energy economy”. For Scholz it was a matter of “developing a new global trade that simultaneously helps our countries become climate neutral industrial nations”. ■

The Federal Chancellor expressed Germany’s gratitude to Japan for joining sanctions against Russia and for the support it is providing to Ukraine. Scholz said Germany and Japan were “shoulder to shoulder” in defending the United Nations Charter, the rules-based international order and human rights.

UNIPLAT:

Advancing Researchers, Entrepreneurs, and Organizations’ Ability to Contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Developmental Goals

Research and entrepreneurship in scarce academic and societal settings have been hampered by the lack of funding, global visibility, and engagement compared to more high academic profile and high income country environments. This has contributed to brain drain and missed opportunities for global health.

UNIPLAT is an online platform specifically designed to help, support, and link entrepreneurs and researchers active in areas related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). In a simple yet innovative platform, researchers and entrepreneurs can be credited in a unique and transparent way based on their achievements.

UNIPLAT aims to promote sound research and entrepreneurship based on individual credibility, irrespective of the country of origin. In this way, all efforts, independent of socioeconomic circumstances and in an equal manner, can be capitalized on for global health.

Officially released in October 2021, currently UNIPLAT has members from 94 countries including organizations, companies, and research institutes that want to promote their affiliated researchers.

So far, UNIPLAT has been developing functions and features that help users in many ways. Some of the main features are:

My Lab

A one stop corner where every user can see all contents published by each researcher, entrepreneur, and organization as well as other information such as Credit Rating, etc.

The World’s First Cryptocurrency Donation

Regardless of the economic situation in the region where researchers and entrepreneurs are located, they have an equal chance to earn ETH donations from donors all over the world when they publish and promote their content.

Researchers and entrepreneurs can also raise their own offline funding.

Credit Rating (Researcher Ranking)

It is an automatic evaluation of a researcher/entrepreneur based on their activities on UNIPLAT using AI. The evaluation result is shown as a credit score, which indicates the researcher/entrepreneur’s credibility.

Pre IP

Pre IP is an abbreviation for “Pre (Registered)

Intelligent Property” and a unique UNIPLAT term. When researchers and entrepreneurs register their content (videos and documents) published on the platform as Pre IP, UNIPLAT will issue a certificate containing the content’s uploaded time, uploader name, and other details. It certifies that the content is authentically registered under the relevant researcher/entrepreneur’s name using blockchain’s smart contract technology.

“

UNIPLAT allows companies and other kinds of organizations to showcase their SDGs and CSR initiatives which can lead to the enhancement of their organization’s ESG values. ”

MYANMAR

PEACE AND HARMONY LEADS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Theessence of Myanmar is clear: it is always in peace and harmony.

Only with peace and harmony can we achieve economic growth. Everyone should understand it. Nevertheless, Our country’s civil war is still going on. We need to end the barren battle now, not tomorrow. The young people who support the development of Myanmar are urgently seeking true peace. The prosperity and peace of the nation are inseparable. We have basic human rights by nature. Its rights do not depend on race, gender, beliefs, social status or education. In other words, it is individuality, it is freedom, it is the right to live. And in return for retaining that right, we have an obligation to seek and realize peace. Therefore, we Myanmar

people should first build a peaceful society by ourselves. Students, young people, politicians, and even military personnel cannot escape their obligations.

It cannot be denied that Myanmar is a poor country. It is undeniable that the beginning of our poverty is due to our hostility and conflict. In this globalized world, the instability of one country may reduce the world, even the universe. Especially in the economy, each country plays a role in the structure of international division of labor. Even the big powers that are recognized as advanced country cannot exist in one country.

So to speak, the world is connected by one economic system, and each country plays a role according to its own characteristics. In that system, the world will be premised on having common values and equal trading. That is why there is no solution of war in our options. War is the worst and the most abominable sin. We must abandon this rotten behavior. To free us from poverty, we need positive and new policies.

Do you love your country? We also love Myanmar from the bottom of our hearts and seek true justice from this country. Now I want to clarify what that justice should be. The army is there to protect the people. You should not be involved in politics or administration. I want you to return to the original form of protecting national security. They are responsible for national security.

Modern society should not be decided by force with a pointing gun. We, the people, have the right to determine our destiny and representation. We have the right to speak up. The leaders we choose must be growth-oriented in terms of humanitarianism, communication, economics, education and SDGs. It is essential for Myanmar to focus on economic growth and GDP growth. We are part of a globalized world. It cannot exist as an isolated country. For peace and prosperity, we need to build special relationships with other countries.

It is illegal to influence the law with small number of wills. No matter what you do, it’s not fair. There must be the greatest number of wills and Everyone has a right to enjoy his liberty, and all the more, his life. Laws for the minority in power with firearms and violence are injustice. Power and leadership are always tested in the litmus paper of public opinion. It can be decided by the people who have sovereignty.

In order for Myanmar to make a new start for the future, it is important to catch up with new technologies first. There is no time to repeat the history of conflict. Our leaders do not look back on the past and want us to present a bright future that forgets the dark past. The next leader should be a younger generation with a foresight and a positive attitude. Let’s talk at the table for peace before it’s too late. Let’s hold elections peacefully by 2023 with a fair election system. Explore peace from the bottom of your heart, not revenge. We need to understand and respect each other. Even if it is a complicated problem, we should be able to solve it by being considerate of each other.

We Myanmar people are actually family, let peace and prosperity be among us. God Bless Myanmar and peace of God be around the world. ■

Another American-made business was born in a garage recently. This time, they are not making computers or software.

You might be familiar with a few garage-born, USA-based businesses. Perhaps it’s a rite of passage for American entrepreneurs they get hit with an idea to better the world, grab their trusted tribe, and courageously collaborate in their garage like a team of mad scientists (or like Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin the pioneers of Apple and Google).

One main factor these trailblazing companies had in common is a mission beyond selling widgets. Take Apple’s original mission statement, for example: “To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind.”

...and Google’s original mission statement:

“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Another USA-Based Business Born in a GarageAre We Surprised?

Meet Mark Trebilcock entrepreneur, engineer, and environmentalist based in Santa Clarita, California. He’s the inventor of the Dirt Locker® hillside terracing system. Dirt Locker®’s mission is to provide proactive solutions for a healthier today in order to help build a better tomorrow. The company does this by designing and manufacturing environmentally positive products from domestically recycled plastic. Dirt Locker® is revolutionizing the agriculture and landscaping industries

because the product helps save water, stop erosion, and protect plants all while capturing pesky plastics!

It all started on a sunny day in Mark’s Southern California hillside garden. The birds were chirping and the butterflies were pollinating, but there were even more butterflies churning in his stomach as his hillside gardening problems grew steeper. No matter how hard he tried to grow his favorite plants and fruit trees, he ran into countless issues with the hard-packed clay soil and uneven sloped landscape. The hillside garden failed to capture rainwater and lock in vital topsoil and nutrients. He would slip and slide down the hill when trying to maintain the plants, leading to further erosion issues. He knew he needed to get a plan locked down, so he did as many American entrepreneurs do headed to the garage in hopes to change the world.

Now, Dirt Locker® makes use of recycled plastic (the equivalent of over 1 million plastic milk jugs each year) so garden lovers can finally utilize their

DIRT LOCKER® IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE AGRICULTURE AND LANDSCAPING INDUSTRIES BECAUSE THE PRODUCT HELPS SAVE WATER, STOP EROSION, AND PROTECT PLANTS - ALL WHILE CAPTURING PESKY PLASTICS!

hillside landscape. It wasn’t always a downhill battle, however. Developing a prototype and securing a patent was the company’s first big mission, but the first patent was denied. Mark never gave up because he knew he had to share this ground-breaking product with the world. Having always been a resourceful fellow, he tapped into his resources and knowledge base. Mark studied Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at the University of Central Florida and his passion for engineering and manufacturing took him down a 20-year-long career developing lifesaving products like pacemakers for St. Jude Medical Incorporated. These studies along with his decades of experience in manufacturing made him well-equipped to finally secure a patent for the Dirt Locker® system and build an efficient team that could sustain the upcoming growth.

The Dirt Locker® team kept the momentum going beyond the United States. On trips to East Africa and Haiti, they saw the need for an agricultural

product to help people grow their food in inhospitable terrain. During a trip through Rwanda and Uganda, they were hit with an epiphany take Dirt Locker® international so they could serve neighbors beyond the USA. Mark had a positive experience working in Haiti as a volunteer for Love A Child (www.LoveaChild.com), an organization that provides job creation, healthcare, orphanage service, and education, so he sent I Dirt Lockers® to Haiti in hopes to add an abundance of vegetation to their impoverished local communities. The interest and feedback from farmers, homeowners and landscape professionals across the globe validated this new epiphany; the Dirt Locker® now ships to numerous countries!

The whole team at Dirt Locker® values sustainable gardening, recycling, and entrepreneurship. As a teenager growing up in Miami, Florida, Mark saw his mom tending to unique fruit trees and he learned about the importance of self-sustained living. His obsession with gardening along with his entrepreneurial mind led him to start his own landscaping business at only 13years-old (shortly after the wheel was invented)! He didn’t care if he had to ride his bike from lawn to lawn, pulling a heavy wagon filled to the top with landscaping tools all he cared about was putting a smile on people’s faces in the form of gardening! This tenacious spirit runs wild in the company, which explains why they’ve gone from serving a few dozen customers per month to over 200 customers per month in less than 1 year!

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

African Proverb

One thing about these garageborn businesses is that they thrive on synergistic collaborations. Steve Jobs picked Steve Wozniak because he knew Woz was a wiz with electrical engineering and computer programming. Steve Jobs trusted Wozniak to help execute his vision and turn the “digital page” for humanity. Larry Page picked Sergey Brin to build the first iteration of Google (formerly PageRank in 1996) because Brin was

one of the top students in the computer science program at Stanford University. It’s just what good, humble CEOs do. They hire people smarter than them in certain aspects and they become cheerleaders for those teammates! To no surprise, Mark knew it was time to expand the Dirt Locker® team, so he hired a bookkeeper, Krista Stewart. That way he could focus less on the books and more on engineering products for the betterment of humanity.

“When I met Mark 12 months ago, I thought I was getting into a bookkeeper role. Mark admitted he was not the most organized with the books, and that’s what people like me are for! I learned more about his product as we started working together. What instantly caught my attention was the recycled plastic each Dirt Locker® utilizes the recycled plastic from the equivalent of over 13 plastic milk jugs. Green living is at the center of my being (I do grocery runs at local farms and I drive an electric vehicle), so I finished my bookkeeping tasks early each day so I could spend extra time helping Mark get organized with other aspects of the business like shipping, manufacturing, social media, website management, and providing reliable customer service. I just kept asking where I could help, even if I had to Google things. It felt like the right thing to do.”

Tenacity and courage are at the core of Krista’s roots. She spent most of her teenage years competing as a gymnast, training for the 2008 Olympics. She prepared her whole childhood for this competition, but she was tragically struck with life-changing news that severe nerve damage would prevent her from ever competing again. Suddenly her career trajectory was at a halt.

The doctors told her there was no hope of the damage reversing and she’d need walking assistance, but her unstoppable attitude had other plans. Miraculously and against all odds, Krista gained the strength and courage to power through physical therapy and get up walking, then hiking and back to competing in NCAA’s within 12 months. →

DIRTLOCKER

→ That’s the kind of company culture you see at Dirt Locker®. The team goes against all odds. They push through when the challenges are “steep”.

Diversity is another vital value in this ground-breaking company. Dirt Locker® employees have a diversity of ages ranging from 26 years old to 58. The team is a melting pot of cultures including team members from Korea, Brazil, Norway, and Cuba, which leads

to a deep, dynamic understanding of their customer base.

The synergy goes even further than this combination of life experience and cultures Dirt Locker® employees also come from a variety of career backgrounds such as special education, systems management, engineering and e-commerce. The sum of all these positive traits and experiences makes for an innovative team.

To make sure they leave a minimal impact on their local environments, the entire team works remotely and the company does not rent any office space. The Dirt Locker® staff is always eager to hop on emails, phone calls, or even video chats with customers to help their hillside gardens come to life.

Customers are glowing with excitement in their VIP FaceBook group called “Dirt Locker® The Dirty Details”. Some of the company’s raving reviews:

“It worked out fabulously! My project was a huge success for such a reasonable investment! Thank you, Dirt Locker®!” Laurie

“Arrived in three days. The people at Dirt Locker® are great to work with.” Christopher

“I solved my hillside problem with Dirt Locker®. Thank you very much for your products” Dong

Hopefully, you see the takeaway message from this story do not park your car in the garage because that space can be used for your next entrepreneurial idea! Only kidding, but keep that in mind next time you wave to your neighbour in their garage they might be one innovative idea away from changing the world!

The Dirt Locker® is an eco-friendly product made from 100% recycled, post-consumer waste, high-density polyethylene (HPDE) which is approved for food-grade storage by the FDA. Dirt Locker® can handle conditions as cold as -58°F and as hot as 160°F so you can plant them in your hillside gardens from Florida to Alaska and beyond. The terracing system works on steep hillsides up to 45° so it can handle a variety of sloped landscaping projects. The company even reduces its carbon footprint through transportation and manufacturing efficiencies that use recycled plastic as close to the buyer as possible. The product creates a series of steps on a hillside garden that capture rainwater, reduce irrigation, and allow for safe access to plants. Visit www.DirtLocker.com to see before-and-after pictures and videos of hillside gardens across the globe! ■

Global Healthcare is a Global Responsibility

JARVIS COLLEGE

“TOUT SANG COULE ROUGE” ALL BLOOD RUNS RED

Recognizing

American Expatriate, Aviator and French National Military Hero, who guided the path into the skies for fellow trailblazing Black Pilots Bessie Coleman and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Engaged in an aerial dogfight while flying in the open cockpit of a SPAD

S.VII, dubbed “the flying machine gun” (1), without a parachute and 17,000 feet above Verdun, France in 1917, Eugene Jacques Bullard, the Black Swallow of Death, became America’s first Black Combat Pilot, ironically fighting for France against the Germans during World War I.

Why was America’s First Black Combat Pilot fighting for France in World War 1? The full article, “TOUT SANG COULE ROUGE”, ALL BLOOD RUNS RED, recounting Eugene Jacques Bullard’s Odyssey from America to France will be published in the G20 Indonesia 2022 publication.

AUTHORS: Chestley E. Talley and Kathy M. Graham

EUGENE JACQUES BULLARD, THE BLACK SWALLOW OF DEATH, AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK COMBAT PILOT.

AtAkzoNobel, we’ve made it our business to deliver the sustainable and innovative solutions that our customers, communities – and the planet – are increasingly relying on. We’re fully focused on ensuring that the pioneering paints and coatings we supply today can help safeguard our world far beyond tomorrow.

Passion for Paint and Commitment to Carbon Reduction

to more than 100,000 people in local communities. Beyond 2030, we aim to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Our commitment to sciencebased sustainability targets Our sustainability targets are aligned with the Paris Agreement and were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We are the

Sustainable Solutions – how we are helping our customers

We’re always looking for new ways to drive sustainable innovation that brings tangible benefits, delivers a positive social and environmental impact, and enables our customers to reach their own sustainability goals. That is why we focus on developing

(WBCSD). A sustainable solution is a product or service that meets at least one of the following criteria:

Reduced carbon and energy

How we’re tackling climate change and help our customers to do the same. We have developed low embodied carbon products, solutions that require less energy in their application and

solutions that help the user of the coated object use less energy. Our Cool Chemistry coatings technology helps building owners use less energy for air conditioning in heat intensive regions and our reflective coating for light fixtures can help give up to 30% more output. We have developed innovative coatings allowing for reduced energy usage in the application and curing of coatings including our Low-E powder coatings. Coatings that can dry at ambient temperatures or using UV curing technology allow for reduced energy or faster production thus bringing als economical savings.

Reduced, reused and renewed material use

How we’re combating resource scarcity such as using less materials. As part of our ongoing efforts to deal with resource scarcity, we are using less materials and finding various ways to reuse and recycle our waste. These are reflected in certain

Dulux and Sikkens products that contain renewable raw materials. We have rolled out our Dulux Evolve product platform containing 35% of recycled post-consumer paint waste in multiple countries. We are able to help our customers to reduce material use for instance with our Interpon XTR platform allowing for reduced film thickness.

Less waste

How we are striving to reduce waste in our value chain. We are aiming to achieve 100% reusable waste by 2030. We are developing solutions to help our customers reduce waste in their own processes. We set new standards in sustainability through leveraging technology for automated spraying to reduce overspray and for powder coatings application processes to produce virtually no waste at all. Our high solid products allow us to use less packaging and thus reduce the packaging waste of our customers.

AKZONOBEL

THE COMMITMENT WE’VE MADE COVERS THE FULL VALUE CHAIN AND IS ALIGNED WITH THE PARIS AGREEMENT – WHICH AIMS TO LIMIT GLOBAL WARMING AND ENSURE THAT GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE DOESN’T EXCEED 1.5˚C ABOVE PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS. THIS INCLUDES OUR OWN OPERATIONS (SCOPE 1 AND 2), AS WELL AS SCOPE 3 UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM. SCOPE 3 COVERS PURCHASED GOODS AND SERVICES, APPLICATION AND USE OF OUR PRODUCTS, AND END-OF-LIFE.

Longer lasting performance

How our durable products help customers protect surfaces for longer and thus lower costs and save resources. We develop innovative and durable products that protect surfaces for longer, prolonging maintenance cycles, and keeping things more colorful. In the built environment and transportation sectors coated substrates need to resist to weather impacts and our longer lasting solutions help our customers reduce their cope 3 carbon footprint.

Health and well-being

How we aim to reduce the use of harmful substances and to reduce

health risks for users and end-users of our products. A great example is our chrome free primer Aerodur HS 2121 we developed for our aerospace customers providing numerous performance, appearance and application benefits. Secondly, we develop solutions that bring particular health and well-being advantages to our customers. As a member of the World Green Building Council we are driving the development of more healthy buildings where people live and work. We have solutions for healthy buildings that significantly improve indoor air quality, help keep surfaces hygienically clean and help contribute through the use of color to more comfort. Examples include our

new Dulux Airsure 99,9% VOC free wall emulsion paints and our Dulux Better Living Air Clean capable of cleaning indoor air from certain harmful substances.

The SPPA gives a holistic view of the sustainability characteristics of our product portfolio and services. Together with our customer-focused product stewardship process, it enables valueselling strategies tailored to specific customer needs. So, we can take a harmonized approach in our portfolio management, creating a unique baseline for future portfolio ambitions.

Product stewardship

Product stewardship is our approach to ensuring product safety and its sustainability aspects are considered throughout the value chain – from raw material extraction, R&D, manufacturing, transport, marketing and application, through to end-of-life. Our Product Stewardship Continuous Improvement Tool (PSCIT) helps monitor and drive continuous improvement. And our Priority Substance Program continues to help us identify and control the use of hazardous substances. It’s embedded in our processes and ensures we’re ahead of any changes to regulations. The governance of the program is

AKZONOBEL

assured by the Raw Material Sustainability Group (RMSG).

Making buildings greener Buildings are responsible for 38% of global carbon emissions, which makes construction one of the largest contributing sectors to climate change. Most of us also spend a large part of our daily lives inside buildings, so they have an impact on our health and well-being as well. We supply a wide range of sustainable solutions that can help to reduce the environmental footprint –and bring health & well-being benefits to the users – of the built environment. As an industry leader committed to creating more green buildings, our product innovations can play a vital role in making cities and communities

more sustainable. Whether it’s in their design, construction or operation, “green” buildings reduce or eliminate negative impacts and can have a positive impact on our climate and natural environment. Green buildings have both commercial and sustainability benefits. They aim to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment, preserve precious natural resources and improve the quality of life for people who live and work in them. Our solutions for green buildings include solutions that are low emitting products improving indoor air quality; heat reflective paints and coatings helping to reduce the heat island effect in urban areas and environmental product declarations (EPDs) creating material transparency of our sustainable solutions. ■

About the Author

Pamela Phua has been General Director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Vietnam since 2017. At the beginning of 2021, she was appointed to be Product Management Director, Decorative Paints - SESA, being instrumental in developing and maintaining a product portfolio that satisfies market demands and maximizes margins at competitive costs.

Before moving to head Vietnam Paints business, Pamela was the BU R&D Director & Global Director, Exterior Walls. In her 18 years stint in R&D, she has driven the business with new technology development and product implementation across the region, especially in Vietnam market and has successfully launched many innovative products including Dulux Weathershield / Powerflexx, Dulux Pentalite, Dulux Wash & Wear / EasyClean, Dulux Inspire/ Catylac by Dulux and Aquatech.

In her global capacity, Pamela implements the functional and production innovation strategy for exterior wall paint. She spearheads the RD&I functional excellence, standards and capability, and the efficient delivery of processes as the approved standards and processes across the globe.

Together with a special passion for sustainable development, she has led her teams to innovate paintings products and solutions through increasingly sustainable benefits for AkzoNobel customers and the environment. She also actively gets involved in sustainable activities in projects to create inspiring living spaces for local communities and to promote green architecture trends.

Pamela’s expertise and experience has been instrumental in the setting up of industry standards in Singapore. She is the President and Technical Chairperson for the Singapore Paint Industry Association and a management member in the Chemical Standards Council of Singapore. She contributed to the development of various Singapore Standards such as SS 345 (Specification for emulsion paints for decorative paints), SS500 (Specification for elastomeric wall coatings), SS150 (Specification for Emulsion Paints for Decorative purposes), SS 579 (Specification for water- based sealer for interior and exterior uses) and many others. Pamela currently leads Working Group for Fine Ceramics (for photocatalysis) and Waterbased Standards and participates in the Working Group for Energy Efficient Coatings. She is also an A*Star certified auditor for accredited laboratories in Singapore.

About Akzonobel

We supply the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that our customers, communities –and the environment – are increasingly relying on. That’s why everything we do starts with People. Planet. Paint. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We are active in more than 150 countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering paints company that’s committed to science-based targets and is taking genuine action to address globally relevant challenges and protect future generations.

For more information, please visit www.akzonobel.com

With a special passion for sustainable development, Pamela is actively involved in projects to create inspiring living spaces for local communities and to promote green architecture trends. She is an author for the G7&G20 summit publication advocating green developments. She is also a keynote speaker in United Nation climate Change Conferences.

Email: Pamela.phua@akzonobel.com Mobile: +65 90279663

Address: AkzoNobel House, 3 Changi Business Park Vista, #05-01 SDingapore 486051

THE SPPA GIVES A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE SUSTAINABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR PRODUCT PORTFOLIO AND SERVICES. TOGETHER WITH OUR CUSTOMER-FOCUSED PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP PROCESS, IT ENABLES ALUE-SELLING STRATEGIES TAILORED TO SPECIFIC CUSTOMER NEEDS.

A PERSONAL INVITATION

Welcome to your private island home where magic and memories go hand in hand. Rooted in honoring the Fijian way of life, creating a world community, and preserving the environment - on Turtle Island it’s easy to imagine the world the way it should be.

The Island is powered by solar energy, produce is locally grown, and the accommodations are hand-crafted by Fijian artisans. With just 14 villas, acres of serene forests and 12 private beaches, Turtle Island serves as an idyllic sanctuary for travelers seeking connection, community, culture, and consciousness.

How Digital Transformation Can Foster Industry Innovation

Thepandemic has fueled a digital revolution, resulting in waves of industry model changes such as hybrid work environments, enhanced virtual document sharing, and greater automation and efficiency of production and delivery of goods and it shows no signs of slowing down or stopping.

In fact, with 70% of organizations already creating their own digital transformation strategies, companies now have a unique opportunity to expand their horizons and share ideas globally with easier accessibility, whether it be for entrepreneurs or small businesses (which have nearly doubled in the U.S.since the pandemic). The design and publishing industries are enabling a digital renaissance, paving the way for businesses to optimize their marketing strategies and continue to grow.

Implementing Internal Solutions

Companies can bolster their internal growth strategies to overall optimize their workflow and efficiency by implementing their own digital solutions. To start, streamlining tech stacks is an important first step for brands to create an efficient workflow. By evaluating current point solutions, companies can reassess their tech

stacks to modernize their processes, increasing organizational efficiency.

Implementing a stronger digital infrastructure is an effective way to keep up with consumer demands. This allows for higher employee productivity and improved user experiences. Cloudbased technology is the new standard, with 86% of companies believing that it is critical to true digital transformation. With improved tech solutions like these,

accessible data empowers employees to make decisions more quickly.

As technology continues to rapidly evolve, it is essential for companies to cater to changing demands by providing efficient tools. By doing so, they can ensure a productive work environment that maintains highquality standards and facilitates growth. Greater efficiency in the workplace is paramount to fostering innovation that will altogether drive an industry forward.

Optimizing Content and Accessibility

A digital transformation can also be adopted by marketers and not just IT to increase digital brand presence and awareness. In fact, companies with a digital-first strategy are 64% more likely to achieve their business goals than competitors. With a strong digital publishing platform, brands can enhance their marketing strategies to ensure that digital content is optimized for global audiences while adapting messaging and formats to effectively cater to unique audience interests and perspectives.

It is also critical to focus on optimizing content for every channel. With so many communication platforms, brands should take

A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION CAN ALSO BE ADOPTED BY MARKETERS AND NOT JUST IT TO INCREASE DIGITAL BRAND PRESENCE AND AWARENESS. IN FACT, COMPANIES WITH A DIGITAL-FIRST STRATEGY ARE 64% MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THEIR BUSINESS GOALS THAN COMPETITORS.

advantage of the various channels to reach their audiences in ways that cater to their interests and preferred formats. Content can easily be repurposed and distributed across multiple platforms to increase brand awareness and engagement. Various versions of content should be optimized to meet the best practices of each social media platform, such as Twitter’s short-form content, or LinkedIn’s popular carousel posts, or Facebook’s image-driven content.

By creating unique, innovative content, brands can evolve their digital transformation while also ensuring they are differentiating themselves and their value from competitors. This age of digital transformation also offers the advantage of new tools and platforms to create content and reach consumers in new ways with increasingly popular experiences such as virtual reality and even the Metaverse providing an abundance of opportunities for companies to expand their offerings.

For example, Meta is taking advantage of these opportunities by providing a summer series of VR concerts. Even in historically customerfacing industries like real estate, agents have quickly adapted to utilize social media and virtually show homes to prospective clients. Digital transformation has even made its way to the local government level allowing citizens to self-serve and get information easier than ever before. People have learned how to participate in meetings online, balance homeschooling with work responsibilities, and engage with their favorite brands and service providers remotely.

Looking to the Future

Ultimately, it is important for companies to stay ahead of the curve implementing and improving their digital strategies to adapt to the technology revolution across industries. Renewed strategies are not the only way for companies to optimize their growth, efficiency, and innovation; better platforms built with both the user and the customer in mind will futureproof your employee and customer experiences. ■

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