"There is much to do together!"

The Global Compact Network in Switzerland, the official platform for the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) initiative, has been in existence since 2006. This sustainability initiative, which was adopted by the UN in 2000, aims to sensitize companies to "corporate social responsibility". The ten principles of the UN Global Compact and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the UN Agenda 2030 serve this purpose. On the occasion of the first Swiss Global Compact Dialogue on responsible business (CSR) in Bern at the beginning of February, we spoke with Antonio Hautle, Senior Programme Leader of the Global Compact Network Switzerland.

Mr Hautle, were you surprised by the response to the first Swiss Global Compact Dialogue?
Antonio Hautle: Yes, we are overwhelmed by the rush. We never expected so many people. We had planned space for 180 people and thought that if 100 came, then we could be satisfied ... But now there are 240. Of course we are pleased, and it is a good start.

To what do you attribute such a positive response?
One thing is certain: the network is gradually becoming better known because we have been quite active for a good two years. But I think the topic is also very topical at the moment. Uncertainty is on the rise worldwide, and the question arises as to what sustainability actually brings in this situation. My position is that it must be a matter of bringing together the willing actors. In this way, we can achieve a great deal. Because with the Sustainable Development Goals, there are immense opportunities to correct the current situation, but it can just as easily tip in the other direction.

Are we at a "tipping point", so to speak?
The question is indeed where we are going. We want to do everything we can to create a world that is humane for all and in which the economy is an important factor. After all, it is the economy that creates value. The term "value" has only existed - philosophically - since the 19th century. Before that, one spoke only of value in the economy. The terms "social value" and "ecological value" are new inventions. This also shows the importance of these topics.

There is now also a certain "pressure to suffer", the sensitivity to catastrophic major events is increasing, not least because of the new, faster communication channels.
Yes, not only the new media, but all new technologies will massively change the way people live together. The markets will also move more. Mobility will change enormously. This is a tremendous opportunity, if we grasp it properly. But it can also be a huge threat.

This can be seen, for example, in the way certain political actors are trying to turn back the clock.
It's like this.

This could almost make you fear for the achievement of the 17 sustainability goals?
Why?

Precisely because what used to be is considered "better" than what perhaps should be tackled?
I am more optimistic than you. In the history of the world, the global community has never been able to agree on 17 global sustainability and development goals. We all know that these will be watered down again in the political processes. But for me, the SDGs are roughly equivalent to the Declaration of Human Rights of 1848 and the Paris Agenda. They are milestones in the development of a global community that realizes: We belong together. Everything is connected: the economy, technology, everything. So there is no way around finding solutions together. Otherwise we would descend into chaos, and nobody wants that. The SDGs make me extremely optimistic, and we are trying to sell this to companies as a great opportunity.

If we now apply these 17 SDGs to our country, it seems to me that a lot of them have been achieved, or even taken for granted. Where do you think a highly developed country like Switzerland still has some catching up to do?
Switzerland still has a lot of challenges regarding the SDGs. In the country itself, we have it under control. Let's take water consumption as an example. 83 percent of our water consumption is imported, e.g. in the form of clothing or agricultural products. With every cashew nut from Iran that you eat, you are tapping into fossil water reserves that are no longer regenerating. Or another example: poverty. This is also an issue here in Switzerland, for example because of immigration, because of people over 50 who are no longer in the workforce. In other words, the economy is an employer, a source of added value and a livelihood for everyone who lives in our country. This does not just happen, but we must continue to nurture it. On the other hand, we are strongly linked in the markets. Questions about what kind of gold we have in our mobile phones, what kind of fertilizers our food needs or how palm oil is produced are directly related to our everyday lives. So when our major distributors shop, it has direct relevance to the SDGs. Our suggestion from the Global Compact Dialogue to the companies is: Take the 17 SDGs and see where your potential lies and where the risks lie that negatively affect these goals, i.e.: Where do we produce poverty? Where do we overuse resources?

So is it about looking across the entire supply chain?
It's about the value chain, not the supply chain. Investments are an important topic. Thus, the financial market plays an essential role in the implementation of the SDGs. Even a local SME, e.g. the village bakery, has to ask itself the questions: Where does the flour for the bread come from? How is the yeast, sugar, etc. produced? How do I treat my employees? Am I being fair? In short, every company, no matter how small, can ask itself these questions and should position itself accordingly. The important thing is to start small and focus on the core competencies first. And the SDGs also offer many new business opportunities.

But SMEs in particular are currently under massive pressure - I'm thinking of falling margins, currency pressure, new regulations, etc. And now they are supposed to take on a role model function in sustainability. And now they are supposed to take on a role model function in sustainability? Won't that overwhelm the companies at some point?
I don't think that Swiss companies are overburdened by this. Our companies are very innovative. But they are challenged, yes. We tell the companies clearly: You can certainly say: "I'm not interested in that". But by doing so, you run the risk of being caught on the wrong foot in a few years because the market is moving forward. If I as a company have my supply chain and my distribution channels under control, know my risks, then I am well positioned. If I also look at the opportunities that are available, then that means innovation. So it's about looking where you can contribute. And back comes added value.

So the pressure from "unsustainability" is now much greater?
Yes, there are studies that clearly show that sustainable companies are more successful. The big players are anyway. They are exposed to massive competitive pressure. And who wants to work for a company that violates human rights and destroys the environment? Young people, i.e. graduates and apprentices, are becoming increasingly sensitive to sustainability issues. And of course we are doing everything we can to ensure that this awareness continues to grow. Companies that join us or other similar organisations also create market pressure, so that you can no longer afford to be unethical, unecological or unsustainable.

We're talking about small Switzerland now, but we're talking about the global context. Can a small economy like ours develop global appeal in terms of sustainability?
Sure! There is no more potent economy than Switzerland in relation to its size. I am always amazed myself: in many areas we are absolute top leaders! The ETH, for example, is one of the 100 best universities in the world, Switzerland is the world's largest gold refiner, 60 percent of the global crude oil trade passes through Switzerland, and so on and so forth. We are a giant - measured in relation to the population - in terms of economic influence. SMEs may now say: I am not affected by this at all. That is only partly true. They are suppliers and service providers. A baker in Geneva can only deliver his rolls because there are so many trading companies there. If they are all gone, so is he. That's why he has an interest in ensuring that these companies operate fairly and decently, because otherwise they will quickly be out of business - and with them the jobs. The baker can also say: You are sustainable, but our rolls also come from sustainable production. Sustainability is also a marketing argument. That is the beginning. And at some point this should also be a matter of course, just as it is now a matter of course not to discharge polluted waste water into our lakes. The goal must be for sustainability to become the DNA of the global economy.

How far away from that goal are we?
There is much to be done together, because we are still a long way off. That makes me think at times. There are companies that are very committed, while others say: we have to stop our dubious business in Africa, otherwise the Chi-nese will do it. That may be an attitude, but it is one that leads nowhere. Because the Chinese are in the process of changing, ecologically and socially.

Well, there it is just dictated by the state and more controlled than in a democratically organized Switzerland ...
Yes, it is. But corporate responsibility, sustainability and SDGs are not free. It is an investment for a successful future. Just as I invest in training, for example, I also have to invest in sustainability management.