Three Trillion Reasons to Spend Better: Highlighting Purposeful Purchasing and Investing in Davos

As leaders of global society gather in Davos, Switzerland, January 22 through 25 for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, heads of governments, global executives, and leaders of international organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), along with prominent cultural, societal, and thought leaders will be asking how a new phase of global cooperation-Globalization 4.0-can be enabled with platforms to create new opportunities for humankind.

The SAP Next-Gen program and others from SAP will be in Davos to share an answer: Purposeful purchasing can change the world for the better and elevate social good.

Accelerating Action and Solutions to the SDGs

SAP Next-Gen is partnering with Project Everyone to launch a series of global agendas at Davos House. Located on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos House enables panel discussions and unplugged conversations among corporate leaders, including SAP, as well as leaders from government and NGOs aiming to accelerate action and solutions to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a focal point for the strategic thinking needed to make the SDGs a reality.

Sessions from SAP Next-Gen at Davos House kick off January 21 with the 'Three Trillion Reasons to Spend Better' agenda featuring SAP Ariba solutions, a purpose-driven platform on which businesses, governments, and NGOs can work together to build ethical, sustainable supply chains and make the world a better place. Together with Carlyle Global Partners, SAP Next-Gen is launching the agenda to inspire purpose-driven leaders-in Davos and worldwide-to join the movement.

'We share a joint commitment with SAP to sustainability, including seeking opportunities to spend and invest for a more sustainable future,' said Alex Charlton, chairman and CEO, Carlyle Global Partners. 'We seek to advance knowledge and innovation in areas of national and global importance through philanthropy and impact investing, with a focus on health and wellness, sustainability, and education.' ​

The Power to Spend and Invest Better

At our core, we all want to leave a legacy of good. For many, it is about work. For others, it is about charity. And for some, it is about leveraging professional success to enable positive social change in the world.

'Today's digital trading pathways allow for deeper, faster, and more impactful connections and make 'spending better' so powerful,' said Tifenn Dano Kwan, chief marketing officer, SAP Ariba. 'As consumers, we each have the power to make our own individual impact. But, consider the scale of the products and services purchased by corporations, governments, and NGOs. When these purchases are connected through SAP Ariba, the world's biggest business network of nearly USD$3 trillion in annual spending, the collective potential for impact is enormous. Our network connects buyers and suppliers to give them the critical visibility to manage what they spend, how they spend, and where they spend. If this can be aligned with truly honorable goals, the results can drive positive change socially, economically, and globally.'

'We live in a time when sustainable living is becoming the new norm, where everyone will contribute to the SDGs,' said Ann Rosenberg, senior vice president and global head of SAP Next-Gen. 'We know that now, more than ever, consumers consider the social and environmental impact of their decisions when they buy something. Stop and think about the power we have when we work together to do the right thing for business, for the environment, for society. For the first time in human history, we have the power to elevate social good through the purchasing decisions that we make.'

'All of us can define our journey by the purchasing and investment decisions we make, by the charities or goals we support, and by the actions we take,' said Anita Dongre, chief creative officer, the House of Anita Dongre, Ltd. 'Each decision has the power to change someone's world.'

Global Agendas for the SDGs

Following the focus on purposeful purchasing during 'Three Trillion Reasons to Spend Better,' SAP Next-Gen is launching a series of global agendas with strategic partners through sessions at the Davos House.

On January 22, 'The Agenda for Partnerships to Achieve the SDGs ' will cover how public-private partnerships can accelerate solutions to achieve the SDGs with a focus on how smart cities can drive success in electric mobility and clean energy access.

On January 23, 'Launch of the Citizens Agenda for the SDGs' will bring together leaders from government, industry, and non-profits working on citizen activation and will include guiding principles to empower citizens to make changes leading to a more sustainable future.

Additional sessions will unite fashion industry CEOs to launch an agenda focused on sustainability priorities in one of the largest and most resource intensive industries in the world; bring together equality advocates to launch a global equality agenda; and magnify insights from SAP Ariba through a session discussing how spending better can change lives and advance women's equality through connected commerce.