Vienna, 30 January 2025 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hosted a crucial event, “Who Pays?… for the Implementation of Sustainability-Driven Regulations,” at the Vienna International Centre. With sustainability regulations gaining momentum globally, experts from diverse sectors came together to discuss their environmental and social impacts, focusing on who bears the cost of implementing these regulations.
UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller opened the event, stressing the importance of fairer global supply chains. “We need a fair globalization,” he said. “The exploitation of people and nature must end, and we must support developing countries with technical assistance to implement supply chain sustainability regulations.”
The event also featured two major projects aimed at promoting sustainable supply chains. One, funded by Finland, focuses on addressing environmental and social challenges in Ecuador, India, and Zambia through public-private partnerships. Anna Salovaara, Deputy Head of Mission at Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN, highlighted the initiative’s alignment with Finland’s SDG priorities. The other project, a collaboration with Italy, will focus on building climate resilience in Africa’s coffee industry, addressing sustainability and social equality within the coffee supply chain.
Throughout the event, discussions centered around the financial costs of sustainability regulations, the necessary support for producers, and potential solutions such as innovative financing mechanisms. Experts emphasized the need for shared responsibility in covering these costs, with governments, multinational buyers, and other stakeholders playing key roles.
The event also presented UNIDO’s cutting-edge tools like the Rapid Scan Legislation Navigator, which helps businesses comply with new regulations. These resources are part of the UNIDO Solutions Platform, designed to support stakeholders in navigating the complexities of sustainable supply chains.
In closing, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO of the Global Environment Facility, noted, “The question of ‘Who pays?’ is not just financial, it’s about our collective responsibility. We all have a role in creating a sustainable future.”
Debora Lepre, Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations in Vienna, Director General of UNIDO Gerd Müller, and Anna Salovaara, Deputy Head of Mission, Minister Counsellor, Embassy and Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in Vienna
Heidi Hautala, former Vice-President of the European Parliament, Maurice Makoloo, Ambassador of Kenya to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Sylvia Wisniwski, CEO, Finance in Motion
Photo of one of the panels of the event featuring Philipp Neuerburg, Managing Director, Global Policy Incubator, Rupal Verma, Policy Analyst, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Anil Bruce Sookdeo, Senior Environmental Specialist, Global Environment Facility, Alena Kahle, Senior Policy and Project Coordinator, Fair Trade Advocacy Office, Joerg S. Hofstetter, Associate Professor in Supply Chain Management, KEDGE Business School
