SAP's Alexander Meyer set to talk about technology and sustainability at UN forum

Sustainability is a worldwide challenge. The growth of populations and industries, combined with the reduction of poverty and improvements in service delivery, is creating a broad positive effect across the globe.

Yet industrialisation and populations are also placing greater pressure on societies. The principles of sustainability have to be foundational to progress or the world faces certain disaster. To help reach this goal, last year members of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan of action to promote prosperity and peace through the principles of sustainability.

The 17 point plan and its 169 targets builds on the Millennium Development Goals and addresses areas where the MDG fell short. Over the next fourteen years the plan aims to promote the best for people, the planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. Technology has a massive role to play in helping countries and regions accomplish these sustainable development goals.

From July 17 to 21, 2016, the UN will host the World Investment Forum to mull the progress of this agenda and the next steps to be taken. Alexander Meyer, Vice President - Global Business Development at SAP, will present his views at the Forum's Global Leaders Summit to be opened by the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. He will also serve on several panels at the forum.

In his commentary Meyer will look at the role of the private sector as well as technology in meeting the objectives of the agenda. "It is clear that the private sector must play a role in order for the SDG's to succeed. This is a responsibility that SAP has assumed wholeheartedly long before the goals were formalized," said Meyer.

Topics under Meyer's spotlight will include how technology - notably big data, cloud, connectivity, digitization and supercomputing - can positively impact food supply, emissions control, sustainable cities, healthcare and more. "So many of the sustainability challenges we face today are exacerbated by a lack of information, knowledge, or access. But these limitations are exactly the ones being addressed by today's innovations in computing technology." He will help breed understanding around how modern technology platforms such as those orchestrated by SAP are critical in enabling the processes that drive sustainability and innovation.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.