WBCSD Issue Brief: Information and communication technology – An enabler for inclusive business solutions

Issue Brief

Information and communication technology – An enabler for inclusive business solutions

August 2012

About WBCSDA CEO-led organization of forward-thinking companies that galvanizes the global business

community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment

Overview of the Issue Brief

• Growth story of ICT

• Nexus ICT – development

• Examples of ICT-enabled solutions

• Benefits and lessons learned

• WBCSD Technology Enablers Initiative

Growth story of ICT

Mobile phone subscriptions, by level of development

Growth story of ICT

Global ICT development

Nexus ICT – development

• ICT is a powerful tool to tackle development challenges, but not a panacea

• ICT canExpand breadth & depth of economic

activityImprove delivery or public servicesHelp developing countries “leapfrog” in

terms of communication infrastructure (no need to install vast grids of fixed phone lines)

Numerous other examples of ICT-enabled solutions

highlighted in the issue brief

WBCSD member companies featured:

Accenture, Grundfos, IBM, ITC, Nokia, Novartis,

Syngenta, TNT Express, and Vodafone

Benefits of ICT-enabled solutions

• Better, faster, and easier access to information

• Improved interaction and two-way communication

• Cost efficiency and lower transaction costs

• Automation and standardization

• Economic opportunities

• Improving data visibility or transparency

Some lessons learned

• ICT cannot replace investment in other types of infrastructure (ex. roads to transport goods to market)

• Inertia and resistance from traditional models (ex. mobile money services competing with traditional financial services)

• User interfaces (ex. voice-based systems and iconic user interfaces)

• Collaboration between stakeholders needed - partnerships between private and public actors are often the catalysts for the initial co-investments in a long-term sustainable model

WBCSD Technology Enablers Initiative

• Initiative led by Vodafone (member of WBCSD Development Focus Area Core Team)

• Platform for companies from different industry sectors to explore opportunities for catalyzing inclusive business models leveraging ICT

• Facilitated a series of discussions and events with WBCSD members, aimed at creating successful partnerships or collaborative action between member companies and other partners

Examples of discussions via WBCSD platform

• TNT Express & Vodafone “speed-dates” with WBCSD members from various sectors• Explore how mobile phones could provide

geo-coded addresses and payment services to small entrepreneurs in informal settings, allowing them to send and receive goods and services in the absence of street names.

• Vodafone & Accenture shared insights from their “Connected Agriculture” reportHow ICT can be used further to improve

efficiency and sustainability in the food and agriculture value chain

Dowload the issue brief (12 pages) atwww.wbcsd.org

www.inclusive-business.org

Filippo [email protected] +41 22 839 31 08