Global Project for Grassroots Sustainable Innovations
- Hyundai Motor and UNDP ink inaugural agreement for stirring ideation of sustainable development and implementation via UNDP Accelerator Labs
- ‘forTomorrow’ is a crowdsourcing, open-innovation platform where people can submit and develop solutions for this year’s theme: sustainable cities and communities
- Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner discuss future of partnership and global cooperation for sustainability
- Through ‘for Tomorrow’, Hyundai Motor to share its commitment to sustainable mobility and lifestyles via its vision of enabling ‘Progress for Humanity’
SEOUL/NEW YORK, September 22, 2020 – Hyundai Motor Company and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have entered into their inaugural agreement aimed at spreading messages of sustainability to people around the world and turning their proposals for sustainable innovation into tangible initiatives.
Under the agreement, Hyundai Motor and UNDP will collaborate for the first time to create a global initiative, titled for Tomorrow,which will help accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The agreement will enable Hyundai Motor and UNDP to crowdsource innovations from the public and help implement these solutions, a much needed response to the world’sescalating environmental and socio-economic challenges.
To mark the inauguration of the project in safety amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, a signing ceremony (available in a link below) was held online between Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, during which they discussed the future of their partnership and global cooperation for sustainability. Also in attendance were actress, activist, and social impact entrepreneur Jessica Alba, who officially endorses ‘for Tomorrow,’and British journalist Lucy Siegle, who moderated the conversation.
“The ‘for Tomorrow’ project we are launching today with UNDPaims to offer concrete solutions to many of our problems today,” said Mr. Chung of Hyundai Motor Group. “Through this project, Hyundai Motor Company will help mobilize the power of cooperation and innovation to engineer sustainable progress for humanity.”
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Chung and Mr. Steiner unveiled a preview of the ‘for Tomorrow’ project(www.fortomorrow.org), a focal point for the collaboration and open innovation platform where people can share solutions to be amplified and scaled up. Hyundai Motor and UNDP launched dedicated Instagram channels (@forTomorrow2030) to promote the project. Under this year’s theme and slogan, “Make Cities Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable,”for Tomorrow – will accept proposals from October2020 through April 2021, in time for Earth Day on April 22, with project acceleration in the ensuing months.
“UNDP is committed to supporting the incredible power of local innovators to change the world for the better –for not only today, but also for tomorrow and into the future,” said Mr. Steiner. “With the launch of this platformin partnership with Hyundai, we want to explore new ways of connecting these pioneering minds together – and help them unleash their full potential to build a greener, more resilient, more inclusive and more sustainable future.”
On Tuesday September 22 (10 a.m. EST/ 11 p.m. KST), an online launch event was held at www.fortomorrow.org, endorsed by Jessica Alba, with Hyundai Motor Company Global Chief Marketing Officer Wonhong Cho, UNDP Special Advisor Jason D’Cruz, UNDP Accelerator Labs Sudan representative Basma Saeed and UNDP Accelerator Labs Philippines representative Rex Lor. The event was moderated by British journalist Lucy Siegle.
“It is inspiring to witness the United Nations and Hyundai come together to collaborate on an initiative like this. We have all spent the better part of the year facing challenges we never thought we would, and through that it’s become clear that working together is our only way forward to create a better, more sustainable and more humane world for today and tomorrow.” said Jessica Alba.
Hyundai Motor and UNDP will support solutions shared on the platform by advancing, sharing and building upon them with the help of the the UNDP Accelerator Labs, a global network of 60 labs that are tapping into local innovations to create actionable insights and reimagine sustainable development for the 21st century to address global challenges like climate change and socioeconomic inequality.
Through ‘for Tomorrow’ , Hyundai Motor will share its commitment to sustainable mobility and lifestyles via its vision of enabling “Progress for Humanity.” The company, via ‘for Tomorrow’ and ensuing sustainable initiatives, plans to leap forward from simply “doing well” to “doing good,” engaging the environmentally conscious and committed local innovators of the millennial and Z generations
For Tomorrow is the first step in the two parties’ global partnership for sustainable development and lays the foundation for their active involvement in the celebration and amplification of grassroots initiatives. Hyundai Motor and UNDP will continue to work together with people around the world for humanity’s shared liveable future.
Disclaimer: The following video can only be viewed on the YouTube channel, ‘for Tomorrow 2030,’ and is strictly prohibited from being downloaded, uploaded, redistributed or commercially used. (https://youtu.be/eG6lEkaAcP0)
