Global issues are business issues

ATLANTA -- Say what you will about the annual Group of Eight summit: talking heads, "rich countries club," ineffective.

Now take those comments and shelve them, because the issues that are being discussed through Friday at the G-8 summit in Germany -- global poverty, climate change and economic prosperity -- lie at the heart of our planet's future, and it is time that more than just the heads of state have a voice in those issues.

As an entrepreneur and businessman, I have come to realize the extent to which global issues are business issues. Energy, health and poverty affect how businesses operate, expand, trade and engage as corporate citizens. Likewise, businesses can offer developing countries means to grow and develop. This is the idea behind one of the major G-8 themes this year: "Investments, Innovations and Sustainability." Under this general theme, heads of state are discussing the nuts and bolts of issues that will affect business leaders' and entrepreneurs' ability to more broadly engage in and benefit from a global economy.

In an increasingly interdependent world, ensuring that developing countries grow in a way that supports democratic government, environmental stability, transparent markets and a healthy and educated population affects more than just the people in those countries. It affects the health and landscape of global business and innovation.

Think of it this way: Two billion people around the world live on less than $2 a day. That means there are 2 billion people who would utilize products and services if the barriers to economic opportunity were removed. In that need is great opportunity. However, there is also great risk. If that poverty is ignored, the world can count on increased warfare and strife, greater environmental destruction, broader spread of disease and widespread starvation or malnutrition.

Luckily, there already is a roadmap in place to address those issues: The Millennium Development Goals. The eight time-bound goals, devised by development experts and agreed to by all United Nations member states, have become commonly accepted as the way to measure development progress. The MDGs include halving extreme poverty and hunger, achieving environmental sustainability, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, developing a global partnership for good governance, development and poverty reduction and more by 2015.

This roadmap, however, is faltering and needs stronger support, especially from the business community. We are now halfway to the MDGs deadline of 2015 and are falling way short of the funding necessary to achieve the goals. A united call to government leaders from the business community to commit more fully to the MDGs, including helping countries invest in education, health and a clean energy future, as well as removing barriers to trade that keep poor countries from helping themselves, has great credibility and leverage.

Further, the attainability of the MDGs requires entrepreneurial ingenuity and a business skill-set. It takes smart entrepreneurs and trained managers to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, raise people out of poverty, supply HIV/AIDs patients with treatments and more. I recently got into the business of selling solar power, realizing the energy needs of the world are expanding and more people require access to low-cost, energy-saving alternatives.

When you boil those global challenges down to their essence, what is at stake in the long term if we fail in the effort -- our livelihood and life's work, our global security the welfare of our very children -- is far greater than the risk of not getting involved.

I urge you, take action now.