Could enterprise zones help us achieve the Global Goals?

In September, member states of the United Nations adopted 17 new Global Goals for sustainable development. These goals include recognition that industrialisation and international trade need to be brought into line with sustainable development outcomes. Social and environmental concerns need to be part of mainstream investment policy rather than being treated as an add-on after economic concerns are addressed. Given the mixed record of business performance on labour and environmental issues, it will be a huge challenge to shift commerce into a more sustainable path. But we have to start somewhere. “Starting somewhere” is the idea behind the rise of enterprise zones around the world. The idea is that in specific locations, a government and private sector can invest in creating the infrastructure and services needed for efficient business. There are now thousands of such zones around the world, some of which are called Export Processing Zones (EPZs) due to their emphasis on business development for international trade. Some countries, including India, have recently made the promotion of special zones a cornerstone of their economic strategy. In 2015, enthusiasm for special zones spread everywhere, with announcements of new zones even in Cuba and Myanmar.