To tackle the climate crisis, start small, think big and act at scale

Andrew Sheng is a former central banker and financial regulator, currently distinguished fellow at the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong.Sitting by the Tanjung Aru beach in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, watching one of the most stunning sunsets in the world, I reflected on what it would take to prioritise the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.I had just finished an intense three days with 170 local and global organisations, such as the conservation organisation WWF, businesses, investors and policymakers on how the world should expand the scale of impact investing in the Sustainable Development Goals in Sabah and beyond.The UN agreed on its 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, and over 10 years later, only 18 per cent of the goals seem to be achievable by 2030. So far, progress has been weak – insufficient impact, nowhere near enough money and a lack of political will.