The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) Progress Report 2017 provides an overview of the achievements in 2017 and results of the first CBi Annual Survey.

The initiative supported 13 private sector networks around the world in strategically engaging the private sector in disaster management. These networks reached a combined membership of over 500 companies in 2017.

Together with the Boston Consulting Group, CBi developed two flagship tools to promote good practices and improve the efficiency of Member Networks.

Eight of the CBi-supported networks responded to crises, working alongside national and international actors in organizing information campaigns, assisting affected communities, rebuilding critical infrastructure and helping in recovery. In addition, networks—including those that did not experience disasters in 2017—worked on disaster preparedness and resilience.

CBi raised awareness of and advocated for private sector engagement in disaster management by supporting 23 global and local events. CBi received 132 media mentions in 2017. This media coverage, through outlets such as Al Jazeera, Devex, Euroinvest and the World Economic Forum, reached an audience of over 129 million people.

The CBi online portal was updated to promote best practices, share lessons learned and create an online community. The portal attracted a global audience from 157 countries.

Whereas feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, based on experiences and lessons learned, CBi also identified gaps in addressing complex emergencies, measuring impact and exploring innovations. These will be added as focus areas in 2018.