(Rio de Janeiro, 18 June 2012) - The final
compilation of voluntary private sector commitments to the
Rio+20 process, announced today at the Rio+20 Corporate
Sustainability Forum, surged to 200 and covers areas
ranging from low- or no-carbon footprints to
re-forestation, business plans for subsistence farmers and
renewal of clean, fresh water sources.
The plans will be annexed to policy recommendations that
business leaders forward to UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and Heads of State at the UN Conference on
Sustainable Development (Rio+20) later this week. They
constitute the first wave of innovation and action to
emerge from the Rio+20 process, according to Georg Kell,
executive director of the UN Global Compact. The Compact is
organizing and hosting the 15 -18 June Rio+20 Corporate
Sustainability Forum, with 1,400 business executives and
over 2,700 total participants.
Addressing a group of CEOs in February, Secretary-General
Ban challenged the business community to act. The World
Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and
the Global Compact jointly set criteria for time-bound,
measureable commitments on which corporations are required
to report annually.
Seeking a snowball effect
As data centres eat up an increasing share of energy
output, Microsoft says it will achieve carbon neutrality
through offsetting actions. Unilever is launching a drive
to halve the greenhouse gas impact of their products, and
Nike's target is zero discharge of hazardous chemicals
along its entire supply chain, both by 2020.
Ole Hansen, Director, Global Compact said that beyond their
immediate impact, the commitments will serve as a testing
ground.
"The only way to know if an innovative approach will work
is to try it," Mr. Hansen said. "The difficulties will
teach us lessons, and the successes will snowball."
With the world facing a need to double food production by
2050, DuPont pledged $10 billion in R&D for increasing
productivity, scaling up nutrition and cutting back on food
waste. DuPont will develop 4,000 new products along these
lines by 2020. Also looking to product development, Proctor
& Gamble promises $50 billion in sales of "sustainable
innovation products" by the end of this year, and H&M will
upgrade to 100 per cent sustainable cotton - either
organic, recycled, or certified -- in its cotton garments.
Groups of companies are engaging in shared efforts.
Forty-five companies, including Levi's, Pepsi and Coke are
extending their commitments to water management and 23
companies pledged to transparency and disclosure on their
impact on climate change. Joint campaigns are also being
launched by businesses participating in Global Compact
Networks in Brazil, Uruguay and Japan, among others. And
numerous companies are taking action on the UN
Secretary-General's campaign for Sustainable Energy for
All. Their contributions, alongside commitments from
governments and civil society, will be announced on 21 June
at RioCentro, Pavilion 3.
About the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum:
Innovation and Collaboration for the Future We Want
Hosted by the UN Global Compact, in cooperation with the
Rio+20 Secretariat, the UN System and the Global Compact
Local Network Brazil, the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability
Forum (15-18 June 2012) seeks to bring greater scale and
quality to corporate sustainability practices, as a
critical contribution to sustainable development. As a
showcase for innovation and collaboration, the Forum is
designed to be a launching ground for widespread action.
With more than 2,000 participants in attendance, the Forum
features over 100 sessions focused on six themes central to
the Rio+20 agenda: Energy & Climate, Water & Ecosystems,
Agriculture & Food, Social Development, Urbanization &
Cities, and Economics & Finance. www.compact4rio.org
About the UN Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a
both a policy platform and a practical framework for
companies that are committed to sustainability and
responsible business practices. As a multi-stakeholder
leadership initiative, it seeks to align business
operations and strategies with ten universally accepted
principles in the areas of human rights, labour,
environment and anti-corruption, and to catalyze actions in
support of broader UN goals. With 7,000 corporate
signatories in 135 countries, it is the world's largest
voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. www.unglobalcompact.org
IN RIO DE JANEIRO:
Forum Spokesperson Tim Wall, +1 213-447-5954, 55 21 9283
7118, timwall123@gmail.com
Deputy Spokesperson Kristen Coco, +1 917-288-0787, 55 21
6845 6925, cocok@un.org
Vanessa Ramalho, Forum Media Relations Staff, Vanessa.ramalho@imagemcorporativa.com.br,
55 11 80319009
IN NEW YORK:
Global Compact Head of Public Affairs Matthias Stausberg,
+1 917-367-3423, stausberg@un.org
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