Final Business Forum Text Packed with Commitments and Innovations Presented to UN Secretary-General at Rio+20
(3BL Media) Rio de Janeiro - June 21, 2012 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today accepted the full set of outcomes from the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, including a listing of more than 200 business commitments.
The Forum, organized by the UN Global Compact, in cooperation with the Rio+20 Secretariat, the UN System and the Global Compact Network Brazil, brought together 2,700 business leaders, investors, academics, Government officials, environmentalists and grassroots activists earlier this week.
"The Corporate Sustainability Forum outcome document shows the solid commitment to sustainable development among the business community, and the creativity of their new approaches to low-carbon solutions, reducing poverty, empowering women and restoring fresh water resources," said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact.
Among the decisions taken at the 15-18 June Forum:
- An offer by business leaders to be a part of the creation and promotion of new Sustainable Development Goals.
- A communiqué signed by 45 CEOs of major corporations outlined ways that Governments can do better on water management and can set frameworks that will help business to scale up its own role in reducing usage and restoring natural sources.
- Nearly 300 institutions of higher learning endorsed a plan to place sustainable development at the heart of college and university curricula.
The final text of the outcome document was presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following his participation in a Global Compact Board meeting today at Rio Centro, during the Rio+20 summit.
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 2,500 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 responsibility initiative. www.unglobalcompact.org
