Caring for Climate Gains Momentum - Business Leaders Gather in Bali to Discuss Climate Challenge
Global Compact Strengthens Efforts to Promote Human Rights in Business
International Forum on "Responsible Business Practices in the Oil & Gas sector: Implementing the Global Compact Principles"
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Urges Business Leaders to Bring Entrepreneurship and New Technologies to Bear on Climate Change
UNI Finance Union Releases Study of Companies' Commitment to the Labour Principles
Report of the Secretary-General on UN-Business Collaboration Presented to the UN Second Committee
Global Compact Board Members Address UN General Assembly's Second Committee
Investment Experts Stress Importance of Emerging Markets
New Study Explores Policies to Support Business Responsibility
Global Compact Welcomes the GRI Readers Choice Awards
Principles for Responsible Management Education Enter Development Phase
Business, NGOs and the UN Convene Discuss Partnership Solutions for Today’s Global Challenges
UN Speaks on Social Responsibility at ISO General Assembly
Caring for Climate Gains Momentum - Business Leaders Gather in Bali to Discuss Climate Challenge
Bali, 10 December 2007
More than 90 representatives from business, United Nations agencies and governments gathered in Bali today for a business dinner hosted by the UN Global Compact, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The event took place in the context of a business day at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held from 3-14 December.
The purpose of the dinner was to present an update on Caring for Climate: The Business Leadership Platform , an initiative launched by the UNEP, WBCSD and the Global Compact in July. More than 200 corporate signatories of the Global Compact have joined the new platform, which calls on both business and governments to take immediate action on climate change. The dinner highlighted several examples of business engagement and leadership related to the climate challenge, showcasing pragmatic solutions for a low-carbon future from all sectors and regions.
The dinner’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Change. In her speech, Dr. Brundtland encouraged business to share experiences, stimulate each other and make their voices heard and actions seen. Said Dr. Brundtland: "One way to do it is Caring for Climate, the Platform that the Global Compact, together with the WBCSD and UNEP, has created. By subscribing to it, on paper and in practice, you can demonstrate leadership and action and give recognition to the idea that it is in the best interest of business to play its part in increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions."
Other speakers included UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, WBCSD President Björn Stigson, Global Compact Board Member Toshio Arima of Japan, Claude Nahon (EDF), Steve Lennon (Eskom) and Paul Simpson (Carbon Disclosure Project). The dinner was hosted by WBCSD, UNEP and the Global Compact, with the support of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd.
Learn more about Caring for Climate.
Contact: Lila Karbassi, karbassi@un.org
Global Compact Strengthens Efforts to Promote Human Rights in Business
New York, 10 December 2007
Today, celebrating the International Human Rights Day 2007, the United Nations begins a a year-long campaign to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and to raise awareness of the rights and aspirations embodied in the UDHR. To mark the occasion, a letter, co-signed by Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact, has been sent to all Global Compact participants encouraging participation in the celebration and to engage in concrete activities to advance human rights over the coming year.
The joint letter encourages participants to join the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the UDHR by raising awareness among employees, subsidiaries, business partners and other stakeholders. It also contains concrete suggestions in which the private sector can contribute, for instance through making explicit statements on human rights in their policies, volunteer to participate in case studies and sharing of good practices, engage with local networks to raise awareness on a national level, and by including human rights activities related to the anniversary in their next Communication on Progress.
Other leaders are adding their voices to the call to action. As UN Global Compact board member and President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, Mary Robinson has noted: “The 60th anniversary of the UDHR is a moment for reflection and for new commitments. Many companies have made significant progress over the past decade in understanding their human rights responsibilities and embedding concern for these issues into corporate operations. But the majority of companies still haven’t taken these steps. The year ahead is a time to get more companies involved. Engaging business partners and customers on human rights issues, adopting human rights policies and committing to performance measurement and reporting are some of the ways companies can show they take their responsibilities seriously.”
A growing number of tools are available to help companies engage with human rights issues. A new joint publication by the UN Global Compact Office and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will also be launched. “Embedding Human Rights in Business Practices II” contains case studies detailing ways in which twenty companies worldwide have incorporated human rights into their management practices.
The launch of the 60th anniversary campaign also coincides with the translation of another human rights tool. The poster “A Human Rights Framework”, which offers companies guidance on how to systematically address human rights from a management perspective, is now available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
Download a copy of the letter
More information and resources on human rights
More information on the 60th anniversary and how to engage
More information about the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
More information about Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Contact: Ursula Wynhoven, wynhoven@un.org
International Forum on "Responsible Business Practices in the Oil & Gas sector: Implementing the Global Compact Principles"
New York, 10 December 2007
On 6 – 7 December 2007, Delhi, India, the third UN Global Compact/World Petroleum Council Forum on "Responsible Business Practices in the Oil & Gas sector: Implementing the Global Compact Principles", was hosted by the Petroleum Federation of India. The event brought together over 100 participants comprised of oil and gas company representatives along with government and civil society, to share practical experiences and exchange the challenges and opportunities they face in implementing the Global Compact principles.
During the sharing of practical case studies and presentations, participants recognized the common challenges faced by oil and gas producers in the region and stressed the relevance of responsible business practices in each of the areas covered by the ten principles. Local and international operators openly shared their experiences, particularly in the areas of climate change, human rights and labour issues, anti-corruption initiatives and community development programmes.
This forum was the third in a series of workshops organized by the UN Global Compact for the oil and gas sector around the world. A report of the meeting will follow shortly.
Agenda
List of participants
Contact: Melissa Powell, powell1@un.org
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Urges Business Leaders to Bring Entrepreneurship and New Technologies to Bear on Climate Change
New York, 4 December 2007
The following message was delivered on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by Ms. Alicia Barcena, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Management, at the 2007 Annual Award Dinner of the US Council for International Business, in New York, 3 December 2007:
I send warm greetings to all who have come together for the 2007 Annual Award Dinner of the United States Council for International Business.
Let me congratulate tonight's honouree, H. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of S.C. Johnson & Son. Mr. Johnson is not only a great captain of industry, he is also a conscientious corporate leader who has demonstrated, time and again, that successful business stewardship and engagement in broader civic causes, especially the environment and education, can and do go hand in hand.
Growing numbers of business leaders, in the United States and around the world, are embracing Mr. Johnson's example. Their actions reflect the realization that support for environmental, social and governance issues helps drive success in the global marketplace. Indeed, while the moral case for responsible business practices remains as strong as ever, it is increasingly complemented by the argument that a sound and proactive approach to today's challenges directly benefits the bottom line. It builds competitive advantages; it minimizes risks; and it drives innovation.
Today, I wish to challenge all of you to bring this type of proactive thinking to bear on what has emerged as the greatest challenge of our time: climate change.
By now, it is clear that this problem requires urgent attention. It is also clear that entrepreneurship and new technologies will have to be part of any solution. On the eve of crucial meetings in Bali on climate change, I hope that every business leader here will take up this cause as a personal calling.
You must make the case to your Governments - as some already have - that early, bold and comprehensive action is absolutely necessary. And you must take action to reduce your businesses' carbon footprint and to develop innovative solutions. I particularly encourage your involvement in new and innovative leadership initiatives, such as Caring for Climate, a platform launched jointly by the United Nations Global Compact, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Discussions on climate change have reached a stage where the objectives and priorities of the international community and the business world are more aligned than ever before. So I urge every one of you to come join the increasing number of leaders who have already responded to this challenge. And I ask all of you to work with your Government, and the United Nations, in crafting a forceful yet flexible response to this global problem.
Nothing less than the future of our planet, and the well-being of all its people, hangs in the balance.
UNI Finance Union Releases Study of Companies' Commitment to the Labour Principles
New York, 27 November 2007
UNI Finance Union, the global union for finance workers, recently released a report on the commitment of finance companies to the third principle of the Global Compact - addressing freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
The report, “UNI Finance Survey on the UN Global Compact: Company Commitments on Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining”, presents the results of a survey conducted in 2006-2007 among 35 major finance companies - both Global Compact signatories and non-signatories. UNI Finance invited the companies to elaborate on their commitments to Principle Three, specifically: the means through which the company mainstreams commitments in management practices throughout the group, how the company monitors implementation and measures progress.
In a second step, trade unions from around the world assessed the actual practice of these companies in different countries of operation. The aims of the survey are to enhance transparency on the commitments of companies and enable comparisons to be made between them.
Download the full report
Summaries of the report are available in other languages [English] [French] [Spanish] [German].
More information about the labour principles
More information about UNI Finance
Contact: Matthias Stausberg, stausberg@un.org
Report of the Secretary-General on UN-Business Collaboration Presented to the UN Second Committee
New York, 8 November 2007
The Report of the Secretary-General “Towards Global Partnerships” was presented today to the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (Economic and Financial Committee). The report outlines the progress made in the relationship between the United Nations and other stakeholders, in particular the private sector, and highlights the important role that the private sector can play in realizing the development objectives of the United Nations, particularly the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The report, presented by Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact, explores how the expertise, reach and resources of the private sector can be better harnessed to achieve UN goals. In particular, it outlines the steps taken by the UN to implement the wide-ranging recommendations from previous General-Assembly resolutions regarding the scale, effectiveness and accountability of UN-business partnerships.
Taking stock of current strategies and practices - specifically in the areas of capacity building and efforts to enhance the effectiveness of partnerships – “Towards Global Partnerships” presents concrete examples of how partnerships contributes to advance development goals. Moreover, the report stresses that voluntary collaboration between the UN and other stakeholders can only be complementary to government regulation and goals set by governments.
The presentation was followed by several affirmative statements from representatives of UN member states, including the G77, EU, Switzerland, China, Qatar, Thailand, Israel, and the Dominican Republic. The statements expressed support for the Global Compact, and called for measures to scale up partnerships while strengthening accountability.
Download the report “Towards Global Partnerships”
Contact: Matthias Stausberg, stausberg@un.org
Global Compact Board Members Address UN General Assembly's Second Committee
New York, 1 November 2007
Corporate members of the United Nations Global Compact Board, the UN’s highest-level business and civil society advisory body, addressed the General Assembly’s Second Committee in a panel discussion today, to highlight the progress to date of the UN Global Compact, discuss the role of the initiative and provide further input to the Second Committee for a resolution on the mandate of the Global Compact Office.
Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and Chairman of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization in Egypt, said that the UN Global Compact is “an ideal vehicle for implementing the Millennium Development Goals.” He explained that the Global Compact motivates businesses to serve society, brings business knowledge to the United Nations, raises awareness at the country level of the role business can play in partnership with governments, and helps business realize that society rewards socially responsible corporations.
Mrs. Chen Ying, Deputy Director-General of the China Enterprise Confederation, highlighted a number of efforts undertaken by Chinese businesses in support of the Global Compact principles and the broader sustainability agenda. She called on UN Member States to positively support the Global Compact. “Because the Global Compact’s efforts on encouraging enterprises to take on social responsibility is consistent with the fundamental principles of the United Nations and seeks the mutual goal of human society development”, she said.
Mr. José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, President and CEO of Petrobras in Brazil, explained that Petrobras signed on to the Global Compact in 2003 and that the company’s social responsibility measures have since then become a corporate function. Now Petrobras aims at setting “an international benchmark of social responsibility in business management, contributing towards sustainable development.” Recently, Petrobras announced the 2020 Petrobras Strategic Plan, which aims to achieve sustainable development through the Triple Bottom Line – a balance between the economic, environmental and social spheres.
Mr. Bunmi Akinremi, Deputy of Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa’s New York Branch, speaking on behalf of the African private sector, said that “corporate citizenship in Africa is critical if we are to make significant strides toward sustainable development.”
Mr. Toshio Arima, Director and Executive Advisor to the Board of Fuji Xerox in Japan, presented several examples of how his company has implemented the Global Compact principles. For example, Fuji Xerox launched a recycling program that was recently deployed throughout East Asia. This program “helps Asian partners develop new business processes and create new jobs”, he said. He also stressed the financial returns Fuji Xerox enjoys as a result of this environment-friendly program.
As one of four civil society representatives on the Global Compact Board, Mrs. Habiba Al-Marashi of the Emirates Environmental Group, a Dubai-based non-governmental organization, highlighted the link between corporate responsibility and social development. She outlined the various actions of her organization undertaken in collaboration with Global Compact participants in the Gulf Region, stressing that the Global Compact has played a strong role in promoting environmental sustainability and engaging the private sector more actively to address global challenges.
Concluding the panel presentations, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman of Anglo American in the United Kingdom and Chairman of the Global Compact Foundation, said that “the strength of the Global Compact is that it brings together companies with civil society and labor organizations to work constructively on very practical implementation of the Global Compact principles in day-to-day operations”. He mentioned the natural resources industry, where the sharing of best practice with NGOs and labour organizations helped develop higher standards.
Contact: Matthias Stausberg, stausberg@un.org
Investment Experts Stress Importance of Emerging Markets
New York, 29 October 2007
Pressures will intensify in the coming years for the proper consideration of environmental, social and governance issues ("ESG") in investment decisions related to emerging markets, according to a study released today.
Published by the UN Global Compact, the Swiss Government, and the International Finance Corporation, "Who Cares Wins: New Frontiers in Emerging Markets Investment" presents the views and perspectives of more than 70 investment professionals who gathered on 5 July in Geneva for the third annual Who Cares Wins conference.
Among the key findings:
- In many instances the investment case for considering ESG issues in emerging market investments is stronger than the case related to developed markets.
- Macro-economic growth rates in emerging markets are often impacted by ESG issues such as political stability, governance, corruption, education and public health.
- A relative lack of oversight by regulators and gatekeepers such as analysts and institutional investors results in weaker investor protection and ultimately higher agency costs.
- Asset owners are increasingly demanding a more explicit consideration of ESG issues in emerging market investments.
- There is a time limit attached to different ESG issues: in the short term, the importance of social and governance issues tends to be underestimated; in the long term, the importance of environmental considerations is expected to come to the fore.
"Our hope is that the many insights contained in this report, combined with other learnings from the Who Cares Wins initiative, will lead to a better consideration of ESG issues and therefore to stronger and more resilient capital and investment markets", said Gavin Power, Head of Financial Markets, UN Global Compact.
Access New Frontiers in Emerging Markets Investment
Contact: Gavin Power, powerg@un.org
New Study Explores Policies to Support Business Responsibility
New York, 24 October 2007
A new study conducted by The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung, explores how governments - through incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) into national policies - can contribute to shaping a fair and balanced process of globalization by working together with private and civil society actors.
The study investigates the drivers behind CSR policymaking, analyzing existing instruments and the level of maturity of CSR policies in 13 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. The 13 country profiles form the basis of the CSR Navigator - a tool has been designed to help map CSR-related public policy instruments and to choose measures appropriate to a country’s particular situation. The study represents an important contribution to the advancement of responsible corporate citizenship.
Download a short version of the study
Contact: Matthias Stausberg, stausberg@un.org
Global Compact Welcomes the GRI Readers Choice Awards
New York, 1 October 2007
The online sustainability awards scheme - the Readers Choice Awards (RCA) - was launched today by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). As one of the partners in the project, the Global Compact will actively promote the awards designed to bring clarity to the relevance and credibility of sustainability reporting.
The Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative entered into a strategic alliance in October 2006. The alliance provides the global private sector with an opportunity to embrace a comprehensive and integrated responsible business strategy. The Readers Choice Awards is part of the continuing efforts of the Global Compact and the GRI to promote public accountability and transparency.
The Readers Choice Awards provides for the first time an opportunity for the public to express their views about corporate sustainability reports, and will contribute not only to increase the insight into the identity and preferences of sustainability reports readers but also analyze whether reports meet the needs of companies’ stakeholders.
People interested in participating in the survey are encouraged to select the sustainability reports that interest them most, and provide scores using five simple criteria. The scoring period is open until 31 December 2007. The Awards and an accompanying survey report will be issued at the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency in May 2008.
The Global Compact will actively promote the survey and awards scheme through its networks, and will work with specific networks for a more proactive approach to ensure strong readers’ participation in the survey.
Fore more information about GRI, or to participate in the Readers Choice Survey, visit www.globalreporting.org.
Contact: Jeff Senne, senne@un.org
Principles for Responsible Management Education Enter Development Phase
New York, 25 September 2007
Following the successful launch of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit in July, the PRME co-conveners met for the first constitutional meeting of the PRME Steering Committee on 8 September 2007 in Chicago to decide on an action plan for the constitutional period of the PRME initiative. The meeting was hosted by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
Participants in the meeting stressed that the principal change agents of the PRME are individual business schools or management-related academic institutions which are encouraged to engage in a continuous change process towards achieving the initiative’s aspirational goals. The PRME co-conveners pledged to encourage an initial group of 100-150 business schools and related institutions to endorse the PRME during this constitutional period. The main role of this group of early adopters will be to learn from each other and prepare a set of good practices on implementation and reporting of the PRME.
To this effect, participants agreed to produce a light adoption procedure, with each convening institution formulating its action plan in terms of outreach and recruitment of academic institutions as early adopters.
This constitutional period will lead to a Global Forum on Responsible Management Education to be convened by the end of 2008.
On issues related to the PRME governance, the co-conveners voted to form the PRME Steering Committee with the option to invite other organizations to be part of this body at a later stage, and accepted GMAC as further member. The Steering Committee comprises AACSB International, EFMD, the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, EABIS, GMAC, GRLI, and NetImpact. The UN Global Compact Office was asked to serve as the initiative’s secretariat.
On 11 September 2007, AACSB International announced the decision of its Board to officially and unanimously endorse the PRME, and to promote the initiative among its membership. Speaking at the AACSB’s Continuous Improvement Conference in Saint Louis on 19 September, Thunderbird Business School Dean Angel Cabrera, called the PRME “a continuous improvement framework in the area of global citizenship education and research. The PRME initiative is not an accreditation system, but rather a complement—not a substitute—of existing accreditation and quality assurance systems”.
Finally, on 21 September, EABIS held its Annual Meeting and Conference in Barcelona. The Board of EABIS formally endorsed the PRME, followed by the first European presentation of the initiative. Gerard Van Schaik, Chairman of the EFMD, Anders Aspling, Executive Director of GRLI, Gilbert Lenssen, Chair of EABiS, and Dr. Manuel Escudero, Head of the PRME Secretariat, outlined the scope and meaning of the PRME to an audience of European scholars as well as representatives of European Business Schools.
Contact: Manuel Escudero, escuderom@un.org
Business, NGOs and the UN Convene Discuss Partnership Solutions for Today’s Global Challenges
New York, 25 September 2007
Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the UN Global Compact, the Financial Times, and Edelman today co-sponsored, "When Partnerships Mean Business: NGOs and Companies Tackling Real World Issues Together," a panel discussion with senior executives from leading businesses, NGOs and the United Nations about key components of successful public-private partnerships and future opportunities for effective engagements.
The panelists included Andy Ruben, vice president corporate strategy and sustainability, Wal-Mart; Georg Kell, executive director, UN Global Compact; Sonila Cook, partner, Dalberg Global Development Advisors; David Yarnold, executive vice president, Environmental Defense; and Sarah Murray, contributing writer, Financial Times. Chris Deri, general manager and global leader for corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Edelman, moderated the discussion.
“Global Compact corporate participants located in over 100 countries are engaging in partnerships with NGOs and the UN,” said Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact. “Public-private partnerships are necessary in today’s global world where business interests increasingly overlap with development objectives. We feel that undertaking partnerships is a practical manifestation of good corporate citizenship and underscores a company’s commitment to societal change.”
“Public-private partnerships are seen as the most promising strategy to combat some of society's largest and most complex environmental, social and economic problems, said Sonila Cook, a partner at Dalberg Global Development Advisors. “Yet, there remains a need for sound guidance and easily accessible information to help companies identify and build successful partnerships with NGOs.”
“There is so much talk these days about public-private partnerships, but if these activities are to move beyond just window dressing to become valuable business drivers, there needs to be the sort of frank, detailed and practical examination that we heard from today’s panelists,” said Chris Deri, general manager and global corporate social responsibility and sustainability leader at Edelman.
"Partnerships between companies and NGOs provide valuable business skills, concepts and expertise to the non-profit sector and help achieve social or environmental goals that neither party would be able to tackle successfully on their own," said Sarah Murray, a contributing writer for the Financial Times.
The event builds on a groundbreaking guide, The Business Guide to Partnering with NGOs and the United Nations, developed by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the Financial Times and the UN Global Compact to assist businesses in the partner selection process and identify leading non-profit social actors from around the world that have demonstrated skill and excellence in working with companies. The full report — including the profiles of these notable NGOs, UN agencies and other social actors — can be ordered on www.dalberg.com/guide
Contact: Melissa Powell, powell1@un.org
UN Speaks on Social Responsibility at ISO General Assembly
New York, 20 September 2007
International sustainable development standards were a featured topic at the Open Session of the 30th General Assembly of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) held today in Geneva.
Providing support for the development of social responsibility guidance by ISO, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, stated in the session’s opening address, “ISO makes a considerable contribution to the societal dimension of our sustainable development task. The ongoing work to craft an international standard for social responsibility is especially noteworthy in this respect. The United Nations appreciates the effort to involve the Global Compact closely in this process. The recently concluded Global Compact Leaders Summit, which took place here in Geneva in July, highlighted the merit of corporate social responsibility not only as an aim in itself, but as a business enabler.”
The Global Compact has been involved in the development of an ISO social responsibility standard (ISO 26000) since 2003. According to Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact, “an ISO 26000 standard that is built on existing expertise and consensus, and which encourages voluntary commitment to social responsibility, could help provide widespread common understanding and guidance on social responsibility concepts, definitions and methods of evaluation”.
It is also the position of the Global Compact that ISO 26000 has the potential to build local capacity and foster local ownership of the corporate citizenship movement – particularly in developing countries – which is a critical step in better establishing the business-society agenda worldwide and achieving a level global playing field for all businesses.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding between ISO and the Global Compact signed in November of 2006, it has been agreed that the social responsibility guidance will be based on existing frameworks, such as the Global Compact, and that, in fact, ISO 26000 will be consistent with the Global Compact’s principles.
Contact: Kola Badejo, badejo@un.org
