Sustainability

The United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week took place from 23-27 September in New York, setting the global agenda on an array of global issues, from peace and security to sustainability and finance. Led by ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO and ICC Chair Paul Polman, ICC was actively involved in a number of high-level meetings on financing, health coverage and small island developing states as the institutional representative of 45 million companies in over 100 countries.

The ability to generate profits typically determines a company’s success. But leadership today requires business leaders to demonstrate that profit comes with a real purpose. While numbers are still as important as ever, more and more companies are doubling down to make their mark beyond profit margins.

Michael Wilkins, Head of Sustainable Finance, S&P Global Ratings, explores the key positive disruptors of the energy transition, namely climate initiatives and advancing technology.

In the run-up to the 2017 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the United Nations central platform for reviewing implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ICC is calling for companies to share examples of what they are doing to support the Sustainable Development Goals – known widely as the “Global Goals”.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has welcomed the findings of a landmark report by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC) which reveals that sustainable business models could open economic opportunities worth at least US$12 trillion – creating up to 380 million jobs a year by 2030.

As governments gather in New York for the 18th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), ICC has stressed the critical role of the private sector as a partner for creating solutions to today’s pressing sustainability challenges.

The Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD) has announced Senapathy Gopalakrishnan as its new chair. Mr Gopalakrishnan will lead the BASD in its efforts to ensure that the global business community is well represented during discussions at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Rio+20).

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier to the UN Global Compact Board, to which he will contribute a world business perspective on the Compact’s work.

Martina Bianchini, Director of EU Government Affairs and Public Policy for the Dow Chemical Company and Chair of the ICC Task Force on Green Economy, led ICC’s delegation to the 2011 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Ministerial and Governing Council meetings.

ICC’s new task force on Green Economy, which is under the auspices of the ICC Environment and Energy Commission, has named Martina Bianchini as chairperson.