Business momentum grows for Rio+20

Meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, business leaders in Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD 2012) and representatives of UN Member States discussed the crucial role business must play in the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, commonly known as the Rio+20 Earth Summit. Inaddition Chad Holliday, the Chair of BASD 2012 and Chairman of Bank of America, addressed the plenary session of the first Intersessional of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012.

“As governments consider how to strengthen and advance commitments to Rio+20, it is timely to take stock of the strong progress made by business and the future potential of business solutions in solving sustainability challenges,” said Mr. Holliday. “Business can and will be a significant driver of sustainability.  Companies are already contributing to a greener future - they innovate and create solutions in production, distribution and marketing of their products and services every day. That is why BASD 2012 was formed: to ensure strong business engagement by providing positive and constructive business input into the Rio+20 process.”

In 2012, 20 years after the first Earth Summit, global leaders will return to Rio de Janeiro to assess progress made and chart a course forward to ensure future generations can prosper in a world of increasingly limited resources. To coordinate the business contribution at Rio+20, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the United Nations Global Compact have formed BASD 2012, an inclusive coalition that will serve as the business voice at the Rio+20 Summit.

As part of the first Intersessional – a two-day conference to discuss the objectives for the Rio +20 conference – BASD 2012 held its first formal event focused on the business role in advancing sustainable development.  This event, “Introducing BASD 2012,” was intended to build momentum toward Rio+20 by demonstrating the achievements of the private sector in contributing to economic, social and environmental goals. Edited by Constanze Schmitz