United Nations Global Compact : Executives Meet with UN Secretary-General, Commit to Support Ambitious Goals on Climate and ...

January 24, 2014 at 01:41 pm IST

MarketScreener.com By

(Davos, 23 January 2014) - Leading executives met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today in Davos to amplify the voice of responsible business as part of two historic United Nations-led negotiations. These intergovernmental processes - one to define a post-2015 development agenda and the other to deliver an international climate change agreement - are likely to define global sustainability aspirations and actions for decades to come.

The dinner event was co-hosted by the UN Global Compact, the Swiss Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the sidelines of its annual gathering in Davos. Chief executives of Global Compact LEAD and select Caring for Climate companies participated in a unique opportunity to help define an ambitious set of sustainable development goals - to succeed the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expiring in 2015 - and generate political momentum for a global agreement on climate change. LEAD companies played a central role in shaping the post-2015 report submitted by the Global Compact to the Secretary-General in June 2013, leading up to discussions at the General Assembly in September.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General praised members of LEAD and Caring for Climate for their respective contributions to the post-2015 process and the shaping of international climate policy through events such as the recent Caring for Climate Business Forum. He urged businesses to become advocates for climate action and sustainable development. "Turn conversations into action on the ground, share your views with Governments and policy makers, and find new ways to collaborate with stakeholders in business and civil society," he said.

The Secretary-General also stressed the importance of responsible corporate engagement in public policy. He asked companies to encourage Governments to enact policies that support positive business action on climate and development, including carbon pricing - which he called "the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting sustainable development".

Business leaders and high-level UN representatives engaged in interactive discussions to define success for the post-2015 development agenda and the climate change negotiations, and worked to identify actions business leaders can take to help mobilize the political will necessary to successfully conclude the two intergovernmental processes. Priorities for key milestones, such as of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (August 2014) and the Secretary-General's Climate Summit (September 2014), were also explored.