INDIACSR News Network
MUMBAI: The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the UN’s corporate sustainability platform, held a business consultation in Mumbai today titled “New Geographies of Sustainability”. Co-hosted with the Global Compact Network India, this interactive workshop was attended by more than 50 key Indian corporate, public sector and civil society participants from across the country.
According to Global Compact Spokesperson Matthias Stausberg, who moderated today’s proceedings, the event was the second in a series of consultations held in China, India and Brazil, seeking to highlight regional perspectives on sustainability in preparation for this year’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, in Brazil in June. The consultation focused on the state of corporate sustainability in Indian business practice, as well as new business models and partnerships to advance sustainable development and foster inclusive growth in India.
Following an introduction by Pooran Pandey, the Executive Director of the Global Network India and a video message from Network President Subhir Vasudeva, Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC, the participants deliberated on subjects diverse as the need for supporting rural entrepreneurship, functional literacy, and the bottlenecks posed by rampant corruption.
The event was supported by Tata Steel and Novozymes, two among a select group of 56 global companies that are part of the Global Compact LEAD initiative, a leadership platform for advanced sustainability performers launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in January 2011.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Sanjiv Paul, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, reflected that the deliberations at the event would contribute towards the emergence of the Indian perspective on sustainable development and could be integrated into the Rio+20 platform.
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies committed to responsible business practices. Corporate signatories pledge to implement a set of 10 universal principles covering human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption in their strategies and operations. With nearly 7000 signatories in over 150 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.
for More information: www.unglobalcompact.org
