Sustainable Development Policy

Rio+20

A sustainable and healthy business sector is key to achieving wider sustainability goals. With this in mind, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is committed to policies that support and promote the perspectives of global business in sustainable development issues.

The landmark United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro, 1992, made a compelling argument for the integration of environmental policies and practices with economic and social approaches.

In the two short decades since, business has made substantial progress in internalizing concepts of sustainable development and has taken a leading role in the application of sustainable principles to society as a whole.

A sustainable business sector is now considered a key success factor to achieving sustainable development and living for society. Furthermore, business is a wellspring for innovation and is the largest investor in sustainable technologies.

The Rio+20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development - which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20-22 June , 2012 - presented an occasion for business to take stock of what it has achieved, what was underway, and what it must still address in the realm of sustainable development. The centerpiece of ICC's policy input to Rio+20 is the ICC Green Economy Roadmap - a guide to help business, policy makers and civil society achieve a transition towards a green economy.

In this context, ICC is committed to fostering sustainable development in business and promoting the contributions of our members in this area on the world stage.

ICC offers cross-cutting business expertise that will be needed to address the sustainability challenges tabled in Rio. ICC will also leverage its international standing and relationships with governments, global organizations, policymakers and community leaders to positive effect.

Preparing business for Rio+20

A key initiative has been to convene the Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012. This temporary coalition of businesses aimed to emphasize business solutions to sustainable development, focusing on concrete actions and deliverable results.

The BASD 2012 Conference pursued three main goals:

To ensure that the voice of business was heard in the preparations for the UNCSD 2012;

To demonstrate that business was already engaged in initiatives and partnerships to promote sustainable development; and

To identify where business could play a constructive role in the development and delivery of a sustainable future.

While BASD did not try to formulate one all-encompassing business message, it advocated to ensure that business was recognized as a solutions provider in the sustainability space, and as such was fully engaged in the process.

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