Earth Summit Summary-Implications for Business
Article 13, the corporate resonsibility and sustainable development experts, report back from the Earth Summit, and its implications for business. This paper will give you a brief outline of what has emerged from the Earth Summit 2002.
(PRWEB) September 11, 2002
In the next couple of weeks we will be producing in-depth analysis on:
What business should be taking away from the Summit o issues that will be rising up the boardroom agenda
O industries that will be most affected
What the impact on corporate reputation may be The implications for the retail and marketing sectors
If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive these, please send an email to lucys@article13.com.
The Plan of Implementation...
The key output from the Summit was the Plan of Implementation, or action plan. Signed by negotiators from 191 countries, it is intended to set the world's environmental agenda for the next 10 years, and is expected to be a model for future international agreements. We examine developments in the five issues previously identified by Article 13 as being most relevant to business:
1. Corporate governance
Urgent action is required to promote corporate responsibility and accountability
2. Reducing poverty
Halve the number of people without basic sanitation by 2015 (already agreed target of halving the number of people unable to access safe drinking water by 2015) Establish world solidarity fund to eradicate poverty
3. Making globalisation work
Committed to a clause to "continue to enhance the mutual supportiveness of trade"
4. Sustainable levels of consumption
Agreed to reverse the trend in biodiversity loss by 2010 and to restore collapsed fish stocks by 2015
5. Environmental degradation
Tackling biodiversity loss by agreeing on a target to "halt the alarming rate of loss" by 2010.
The Plan also agreed to phase out chemicals with a detrimental health impact by 2020
And outside the Plan?
Over 300 partnerships (type 2 agreements) were launched including 32 energy initiatives, 21 water programmes and 32 programmes for biodiversity and eco-system management e. g. the World Bank signed an agreement with Brazil to triple the area of the Amazon rainforest that is protected.
Nation states also stated their specific commitments, with Costa Rica announcing a moratorium on offshore oil exploration and the UK's prime minister Tony Blair announcing "an investment in our collective future" by increasing the UK's development aid to all countries by 50 percent, and to raise Africa's level to £1 billion a year by 2006.
Climate change
Renewable energy was a major sticking point in the run-up and during the summit, with the EU pushing for a target of 15 percent of global energy coming from renewable sources by 2015. With the dropping of targets and timetables, thirty government delegations (including all 15 EU states) pledged to increase the share of renewable energy as part of the global energy supply Ratification of Kyoto Protocol (international agreement to limit emission of greenhouse gases) - Canada, Russia and China all announced that they will sign up. This is a significant step forward as the Kyoto Protocol will not take effect until it is ratified by 55% of the nations responsible for at least 55% of the total carbon dioxide emissions for 1990
Article 13 work in the area of corporate responsibility and corporate governance for global businesses right across industry, UK and EU Government and the voluntary sector to deliver a new way of doing business. Areas of expertise include scenarios, business planning, supply chain management, culture change, performance measurement and management, web consultancy services, dialogue and communication. Article 13 approaches business responsibility from the mainstream business angle and works through dialogue to unlock the opportunities of business responsibility to deliver innovation and competitive edge.
Article 13's co-directors, Neela Bettridge and Jane Fiona Cumming, have extensive experience in a number of critical fields: commerce and communications, social and environmental arenas, legal and business strategy. Article 13 also draws on the wisdom of distinguished advisors: Dr Paul Toyne, Professor Chris Baines, Chris Hoare, Professor Colin Gilligan, Susan Clayton, Neill Irwin, Professor Dave Owen and Andrew Acland. This panel, in turn, is complemented by a network of specialists drawn from the social, environmental, economic, ethical and business worlds.
For further information please contact Lucy Shea
Article 13, Bradley House, 26 St Albans Lane, London, NW11 7QE,
Tel: 0208 731 7700, Fax: 020 8731 8800 www. article13.com
