Corporate Sustainability Seminar by Prof. Dr. Aung Tun Thet

1. CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
Prof. Dr.Aung Tun Thet
Based on Mr. Georg Kell Executive
Director of UN Global Compact paper

2. Corporate Sustainability
Movement
• Growing in every region of the world
• Companies place responsible business
practices and sustainability objectives at
heart of business strategy

3. Corporate Sustainability
Movement
• Business enterprises involved in finding
solutions to low living standards and
environmental degradation

4. Corporate Sustainability
Movement
• Companies tackling world’s most pressing
problems through core businesses
• Realising benefits and opportunities

5. Historic Opportunity
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
expire in 2015
• New global sustainable development
framework under construction
• Define priorities and approaches for next
era
• UN Member States working on set of
potential Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) to be adopted in 2015

6. Post-2015 Development
Agenda
• International business community
to elevate missions and strategies
to align with post-2015 vision
• Producing outcomes that benefit
global society and economy – and
drive business success

7. UN Global Compact
• Bring private sector perspectives and
action
• Creating opportunity to scale up and align
business contributions to UN priorities

8. UN Global Compact
• Overlap between public and private
interest in sustainable development
increasingly clear
• Development of post-2015 agenda require
unprecedented level of interplay between
business, governments, civil society and
other key stakeholders

9. Process
• Began in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 at
the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20)
• Agreed to negotiate set of SDGs,
synchronized with Post-2015 Development
Agenda proposed by UN Secretary-
General

10. Rio+20 Corporate
Sustainability Forum
• Organised by UN Global Compact and key
partners
• 3,000 representatives from business,
investment community, UN, civil society
and academia

11. “Innovation and Collaboration for the
Future We Want”
• Business executives desire to work
with governments in setting goals
and targets
• SDGs - driving force to move
sustainability ahead

12. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

13. UN Global Compact
• Input and perspectives from
private sector on post-2015
agenda
• 1,000 companies committed to
responsibility and sustainability

14. SDGs proposed by Business
Inclusive
Growth
Prosperity & Equity
Human Needs &
Capacities
Education Women’s
Empowerment &
Gender Equality
Health
Resource Triad Food &
Agriculture
Water &
Sanitation
Energy &
Climate
Change
Enabling
Environment
Peace &
Security
Infrastructure &
Technology
Good
Governance &
Human Rights

15. Convergence
• Priorities of UN and
international business
community
• Range of global issues and
challenges

16. Inclusive Growth
• Ending extreme poverty
• Extending prosperity to
majority of world’s people
• Achievable

17. Inclusive Growth
• Sustained economic growth -
inclusive and equitable
• More and better jobs
• Access to credit and
entrepreneurship
opportunities - especially
among poor

18. Human Needs and Capacities
• Progress and unmet challenges in
core MDG areas of:
• Education
• Health
• Advances in standing of women
and girls
• All closely related to poverty
eradication

19. Environmental and Natural
Resources
• Resource triad:
1. Water and sanitation
2. Energy and climate
3. Agriculture and food

20. Environmental and Natural
Resources
• Three pillars of sustainable
development
• Meets basic human needs
• Power sustainable economic
growth
• Directly related to climate change

21. Enabling Environment
• Good governance
• Respect for human rights
• Peace and stability
• Modern and green digital and
physical infrastructure

22. ENGAGING BUSINESSES IN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

23. Post-2015 Business
Engagement Architecture
• Building blocks
• Enhance corporate sustainability
• Effective contribution to
sustainable development
• Creating value for both business
and society

24. Corporate Sustainability
• Three dimensions
1. Respecting universal principles
2. Taking action to support broader
UN goals
3. Engaging in partnerships and
collective action at the global and
local levels

25. Sustainable Development Goals and
Long-term Business Goals
• Businesses contribute to
advancement of sustainable
development goals
• Implement corporate sustainability
strategies
• Advance inclusive economic
growth, social equity and progress,
and environmental protection

26. Sustainable Development Goals and
Long-term Business Goals
• Contribute to:
• Revenue growth
• Resource productivity
• Mitigation of operational, legal and
reputational risks

27. Transparency and Accountability
• Robust accountability measures
• Make business commitments
transparent
• Ensure progress real

28. Platforms for Action and
Partnership
• Optimise and scale up corporate
sustainability efforts a
• Contribute to corporate
participation in broader multi-
stakeholders

29. Platforms for Action and
Partnership
• Various forums and platforms
• Companies and other stakeholders
to work together – by geography,
sector and/or issue

30. Drivers and Incentives
• “Business case” for corporate
sustainability strengthened very
important developments
• Strengthening of society-based
drivers
• Market-based drivers

31. Post-2015 Business Engagement
Architecture
SDGs & Long-
Term
Business
Goals
Transparency
&
Accountability
Platforms for
Action &
Partnerships
Drivers &
Incentives
Corporate
Sustainability

32. PRIVATE SUSTAINABILITY FINANCE

33. From managing risks to embracing new
opportunities
• Financing needs of
transformational post-2015 agenda
require significant increases
• Address social, environmental and
economic development needs
• Bulk of sustainable development
finance from private sector

34. Private Sector
• Embedding sustainability
considerations in trillions of dollars
worth of investments
• Increasing impact on sustainable
development

35. Responsible Finance
• Avoid harmful investments
• “Do no harm” approach

36. Principle-based responsible and
sustainable finance initiatives
• Examples:
• UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEPFI)
• UN-supported Principles for Responsible
Investment (PRI)
• Principles for Sustainable Insurance
• Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE)
• Initiative and innovative approaches to
sustainable foreign direct investment

37. Principle-based responsible and
sustainable finance initiatives
• Proactive and deliberate approach
• Investment opportunities that
deliver measurable positive social
or environmental results
• Development of innovative finance
mechanisms

38. Principle-based responsible and
sustainable finance initiatives
• Responsible and Impactful Private
Finance critical to create long-term
value for business and society
• Gaining global attention
throughout investment value chain

39. Private Sustainability Finance
• Key driver of sustainable
development
• USD trillion range in coming years

40. A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL

41. Delivering a better future for
all
• Action by all
• Governments
• Corporations
• Citizens
• Consumers
• Workers
• Investors
• Educators

42. Business
• Heart of improvements in living standards
• Markets essential for creating and
diffusing solutions that drive needed
changes

43. Corporate Sustainability
• Transformative force
• Achieving shared, secure and
sustainable future