Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum Program for June 17

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM: A Changing World: Business as Unusual

Partners	Global Compact Network Pakistan, UN ESCAP, Global Compact Network Bangladesh, Global Compact Network Vietnam
Description	Business as usual is not enough to achieve corporate sustainability. It is clear that if corporate sustainability is to be achieved, business innovation is required. This meeting will feature two social enterprise case studies from the Asia-Pacific region which represent innovative and viable business solutions to environmental or social challenges. Speakers will discuss the components of an enabling environment for corporate sustainability, the motivations for business innovation and the challenges they face. Discussants will also explore the roles of TNCs, SMEs, government, NGOs and consumers in promoting responsible business as well as the effect globalization has had on these different actors in achieving sustainability.
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9:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Aligning Business Practice with the Human Right to Water and Sanitation

Partners	Global Compact
Description	Highlighting what companies can and should be doing in practice to respect the human right to water and sanitation, this session aims to introduce a framework for applying the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to water management. The session will offer a range of good practice measures that companies can be taking to respect and support the right to water.
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9:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment as Basis for a Sustainable Organisation

Partners	Global Compact
Description	Conducting a periodic, informed assessment of corruption risks is an important step to building a sustainable organisation. With the increased pressure from governments and investors on companies to prevent corruption risks, there is high demand for an integrated and holistic guidance to aid companies in conducting anti-corruption risk assessments for business. This session will introduce the Guidance on Anti-Corruption Risk Assessments, and discuss how robust risk assessment practices can be effectively integrated into company operations.
Themes

9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  Business, Peace and Sustainable Development

Partners	Global Compact, PRI
Description	Peace and stability are essential prerequisites for sustainable development, calling on all actors in society to work together to create the peaceful conditions in which business can thrive and make significant contributions. This session will showcase innovative corporate practices contributing to peace and stability. Participants will discuss how such practices can be brought to scale across sectors and geographies. In addition participants will seek to identify additional actions that business should take, and recommendations for governments regarding how they can help business to advance sustainable development in high-risk areas will be articulated.
Themes

9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  Children and Business: Making the Connection for Sustainability

Partners	Global Compact, UNICEF, Save the Children
Description	Both as a vulnerable group, but also as important change agents and our future, children are a key stakeholder on the agenda of the Rio+20 Summit. It is in everyone's interest that their well being is ensured, and that the world they grow up in will be a sustainable one. This event will provide an opportunity for business leaders and other stakeholders to explore how their decisions can maximise the positive impacts and minimize the negative impacts on children. Additionally the event will look specifically at how Global Compact Local Networks are advancing children's rights. How businesses can best implement the Children's Rights and Business Principles will be underscored throughout.
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9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  Looking Into the Future of Sustainability: An Approach to Sustainable Cities and Renewable Energy.

Partners	Global Compact Network Spain
Description	Recognizing the unique sustainability challenges and opportunities facing cities, many metropolises are incorporating a Smart Cities model to find solutions toward a number of sustainability goals, including efficient resource management and improved quality of life. Smart Cities produces a mutually beneficial global energy model in which communities and businesses can both benefit environmentally and economically from renewable energy production. This event will highlight work being undertaken by companies across Spain to realize the concept of Smart Cities, and the potential of renewable energy in the urban context. The session will include presentations from leading Spanish multinational companies such as Endesa, Telefónica, Agbar, BBVA and Acciona.
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9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  Mitigate Risks and Increase Resilience of Small Farmers, Innovative Partnerships and Lasting Impact

Partners	Government of Switzerland
Description	Farmers have traditionally faced important risks related to weather conditions; such risks often prevent farmers in developing countries from moving out from subsistence agriculture and into marketable surpluses. These risks are rising due to climate change. Insurance providers – both with and without partners – have increasingly developed innovative solutions in order to mitigate such risks, including climate index based insurance schemes and the use of information technology. This panel will provide the opportunity for exchange on private sector incentives and interests to enter such markets and will explore, based on concrete cases, innovative forms of public-private partnerships that reinforce lasting scalable impact.

9:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Sustainable Energy for All: Mobilizing Action and Partnerships around ‘High Impact Opportunities’

Partners	Global Compact
Description	To further advance the Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All initiative, this roundtable session will discuss the following issues: policy barriers and challenges, financing evolution, market conditions and enabling factors, and societal behavioral change. The results and outcomes of the roundtables will be captured as input to the Corporate Sustainability Forum Outcome Document to be provided to the National Delegation session at the conference.
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9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  The Business Case for the Green Economy

Partners	Global Compact, UNEP, UNEP-FI
Description	The Business Case for the Green Economy: Opening High-Level Plenary Session (09:00am-10:30am) will gather thought leaders from business, financial institutions and governments who will offer insight and vision on the opportunities and challenges of financing the transition to a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The business case for action, particularly addressing the challenge of finance and initiatives underway will be highlighted.
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9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  The Role and the Benefit of Voluntary Actions and Programmes

Partners	Global Compact Network Indonesia
Description	This session will highlight best practices of voluntary based actions and programmes that involve Global Compact Network and engage communities. Topics covered will include climate, water; social development, health and economics of sustainable development in line with Global Compact principles. This session will describe the dynamics of stakeholder partnership and role of each stakeholder in such action or programme.
Themes

9:00 AM  -  10:30 AM:  The Role of Local Networks for Sustainable Development in Emerging Democracies

Partners	Global Compact Network Bulgaria, Global Compact Network United Kingdom
Description	This session will present two approaches of business-led local networks – in emerging and developed democracies. The approaches highlight companies actively engaging with each other in collective action toward catalytic change. The discussion will map out different paths possible for companies and local networks on the road to sustainable development. Sustainability hubs are management models that develop an enabling environment, enhancing companies' collaboration, communication and interaction on the issue of sustainable development.
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11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Building Markets for Greener Products

Partners	US Environmental Protection Agency
Description	Every day consumers- whether individuals, businesses or institutions- make purchases that leave an “environmental and social footprint.” Countries and other stakeholders are coming together at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development to explore ways to grow our economies while improving living conditions and protecting our environment. The Building Markets for Greener Products initiative seeks to promote more sustainable consumption and production by: a) creating demand through commitments to sustainable procurement and b) promoting the development of open and transparent access to credible data to help green supply chains and products, including through expanded use of product life-cycle data systems and tools.
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11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Building Partnerships for Urban Futures: Leveraging Strengths, Driving Change through Shared Values

Partners	UN-HABITAT
Description	Elevating the urban agenda and dealing with the fastest urbanization rates in history must start by forging the most effective alliances between private, public and social interests around shared values to address urban core challenges and build solutions. This is the essence of the World Urban Campaign, a catalytic and transformative partnership that is meant to engage civil society, the business sector, the research community and Governments in a global movement that elevates the urban agenda through a positive vision and understanding of the tremendous benefits cities can bring. Beyond an advocacy partnership, the World Urban Campaign shall provide the knowledge and action-oriented platform to address the complexity of the urban agenda through an integrated and systemic approach to urban issues. It harnesses the right partners to share converging interests and leverage their strengths and core competencies. The partnership has the in-built capacity to reach the required scale to generate impact in and across cities. Partners of the World Urban Campaign will present their approaches in cities, identify drivers of change, share experiences on how strengths and innovation can be leveraged and shared values be positively harnessed to generate positive change. Speakers include high-level representatives from corporations and their partners at the city level.
Themes

11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Green Gold - Financing the Green Economy

Partners	Global Compact, UNEP, UNEP-FI
Description	Green Gold: Financing the Green Economy (11:00am-12:30pm), thought leaders from financial institutions will offer insight and vision on how the finance sector can support green business and industry, thus catalyzing a corporate transition to the Green Economy.
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11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  How Local Networks are Inspiring Business to Advance Human Rights

Partners	Global Compact Network Australia, Global Compact Network Germany
Description	In this session, local networks will be encouraged to share their recent experiences in advancing the human rights principles of the Global Compact. The session will draw from a comparative analysis of practical and recent local network activities and initiatives, highlighting different strategies, tools and resources currently being used in different countries and regions. This session will build on existing efforts of local networks with the hope of spurring continued collaboration, cooperation and communication.
Themes

11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Integrated Reporting and Innovation: Communicating in the 21st Century

Partners	IIRC, Global Compact Network United Kingdom
Description	Integrated Reporting is transforming the way that companies understand, manage and report on their strategy and performance. In some countries, integrated reporting is already mandatory, in others, companies are seizing the opportunity to innovate and influence the future of corporate reporting. This session will look at how to reap the benefits of a move towards integrated reporting and learn from the challenges others have faced. It will provide practical insights from leading companies and investors, who are incorporating this information into their investment decisions.
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11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Resource Efficiency and Enterprise Competitiveness

Partners	UNIDO, IFC, Government of Switzerland
Description	The programme on Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) is a preventive, enterprise-level approach to improving resource use, reducing environmental pollution and contributing to sustainable industrial development. UNEP and UNIDO jointly implement a programme supporting the establishment of National Cleaner Production Centres. Today, there are 48 centres and programmes worldwide. This event will illustrate that RECP is based on the continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy to processes, products and services in order to increase overall efficiency and to reduce risks to human health and the environment. Further, the event will address the financing needs of the manufacturing sector as it seeks to become more resource efficient, reduce its carbon emissions and benefits from the growing market for green products and services. The session will also focus on the cleaner technology and technology transfer aspects related specifically to energy efficiency and climate change mitigation.
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11:00 AM  -  12:30 PM:  Technology and Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Agriculture

Partners	CropLife, World Farmers' Organization
Description	Recent discussions on agriculture have questioned the role technology has played in moving agriculture forward, and what role private and public sectors can play in advancing innovation. At the same time, it has become clear that the uptake gap in best practices and techniques is limiting the impact that new technologies can have on productivity and sustainability. Essential to addressing this gap is a need to put in place the supporting mechanisms to help farmers adopt new techniques and sound management systems. Knowledge sharing mechanisms, such as extension services, need to be revitalized and expanded to ensure innovation reaches farmers' fields and contributes to sustainable agriculture. This session will focus on two ‘sides of the coin’, discussing both the role innovative technologies can play to advance sustainable agriculture and the role of knowledge sharing mechanisms to improve the deployment and uptake of innovations and best practices. Speakers will focus on practical experiences and on the ground examples of how this can be done and of the impacts of innovative methods on farmers’ livelihoods, environment and productivity.
Themes

12:30 PM  -  2:00 PM:  10th Meeting of the Global Compact Anti-Corruption Working Group (Invitation Only)

Partners	Global Compact
Description	The Global Compact Working Group on the Tenth Principles against Corruption will meet on the topic of embedding compliance, ethics and integrity for the future we want. By invitation only.

12:30 PM  -  2:00 PM:  Caring for Climate Meeting (Signatories Only)

Partners	Global Compact, UNEP, UNFCCC
Description	A signatories only session to take stock of the progress made within the initiative and to discuss transparency and disclosure efforts, climate change commitments and future C4C activities. Signatories will have the opportunity to provide input to future Caring for Climate priorities and workplan. Invitation only.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  Challenges to Financial Inclusion in Brazil (Sponsor Session)

Partners	Bradesco
Description	The panel will address financial inclusion practices that are being developed in Brazil, considering different local circumstances and economic growth with a focus on base-of-the-pyramid approaches. Issues to be discussed include financial education, products and services targeted to low-income populations, and a case study of actions undertaken in the Amazon region.
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2:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Emerging Best Practice in Corporate Water Disclosure

Partners	Global Compact
Description	This multi-stakeholder session will discuss and assess the range of water risk and stewardship-related tools and initiatives, so as to gain a coherent shared understanding of the disclosure landscape, which will in turn inform the development of the Mandate's forthcoming Water Disclosure Guidelines.
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2:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Framework for Action: Social Enterprise & Impact Investing

Partners	Global Compact, The Rockefeller Foundation
Description	This session will launch the joint Global Compact/Rockefeller Foundation framework for action designed to assist potential impact investors - including large institutional investors and companies in better understanding the rapidly evolving social enterprise sector and how they might engage with it. Discussions will focus particularly on how directing capital to social enterprise can allow companies and investors to achieve financial returns and reach new growth markets while simultaneously fostering socially beneficial impacts. Panellists will showcase the business rationale, strategic considerations and specific modes - such as financial investments, incubation, partnerships and public policy measures - for investors, companies and governments to engage in impact investing. Participants will further discuss ways to carry forward the recommendations for accelerating growth put forth in the framework.
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2:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Good Business Models for a Sustainable Future

Partners	ITC
Description	Hosted by Simone Cipriani (ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative), Good Business Models for a Sustainable Future will show that doing good and making profit is possible through inclusive business models. This focused session will engage key players from civil society and various business sectors such as Leonardo Boff, Aminata Traore, Auret van Heerden, Ilaria Venturini Fendi and Oskar Metsavaht, in a debate launching an International Advisory Committee to promote sustainable business partnerships that are fair, green and benefit the poorest of the poor.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  Rio Forward: Transformative Solutions for a Green Economy

Partners	Carbon Disclosure Project, The Climate Group
Description	Innovative solutions that address climate challenges and sustainable development goals will be showcased as well as ways of scaling up transformative solutions that enable a rapid transition towards the green economy. Discussions will focus on defining transformative actions and related targets – and the types of commitments needed from various stakeholders – in addition to policy frameworks that will help accelerate these efforts. This session will provide an anchor to inform and advance the transformative solutions workstream of Caring for Climate and The Climate Group
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  Standards Driving Sustainability through Financial Markets

Partners	IFC
Description	Developing a green economy will require both the development of new green sectors and a shift in how existing companies do their business. Financial institutions have a significant role to play in both of these areas. Flexible financing can be used to incentivize the development of new sectors and mitigate risks to unlock financing at scale, while environmental and social standards can influence existing businesses to adopt greener practices. This session will explore the role that standards are playing in driving sustainability from the perspective of the financial institution, the regulator and the client.
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2:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Sustainability with Integrity: From Organizational Change to Collective Action

Partners	Global Compact
Description	Corruption undermines the positive impacts that a corporation's sustainable practices can achieve. This session will review the impact of corruption on environmental degradation and vulnerable populations. Participants will engage in solutions-oriented discussions to determine how companies can play a positive role in advancing sustainable development by reducing corruption and enhancing anti-corruption measures. The session will explore best practices, including independent corporate actions and collective action approaches.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  Sustaining Life on Earth: Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Combat Ecosystem Services Loss

Partners	Global Compact Network Turkey
Description	This interactive panel session will focus on the need for enhanced collective action to combat biodiversity loss, which is threatening the wellbeing of planet and people alike. Using examples from Europe, Turkey and Africa, the session will highlight innovative public-private partnerships between the UN, government and civil society to mitigate and offset biodiversity impacts and to advance conservation efforts.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  The Global Compact European Companies Towards Rio+20 and Beyond

Partners	Global Compact Network Italy
Description	European Global Compact Local Networks have produced a best practices collection focused on sustainable development initiatives and programs carried out by European companies to help advance sustainable business models and markets coherently within the lens of Rio+20. The publication, titled “The European UN Global Compact Companies towards Rio+20 and Beyond. A Best Practices Collection”, contains 100 case stories coming from more than 20 countries in Europe. This session will highlight key elements of this resource, and how it can be leveraged to support implementation of business practices that align with sustainable development objectives.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  The Path to Resource Efficient Cities: Innovation in Action

Partners	UNEP
Description	The session will address the critical importance of cities in building a sustainable future, looking particularly at the building, transport, waste and water sectors. Discussion will focus on the market potential and constraints of current building and city designs; policy trends and financing opportunities for innovative city and building design; and use of common tools (sharing, benchmarking, and aggregating) to better measure city impact on environmental sustainability.
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2:00 PM  -  3:30 PM:  The Resource Efficiency Revolution: Decoupling for Change

Partners	UNEP, UNIDO
Description	This session will discuss progress made and existing challenges to the transformation to a low-carbon economy from the perspective of the manufacturing sector, including small and medium-size enterprises.
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2:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Transformational Partnerships for Food, Nutrition and Development

Partners	Global Compact
Description	This event will showcase examples of successful collaboration for food and nutrition security. Dialogue will center on ways of addressing public and private objectives while bringing about systemic positive impacts. In addition, this session will offer an opportunity for companies to announce new partnership commitments with UN entities.
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4:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Creating Impacts from Clean and Renewable Energy Usage in Rural Economy

Partners	Global Compact Network Nigeria
Description	Showcasing the impact and work of companies and partners in Nigeria, this session will cover efforts to enable switching to clean and sustainable energy sources among the rural poor. The session will review the economic empowerment attributes of some sustainable projects that are hinged on providing access to clean and renewable energy resources in rural settings.
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4:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  From 1992 to 2012: 20 Years of Mainstreaming Sustainability in the Financial Sector

Partners	UNEP-FI
Description	This session will highlight progress and trends in embedding sustainability issues into financial institutions - a critical component of delivering a truly green economy. 20 years of UNEP FI will be assessed, and participants will evaluate future challenges in integrating ESG issues into the daily operations, processes and policies within three pillars of the financial services sector: lending, investment and insurance.
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4:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Lighting the Clean Revolution: Business and Transformational Change in an Urban Environment

Partners	The Climate Group
Description	The Climate Group, in partnership with Philips Lighting, will launch the "Lighting the Clean Revolution" Report and announce a commitment to an international outdoor lighting standard. The session will explore the global energy efficiency opportunity presented by LEDs, as well as highlight examples of city leadership on technology deployment. In addition, there will be discussion of work undertaken in low-carbon planning in China (China Redesign), and the smart technologies for low-carbon urban planning (Smart Cities).
Themes

4:00 PM  -  5:30 PM:  Secure Food Systems, Drivers for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Partners	UNEP, FAO
Description	This session will: 1) highlight the direct interdependencies between food insecurity and global food systems, 2) identify key areas in which business and industry can support systemic change to more sustainable food systems, and 3) showcase the business case for taking action – highlighting opportunities, challenges (including finance) and initiatives already underway.
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5:30 PM  -  7:30 PM:  Global Compact LEAD Reception

Partners	Global Compact
Description	Representatives of Global Compact LEAD participants are invited to attend a networking cocktail reception on the roof of the Windsor Barra Hotel from 5.30-7.30pm.

5:45 PM  -  7:15 PM:  Partnerships for Sustainable Growth (Sponsor Session - Invitation Only)

Partners	Anglo American
Description	This session will describe partnerships for sustainable growth on the ground in real projects. It will also explore how such partnerships between stakeholders can be taken to the next level to foster green growth, covering the environmental, social and economic dimensions of the sustainability mix. By invitation only.
Materials	Agenda

6:00 PM  -  7:30 PM:  10th Meeting of the Global Compact Anti-Corruption Working Group (Invitation Only)

Partners	Global Compact
Description	The Global Compact Working Group on the Tenth Principles against Corruption will meet on the topic of embedding compliance, ethics and integrity for the future we want. By invitation only.

6:00 PM  -  7:30 PM:  Education on Sustainable Development: How to Engage the Consumer (Sponsor Session)

Partners

Whirlpool

Description

An important agent of the new “green economy” is the consumer. Every day new rules, politics, products, technologies, innovations are casted with focus in sustainability aspects. How can consumers get informed on all of these concepts? Which kind of information is useful for them to adopt new habits? How should companies, press and regulation councils contribute to increase their sustainability knowledge? In this session we will discuss these questions and which are the ways to engage consumers in sustainable development.

6:00 PM  -  7:30 PM:  UNEP-FI 20th Anniversary Celebration: Special Focus on Latin America

For more information click here.  

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