This event will take place on November 24 - 25, 2014 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development is subtitled "Building Prosperity through Economic, Social and Natural Capital." It will gather business leaders, NGOs and policy-makers from around the world to share practical solutions for sustainable growth and creating shared value with economic, social and natural capital. Topics discussed will include disruptive innovation, equitable growth, the sustainable supply chain, clean energy access, next-level integrated reporting and harnessing the natural assets of cities.
Agenda Topics Include • Plastics, packaging & recycling
• Net positive workshop – A restorative approach to energy, water and forests
• Real solutions to transboundary haze – Finance, technology & small-holder farmers
• Inclusive business and the extractives sector
There will be be Keynote addresses by1) Luisa Diogo, former Prime Minister, Mozambique & member, UN Secretary-Generals High-level Panel on Sustainable Development and
2)Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Discussion Panels 1. There will also be a discussion panel on disruptive innovation and new opportunities for equitable economic growth. While the global economy has soared to more than US$75 trillion nearly half the world population still lives on less than US$2 per day and the dream of equitable growth evades us. A radical change to our current economic model will be needed to deliver more equitable and inclusive growth. This panel of global thought leaders will explore how disruptive innovation can deliver economic growth that is both inclusive and sustainable.
2.Another discussion panel will address creating shared value and growth. This issue will be addressed in the context of a soaring global population demanding more from a planet with finite resources, consumers, suppliers, employees and governments are all expecting more from business. Creating shared value is a model for economic value creation that can simultaneously deliver positive social and environmental results, with new opportunities for growth and for business to deliver more. This panel will discuss a new, total impact approach for creating shared value across all stakeholders, for business, the environment and society.
3. A third panel discussion will address the business case for valuing natural capital. Two-thirds of our planet’s land and water systems have been significantly degraded due to human activity, creating $7.3 trillion in external environmental costs per year. As naturally produced goods and services are compromised or lost altogether, companies could experience supply chain disruptions, be forced to introduce costly alternatives to traditional inputs or face new regulatory and legal risks. This panel will discuss the rapidly growing movement for companies to place a monetary value on natural capital, and present the benefits for business to integrate this into risk management and decision-making.
4. A fourth discussion panel will address responsible business and creating social capital. The term social capital is often used to describe the relationships of trust between organisations and their stakeholders that can be economically valuable. Like economic or human capital, social capital enables us to create value and drive growth. This panel will discuss innovative stakeholder collaborations, the responsibility of business in tackling issues of human rights and how smart investment in social capital can benefit both business and civil society for a better future.
5. A fifth discussion panel will address the world’s most sustainable stock indexes launch. With the majority of the world’s largest companies now reporting key environmental metrics, and investors representing $45 trillion in assets signed up to the UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment, corporate disclosure and investor interest around sustainability have crossed the Rubicon. The revolution in corporate sustainability disclosure and investment integration presents an opportunity to fix the feedback loop between companies and investors so that sustainability factors are given due consideration. This discussion will provide an around the world tour of sustainability disclosure trends followed by a discussion of how the revolution in corporate sustainability disclosure has opened up a new era for investors and corporations to work together to achieve impact at scale.
6. Responsible Business Parallel Sessions Sharing, learning and industry peer collaboration 1. Traceability and the sustainable supply chain 2. The business opportunities in waste and recycling 3. Next-level integrated reporting 4. Urbanization and smart system technologies 5. The future of zero emission transport in Asia 6. Collaborative education in developing and emerging markets
Responsible Business Working GroupsHigh-level working groups will bring together business leaders, NGOs and policy-makers from around Southeast Asia to agree on commitments and policy recommendations to increase sustainability across six sectors – agriculture & forestry, building & urban infrastructure consumer goods, financial services, renewable energy and shipping. Recommendations from these working groups will be presented to decision-makers and policy-makers at a series of regional meetings in 2014. Preparation for the working groups will begin with a series of webinars, one around each of the six sectors. Commitments and recommendations from businesses will then be drafted and later discussed, developed and decided on by delegates at the Forum in November. The working group Chair will moderate a panel discussion on the recommendations, followed by facilitated roundtable discussions with the participants.
Roundtables1. Building and urban infrastructure Chair: Jessica Cheam, Founder & Editor, Eco-Business
2. Consumer goods Chair: Jon Johnson, Chairman and Academic Director, The Sustainability Consortium
3. Financial services Chair: Jessica Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, ASRIA
4. Food beverage and agriculture Chair: Tod Gimbel, Managing Director, Landmark Asia
5. Forestry Chair: Rodney Taylor, Director, Forests, WWF International
6. Renewable energy Chair: Nathaniel Bullard, Director of Content, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
7. Shipping Chair: Alastair Fishcbacher, Director, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative
For the speakers list, agenda and registration click
here.
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