Chief executives gather in Beijing for a CEO Roundtable on sustainable development
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Beijing, China
BEIJING, 25 March 2019 — A CEO Roundtable convened in Beijing by the United Nations Global Compact and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) brought together more than 40 chief executives of local and global companies to discuss responsible business practices in China and abroad.
Over 40 chief executives from China and abroad gathered at a CEO Roundtable hosted by the UN Global Compact and SASAC of China
With the theme of “Responsible Business for Belt and Road Initiative, Win-win Cooperation for Sustainable Development,” the event was an opportunity to bring business leaders to the table together with representatives from Government, civil society and the UN to discuss key corporate sustainability issues and determine the best ways to partner and advance shared objectives for sustainable development.
In her address, Lise Kingo, CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, highlighted the value of the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact to the Belt and Road Initiative and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Xiao Yaqing, Chairman of SASAC, conveyed the Chinese Government’s support for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. According to a press release from SASAC, he also expressed a commitment to mobilizing Chinese companies to fulfill their social responsibilities, protect the environment, promote local employment and work harmoniously with the communities in which they operate as well as with international partners.
Many of the CEOs who joined the Roundtable spoke to the importance of combining the pursuit of principles with the pursuit of profit, and noting how the two can go hand in hand. In a discussion around how local businesses can partner internationally, CEOs underscored the importance of implementing sustainable development principles while also making a fair profit.
This CEO Roundtable is one of several that the UN Global Compact has been hosting around the world as part of their Making Global Goals Local Business campaign, bringing the business community to the table to jointly advance the 2030 Agenda.