Toward Rio: Caring for Climate Launches Case Compendium Featuring Companies Adapting to Climate Change
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New York, United States of America
(New York, 13 June 2012) – A report launched today by Caring for Climate (C4C), the UN’s voluntary action platform for companies seeking to demonstrate leadership on climate change, showcases ten case examples among a broad range of C4C and CEO Water Mandate companies that are ahead of the curve on addressing real-world adaption challenges in ways that support sustainable development.
As a companion piece to Adapting for a Green Economy: Companies, Communities, and Climate Change, a report issued in June 2011 by the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Oxfam, the case compendium, titled Business and Climate Change Adaptation: Toward Resilient Companies and Communities, focuses on global companies that are strengthening not only their competitive edge, but are simultaneously contributing to adaptive capacity and resilience in communities that are highly vulnerable to climate change. The companies represent a variety of industry sectors – financial services, beverages, industrials, electricity and multi-utilities, construction and materials, ICT, insurance and pharmaceuticals – with operations in developed and developing countries.
The report demonstrates that there is tremendous scope for building climate-resilient companies while building climate-resilient communities. Companies that rigorously assess climate change risks and opportunities and implement creative solutions – including sector-specific expertise, new technology, significant levels of financing – for long-term resilience will create business value while making important contributions to sustainable development and equitable green growth.
Cases also illustrate the important role of partnerships and stakeholder engagement, as well as the catalytic role governments can play in incentivizing, facilitating, and supporting climate change adaptation at the nexus of business interests and the public good to promote sustainable development.
Business and Climate Change Adaptation: Toward Resilient Companies and Communities will be presented and discussed at the Towards a Green and Resilient Economy: Addressing the Climate-Water Nexus session at the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, on 16 June at 4:00 p.m.
About the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum:
Innovation and Collaboration for the Future We Want
Hosted by the UN Global Compact, in cooperation with the Rio+20 Secretariat, the UN System and the Global Compact Local Network Brazil, the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum (15-18 June 2012) seeks to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability practices, as a critical contribution to sustainable development. As a showcase for innovation and collaboration, the Forum is designed to be a launching ground for widespread action. With more than 2,000 participants in attendance, the Forum features over 100 sessions focused on six themes central to the Rio+20 agenda: Energy & Climate, Water & Ecosystems, Agriculture & Food, Social Development, Urbanization & Cities, and Economics & Finance. www.compact4rio.org
About Caring for Climate
Launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2007, Caring for Climate is the UN Global Compact and UN Environment Programme’s initiative aimed at advancing the role of business in addressing climate change. It provides a framework for business leaders to advance practical solutions and help shape public policy as well as public attitudes. Chief executive officers who support the statement are prepared to set goals, develop and expand strategies and practices, and to publicly disclose emissions as part of their existing disclosure commitment within the UN Global Compact framework, that is, the Communication on Progress. Caring for Climate is endorsed by nearly 400 companies from 65 countries.
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Contact
Jayoung Park
Environment
UN Global Compact
park10@un.org