Global Compact International Yearbook 2013
5
/
Keynote ///Keynote ///Keynote ///Keynote ///Key
Caring for Climate – the world’s largest climate action platform involving
350
companies from 65 countries – convened a private meeting at the
December 2012 climate change talks in Doha. The meeting featured the UN
Secretary-General, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director
Achim Steiner, and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres. The event was considered a key event
at COP 18 and drew more than 60 senior representatives from business, civil
society, government, and the UN.
For COP 19, Caring for Climate – led by the UN Global Compact, UNEP,
and UNFCCC – is expanding its role. It will hold a Business Forum at the
November climate talks in Warsaw, with the aims of scaling-up business
innovation, encouraging ambition in public and private policies on climate,
and fostering collaboration among corporations, investors, civil society, the
public sector, and the UN.
Corruption is another challenge at the heart of a wide range of issues, includ-
ing governance, equity and inclusiveness, sustainable economic growth, and
the quality of infrastructure investment.
The year 2013 may be remembered in many quarters for our global call to
companies to take greater steps to combat corruption. The Call to Action to
Governments from the Private Sector on Anti-Corruption and the Post-2015
Development Agenda urges Global Compact business participants to join
forces with governments and encourages them to create robust disclosure,
transparency, and enforcement mechanisms that contribute to sustainable
development – particularly in the area of public procurement. As part of the
year-long global campaign, the Call to Action is showcasing the private sector’s
commitment to transparency and anti-corruption as the UN works on a new
set of global development priorities.
These few examples of the range of recent UN Global Compact activities
indicate that it has been a big year for action, with many possibili-
ties for the future. With heightened business action in support of the
development agenda resulting from the Leaders Summit, we expect to
continue this strong advance.
Agenda
Keynote