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Workshop Highlights Need for Business Input to Implement UN Climate Agreement

Published on November 15, 2016

marrakechLeading business organizations met in Marrakesh, Morocco on the margins of the UN’S COP22 climate meetings, to address the next steps under the Paris Climate Agreement, specifically the prospects for injecting business expertise and technical advice into the agreement’s implementation at the national and global levels. Convened by USCIB, in cooperation with the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF) and the Moroccan business federation CGEM, the Marrakesh Business Dialogue brought together over 70 government, business and UN representatives at the Universite Privé de Marrakesh.

Topics under discussion included where national pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could be delivered more cost effectively, and where business could provide necessary information to international reviews of progress under the Paris Agreement. Previous USCIB-organized BizMEF Dialogue meetings in Doha, Warsaw and Lima provided important thought leadership and input to the UN process, en route to finalizing the far-reaching treaty agreed last year.

“The Paris Agreement’s entry into force earlier this month increases the urgency to engage business in all aspects of the Paris Agreement, including its implementation,” according to USCIB Vice President Norine Kennedy, who is spearheading USCIB’s representation in Marrakesh.

Opening the meeting, Said Mouline, the Moroccan official responsible for public-private partnerships for COP22, stated that “business engagement is needed for capacity building and technology transfer.” In the course of the dialogue, participants talked about defining entry points in the Paris Agreement for representative business organizations that would contribute to transparency in reporting, reviewing national progress and informing future national pledges.

Business and government representatives agreed that both have a lot to gain from working together on the NDCs, improving transparency and measurement, verification and verification (MRV) systems, and seeking to maintain continuity and resilience of the pledges made. This cooperation will need to long term and ongoing, through the five-year cycles that are at the heart of the infrastructure of the Paris Agreement.

USCIB’s Kennedy presented a recently completed report, Business Engagement in Domestic and International Implementation of the Paris Agreement. This first-of-its-kind report offers case studies from BizMEF partner organizations and recommends a recognized business interface to be developed as part of the Paris Agreement institutional infrastructure.

“USCIB’s consistent message has been that enhancing business engagement is not just a matter of innovative governance and partnership, but also a prerequisite for successful and cost-effective implementation of climate policy,” stated Kennedy. She said such engagement should build on existing entities such as the Green Climate Fund, the Technology Executive Committee, and the Climate Technology Center and Network, and should work in synergy with the Global Action Agenda and NAZCA Platform. “The structure can be similar to other existing successful examples of business consultation and dialogue in inter-governmental forums,” such as the OECD and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, she said.

Kennedy added: “It is the business community that will do much of the implementation that is needed to reach the goals under the Paris Agreement, and USCIB has set enhancing recognized business consultation as a priority in its post-Paris climate advocacy.”

Kennedy stated that it is only with broader, more substantive and inclusive business engagement that the Paris Agreement can meet its potential. “This is more than a “nice-to-have,” she said. “It is essential to further the evolution at needed speed and scale to a lower carbon and sustainable global economy.”

BizMEF, of which USCIB is a founding member, is a partnership of leading multi-sectoral business organizations from over 25 major economies that provides responsible business views and practical input to inform deliberations in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Business Urges Governments to Advance National Human Rights Action Plans

Published on November 15, 2016
USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein (2nd from left) and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (far right) at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights
USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein (2nd from left) and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (far right) at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

As the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights gets underway in Geneva this week, the private sector is calling on governments to heighten efforts to develop and implement national action plans.

Bringing together over 2,000 participants – including government, business, civil society and academia – the 2016 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights is a major opportunity to assess progress in relation to the United Nations’ Guiding Principles (UNGP) on Business and Human Rights, and other current business-related human rights issues.

Endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, the Guiding Principles comprise 31 principles and commentary based on three pillars, implementing the UN’s “protect, respect and remedy” framework. They are a blueprint for what governments and companies need to do to put in place appropriate policies to respect human rights.

With only eight countries having implemented national action plans, USCIB and its global business partners are seeking to mobilize their national representatives to call on their respective governments to develop a national plan in order to align national laws with global standards.

In a joint statement, USCIB and other business groups issued a four-point paper stating that:

  • Business supports the UN Framework and Guiding Principles and wishes to see States implement the State Duty to Protect human rights
  • States should see NAPs as the opportunity to exercise leadership to build genuine commitment and
    capacity to achieve tangible progress in standards, business behaviour and change for rights-holders
  • States should engage with the business community to learn from their experiences in dealing with
    human rights commitments, and
  • State should use the NAPs as an opportunity for collective action.

Speaking during a forum panel on human rights and investment treaties, ICC Senior Policy Manager Viviane Schiavi underscored the world business organization’s pivotal role in promoting business implementation of the UN Guiding Principles, and highlighted how the newly launched 2012 ICC Guidelines for International Investment call on investing companies to respect the human rights of those affected by their activities, consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Read more on ICC’s website.

USCIB to Attend APEC Summit in Lima

Published on November 15, 2016

apec_limaThis week, USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, as a business delegate and representative of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. Attending with him will be Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president of product policy and innovation.

Organized under the leadership of the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) USCIB will be joining other Coalition and NCAPEC members on the ground, including CEOs and executives from USCIB member companies. NCAPEC serves as the designated 2016 U.S. Strategic Partner for the CEO Summit, Secretariat to the U.S. members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and as Chair and Secretariat of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition.

“APEC actively supports economic growth, regional cooperation, and trade and investment,” said Robinson. “USCIB welcomes the committed partnerships that APEC, as the top economic forum in the region, has sustained with the private sector to address the complex economic issues that face the region. It is a vital platform for addressing trade and investment, which is especially important now that prospects for U.S. ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership look cloudy.”

Throughout 2016, USCIB has addressed a number of issues through APEC to advance discussions across a range of issue. These include chemicals regulation, advertising self-regulation, data privacy, customs, digital trade, and women in the economy. Our members and staff have engaged in several APEC working groups, including the Chemical Dialogue, APEC Business-Customs Dialogue, Customs Procedures Virtual Working Group, Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity, the Electronic Commerce Steering Group and Data Privacy Subgroup.

In Lima, Robinson and Medina will meet with USCIB members, leaders from APEC economies and representatives of intergovernmental organizations to discuss member companies’ APEC priorities and USCIB’s work. They look forward to hearing from USCIB members in Lima, in addition to joining with Coalition partners, to advance common objectives.

The upcoming APEC meetings in Lima include, in addition to the CEO Summit, the Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting, Fourth APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Meeting, APEC Ministerial Meeting and APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. As these meetings draw Peru’s host year to a close, USCIB has begun to gather priority issues from its membership for 2017, when Vietnam will serve as APEC’s host. We are continuing to collect input, and will shortly release our APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations for 2017.

ICANN Holds First Meeting Following Internet Domain Name System Transition

Published on November 15, 2016

icann-hyderabadThe Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) wrapped up its latest global meeting of Internet stakeholders on November 9 in Hyderabad, India. The event attracted 3,000 registered participants from business, government, civil society and the technical community from 130 nations.USCIB Vice President Barbara Wanner helped spearhead a strong business contingent encompassing representatives of USCIB member companies and our overseas business partners.

The week-long conference was hailed by ICANN President and CEO Goran Marby as an “historical first meeting” following the transition of oversight of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a set of core functions necessary for the running of the Internet domain name system, from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to the multi-stakeholder Internet community, with safeguards to enable active involvement by the community in processes designed to hold ICANN accountable.

USCIB’s Wanner reiterated the business community’s fundamental support for the IANA transition. “This community-developed plan will best ensure the continued stability, security, and resilience of the domain name system as well as fundamental openness of the internet, all of which will provide the necessary conditions for continued business innovation, economic growth, and societal benefits,” she said in an address to delegates.

However, according to Wanner, the week-long meetings were not dominated by transition-related celebrations. “Rather, they focused on implementing post-transition changes as well as re-energizing work on domain name policy issues – which have traditionally served as the preeminent focus of ICANN meetings,” she said.

As Paris Agreement Enters Into Force, What’s Next on Climate?

Published on November 8, 2016
kennedy_cop21
USCIB Vice President Norine Kennedy at last year’s Paris climate summit

The Paris Climate Agreement entered into force on November 4, as a critical mass of countries and regions deposited their instruments of ratification with the United Nations. But this marks more of a beginning than an end, since national governments and the UN system still must determine future steps in greenhouse gas reduction and measures to adapt to climate change. As COP22 – the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – got under way in Marrakesh, Morocco, we spoke with Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for energy and environment and a longtime participant in the UN climate talks, about the importance of the Paris Agreement’s entry in to force, and about what comes next.

Q. Why should U.S. business be interested in the post-Paris discussions in the UN?  Isn’t the ink dry and the rules set?

A.  In fact, the Paris Agreement is not a finished product – the broad outlines and goals are indeed established, but key details on a number of critical issues to business, such as the role of various national and regional carbon markets, the tracking and updating of national pledges, and how technology innovation and potential liability for climate-related damages might be tackled are still works in progress. There is still an essential role for U.S. business to stay in touch with our government delegation to offer views and suggestions on thorny issues, and provide examples and other relevant information on business initiatives.

Q. What does Paris Agreement’s entry into force mean for the private sector?

A. While it’s usually accurate to characterize the UN as a slow-moving beast, in this instance the quick entry into force of the Paris Agreement triggers a rapid scramble by governments to resolve outstanding issues and define important rules that govern new policies, and the review of national actions, and drive the development of even more ambitious actions. The next two years will bring multiple fast-moving – by UN standards – decision-making deliberations across a number of key issues, and USCIB will continue to track those that most directly impact our members. Through our affiliations with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), we are developing global business recommendations on the top-line issues that matter to U.S. business. This is important, because it means that USCIB recommendations are amplified to other governments, and strengthened by alignment with the broader international business community.

[CLICK to download new BizMEF statements on the role of business in the UN climate talks, implementing the Paris Agreement, national reporting and verification and greenhouse gas markets.]

Q. What are USCIB’s priorities when it comes to some of the unfinished business from last year’s climate summit in Paris?

A. As the structure of UN initiatives under the Paris Agreement take shape, USCIB is focused on ways to carve out a clear role for business input and representation in the process. We consider it fundamental, at both the national and international levels, for policy makers to consult with business on the economic and environmental aspects of climate policies. There is no doubt that the Paris Agreement will affect every business sector, across all types of commercial activity, in both the near and the long terms. So preserving and improving the UN system’s accountability and transparency, and creating new opportunities for the private sector to contribute, this is USCIB’s bottom line. This is especially important as some other UN forums, such as the World Health Organization, are actively seeking to limit or exclude business input. As we have said on many occasions, if a UN climate agreement doesn’t work for business, it simply won’t work.

Q. Any thoughts about the U.S. presidential election and its implications for the UN climate process?

USCIB has represented its members in the UN climate deliberations since 1993, which is to say, over the course of several U.S. administrations. They have each been different, and USCIB has adjusted accordingly while staying the course. The common thread for USCIB has always been the importance of U.S. business as solution providers and the need to have U.S. economic interests represented and furthered in international decision-making on climate change, regardless of who is in the White House or in control on Capitol Hill. The climate challenge is itself a long-term phenomenon that impacts regulations and energy access in all countries where U.S. companies operate, and which will also offer new market and innovation opportunities for U.S. business. USCIB intends to provide continuity and thought leadership on climate policy in the broader context of sustainability, to the next administration and to future administrations. We intend to help U.S. government decision makers and the UN system to develop policy frameworks that best address climate change while also facilitating cross-border trade, investment and innovation by U.S. companies.

Business Engages With G20 on Employment

Published on November 7, 2016

youth_workingLeading governments and business organizations are redoubling their efforts to boost employment opportunities worldwide. On November 2 in Geneva, Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and Phil O’Reilly, chairman of Business at OECD (BIAC), attended an informal meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group.

That same day, USCIB president and CEO Peter Robinson took part in the inaugural meeting of the B20 (Business 20) Task Force on Employment and Education, of which he serves as a vice chair. The task force is chaired by Gerhard Braun, vice chairman of the German Employers Federation BDA. Key issues for Robinson in the task force include adapting to the future of work‎ and addressing youth unemployment.

In her remarks to the G20 working group, Kromjong highlighted the fresh approach that had been taken by China, during its year in the rotating G20 presidency, to rising global unemployment by focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. She underscored that a number of important initiatives of the Chinese presidency, such as the G20 Apprenticeships Initiative and the G20 Structural Reform Agenda, have the potential to contribute to more dynamic labor markets.

O’Reilly commended the upcoming German G20 presidency on its plans to closely engage with social partners, including the business community. He said business supports many of the ambitious agenda items of the German presidency and that it is exciting that the “future of work” has been put on the G20 agenda.

Trade in the Digital Economy

Published on November 7, 2016
USCIB Senior Vice President Rob Mulligan (center) at the BIAC/Business at OECD Trade Committee meeting in Paris
USCIB Senior Vice President Rob Mulligan (center) at the BIAC/Business at OECD Trade Committee meeting in Paris

On November 3, the Business at OECD (BIAC) Trade Committee met in Paris and received a briefing from Didier Chambovey, chair of the OECD Trade Committee. Chambovey provided an overview of the OECD’s key work streams and responded to questions from members about what the OECD is doing on digital trade, the future priorities for the WTO, and the nexus between trade and environmental policy. Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs, who also serves as a vice chairs of the BIAC Trade Committee, attended on behalf of USCIB.

The BIAC committee also discussed updating its Trade Priorities paper to address the changing global environment and to include new issues for the OECD to tackle in its work. Members provided input at the meeting and a revised draft is being circulated for input with the goal of finalizing the updated paper early in 2017.  The committee also agreed to update its papers on several issues related to Colombia accession to the OECD and agreed on talking points for BIAC intervention at the OECD Trade Committee meeting relating to agricultural trade policy, trade in environmental goods as contributing to sustainable development goals and climate change, and reforming trade in services.

Mulligan and several other BIAC members also participated in the Global Trade Forum hosted by OECD on November 2. Panels of experts addressed the topic of how policy development can keep pace with new business models and the emerging digital economy. Discussions focused on trade and investment linkages in global value chains, trade policy making in the digital economy, and managing disruption. Pat Ivory, vice chair of the BIAC Trade Committee, presented on the digital trade policy issues and highlighted the BIAC paper on cross-border data flows. A key takeaway from the forum was that an integrated suite of policies will be needed to address the declines in trade and productivity as well as the anti-globalization sentiment that has grown over the past few years.

USCIB’s Medina Leads Discussion at ChemCon 2016

Published on October 24, 2016
USCIB Vice President Helen Media
USCIB Vice President Helen Medina

Facing increasing demands around the world to divulge details of their supply chains and production processes, how much information can (and should) companies share regarding the chemicals used in their products?

USCIB Vice President Helen Medina led a discussion of this topic at this week’s ChemCon Americas 2016 conference in Toronto. Chairing a panel on “Global Supply Chain Transparency & Stakeholders,” Medina noted the numerous efforts by governments and international bodies to promote greater disclosure by companies.

“There is increased societal pressure for the ‘right to know’ concept,” Medina stated. “What’s more, companies are facing market and stakeholder pressure to ‘green’ their supply chains as a way to improve their corporate citizenship profile.”

Others speaking on Medina’s panel included Mark Herwig (GE), Sophia Danenberg (Boeing), Wendy Brant (Walmart) and Scott Echols (ZDHC Foundation).

Medina said that policy makers in many countries and regions are expanding their concept of risk in chemicals, to encompass not just the materials in a given product but also how they are used. In addition, they are increasingly requiring information to understand chemical risks throughout a products entire life cycle.

Highlighting numerous inter-governmental efforts to promote transparency on chemicals use, Medina cited the UN Sustainable Development Goals, where Goal 12 sets out to “achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.”

This focus has migrated into various other discussions in the UN system and elsewhere, Media said. She urged companies of all sizes to pay greater attention to these discussions, which she said would influence national laws and rule-making on chemicals for years to come.

ICC Digital Economy Commission Adds New Leaders

Published on October 21, 2016

business people handshaking

The International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Commission on Digital Economy has announced the appointment of three new vice chairs, extending regional and sector representation of its current leaders. The appointments enrich the diversity of the leadership by bringing engineering and communications savvy to existing legal expertise, according to ICC.

The three new leaders are:

Virat Bhatia
Chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) ICT and Digital Economy Committee and President, IEA, AT&T, South Asia Region

Bhatia recently joined the commission after years of actively contributing to ICC’s Business Action to Support the Information Society (BASIS) initiative. In this role he represented ICC views at the United Nation’s Commission on Science and Technology for Development and at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), where he serves on the Multistakeholder Advisory Group. Bhatia is leading current ICC work on Information and communication technologies in relation to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Carolyn Nguyen
Director of Telecommunications and Internet Governance group at Microsoft Corporation

Nguyen joins the commission following active engagement in ICC BASIS, representing members during the UN General Assembly 10-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+10), and promoting ICC work on cybersecurity at the 2015 IGF in Brazil.

Christoph Steck
Director of Public Policy and Internet for Telefonica

Mr Steck has served the commission as a task force co-Chair, most recently leading work on regulatory modernisation. In addition, Mr Steck and Telefonica helped support ICC Brazil’s outreach to local companies and ICC BASIS engagement leading up to the IGF 2015 in Joao Pessoa, Brazil.
New talent

Commenting on these appointments, Commission Chair Joseph Alhadeff, (Oracle) said: “Virat, Carolyn and Christoph each have a record of engagement to ICC policy development and advocacy, so I am confident members will be well served by this expansion and bolstering of the commission leadership. They also share our vision to expand participation and extend sector and geographic representation to ensure the commission itself is inclusive, and that its output is both impactful and of the utmost relevance.”

The ICC Commission on the Digital Economy develops policy positions on topics spanning the Internet and telecoms, privacy and data protection, security and digital trade. It undertakes this work on behalf of users, providers and operators of information technology. USCIB interfaces with the ICC commission through our Information, Communications and Technology Committee.

BIAC Annual Report Showcases Role of Business at OECD

Published on October 17, 2016

biac_annual_reportBIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, for which USCIB serves as the American member federation, has just released its 2016 annual report. The report showcases the breadth and depth of business (including American business) involvement at the 35-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The 2016 annual report also marks the launch of a new BIAC logo aimed at solidifying the organization’s role as the voice of “Business at the OECD.”

BIAC Chairman Phil O’Reilly and BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke write in the report’s introduction: “Productivity and inclusive growth have been guiding themes at the OECD in 2016. Throughout the year, and in hundreds of topical consultations, Business at OECD advocated measures that would strengthen the competitive environment in markets and enable the participation of all in our economies. We also contributed to the debates that helped shape international agreements such as the G20 Action Plan on BEPS, climate change and COP 21, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Download the 2016 BIAC annual report here.