Business In Society Archives

New Papers Examine Opportunities and Challenges of Green Growth in Global Markets

Published on November 30, 2012

4409_image001New York, N.Y., November 30, 2012 – As the latest round of United Nations climate negotiations proceed in Doha, Qatar, newly released papers in the peer-reviewed journal Energy Economics aim to shed light on the viability of various strategies to promote green growth and green jobs.

National governments, global institutions and the business community face the challenge of finding greener paths for economic growth and commercial activity. Yet solid economic research, weighing the costs and benefits of various policy approaches around green growth and green jobs, especially in international markets, has been largely lacking.

The new series of papers, published as a special supplement to the latest issue of Energy Economics and available at www.green-dialogue.org, aims to correct this, shedding light on many aspects of the green-growth debate.  Commissioned by the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), the new research, from more than a dozen respected scholars, promises to inform business planning and the development of public policy around the green economy worldwide.

“As business leaders, we saw a real need for solid, empirically based analysis on the most effective green-growth policies,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “Mobilizing the private sector with the right mix of policies and incentives will be critical. For this to happen, we need sound economic research that reflects business realities as a basis for moving forward. We are delighted that so many respected authorities stepped forward to lend their expertise to this effort.

Appearing as a special supplement to Energy Economics under the heading “Green Perspectives,” the papers were commissioned as part of USCIB’s International Business Green Economies Dialogue project (www.green-dialogue.org). They provide views and perspectives on a wide range of green economy topics of importance to companies operating in global markets and to society as a whole.

Richard Schmalensee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Richard N. Cooper of Harvard University and Charles Schultze of the Brookings Institution are among the noted experts who contributed to the special series. The ten papers in the “Green Perspectives” supplement address the following topics:

  • green growth
  • green jobs
  • green finance
  • green economic development
  • green energy options
  • green consumer information
  • green supply chain management.

“Individually and as a collection, these papers bring forward  a major foundational academic contribution to the field,” according to Brian P. Flannery, Ph.D., chair of the Green Economies Dialogue project.  “They can help to inform business decision-making and policy development as efforts continue to develop a greener, more prosperous world.”

The Green Economies Dialogue project is an initiative of the United States Council Foundation, USCIB’s educational and research arm, with support from an array of companies and private-sector organizations.  More information and links to the “Green Perspectives” papers are  available at www.green-dialogue.org. Learn more about the United States Council Foundation at www.uscouncilfoundation.org.

Publication of the “Green Perspectives” papers completes the second major phase of the Green Economies Dialogue project, which was launched in 2011 to foster discussion  and develop broad consensus around appropriate green-growth policies, including at the UN’s Rio+20 summit held earlier this year.  In the project’s first phase, dialogue sessions involving business leaders, government officials, leading academics and other stakeholders were held in Washington, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing and Brasilia.

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence.  Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

Business Calls on UN Climate Talks to Open a New, More Pragmatic Approach

Published on November 19, 2012

greenIn the wake of the U.S. presidential elections – as well as Hurricane Sandy – possibilities for meaningful progress in the upcoming UN climate negotiations may be gaining momentum. The business community is hopeful that this momentum will lead governments, whose negotiators will meet for two weeks in Doha, Qatar at the end of this month, to focus on pragmatic, cost-effective and inclusive action, with the active engagement of the private sector.

The talks will take place at the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP18 for short.  According to USCIB Vice President Norine Kennedy, who will join a sizeable business delegation to the talks, COP18 offers an opportunity to learn from the sub-optimal 1997 Kyoto Protocol, whose commitments technically expire at the end of this year. The shape and scope of a successor agreement to Kyoto has dominated discussion in the UN for more than a decade.

USCIB and our private-sector allies will encourage governments in Qatar to lay the foundation for a comprehensive and long-term post-2020 agreement that draws on business expertise and investment to address climate change risks and advance energy security and sustainable development.

“While lingering economic challenges are still all too evident, they should not be regarded as an insurmountable obstacle,” said Kennedy. “Instead, they are a powerful motivation to act with prudence, and identify priorities for cost-effective actions that best marshal limited resources.  Mobilizing private-sector investment is paramount, and including the business community in substantive discussions in Doha and thereafter will smooth and speed progress.”

USCIB’s Norine Kennedy at last year’s COP17 climate meeting in Durban, South Africa
USCIB’s Norine Kennedy at last year’s COP17 climate meeting in Durban, South Africa

Kennedy said the next steps in the UN climate process should be as “global” as possible, rather than the two-tier approach based on lists of developed and developing countries  attempted via Kyoto, which is widely seen as no longer reflecting current development and economic realities. Comprehensive and economy-wide approaches will avoid competitiveness distortions that have bedeviled some climate-change market mechanisms, such as the impact of EU emissions trading on the aviation industry.

On the middle Sunday of COP18 (December 2), USCIB and its partners in the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), which encompasses leading industry groups from the largest (and hence highest-emitting) economies, will organize a public-private sector roundtable. The event aims to showcase the importance of business engagement in the UN talks as they move forward, and to promote win/win solutions as negotiators seek to map out ambitious steps to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for shifts in climate.

“Global markets and the multilateral trading system are important vehicles for the deployment of investment and new technologies by the private sector,” Kennedy observes. “These systems function best with a variety of essential enabling frameworks, including the rule of law, the honoring of contracts, impartial judicial systems, stable fiscal and policy regimes, protection of intellectual property, and of course a fundamental commitment to free and open markets.”

Kennedy said business would draw a clear “line in the sand” on the issue of IP rights, which are indispensable for technology research, development and commercial adoption. Negotiators at COP18 should avoid any weakening of IP protection, she said. Business in Doha will argue that innovation and global deployment of cost-effective and efficient low-emission technologies are essential to effectively address climate change, to maintain competitiveness, and to provide necessary incentives for investment, growth and employment.

“As those of us in the Northeast United States continue to struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we are reminded of the importance of adaptation and preparedness,” Kennedy said. “These are not matters for developing countries alone. Energy infrastructure, transportation and economic impacts are critical considerations in richer countries too. Agreements at Doha and beyond should work to pave the way for practical actions that reduce the risk and enhance capacity and resilience, both in anticipation of  sudden extreme weather events and in advance of  more gradual changes impacting agriculture, energy access and water security. “

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

New Research Papers Advance Discussion of the Green Economy

Published on November 13, 2012

4403_image002USCIB and the United States Council Foundation are delighted to announce publication of the Green Perspectives papers as a special supplement of the peer-reviewed journal Energy Economics. The special supplement is available by clicking here.

The Green Economies Dialogue initiative worked with the editors of Energy Economics to invite respected authors to contribute their views and perspectives on a wide range of green economy topics of importance to companies operating in global markets and to society as a whole:

  • green growth
  • green jobs
  • green finance
  • green economic development
  • green energy options
  • green consumer information and
  • green supply chain management.

Individually and as a collection, these papers provide a major foundational academic contribution to the field, and they can help to inform business and other policy and decision-makers as efforts continue to develop a greener, more prosperous world.

USCIB and the United States Council Foundation were proud to play a prominent role in the Green Economies Dialogue project (see www.green-dialogue.org)  We thank the sponsors, national governments, authors and others who participated in and contributed to GED. Special recognition is due BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee OECD, for its leadership and engagement.

Publication of Green Perspectives completes the second major task of the GED that began early in 2011 as a process to create dialogue among governments, academics, think tanks, international organizations and business during the lead-up to the UN Rio+20 summit held earlier this year.  Its overall goals were to enhance understanding of green economy issues and, through dialogue, to promote more effective policies and actions to restore economic growth and promote a greener economy.

The Green Economies Dialogue initiative now enters a planned stocktaking phase to consider what was learned from the dialogues and papers, and to assess future directions and ways forward, especially in the international process.

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

ICC Champions Green Economy Business Priorities in South Africa

Published on October 31, 2012
During the Environment & Energy Commission meeting the panelists discussed solutions for a green economy
During the Environment & Energy Commission meeting the panelists discussed solutions for a green economy

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) experts underscored the crucial role played by business in tackling the challenges of climate change, at the 15th annual meeting of the International Business Forum (IBF) in Pretoria earlier this month.

Around 260 participants, mainly from the private sector and government, took part in the conference organized on behalf of the German government by the German Agency for International Cooperation, in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce.

The event offered the opportunity for large companies to connect with SMEs and discuss business models for a changing climate.

“Companies build a green future every day by delivering and deploying their innovations, products and services,” said Andrea Bacher, Policy Manager of the ICC Commission on Environment and Energy, in her opening remarks. “However, more effort is required to scale up and implement green solutions in today’s globalized world.”

The guiding framework for the discussion was the ICC Green Economy Roadmap, a widely acclaimed set of business recommendations outlining how economic growth, environmental sustainability and social progress have to work together in a mutually reinforcing fashion.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

G20 Employment Task Force Looks at Need for Apprenticeships

Published on October 5, 2012

Two machinists working on machineDeveloping quality internship and apprenticeship opportunities for young people has been a focus of the employment agenda of the G20 under the Mexican presidency. Recommendations by G20 labor and employment ministers in May highlighted the need for the G20 to provide a platform for fostering the sharing best practices in the design and implementation of high-quality internship and apprenticeship programs. Business voiced its full support for such programs to the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, recognizing that implementation will vary from country to country and across business sectors.

At an October 1-2 meeting in Geneva, the G20 Employment Task Force considered key elements of successful apprenticeships, and invited business and other social partners to contribute to the debate. USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg, joined by Brent Wilton, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers (IOE), provided the business perspective, drawing on work pursued jointly with BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD. Both BIAC and the IOE are part of USCIB’s global network.

Goldberg’s presentation focused on how apprenticeships fits in the context of youth employment, why this issue is a critical opportunity for G20 engagement, and the steps the IOE and BIAC are taking to scale up opportunities for both internships and apprenticeships. She stated that apprenticeship program, while “neither a panacea nor a global solution, …are an important vector for creating employment opportunities and raising skills.” Goldberg applauded the G20 initiative as an opportunity “to demonstrate value by driving forward concrete solutions to address a critical economic and social problem.”

The IOE and BIAC are working with their members around the world to compile a truly representative global picture and perspective on this important topic. Please contact us if you would like additional information on this initiative.

Staff contact: Ronnie Goldberg

More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Policy Committee

Nairobi Conference Maps Out Future UN Work on Chemicals

Published on October 1, 2012

africaAgainst the backdrop of growing international attention to the use of chemicals throughout the production and consumption chain, Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, attended the Third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3), September 17-21 in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference was held under the auspices of the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

An overarching issue at the conference was financing and technical resources for implementing the goals of the UN’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). SAICM is a voluntary policy framework, implemented in a multi-stakeholder process, with the aim of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

“Since SAICM’s activities are increasingly dealing with products, downstream users and manufacturers need to be more fully included in the SAICM dialogue,” noted Medina. “This means that we need more participation from manufacturers, and that the SAICM process should take their views into account and reflect this in the outcomes.”

One of SAICM’s main objectives is that information and knowledge about chemicals contained in products “is available, accessible, user friendly, adequate and appropriate to the needs of all stakeholders.” As a step towards fulfilling this objective, UNEP has led a Chemicals in Product (CiP) project.

During ICCM3, it was decided that the CiP project would move forward to develop a proposal for an international voluntary program to facilitate and provide guidance on how relevant information on chemicals in products along the supply chain and throughout their life cycle can be shared with stakeholders. USCIB intervened during the negotiations to ensure that the proposed voluntary program would not target product categories within the scope of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of chemicals, and that only relevant information is sought from companies. USCIB also stressed that as the project develops it is important to recognize the existing information exchange systems which have already been developed and it underscored the importance of protecting confidential business information.

Other discussion items of interests to USCIB members included decisions on emerging issues such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products, and additions to SAICM’s Global Plan of Action.

The issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) as a new work stream for SAICM was contentious. Derek Swick (American Petroleum Institute), representing USCIB, actively participated in the negotiations to emphasize the need for continued scientific knowledge on EDCs, and to underline that it was premature to include any work items to examine potential EDCs.  USCIB’s advocacy successfully limited new endocrine work under SAICM solely to known endocrine disruptors and not to “potential” endocrine disruptors.

The issue of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products continued to be of high interest to delegates, with African nations in particular voicing concern that, as production of electronics continues to increase, managing the waste and recovery of those products is crucial. Negotiators agreed that SAICM would develop an international set of best-practice resources, including in product design, to minimize the use of hazardous substances.

Another topic of interest to USCIB members was how SAICM’s Global Plan of Action might be expanded to address hazardous substances within the lifecycle of electrical and electronic products, as well as nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials. Mike Irwin (Procter & Gamble) followed these negotiations on behalf of USCIB.

Currently, the GPA is list of activities is a menu of non-negotiated items, which countries may choose to undertake in implementing SAICM objectives. USCIB’s main concern was that list of activities discussed in Nairobi would be included in the GPA in a manner that would elevate the importance of the activities.  After much debate, the additional activities to the GPA continue to remain as list of optional actions which countries can carry out as they continue to implement SAICM.

Sophia Danenberg (Boeing) was also invited to participate in a high-level dialogue of representatives from government, industry and civil society to discuss strengthening SAICM’s implementation. She reiterated that, with SAICM’s activities increasingly dealing with products, downstream users and manufacturers need to be more fully included in the SAICM dialogue.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

Updated Framework Helps Industry Navigate Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing

Published on September 27, 2012

food scaleThe International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today released a revised Framework for Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing Communications, intended to provide an updated and relevant self-regulatory tool at a time when pressure on industry is increasing, particularly with respect to marketing to children and growing concerns regarding obesity.

The framework presents a standard, uniformed approach to encourage responsible food and beverage communication and has been used as a foundation for aligning industry efforts and self-regulatory commitments in response to the World Health Organization’s agenda on reducing obesity. The framework requires that responsible food and beverage marketing should be legal, decent, honest and truthful, and clarifies that marketing communications must not undermine the importance of healthy lifestyles. Responsible marketing can help consumers make appropriate choices about products and to understand the role of nutrition, diet and physical activity in healthy lifestyles.

Prepared by the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising, the framework has been revised to align with the relevant revisions of the Consolidated ICC Code on Marketing and Advertising Communication Practices (ICC Code). It sets out business positions regarding: the role of commercial communication in our information-focused society, responsible marketing to children, and the importance of marketing to a competitive economy and consumer choice, while offering practical guidance on applying the general code principles specifically to food and beverage marketing.

“The ICC framework was first developed in 2004 at industry’s request and has subsequently been updated twice to keep current with the changes to the general ICC marketing code,” said Brent Sanders (Microsoft), chair of USCIB’s Marketing and Advertising Committee and chair of the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising. “It provides a tool industry can apply through effective self-regulation within a legal framework that protects consumers from false and misleading claims.”

USCIB hosted the ICC Seminar on Consumer Savvy Marketing held in New York City June 7, which brought together top consumer protection and advertising self-regulation experts from the United States and around the world. The seminar showcased the importance of self-regulation work, where ICC has been a major rule-setter in international advertising self-regulation since 1937. The revised Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice was launched in 2011.

ICC Framework for Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing Communications

Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications

Staff Contact: Jonathan Huneke

More on USCIB’s Marketing and Advertising Committee

At UN Human Rights Forum, Groups May Seek to Ramp Up Pressure on Companies

Published on September 20, 2012

step on globeThe UN’s Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises will hold a Forum on Business and Human Rights on December 4 and 5 in Geneva.

The forum could have important ramifications for business, especially since trade unions and NGOs are demanding far-reaching measures for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Such measures could take the form of extraterritorial jurisdiction, the linking of compliance with the UN Principles to access to export credits and public procurement, mandatory reporting on due-diligence outcomes, and the establishment of a European complaints mechanism for alleged violations.

In view of this, USCIB is seeking to facilitate a broad industry turnout at the forum, including from small and medium-sized enterprises. Representation will take place through the International Organization of Employers (IOE), part of USCIB’s global network.

The IOE has been able to negotiate the availability of a “public space” at the forum venue, where companies can present information and materials on their human rights activities during two-day forum. Please contact us for additional information.

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

BIAC Participates in Second International Green Manufacturing Summit in India

Published on September 14, 2012

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), with the support of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) and OECD, organized its “2nd Green Manufacturing Summit” in New Delhi.

Bringing together close to 250 high-level representatives of Indian and international business, the Indian government, the OECD as well as other key experts, the Summit provided an excellent platform for a constructive discussion on green manufacturing and complemented Indian efforts of promoting the country as a green manufacturing location.

Speakers included Indian Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Praful Patel, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee, Indian and international business experts from a range of different sectors, as well as BIAC and OECD representatives.

The Summit allowed for interactive discussions in several areas, highlighting how growth in manufacturing will be key to ensure inclusive growth and employment creation in India in the coming decades. Discussants also stressed the importance that such growth is sustainable, and that a right balance needs to be found between economic, environmental and social considerations.

In addition, the conference provided an excellent opportunity to exchange views on industry’s best practices, business opportunities, market developments, and new technologies for greener products; ways of greening infrastructure through efficient use of construction material, energy, water and other resources; the chemicals industry’s approach to minimize negative impacts; as well as enabling conditions for green manufacturing processes and concepts that the manufacturing industry has adopted.

Staff Contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

USCIB to Participate in Global Chemicals Management Conference

Published on September 12, 2012

africaAgainst the backdrop of growing international attention to the use of chemicals throughout the production and consumption chain, Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, will attend the Third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3), September 17-21 in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2006, ICCM adopted the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) as a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. SAICM was developed by a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral preparatory committee, and supports the achievement of the goal – agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development – of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

ICCM3 will mark a major milestone in the implementation of the Strategic Approach. The conference will evaluate implementation, address emerging policy issues including the chemicals in products project, consider new activities for addition to its global plan of action, evaluate the financing of SAICM and take strategic decisions for the future.

SAICM is a voluntary policy framework, implemented in a multi-stakeholder process, and sets as one of its main objectives that information and knowledge about chemicals contained in products “is available, accessible, user friendly, adequate and appropriate to the needs of all stakeholders.” As a step towards fulfilling this objective, the second session of the governing body of SAICM in 2009 (ICCM2), recognized chemicals in products as an emerging policy issue, and adopted a resolution which invited UNEP to lead a Chemicals in Products (CiP) project.

Since ICCM2, the UN Environment Program, the lead agency for this topic, has focused its work on understanding the availability of information on CiP. It commissioned in-depth studies in specific sectors (building materials, toys, electronics, textiles) on this topic and a workshop to make suggestions on how to move the project forward. The major recommendation from the workshop and the preparatory meeting for ICCM3 was to develop a voluntary framework to facilitate the flow of information on CiP.

USCIB is attending ICCM3 to ensure that business interests are considered as the recommendation for the next steps for the CiP project is finalized. In essence, USCIB believes that the CiP project can be a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices to achieve the goal of sound management of chemicals by 2020. Significant progress has been made in some industry sectors, and via internationally agreed standards processes, to identify priority information and key points along the life cycle where information should be communicated.

In its comments to ICCM3, USCIB recommends that the CiP project build capacity for the implementation of existing systems that facilitate the exchange of relevant information on chemicals in products, including through training tools and workshops. USCIB said that while industry appreciates the importance of exchanging appropriate and relevant information related to chemicals in products, it is crucial that confidential business information be protected.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

USCIB comments for ICCM3

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group