Together for Impact: Business Innovation for the SDGs
At the 3rd UN Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 from 8:20 – 9:50 AM (registration opens at 8:00)
Location: Pfizer Offices at 235 E. 42nd Street
Breakfast will be served.
Please click here to view the official invitation and information about the event. Due to limited space and building security, an urgent RSVP is requested by close of business June 4 to mlauter@uscib.org.
Following intense and sometimes contentious negotiations, governments meeting in Bonn under the UN climate treaty last month rejected any reference to “conflict of interest” or conditionality for observer organizations. Commenting on the successful conclusion of UN discussions to allow transparent and inclusive involvement of business, Justin Perrettson (Novozymes), who co-chairs the USCIB Environment Committee encouraged “all Parties to take full advantage of the depth and breadth of business engagement and experience with climate change issues and to partner with business to help inform and implement ambitious national pledges.”
Countries including the Africa Group, China, Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba began the Bonn deliberations arguing for new measures to protect against “undue business influence,” and proposing language to:
Climate Justice, Youth, Indigenous Peoples and Women and Gender NGOs all advocated restricting, or even banning, certain sectors of business from the UNFCCC discussions, asserting a distorted interpretation of “conflict of interest,” and citing the precedent of the World Health Organization Framework of Engagement for Non State Actors (FENSA).
Along with Perrettson, USCIB representatives Nick Campbell (Arkema) and USCIB Vice President for Strategic International Engagement, Environment and Energy Norine Kennedy met with U.S. and other government delegations to make the case for inclusive and transparent engagement opportunities for all stakeholders, including business. In addition to the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Norway spoke out definitively against the addition of any such business discriminatory practices.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference took place from April 30 to May 10 in Bonn, Germany. Approximately 4000 participants from governments, UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations, business and civil society organizations, and the media were on hand to make final preparations for the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, which will take place later this year (December 3-18, 2018).
The main objective of the Bonn negotiations was to advance the Paris Agreement Work Programme (also known as “the Paris Rulebook”) and develop “negotiating text” for the decisions required to make the Paris Agreement operational by COP24. When complete, the Paris Rulebook would set out procedures for carbon markets and guide the tracking of comparability of effort across different national pledges.
Limited progress in Bonn necessitated the announcement of a supplementary negotiation session to be held in Bangkok, Thailand (August 31 to September 8). It will be critical to have a negotiating text at the end of the Bangkok session if the Paris Rulebook is to be agreed at COP24.
USCIB members seeking more information on climate change and conflict of interest discrimination should contact Norine Kennedy and attend USCIB’s June 7 Environment Committee in NYC
After months of informal discussion, UN Member States have voted to launch a negotiation toward the development of a “Global Pact for Environment.” An initiative of French President Emanuel Macron, the Pact is to be a binding, universal “umbrella text” providing a common global legal basis for:
The United States voted against the resolution to launch the negotiations, while 143 countries voted in favor. A copy of the resolution is available here.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN in New York Nikki Haley commented on the new General Assembly resolution stating, “When international bodies attempt to force America into vague environmental commitments, it’s a sure sign that American citizens and businesses will get stuck paying a large bill without getting large benefits. The proposed global compact is not in our interests, and we oppose it.”
As a basis for the deliberations, the UN will develop a report “that identifies and assesses possible gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments with a view to strengthening their implementation,” to be delivered to the UN General Assembly in New York. It is widely expected this report will be prepared by UN Environment.
“An ad hoc open-ended working group, under the auspices of the General Assembly, (will) consider the report and discuss possible options to address possible gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments, as appropriate, and, if deemed necessary, the scope, parameters and feasibility of an international instrument, with a view to making recommendations to the General Assembly, during the first semester of 2019, which may include the convening of an intergovernmental conference, to adopt an international instrument.”
Non-governmental organizations, including those representing business, will be allowed to observe the negotiations. A first “organizational” meeting will take place in New York in late July; following that, deliberations will begin in Nairobi, Kenya at UN Environment headquarters based on a review of the report.
“USCIB will closely follow the negotiations, and work with the Administration, other governments and the International Chamber of Commerce to understand the specifics of what is to be proposed,” said Norine Kennedy, who leads USCIB’s work on strategic international engagement, environment, and energy. “USCIB will continue to gather intelligence, as questions remain on the legal form of the ‘Pact,’ and how it would relate to other existing agreements, such as UN Climate and chemicals conventions, and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
USCIB members seeking more information on the GPE should contact Norine Kennedy, and attend USCIB’s June 7 Environment Committee in NYC.
In an effort to ensure inclusivity and transparency of international policy deliberations for business at the United Nations, USCIB organized a Geneva “door knock” meeting to UN and multilateral institutions last week, bringing together a USCIB delegation of members and staff to meet with UN agencies, officials in the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and other important government representatives in order to highlight American policy priorities and concerns. The topical areas and issues of concern included food and agriculture, healthcare, intellectual property and innovation, sustainability, environment and chemicals, and trade.
USCIB presented itself as a unique business organization, affiliated with ICC, IOE and Business at OECD (BIAC), and constructively involved in an array of UN institutions, with positive examples of the benefits of such engagement. USCIB members spoke to how U.S. business innovation, investment, and partnership deliver global progress advancing economic benefits in the U.S. and globally, with examples found on USCIB’s Businessfor2030 web platform, and argued for enabling frameworks of policy, markets and governance.
The USCIB member delegation met with the World Health Organization (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Trade Organization, and UN Environment, as well as country missions, including the U.S., UK, Japan and Brazil.
The delegation was led by USCIB Vice President for Strategic International Engagement, Environment and Energy Norine Kennedy, Vice President for Product Policy and Innovation Mike Michener, Senior Director for Membership Alison Hoiem, and Policy Assistant Mia Lauter. USCIB members include representatives from Cargill, AbINBev, CropLife, Ferrero, Sidley and GMA.
Watch Michener’s report from the field below!
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) announced the appointment of USCIB member Justin Perrettson of Novozymes as the new chair of the Commission on Environment and Energy. Perrettson is head of global engagements at Novozymes, the world`s leading bio innovation company, where he leads a series of policy and stakeholder interactions that support its sustainability agenda. He also has broad international policy experience from consulting, finance and not-for-profit sectors and has served as an active member of the Commission on Environment and Energy over the past seven years.
“We are excited that Justin has been appointed chair of the ICC Environment and Energy Commission,” said Norine Kennedy, who leads USCIB’s work on environment, climate and SDGs. “He has taken USCIB’s work in environment, climate and SDGs to another level in international forums, and we know he’ll bring the same amount of energy, commitment and passion about sustainability to enhancing those synergies working with ICC.”
Perrettson has been instrumental in leading the business voice for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change and public-private partnerships, serving as vice chair of USCIB’s Environment Committee and leading USCIB work on sustainable development as member of its SDG Working Group.
Perrettson will be responsible for leading the Commission on Environment and Energy in a renewed strategic direction and will ensure that ICC is leading responsible business engagement that promotes sustainable, inclusive economic growth in line with the UN Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals.
Perrettson has said that he is “both delighted and honored to take on this new role within ICC and to work with the world’s largest business organization to drive the global sustainable business agenda forward.”
Perrettson will take over from Kersten Karl Barth, who has led the Commission on Environment and Energy’s work for the past five years.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) convened a business workshop under the UNFCCC Talanoa Dialogue process last week. The day-long meeting at ICC Headquarters in Paris brought business leaders together with influential government representatives leading the UNFCCC negotiations to discuss where business can contribute and strengthen implementation of national and international climate policy.
The Talanoa Dialogue, previously referred to as the Facilitative Dialogue, aims to overview collaborative action by governments, business and others to move the global climate agenda. A year-long process of discussions, consultations, events and expert inputs that will culminate at the 24th Conference of Parties in Poland, the Talanoa Dialogue is the first time business and other stakeholder inputs are to be mainstreamed into the UNFCCC deliberations. ICC serves as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Focal Point for business and industry, and has represented global business in the UN climate deliberations since 1993.
Tomasz Chruszczow, climate champion, Poland, opened the meeting with a plea for business involvement, stating, “Business creates jobs, makes investment decisions. We need business to solve the challenges ahead in the transition towards a low-carbon economy.” Phil Kucharski, ICC’s chief operating officer announced that ICC would make an organization-wide commitment to both the Paris Agreement and to inform the Talanoa Dialogue.
The Talanoa Dialogue is a process led by Fiji to invite and gather information, examples and discussion on 3 questions relating to the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement and the need for additional greenhouse gas reductions, resilience, funding and technology cooperation:
-Where are We?
-Where are We Going?
-How Do we Get There?
“While the Talanoa questions appear very basic, business will re-frame them to be relevant to private sector investment and implementation, and then bring forward value-added information and recommendations in response,” stated Norine Kennedy, who leads USCIB’s work on climate change, energy and the environment. Other USCIB members attending this workshop included Nick Campbell, Arkema and Justin Perrettson, Novozymes.
The discussion tackled concerns with assertions made by anti-business interests about “conflict of interest” as a justification to ban certain business sectors from observing the UNFCCC deliberations. Elina Bardram, head of Unit for International Climate Negotiations, European Commission stated that since the challenges involved in catalyzing climate action are daunting “for technical negotiators alone to tackle, so we need real world expertise – from business & other non-parties – included in the process.”
Other speakers included Deo Saran, Fiji’s ambassador to Belgium and permanent representative to the European Union and Brigitte Collet, France’s ambassador for Climate Change Negotiations, Renewable Energy & Climate Risk Prevention.
USCIB recently submitted recommendations to the UNFCCC on the importance of substantive business involvement in the UNFCCC going forward. USCIB will work closely with ICC in future Talanoa Dialogue meetings, and will consult its members as it prepares USCIB contributions to the Talanoa Dialogue scoping exercise en route to the next UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Katowice, Poland in December.
USCIB’s “International Business” Fall/Winter 2017 issue is now live!
The Fall/Winter 2017 issue features USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson‘s column on “The Global Goals: a blueprint for partnership and action” as well as articles on developments in the UN General Assembly, NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, plus news from our global network–Business at OECD, the International Organization of Employers and the International Chamber of Commerce.
“International Business,” USCIB’s quarterly journal, provides essential insight into major trade and investment topics, a high-level overview of USCIB policy advocacy and services, USCIB member news and updates from our global business network.
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Over 40 business experts, including USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson, met with OECD governments and secretariat officials last week in Paris to discuss the role of the private sector in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). High-level speakers including OECD Development Assistance Committee Chair Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Deputy Secretary General Mari Kiviniemi and Robinson outlined the need for greater collaboration between public and private actors.
The meeting, which was organized in partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) gave participants an opportunity to highlight what needs to improve for an enabling environment that can spur local business activity as a key mechanism for driving growth and development.
Bonn and New York, November 17, 2017 – As the Bonn Climate Conference wrapped up its work, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) welcomed progress on priority topics for American business in the UN climate discussions. In particular, it noted that, after two weeks of intense negotiations, governments are moving ahead on transparency rules that will provide clarity and credibility across different national pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mobilize resources to address climate change.
USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson stated: “We want to express particular appreciation to the U.S. administration and the U.S. delegation attending these meetings for their accessibility and attention to advancing and defending American economic interests and opportunities in these international climate talks.”
Throughout the meeting, USCIB worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce and the Major Economies Business Forum to call for inclusive business involvement in all areas of the climate deliberations. The Bonn outcomes also further chart the way forward for assessment and dialogue on the progress of all countries to meet Paris Agreement objectives, known as the Talanoa process, throughout 2018.
USCIB and its members have been on hand in Bonn to showcase American companies’ actions and solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mobilize investment and innovation, and inform the inter-governmental discussions going forward. Over 30,000 representatives from governments, the UN, NGOs and the business community attended the complicated technical talks to develop implementation rules for the Paris Agreement, including in the area of market-based approaches and carbon markets.
The next UN climate conference will take place in Katowice, Poland in December 2018.
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, generating $5 trillion in annual revenues and employing over 11 million people worldwide. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org.
Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
jhuneke@uscib.org, +1 917.420.0039
Continuing a series of Business Dialogues at UN Climate Conference meetings (COPs) in Doha, Warsaw, Lima and Marrakesh, the Major Economies Business Forum on Energy Security and Climate Change (BizMEF) and USCIB organized a successful Business Dialogue on Sunday, November 12 in Siegburg, Germany on the margins of this year’s UN Climate Conference, known as COP23.
BizMEF is a partnership of over 20 major multi-sectoral business organizations – including USCIB – from major economies and international sectoral organizations.
This year’s BizMEF Business Dialogue discussed where business can contribute to national pledge development and review, and how business can be involved in the global review of pre-2020 climate action by countries and business, known as the Talanoa Dialogue, to be administered by Fiji.
USCIB and BizMEF have called for the establishment of a recognized channel for business engagement on these and other elements of the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC. BizMEF’s 2017 COP23 Issue Papers address business issues and are now available here.
The dialogue featured Fijian Ambassador to the EU Deo Saran. Fiji holds the presidency of this year’s climate negotiations, and will facilitate the Talanoa Dialogue. Ambassador Saran stated: “We are aiming for a COP that delivers tangible results and inspires a race to the top. When it comes to climate change action, each of us has a responsibility, including business. We are all in the same canoe.”
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson called for an open, inclusive framework for business engagement in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. He welcomed the Talanoa Dialogue as “a way to bring together and consider the diverse national experiences and actions, to understand what has worked well, and identify where changes could be made to promote progress. It is to be a dialogue, not a zero-sum negotiation. As such it is well suited for inclusion of business know how and experiences.”
The BizMEF Business Dialogue brought together over 50 participants from among government delegations, business leaders, academics and officials from the UNFCCC and relevant international organizations. High-level speakers at the event included:
Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for environment, energy and strategic international engagement, highlighted the growing issue of perceived conflict of interest and proposed sectoral bans at the UNFCCC and elsewhere in the multilateral system. “We need to move forward, not backward,” she remarked. “If business and industry have contributed to climate change, it should be equally true that we play a significant role in tackling climate change. The reality is that it will not be possible to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement without the robust and coordinated participation of the global business community in all its diversity.”
USCIB will continue to represent the private sector at COP23, through its conclusion on November 16. USCIB will also host an “on-the-ground” webinar from Bonn for USCIB members on Wednesday, November 15. For more information on the webinar, please contact Mia Lauter (mlauter@uscib.org).