Environment Archives

US Business to Meet With Government and UN Representatives in New York

Published on August 27, 2013

USCIB will hold “UN Door Knock” consultations on September 26 for USCIB members to meet with important government delegations and highlight key business recommendations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Green Growth. As the global community looks to set a new blue print for development, building on the MDGs and Rio outcomes, business is making a strong case to bring forward policies that drive economic growth, environmental stewardship and social development.

USCIB’s UN Door Knock consultations will signal the strong interest of U.S. business in a well-designed UN gameplan for development that involves and incents business. The meetings will also make the case for enhanced business engagement in the UN.

The Door Knock will be hosted by Pfizer and will begin with an orientation breakfast for USCIB Members. The day will consist of a series of consultations with representatives of the UN, the United States, Japan, and the European Union.

USCIB will also convene an International Business Green Economies Dialogue (GED) Luncheon Roundtable. This event will discuss the ways in which the SDGs can contribute to enabling frameworks for development, poverty eradication andgreener economic activity through innovation, investment and partnership
at national and international levels. It will highlight practicality for and the contribution from U.S. companies doing business in globalized marke

The GED luncheon roundtable will feature panel sessions on:

  • SDGs and Enabling Frameworks at the National
    Level—Job Creation and Infrastructure
  • SDGs and Enabling Frameworks at the International Level—Finance, Investment and Technology Deployment

The Roundtable will include invited speakers from government (Brazil, U.S., Kenya, Colombia), academia (Resources for the Future, MIT, UC San Diego) and the private sector (International Organization of Employers, USCIB).

To register for this event, please email Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org). Please note that participation in this event is restricted to USCIB members and invited guests.

Staff contact: Norine Kennedy

Analysis UN Secretary General Report on the Millennium Development Goals and the Post2015 Development Agenda

Published on August 26, 2013

In preparation for next month’s UN General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Post-2015 Development Agenda, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has released a report, A Life of Dignity for All, containing his updates on the MDGs and vision for the road ahead. The Secretary General’s report, which will form the foundation for post-2015 discussions, highlights critical elements that have driven success in the achievement of the MDGs and which can contribute to the success of a post-2015 development agenda.

  • Emphasizing inclusive growth, decent employment and social protection;
  • Allocating more resources for essential services and ensuring access for all;
  • Strengthening political will and improving the international policy environment;
  • Harnessing the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

At its August 22, 2013 meeting, the USCIB SDGs Working Group noted many themes in the SG reports which USCIB has also drawn attention to in its advocacy, such as conducive business environments, the importance of rule of law and well-functioning institutions and the importance of job creation. Julie Kim, ECOSOC Counsellor, US Mission to the United Nations described U.S. perspectives and expectations on the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda and SDGs, indicating that countries are still discussing how formal SDG negotiations will commence in February. USCIB’s SDG Working Group, co-chaired by Tam Nguyen, Chevron, and Brian Lowry, Monsanto, is defining USCIB recommendations and priorities on the SDGs. For more information on USCIB’s SDG Working Group and ongoing involvement in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, click here. Contact Adam Greene (agreene@uscib.org) or Norine Kennedy (nkennedy@uscib.org) to join the working group or for further details.

Secretary General Ban’s report highlights sustainable development — enabled by the integration of economic growth, social justice and environmental stewardship — as a global guiding principle and operational standard. According to Ban Ki-Moon, this universal agenda requires profound economic transformations and a new global partnership. It also requires the international community, including the UN, to embrace a more coherent and effective response to support the agenda.

The report calls for a new, broader set of targets beyond 2015 that reflect new global realities and challenges. The goals should be measurable, adaptable to both global and local settings and apply to all countries.

Secretary General Ban believes that a universal development agenda beyond 2015 will require:

  • A robust framework for sustainable development finance including both private and public funding
  • A broadening of the tax base and an improvement of tax administration
  • A commitment by the public and private scientific and research communities to develop new and transformative technologies

On September 25, the General Assembly will convene a special event to review current efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and rally political support for their acceleration. The event will reflect on the broad contours of the development agenda beyond 2015.  The General Assembly could launch the final phase of the intergovernmental consultations on a post-2015 development agenda at its sixty-ninth session [September 2014].

Conclusion/Calls to Action

Secretary General Ban concludes his report by making a series of calls on:

  • Member States and the entire international community to take every step possible to achieve the Millennium Development Goals;
  • Member States to adopt a universal post-2015 development agenda, with sustainable development at its core, and provide clarity on the road map to 2015;
  • The international system to embrace a more coherent and effective response to support this agenda.

Elements of a Post-2015 Agenda

A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015

The UN SG’s report calls for transformative and mutually reinforcing actions that will apply to all countries. These include:

  • Eradicating poverty in all its forms
  • Tackling exclusion and inequality
  • Empowering women and girls
  • Providing quality education and lifelong learning
  • Improving health
  • Addressing climate change
  • Addressing environmental challenges
  • Promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and decent employment
  • Ending hunger and malnutrition
  • Addressing demographic challenges
  • Enhancing the positive contribution of migrants
  • Meeting the challenges of urbanization
  •  Building peace and effective governance based on the rule of law and sound institutions
  • Fostering a renewed global partnership
  • Strengthening the international development cooperation network

A USCIB comparative matrix of the reports on the SDGs by the UN Secretary General, the Post-2015 High-level Panel, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the UN Global Compact is available here.

Staff contact: Norine Kennedy

Comparative Matrix Expert Group Reports Proposals for Sustainable Development Goals

Published on July 24, 2013

USCIB has updated its comparative matrix of the proposed goals and targets in the reports by the Post-2015 High-level Panel, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the UN Global Compact to include Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s report, which will serve as the basis for post-2015 discussions. The first three reports reviewed in this matrix were alldelivered to the Secretary General and served as input to his report, A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015,  to the September 2013 General Assembly Special Event on the MDGs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

While USCIB sees useful elements in some of the proposals, it does not endorse any of the suggested goals and is developing business recommendations to the UN for consideration as the SDGs are elaborated.

Common thematic elements in the reports include:

  • a continued focus and effort on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (i.e. the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, education, and empowering women)
  • a focus on governance and enabling frameworks (i.e. transparency, accountability, access to information and participation)
  • goals specifically referencing common environmental issues (i.e. water, natural resources, biodiversity and sanitation)
  • a major focus on curbing climate change and ensuring sustainable energy
  • an emphasis on economic growth through modernizing infrastructure and technology

Click here to download the updated comparative matrix.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene

New UN High Level Political Forum to Focus on Sustainable Development through Head of State Meetings

Published on July 24, 2013

What is the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF)?

The 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) agreed to establish the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), a new UN body to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development. In June 2013, Member States concluded several months of political negotiations to define the “Format and Organizational Aspects of the high-level political forum.”  This new body is expected to play a central role in framing the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The new high-level political forum, consistent with its intergovernmental universal character, will:

  • Provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development;
  • Follow up on implementation of all UN activities related to sustainable development, including the SDGs;
  • Enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental);
  • Have a focused, dynamic and action-oriented agenda, ensuring the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges

When will the HLPF meet?

The date for its first meeting is September 24, 2013 during the opening of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly.  The first meeting will be an inaugural event and substantive sessions will be scheduled later in the year.  The HLPF will conveneannually at the ministerial level under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and it will, every four years, bring together heads of State and Government, under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, to provide political momentum for sustainable development.

How to participate and the role of business:

USCIB, working with the ICC and other business groups, has represented U.S. business in UN sustainability meetings since 1992. The creation of the HLPF offers USCIB an opportunity to provide U.S. business views on economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and to offer practical private sector experiences relating to the enabling conditions needed for investment, innovation and job creation.

The HLPF will be open to all “Major Groups” and “other stakeholders,” e.g. education and academic entities, volunteer groups, etc., who will be able to:

  • Attend all official meetings of the forum;
  • Have access to all official information and documents;
  • Intervene in official meetings, submit documents and present written and oral contributions, to make recommendations, and to organize side-events and roundtables

Business and industry organizations have submitted recommendations for a dedicated and recognized business channel to the HLPF.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene

US and China Agree to Action on Climate Change

Published on July 22, 2013

smogAt this month’s U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in Washington, D.C., the two countries agreed to undertake a number of steps to address climate change. This followed an announcement that the two nations will begin formal talks on a high-standard bilateral investment treaty (click here for our earlier report).

In May, the USCIB China Environment Task Force met with the EPA’s Steve Wolfson to discuss coordination and capacity-building between China and the U.S. on climate change, including Secretary of State Kerry’s newly created U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group.

On July 10, the working group presented its report on bilateral cooperation between the two countries. This non-binding climate plan lays out five new action initiatives with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by tackling the largest sources of emissions in both countries, focusing on: vehicle emissions; smart grids; carbon capture, utilization and storage; greenhouse gas data collection and management; and building and industry energy efficiency.

In a fact sheet, the U.S. Department of State released the following details of specific projects and commitments.

  1. Reducing emissions from heavy-duty and other vehicles: Heavy-duty vehicles are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in the U.S. and account for more than half of transportation fuel consumed in China. Light-duty vehicles also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, fuel use and air pollution. Efforts under this initiative will include advancing comprehensive policies to reduce CO2 and black carbon emissions.
  2. Increasing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS):
    The U.S. and China account for more than 40 percent of global coal consumption. Emissions from coal combustion in the electric power and industrial sectors can be significantly reduced through CCUS. China and the U.S. will cooperate to overcome barriers by implementing several large-scale, integrated CCUS projects in both countries, which will engage companies in both countries and allow for enhanced trade and commerce.
  3. Increasing energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport:
    The U.S. and China recognize that there is significant scope for reducing emissions and costs through comprehensive efforts to improve energy efficiency. Both sides commit to intensify their efforts, initially focusing on promoting the energy efficiency of buildings, which account for over 30 percent of energy use in both countries.
  4. Improving greenhouse gas data collection and management:
    Both countries place a high priority on comprehensive, accurate reporting of economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions data to track progress in reducing emissions and to develop and implement mitigation policies. The U.S. will work with China to build capacity for collection and management of greenhouse gas emissions data.
  5. Promoting smart grids: The power sector accounts for over one third of U.S. and Chinese carbon emissions. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector and put in place a resilient, low-carbon power grid, both countries will collaborate on developing modern, “smart” grid systems, deploying renewable and clean energy, and improving demand management.

In their joint report, the two parties made clear that this just the beginning of a new phase in U.S.-China cooperation on climate change issues, where the Climate Change Working Group is designed to serve as the new leader in this critical bilateral relationship. Working closely with private sector and non-governmental stakeholders, the working group will develop implementation plans for the following initiatives by October 2013, with the goal of continuing to find new ways to expand cooperation on climate and clean energy issues.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Justine Badimon

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

More on USCIB’s China Committee

The UN SDGs and Post-2015 Development Agenda USCIB’s Ongoing Involvement

Published on June 28, 2013

Background on the Post 2015 Development Agenda

4540_image002Since Rio+20, the United Nations has combined a several related deliberations into an ambitious initiative, collectively referred to as the Post 2015 Development Agenda.  This initiative aims to establish an internationally endorsed framework for economic, social and environmental progress, including the establishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Related elements include next steps for the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); new agenda-setting assessments in ecosystems and biodiversity (IPBES, GEO); and numerous linked climate change and energy initiatives.

USCIB’s input to the UN Process at Rio+20 and beyond

USCIB has been active in multiple UN processes:

  • Norine Kennedy was on hand at Rio+20, representing US industry and serving as advisor to the US government delegation
  • Adam Greene provided input to papers by the International Organization of Employers, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD on Post-2015 and the Sustainable Development Goals
  • USCIB submitted comments on a draft report by Jeffrey Sachs: “An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development.”  Sachs is Director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the UN Secretary General’s special advisor on the MDG’s.

USCIB’s Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

USCIB will be tracking these complex discussions to their conclusion and has established a cross-cutting Working Group to develop USCIB positions and represent business views in UN negotiations. Two dozen USCIB members have joined the Working Group thus far. This SDG group will:

  • develop USCIB policy and strategy on the SDGs
  • advocate USCIB positions with the U.S. Government, the UN and other relevant actors
  • participate in relevant UN forums and negotiations on the SDG’s
  • coordinate positions with our international business affiliates (ICC, IOE and BIAC)

U.S. Council Foundation’s Green Economies Dialogue

The US Council Foundation, along with numerous partners and sponsors, launched the Green Economies Dialogue (GED) project in 2011. In its first phase, GED1 developed information, tools and a platform for business to engage with national governments, thought leaders, academics and others on the way to Rio+20. These included convening dialogue events in Washington, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo and Brasilia, and inviting a set of peer-reviewed papers published in Energy Economics that provided academic Green Perspectives on business-relevant issues.  Through BIAC, GED1 provided input to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on green growth and sustainable development, which built on the 2011 OECD Green Growth Strategy. GED1 products, networks and activities for engagement provide an evergreen platform for business to build on to participate in and contribute to Post 2015 Development discussions.

Phase 2 of the GED project (GED2) will direct its focus to “green economy” and “green growth” aspects of the U.N.’s Post 2015 Development Agenda and related UNEP and OECD efforts.  Based on early indications in the Post 2015 Development Agenda and stocktaking events with OECD and UNEP, GED has identified potential new areas for additional academic papers.

USCIB’s September events during the UN General Assembly

USCIB is planning a host of events during September’s UN General Assembly, including a Roundtable on meaningful business engagement in the UN, co-organized with the ICC; a Green Economies Dialogue session; and an all day UN “door knock” program that would allow USCIB Members to meet with select UN delegates and officials.

Staff contact: Norine Kennedy

One Year After Rio+20 UN Moves Ahead on New Sustainable Development Goals

Published on June 21, 2013

4526_image001With this month marking the first anniversary of the 2012 World Summit on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20, the United Nations is moving into high gear to frame new global economic, social and environmental goals – and a high-level political body to administer them.

“Rio+20 may have been criticized as more sound than substance, but its outcomes are now taking shape, and look to be influential for both governments and the private sector,” according to Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and environment.

”USCIB has followed the first steps to put Rio+20 deliverables into motion throughout the UN system,” Kennedy said. “We are assessing the opportunities and risks for business, and mapping a strategy to provide constructive input to the discussions from the start.”

At the Rio+20 Summit, governments agreed to develop Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the purpose of addressing poverty eradication, environmental protection, and sustainable consumption and production. The SDGs will likely drive and set the tone for international policy on these issues over the next decade. They will also shape the expectations that stakeholders and investors have for business on these issues. Initial SDG discussions in the UN have already raised business issues, such as mandatory integrated sustainability reporting, and the importance of good governance and enabling frameworks for investment, enterprise creation and job growth.

Speaking at a recent U.N. meeting of governments on the SDGs, Adam Greene, USCIB’s vice president for  labor affairs, corporate responsibility and governance,underscored the necessity for conditions that support job creation by the private sector, and economic growth. “Employment and inclusive growth cannot and will not happen in the absence of a conducive environment for economic growth at the national level,” he said. “Global goals are useful, but we must recognize that all the key drivers for development take place within a national context and must be implemented through national institutions.” (Click here to read the full statement.)

The SDGs will be a central element of the UN-wide Post-2015 Development Agenda, which will build on and go beyond the UN Millennium Development Goals (Click here to read a recent column from USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson on this process.). While it is not clear how the SDGs will relate to the MDGs, we expect that they will differ in at least three key aspects:

  • they will apply to all UN member countries, rather than just to developing countries;
  • they will cover a broader range of economic, social, environmental and governance issues; and
  • they may also include targets addressed to business and other stakeholder groups.

USCIB will be tracking these complex – and often confusing – discussions to their conclusion over the next year and has established a cross-cutting Working Group on the SDGs to develop USCIB positions and represent business views in the UN negotiations.

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Adam Greene

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

More on the Green Economies Dialogue

Business Keeping the Pressure on Negotiators at UN Climate Talks

Published on June 13, 2013

4530_image002Governments meeting in Bonn on climate change continue to face contentious issues in the context of new, game-changing energy options, economic challenges in Europe and the emerging influence of the BRICs countries.

Disagreements about UN decision-making rules will further complicate the negotiations, adding to the tough choices ahead for the next high-level climate meeting in Warsaw in November, which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will attend. The current agreement has been plagued by volatility in carbon markets, inflexibility on technological options and only partial coverage of emitting countries.

USCIB members – including Arkema, Dupont, GE and Qualcomm – have been on hand over the last two weeks, consulting with government delegations, UN representatives and other non-governmental organizations, making the case for a durable, flexible agreement that recognizes business as an important partner, and delivers policy and market clarity for climate and energy.

“U.S. companies are already addressing climate change risks in many institutional, regulatory and market settings, domestically and internationally,” according to Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and environment. “So we encourage governments to lay the foundation in Warsaw for an international framework that works in harmony and synergy with existing structures for trade, investment and intellectual property rights protection, rather than in opposition.”

Working with and helping to support the International Chamber of Commerce delegation in Bonn, Kennedy delivered business statements to the incoming Polish chairmanship of the climate discussions, and to the Norwegian and Indian co-chairs of the post-2020 agreement negotiating track.

The UN climate change regime aims to develop a more inclusive and ambitious post-2020 agreement by 2015. Many developing country governments are reluctant to adopt greenhouse gas emissions commitments, without the delivery of financial and technical support from developed countries. Consequently, governments in Bonn are keen to mobilize private-sector financial resources toward the $100 billion per year commitment made by the U.S. and other OECD countries to assist developing countries with climate challenges.

USCIB has recently secured accreditation to the UN climate agreement’s Green Climate Fund, to provide business recommendations to this new entity for the enabling conditions to catalyze private-sector resources. USCIB is emphasizing quality as well as quantity of investment and aid, via cost-effective and prioritized projects and the deployment of new technologies for efficiency, adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction.

USCIB has also worked through the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF) to argue for meaningful and recognized engagement opportunities for business in the UN climate process, modeled on the consultative relationship between BIAC and OECD. “Business input and advice is indispensable to well informed choices by policymakers on the technologies and investments that the new agreement will depend on,” Kennedy said.

Next year’s release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Scientific Assessment Report will certainly intensify government and business focus on the international climate process. After a UN climate change summit for heads of state in New York in September 2014, Peru will host ministerial-level climate meetings in December. USCIB will remain closely involved, attending international meetings and conveying member views to the U.S. negotiating team, and ultimately seeing the completion of the new agreement through to its resolution at a summit in Paris in 2015.

Staff contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

News Brief: World Economic Climate Improves Slightly

Published on May 15, 2013

The Ifo World Economic Climate Indicator continued to rise, even if only slightly. Both assessments of the current economic situation and the six-month economic outlook improved marginally compared to the previous quarter. There are a growing number of signs that the world economy is stabilizing.

Conducted in co-operation with the International Chamber of Commerce, the Ifo World Economic Survey assesses worldwide economic trends by polling transnational and national organizations worldwide on current economic developments in their respective countries. Its results offer a rapid, up-to-date assessment of the economic situation prevailing around the world. In April 2013, 1,178 economic experts in 125 countries were polled.

While the economic climate indicator rose only slightly in Western Europe and North America, it increased sharply in Asia. Thanks to much brighter assessments of the economic situation and expectations, the indicator for Asia reached its highest mark since the end of 2010. In North America, assessments of the current economic situation are somewhat better, but remain below the satisfactory mark.

Read more on the ICC website.

Staff contacts: Jonathan Huneke

At UN Climate Talks Business Urges Support for Investment and Innovation

Published on May 3, 2013
Climate negotiators met at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany.
Climate negotiators met at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany.

“The success of a new UN long-term agreement will depend on stepping up investment and catalyzing innovation in mitigation technologies and adaptation frameworks.” This was the message delivered by Nick Campbell (Arkema), speaking for business and industry groups attending the most recent negotiating meeting of the UN climate agreement, held last week in Bonn, Germany.

According to Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for strategic international engagement, environment and energy, also attending the Bonn talks, these global talks provide an opportunity to frame a new flexible, durable and cost-effective agreement on climate change.

“The world has evolved since the Kyoto Protocol was agreed,” Kennedy said. “The new climate agreement should encompass and reflect new science, technology, energy and economic situations, and it will have to involve all major emitting countries. Business is looking for a regime that protects the planet, works in synergy with international open markets and trade and safeguards investments in research and innovation.”

http://www.iisd.ca/climate/adp/adp2/pix/29april/dsc_8352icc_twn-tn.jpg
Nick Campbell of Arkema spoke on behalf of the business and industry.

USCIB has worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce, the Major Economies Business Forum and other business groups – representing a wide range of industries, in both developed and developing countries – to advocate the critical importance of creating enabling conditions to mobilize and leverage private-sector investment and innovation to address climate change and advance energy security and access.

Governments have announced their intention to conclude a new agreement for the post-2020 period within the next two years.  A UN climate summit will take place on the sidelines of the 2014 UN General Assembly, and negotiating text is slated to be tabled by March 2015.

In Bonn, governments shared ideas on what might be in the new agreement. Tensions surrounded the challenging goals of gaining universal participation, developing acceptable national targets to achieve very ambitious global outcomes, and mobilizing significant funding to assist developing nations to mitigate their emissions and adapt to climate change.

Besides the implications of emissions mitigation and competitiveness concerns, business issues at stake in the negotiation include new policies to drive technological deployment and investment and potential new market mechanisms.

Under a U.S. government proposal, country-by-country pledges commitments could be submitted six months before the 2015 deadline, giving some time for a non-binding review to strengthen plans. Developing countries continue to call for a “top-down” target for emissions reduction and financial commitments.

USCIB’s Environment Committee, chaired by Ann Condon (GE), will begin preparations for the next round of UN negotiations to be held in June, with a focus on providing U.S business views on key elements of the international regime, and highlighting the need for positive conditions for development, commercialization and deployment of technology and know-how.

Staff contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee