Call for commitments for Rio+20

The negotiation document which is currently under preparation by governments for Rio+20 is becoming a very large paper with little concrete actions. There is no agreement on the governance framework yet and sustainable development goals have not been formulated. While there is agreement amongst WBCSD members that there is an urgency to scale up tangible actions to build a sustainable world – the future we want. Business, as one of the key players in society, can step up to create this future.

Commitments to the Future We Want is a worldwide call for commitments and actions from business to create the sustainable world that we want. The WBCSD and United Nations Global Compact have been voices of progressive business for two decades, bringing key players together across issues. Together with WWF International, they are working to mobilise the global business community to pledge commitments for a sustainable future.

The initiative aims to collect commitments from businesses to demonstrate the lead that business is taking in advancing sustainability. Commitments can be existing or new initiatives.

Each commitment must meet established criteria for acceptance, and companies must commit to transparency and report on progress made annually towards their commitments. Commitments to the Future We Want will be an on-going initiative beyond Rio+20 and the end of this year.

As we all work towards creating a sustainable future for all, stepping up to the challenge and making a commitment is an easy way for business to showcase its leadership in the sustainability spectrum in the run up to Rio+20.

While business has only been invited to express its voice during the negotiations process in the run up to Rio, the most innovative and impactful commitments will be compiled by the UN in an addendum to the negotiation document coming out of Rio+20.