WBCSD raises the bar for sustainable business leadership

Together with its more than 200 global leading member companies, WBCSD is raising the bar of business commitment to sustainability through the set of new criteria put forward as part of WBCSD’s membership conditions. These criteria were accepted by a strong majority of the leaders of member companies during our AGM, based on the unanimous recommendation by the Council’s Executive Committee. 2020 marks our 25th anniversary, and the acceptance of the new criteria confirms the position of WBCSD as the leading business organization where companies turn their organizational and (cross-) sectoral and collaborative sustainability ambitions into reality.

WBCSD appoints five additional business leaders to its Executive Committee

During our AGM, five new members were appointed to our Executive Committee, including two women: Dominic Blakemore, Group CEO, Compass Group PLC; Annica Bresky, President and CEO, Stora Enso; Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank; Geraldine Matchett, Co-CEO & Member of the Managing Board, DSM; and Takahito Tokita, President and CEO, Fujitsu Lt. WBCSD members also re-elected six Executive Committee members for another two-year mandate while Ana Botín (Santander Group), Keryn James (ERM), Alan Jope (Unilever) and Ilham Kadri (Solvay) were appointed as Vice Chairs.

Human rights agenda gains traction as top business executives use their voices to call for action

WBCSD released the second edition of its CEO Guide to Human Rights, which brings to life the business drivers for action and the tangible steps chief executives can take to ensure their companies and business partners embrace respect for human rights as an integral part of doing business and drive transformative change in people’s lives. The Guide embeds a foreword with a Call to Action endorsed by 56 forward-thinking top executives of WBCSD member companies urging their peers across the business community to raise the bar on human rights performance, embed human rights in corporate culture, set clear expectations of suppliers and business partners and drive meaningful engagement and collaborations with peers, governments as well as civil society. The signatories of the Call to Action represent companies headquartered in 23 countries, with over 4.3 million direct employees, and extensive value chains across the world.

Rethinking resilience in business

COVID-19 is forcing firms to reimagine resilience. Instead of trying to strengthen their ability to resist change, companies must learn how to adapt and adjust if they are to continue to exist as employers, value creators for shareholders, and trusted members (and servants) of communities around the world. "Resilience is less about maintaining a steady state than about adopting agile, dynamic, and transformational behaviors and actions in response to pressure – in other words, being adaptable" argue Keryn James (CEO, ERM) and Peter Bakker (President and CEO, WBCSD) in this op-ed piece published on Project Syndicate and available in 10 languages.

TCFD recommendations continue to play a key role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon society

The TCFD Summit held in Japan early October was certainly timely: the pandemic has been highlighting our unpreparedness for systemic risks, and recent natural disasters are giving a new urgency to addressing the climate emergency, driving innovation and achieving the transition to a low-carbon economy. This is where the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations come to play as the most important and transparent leverage to link systemic risk and climate change to company decisions and capital market valuations. The 2020 online Summit highlighted the importance of advancing progress of climate-related financial disclosures, in Japan and beyond, by addressing the growing support for the TCFD, as well as of the achievements from last year towards climate-smart decision-making.

The Latest Reporting Matters research is out

Our newly released review of 158 WBCSD member companies’ sustainability reports shows that 78% of WBCSD member companies have improved their overall scores since 2017. The new report presents a focus on the acute impacts of the pandemic and seeks to tie it into other pressing sustainability issues, as well as how WBCSD is responding and the role of corporate sustainability reporting in this environment.

The construction sector can pave the way for a green economic recovery

The construction sector can lead the global effort to “build forward better” after COVID-19 and stimulus packages for new construction or renovation will be important tools for encouraging investments. But government incentives must consider the overall sustainability of the sector and make sure low-carbon and circular economy strategies are included in building projects. Otherwise, stimulus will bring the risk of a strong increase in emissions and waste.

50L Home - New global Coalition to address water security and climate change

The 50L Home Coalition is a global, action-orientated multi-stakeholder platform that addresses two of our most pressing global challenges: water security and climate change. This unprecedented level of collaboration that aims to make 50 liters of daily water use per person a reality for all as the water crisis is an increasing global risk with 14 of the world’s 20 megacities experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions. There is a huge opportunity to drive citizen-led actions that lead to water and energy-efficient cities.

Survey for Management and board directors on stakeholder engagement

WBCSD and DNV GL launch a survey which seeks to understand how effective stakeholder engagement can support the integration of environmental, social and governance-related considerations and drive more informed boardroom decision-making. Complete the survey to support our research to build insights and material to ensure that boards can successfully adapt to risks and opportunities presented that may impact the achievement of strategic objectives and the viability of the business model.