Environment

The UN Global Compact’s environment principles are derived from the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

The three principles are:

• Business should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility, and;
  
• Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility

The world is today facing unique and daunting environmental challenges. These include climate change; an emerging global crisis in water availability and water pollution; record loss of biodiversity and long-term damage to ecosystems; pollution of the atmosphere; waste production and disposal; impacts of chemicals use and toxic substance disposal; damaged aquatic ecosystems; and deforestation and land degradation.

In recent years, increasing numbers of companies have adopted broad-based strategies and policies to manage the widening array of risks, and in some cases opportunities, presented by these environmental challenges. Companies that pursue such sustainable approaches can generate benefits from the following:

• cost savings through improved efficiencies; 
• enhanced revenue as a result of related products, services, and technologies;
• building corporate and brand reputation;
• improving employee and community health; 
• helping to create sustainable societies and markets.

While more and more companies have embraced environmental sustainability as a management imperative, it is also clear that even more comprehensive strategies and actions will be required if business is to reach its full potential with respect to global and local environmental challenges.

Engagement Platforms - Climate Change and Water

In addition to its core environmental principles, the UN Global Compact is focusing on two of the most critical – and related – environmental issues of this century: climate change and water sustainability.

In this regard, participants are encouraged to join the following engagement platforms:

• Caring for Climate: The Global Business Leadership Platform - a voluntary and complementary action platform for companies seeking to demonstrate leadership on climate change. Caring for Climate demonstrates how committed business leaders can advance practical solutions, shape public opinion and government attitudes.
  
  
• The CEO Water Mandate -  a policy framework to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of comprehensive water policies and practices – in partnership with civil society, UN agencies, specialized institutes, and public authorities.

UN Core Agency

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) produces a range of training materials for decision makers in government, industry and business, and local communities.

Contact

Lila Karbassi
UN Global Compact Office
karbassi@un.org 
+1-917-367-3648

(Last update 02 November 2009)