Rio+20: Enabling Green and Inclusive Markets – A Case for Public-private Collaboration

By Jim Tanburn, Coordinator, Donor Committee for Enterprise Development

Rio+20: Enabling Green and Inclusive Markets

Twenty years after the first Earth Summit, the international community will gather again in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20-22 June for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The conference will attempt to develop a road map that will provide a framework in which we can enjoy growth today, but not at the expense of future generations. The green economy is a key theme to be addressed, for which the private sector is the key driver. For instance, its investing and innovating capacities are crucial for the transition to a resource efficient low carbon economy. However, the potential economic opportunities that green business models offer are still underutilized. Often, this is due to a lack of a supportive business environment such as inadequate regulatory frameworks, disincentives to invest in green growth sectors or missing access to relevant technology.

The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) and the UN Global Compact are jointly organizing an event “Enabling green and inclusive markets – a case for public-private co…“, to take place on 18 June in Rio de Janeiro during the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum (CSF). The DCED Green Growth Working Group aims for the event to trigger dialogue between private and public sector actors on approaches to facilitating green and inclusive businesses through an improved business enabling environment. Focusing on lessons from India, the event will cover valuable insights on how donors and multilaterals can support framework conditions for green and inclusive business in developing and emerging countries.

The session will be opened and moderated by myself as DCED Coordinator, and key note speakers will include Christoph Beier, Managing Director of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), George Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, and Marcel Engel, Managing Director, Regional Network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. A first panel debate focusing on India will include Bhaskar Chatterjee, Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, and representatives from leading green inclusive businesses in India. A second panel debate focusing on the role of donors and multilaterals includes as panellists senior staff from key international agencies.

To help trigger the dialogue, we will be tweeting from the DCED Twitter account during the event under the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum hashtag #compact4rio, and providing updates on the DCED Facebook Account. We also plan to make a series of videos highlighting the key messages, debates and next steps outlined at the event, which will be added to the website of the DCED and of Business Fights Poverty, as media partner for the event. Further information, including the DCED’s recommendations to the Rio+20 outcome document, is available on the DCED website. We look forward to your comments and engaging with you on this discussion.

On 17 June, again looking at the key role of public-private partnerships, I will be moderating another event at the CSF, “Mitigate Risks and Increase Resilience of Small Farmers, Innovative Partnerships and Lasting Impacts“, being organised by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. This will examine how innovative insurance schemes can have a key role in decreasing small farmer vulnerability. Follow this as well on Twitter and Facebook.

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