6 November 2012, Singapore - Singapore Management University (SMU) played host to the first-ever Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development today. The forum, which saw a gathering of about 250 participants from the business, academic and NGO sectors, was a well-served platform for global thought leaders to discuss the issues and challenges relating to sustainable business development, and present practical ways to accelerate solutions on how the twin aims of economic growth and sustainable development can be met.
An event organised by Global Initiatives with SMU as the Knowledge Partner, the forum generated high-level discussions on international sustainability development challenges, opportunities and solutions and featured a sterling line-up of speakers and panellists. Panel experts from diverse sectors discussed topics such as ‘Innovative partnerships to advance sustainability in agriculture, food security and trade’, ‘Impacts and solutions for sustainability across sectors’, ‘Driving growth through sustainability’ and ‘A common approach to valuing natural capital’.
"The Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development is an international platform for engaging thought leaders on advancing collaborative action on sustainable development. We are proud to partner with the Singapore Management University, together with several international organisations, representing the global nature of the Forum and the issue at hand. With exceptional growth in global population, increasing demands for scarce resources will add strain to our current capacities. A commitment to integrating sustainability into business strategies, and collective efforts from stakeholders is an imperative. It will open new growth opportunities, and deliver solutions for businesses and industry to deliver on long-term success, said Tony Gourlay, CEO of Global Initiatives.
Associate Professor Annie Koh, SMU’s Vice President, Business Development and External Relations, also commented, “Sustainability is a key operational consideration for businesses today. Most stakeholders require that the companies they work for, sell to, buy from and invest in, observe and respect sustainable business practices. Companies that fail to take into account the need to incorporate sustainable development practices into their businesses will find it increasingly difficult to retain their competitive edge.”
“Singapore Management University is honoured to play host to this platform which brings together thought leaders in this subject matter. The discussions that take place today will certainly promote the cause among the private and public sectors and in Singapore, and in time to come, put Singapore on track in responsible economic development, in line with the global sustainability agenda,” she added.
In an effort to nurture a strong sense of business responsibility towards the environment in its students, SMU has started to incorporate the topic of sustainable business development in the academic curriculum of its undergraduate programmes. Students on SMU’s International Trading Concentration are not only taught the finer points of trading, but are also educated about the importance of sustainable practices in the trading value chain. Apart from classroom sessions covering the issue of sustainable practices, these students are also provided practical opportunities to participate in field trips to organisations which implement sustainable business practices to learn from real life practices.
Recent visits included study trips to palm oil plantations and processing facilities in India and Malaysia where they learned first-hand how recycled organic material was used as fertiliser and for power generation, and how the management of the largest oil refinery in the world created green belts to offset carbon and pollution emissions.
The event held at SMU also saw the launch of the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) Singapore, an independent membership organisation of forward-thinking companies committed to creating a sustainable future for business, society and the environment. As a leadership advocacy group, the council will develop tools, share best practices and drive policy development to work with Singapore businesses in developing responsible economic development in line with the global sustainability agenda. The BCSD Singapore forms part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, will be addressing invited guests as the Guest-of-Honour at a private dinner held this evening to launch The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Business Coalition. The British High Commission in Singapore will also share a Message by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, in support of the cause.
With its headquarters based in Singapore, TEEB for Business Coalition brings together global stakeholders to study and standardise methods for natural capital accounting to enable its valuation and reporting in business. Its aim is to achieve a shift in corporate behaviour to preserve and enhance rather than deplete our natural capital, and to serve as a cornerstone of current Green Economy Policy.
The sterling line-up of distinguished speakers and panellists who shared their expert views and opinions at the Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development included the following:
- Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (via video)
- Annie Koh, Associate Professor of Finance and Vice President, Business Development & External Relations, Singapore Management University
- Andrew McConville, Head of Corporate Affairs APAC, Syngenta AG
- Bruce Blakeman, Vice President, Corporate Affairs APAC, Cargill
- Charles Goddard, Editorial Director, Asia Pacific, The Economist
- Herman Mulder, Chairman, The Global Reporting Initiative
- Jochen Zeitz, Executive Chairman, PUMA (live video)
- Juergen Voegele, Director, Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank
- K Sadashiv, Partner (ASEAN), Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young
- Patrick Hartless, Executive Director, Head of Supply Chain Management, Nestlé
- Pavan Sukhdev, Chairman, GIST Advisory, Global Study Lead, TEEB
- Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- Peter Seligmann, Chairman & CEO, Conservation International
- Robert Hodgkinson, Executive Director, Institute of Chartered Accountants, England & Wales
- Susan Chong, Managing Director, GreenPac
- Sverre Prytz, Managing Director, BW Ventures
- Ynse de Boer, Managing Director, Accenture Sustainability Services
More information on the Forum can be found here: http://www.responsiblebusiness.com/RB12Forum.html
The detailed Forum agenda can be found here: http://www.responsiblebusiness.com/RB12ForumAgenda.html
About Global Initiatives
Global Initiatives promotes sustainable global development through a series of television programmes, media projects and international events like the B4E Summit series. These initiatives highlight global issues and offer partnership solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing the world. www.globalinitiatives.com
Jointly issued by Global Initiatives and Singapore Management University