Environment

Principle Seven

Principle Eight

Principle Nine

encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly
technologies.

The Origin of the Environment Principles

Internationally co-ordinated work on the
environment has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), since its inception in
1973. UNEP has provided leadership and encouraged partnerships to care for the environment, for
example, through Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) which have addressed issues such as
species loss and the need for conservation at a global and regional level. UNEP has created much of
the international environmental law in use today.

The three environmental principles of the Global Compact are drawn from a Declaration of
Principles and an International Action Plan (Agenda 21) that emerged from the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janerio in 1992.
Chapter 30 of Agenda 21, identified that the policies and operations of business and industry can
play a major role in reducing impacts on resource use and the environment. In particular, business
can contribute through the promotion of cleaner production and responsible entrepreneurship.

Key Documents

The Rio Declaration - a statement of 27 principles upon which nations agreed to base their
actions in dealing with environmental and development issues. The Rio Declaration built on the
previous Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which was adopted in
Stockholm in 1972. The Stockholm conference was the first global environmental meeting of
governments, which stated that long-term economic progress needs to be linked with environmental
protection.

Agenda 21 - a 40 chapter, action blueprint on specific issues relating to sustainable
development that emerged from the Rio Summit. Agenda 21 explained that population, consumption and
technology were the primary driving forces of environmental change and for the first time, at an
international level, explicitly linked the need for development and poverty eradication with
progress towards sustainable development

The 'Brundtland Report', 'Our Common Future' which was produced in 1987 by the World Commission
on Environment and Development, also laid the foundations for the Environment Principles. This
landmark document highlighted that people needed to change the way they lived and did business or
face unacceptable levels of human suffering and environmental damage.

The environmental principles of the Global Compact provide an entry point for business to
address the key environmental challenges. In particular, the principles direct activity to areas
such as research, innovation, co-operation, education, and self-regulation that can positively
address the significant environmental degradation, and damage to the planet's life support systems,
brought by human activity.

Key Environmental Challenges

loss of biodiversity and long-term damage to ecosystems

pollution of the atmosphere and the consequences of climate change

damage to aquatic ecosystems

land degradation

the impacts of chemicals use and disposal

waste production

depletion of non-renewable resources

Useful Information

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides one entry point to the UN's work on
the environment -
www.unep.org

UNEP's Division of Technology Industry and Economics (DTIE) develops voluntary initiatives and
partnerships with business leaders and a range of organisations focused on environmental
protections, efficient resources use and innovation -
http://www.uneptie.org

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is an international business
network developing links between business, government and non-governmental organisations on
sustainable development issues -
www.wbcsd.ch

Business for Social Responsibility is an international business network, embracing companies of
all sizes, working across a broad range of issues that include environmentally sustainable
development -
http://www.bsr.org

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a think tank that also promotes practical ways to
protect the earth -
http://www.wri.org

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is a international body founded in 1948 to influence,
encourage and assist societies in the goal of nature conservation -
www.iucn.org

The Coalition of Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) is a non-profit membership
organisation of investors, and various interest groups that developed 10 principles of
environmentally responsible behaviour -
http://www.ceres.org

The Greening of Industry is an international network of academic research and policy analysis
focused on the relationship between industry, society and the environment -
http://www.greeningofindustry.org