Tuesday August 20
Business Council for Sustainable Development promotes “Walking the Talk” at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
– Johannesburg Aug-Sep 2002
NZBCSD Chairman Stephen Tindall and Executive Director Dr Rodger Spiller will represent the NZBCSD at the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD). Stephen and Rodger are the business representatives in the official NZ delegation to
the WSSD.
The NZBCSD will share insights from its projects including Sustainable Development Reporting, Climate Change, Zero
Waste, Business and School Partnerships and Youth Employment. These projects address the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of sustainable
business by making the business case and providing case studies from member companies. It will also profile other
initiatives such as wairoadotcom that the NZBCSD has produced a case study of for its partner organization the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Sustainable Livelihoods Project. Details about these initiatives
are available from www.nzbcsd.org.nz, which includes the recent NZBCSD annual review.
The NZBCSD is participating in a number of events arranged in conjunction with the WBCSD. For example, Rodger will be
one of four speakers from the WBCSD Regional Network at the WBCSD/International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group
event on “The Business Case for Sustainable Development: Doing Good and Doing Well”.
The WBCSD has taken a key leadership role in preparations for the summit. The WBCSD was formed in the lead up to the Rio
Earth Summit ten years ago and its book “Changing Course” has been a catalyst for change in the subsequent decade. Ten
years on the WBCSD has specifically developed for the Summit a new book “Walking the Talk” spelling out how business is
implementing sustainable development. It also provides perspectives on the changes that are needed in the policy
framework in order to allow business to make its full contribution to sustainable development. Further information about
this book, that will be launched on 31 August at the summit, and the other WBCSD publications and preparations for the
WSSD are available at www.wbcsd.org
Stephen and Rodger will be bringing insights from the WSSD back to New Zealand for sharing with other businesses and
stakeholders as input to the ongoing activities of the NZBCSD and other sustainable business groups as well as the other
sustainable development activities in New Zealand. One forum for this will be the New Zealand Sustainable Business
Conference 24 and 25 October www.sustainable.org.nz
Contact:
Dr Rodger Spiller
Executive Director, New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development
Mobile: 021 679 779 Email: rodger@nzbcsd.org.nz