World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) & Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

Rio, Johannesburg and preparing for 2012

As part of preparations for the Johannesburg Summit (WSSD) held in 2002, UNEP facilitated a process in which 22 industry sector reports were prepared by international business and industry organisations. These gave indication of action for sustainable development at the industry sector level. The process inspired various associations to set up programmes for reporting at the industry sector level. In follow up to this, UNEP invited industry groups to do sector Report Cards as updates five years after the WSSD. As a result, 30 of these were prepared for the CSD in a process involving an expanded number of business and industry organisations. Today, as we approach ten years after Johannesburg, UNEP DTIE is working with its networks to ensure closer involvement of business and industry in the Marrakech Process on Sustainable Consumption and Production. We continue to explore greater action by the private sector and other stakeholder to implement Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

"Class of 2006: Industry Report Cards on Environment and Social Responsibility" (UNEP 2006) was launched at the 14th session of the CSD in an event hosted by UNEP with the Governments of Norway and South Africa. Covering 30 industry sectors, the Report Cards provide an update on progress made sector by sector towards sustainable development. It examines work in progress and challenges business and industry faces in collectively promoting corporate responsibility, including global partnerships and commitments to deal with issues such as climate change. The Report Cards have been prepared by forty five international business and industry organisations and initiatives who volunteered to participate in a process facilitated by UNEP. You can also read the press release (PDF - 108 KB).

The Industry Report Cards were promoted and discussed during events hosted by UNEP at CSD14 and CSD15, as part of the overall theme “Industrial Development” addressed by the Commission sessions in 2006 and 2007. The event at CSD15 focussed on “Managing supply chains and investment to unchain value” (see agenda, PDF - 33KB). It was accompanied by updates from 19 business organisations on activities they are running to support capacity building, including a special focus on developing countries. A compilation of their updates was submitted at CSD15 by UNEP under the title “Industry as a Partner for Sustainable Development: work in progress, opportunities, and activities in support of capacity building” (Background Paper, PDF - 320 KB).

Coverage of the 2007 event in New York is available in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin of 7 May (CSD15 Event, PDF - 993 KB). It was co-hosted with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and supported by the Governments of Norway and South Africa. Opening speakers were IISD President David Runnalls and senior officials from the supporting Governments, namely Paul Hofseth of the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and Tshenge Demana of the South African Department of Trade and Industry.

Links

Mandate of the CSD

CSD programme of work (2004-2017)