The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) focuses on the corporate response to sustainability challenges, incorporating principles around anti-corruption, environmental protection, labor rights, and human rights. With over 8,000 signatories globally, including many Australian businesses, UNGC aims to engage the private sector in sustainable development and emphasizes the importance of partnerships and clear commitments to action. Key initiatives highlighted include commitments to corporate water sustainability, sustainable agriculture, and responsible investment to drive the transition to a green economy.

1. The United Nations Global Compact Australia

2. Australian Council For
International Development:
ACFID Council 2012
“The business response to the sustainability
challenge and the post-script to Rio+20”
Matthew Tukaki
Australian Representative to the United Nations Global Compact
CEO and Executive Chairman of the Sustain Group

3. About The Global Compact
 Established more than a decade ago after recognition that business and
industry does and must play a role when it comes to significant challenges
 Four core Principles: Anti-Corruption, the Environment, Labour and Human
Rights
 More than 8,000 signatories globally including more than 300 Australian
companies and organisations & a further 300 global corporations with
operations in Australia
 More than 100 Local Networks around the world making it the largest
corporate citizenship initiative on the planet – the 101st office was opened
by the Secretary General in Burma this past April – We hope the 102nd will
be Papua New Guinea
 Established three Leadership Groups here in Australia: Human Rights, Anti-
Corruption and the Environment

4. The UNGC Convened the Rio+20
Corporate Sustainability Forum
Our core focus areas:
 Energy & Climate
 Water & Ecosystems
 Agriculture & Food
 Social Development
 Urbanization & Cities
 Economics & Finance of Sustainable
Development

5. The objectives of Rio+20 from business
1. Prove that corporate sustainability is an essential element in achieving sustainable
development, and underscore the urgent need for the UN to engage the private sector as
a key partner.
2. demonstrate that principle-based platforms and transformative partnerships are
advancing critical issues – including sustainable energy, climate, water, food, women’s
empowerment, children’s rights and good governance – with enormous potential to
produce results if greater scale is achieved.
3. Highlight that there can be no sustainable development without respect for human
rights, and that, while the primary responsibility for ensuring their promotion and
protection lie with Governments, businesses have an independent responsibility to
respect human rights.
4. Showcase leading technological and social innovations, emphasizing that many
solutions to sustainability challenges already exist and can be more widely adopted with
the right level of support, particularly from Governments and investors.

6. 5. demonstrate the critical influence of other stakeholders – including investors, stock
exchanges, business schools and universities, and cities – in stimulating corporate
sustainability. Sessions held at the Forum by these groups – for example the principles
for responsible Investment and the principles for responsible management education –
aimed to bring scale to their work.
6. motivate a rising number of companies to commit to universal sustainability principles
and report on performance, as advanced by the UN Global Compact.
7. mobilize a large number of commitments to action and partnerships by companies
and other stakeholders. to ensure these commitments translate into impactful actions,
only those that have clear targets and commit to annual public progress reports have
been accepted. the UN Global Compact has designed and will continue to manage this
process, whereby UN entities, as well as outside partners such as the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development, can funnel commitments through business.un.org,
the UN-Business partnership Gateway.
8. Provide inspiration and encouragement to Governments to transition to a green
economy, and to take steps to support responsible business practices globally.

7. Australian business involvement
 More than 150 Australian businesses, organisations and individuals in
attendance
 UNGC Australia convened panels entitled “The Business Response to the
Sustainability Challenge” and “Business and Human Rights”
 UNGC Australia, Indonesia and Japan convened a special session on disaster
recovery post significant events (the Japan Earthquake, Queensland Floods
and the Boxing Day Tsunami
 UNGC Australia participated in a panel convened by UN Global Compact
and UN Women on gender equality and the Women’s Empowerment
Principles
 Participated in more than 40 sessions from social impact investing and the
valuation of natural capital to indigenous land management and water
security

8. Water & Ecosystems & Natural Capital
1. In a special Communique titled “Make Water Sustainability a Priority”, 45
CEOs of major corporations from the CEO Water Mandate committed to
broadening and deepening their development of corporate water
sustainability policies and practices in areas such as: i) water-use efficiency
in facilities and factories; ii) working with suppliers to improve their water-
management practices; iii) developing public private partnerships at the
river basin and watershed level with Governments, civil society
organizations, and other stakeholders.
2. 37 banks, investment funds, and insurance companies submitted a far-
reaching Natural Capital Declaration aimed towards integrating natural
capital considerations into their products and services.

9. Sustainable Agriculture
The UN Global Compact and a group of 16 leading companies and stakeholders
in the food and agriculture sector committed to champion the development of
global voluntary business principles on good practice and policy for sustainable
agriculture. This initiative will be aimed at developing a common
understanding and agreement on what resources and impacts are needed from
the global community to transform markets and agricultural supply systems.

10. Involving stock exchanges –
responsible investment and disclosure
/ supporting green economy transition
1. 5 stock exchanges committed to promote long-term, sustainable
investment in their markets. These leading exchanges – with over 4,600
listed companies in developed and emerging markets –committed to work
with investors, companies and regulators to promote long-term sustainable
investment and improved environmental, social and corporate governance
disclosure and performance among companies listed on their exchange.
2. 70 businesses, national Governments and international organizations
endorsed the Green Industry Platform, an initiative that aims to
mainstream environmental and social considerations into corporate
operations through more efficient use of energy and raw materials,
innovative practices and applications of new green technologies.

11. New Guides and Toolkits for
implementation

12. “Governments and nation-states
are not alone in driving this
transformation. At Rio, more than
1,000 corporate leaders from all
continents will deliver a common
message: business as usual no
longer works. Many are members of
the United Nations Global Compact
– volunteers in a growing
private-sector movement that
understands that 21st-century
corporate responsibility means
corporate sustainability.”
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (the Korea Times 15th June 2012)

13. Thank you
E: matthew.tukaki@unglobalcompact.org.au
W: www.unglobalcompactg.org.au