Eight years after the official birth of the SDGs there still seems to be a lack of collective action in the business community to support them. Or, perhaps, is there a lack of transparency? Governments at least are continuously repeating their calls for business action on the SDGs while they develop and fund projects with NGOs and civil society that do not have the impact needed to reach a single goal or even one of the 169 targets.
The first global meta study, led by Prof. Frank Bierman and Xian Sun, et. al. at the University of Utrecht (2022), clarified that “the scientific evidence suggests only limited transformative political impact of the Global Goals thus far”. Not a single transformative initiative led by business was identified. The Catalyst 2030 Awards for Systemic Change, on the hunt for companies contributing to the SDGs, presented SAP as winner for having committed 10% of its procurement spend to social enterprises and diverse-owned enterprises. A very noteworthy initiative. However, not what’s getting us close to reaching the Goals.
And yet, the business case for companies to contribute to the SDGs is strong as identified in several publications (e.g. BSDC and SSRN). While many of these companies communicate their own businesses’ activities with respect to the SDGs, they seem not to consider pure business-related collaborations a relevant SDG contribution. And those are the ones that can have a transformative impact for the SDGs.
This WEC Roundtable wants to identify collaborations with a large impact, that help to achieve one or more SDGs. It is an opportunity for business executives to get inspired under the Chatham House Rule.
This is a WEC Member only event. To request and invite, please contact fwerner@wec.org
WEC hosts 2023 Gold Medal Symposium: Aligning Business Strategy with the UN SDGs
2023 Gold Medal Symposium Summary
On the occasion of awarding the Gold Medal 2023 to Jacobs, WEC convened a Symposium for Business Executives to discuss with thought leaders and practitioners how to align business strategy with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Held under the Chatham House Rule, this Symposium was a dialog designed to learn from companies that made the SDGs the center of their business strategy.
All panelists were current or former WEC Gold Medalists, which underlines that they are successful and leaders in sustainability. Participants Speakers represented the United Nations as well as three Gold Medal awardees.
The Roundtable was held in the beautiful premises of the Planet Word Museum, with approx. 50 senior executives from WEC member companies, other international corporations, as well as from government, science, and think tanks.
WEC Executive Roundtables – Decarbonizing Value Chains:
Hard-to-Abate Industries Event Summary
On April 20th and 21st we hosted a WEC Executive Roundtable, bringing together executives and WEC members in a deep dive into some of the key topics in Decarbonizing Value Chains: Hard-to-Abate Industried. Read the summary of this important discussion below.
WEC Action Forum – Electrifying Corporate Fleets Event Summary
Electrifying Corporate Fleets
On March 27th we hosted our third WEC Action Forum, bringing together executives and WEC members in a deep dive into some of the key topics in electrifying corporate fleets Read the summary of this important discussion below.
WEC, ERM, Beveridge & Diamond host Exec RT on ESG Disclosure: Navigating the Complexity of New Financial Regulations
Read Event Summary for ESG Disclosure: Navigating the Complexity of New Financial Regulations
On March 15th and 16th we hosted our Executive Roundtable on ESG Disclosure, bringing together executives and WEC members in a deep dive into ESG Disclosure obligations and frameworks in the U.S., Europe, and other markets. Read the summary of this important discussion below.
WEC, ERM, and Boehringer Ingelheim are thrilled to announce our upcoming in-person event “Decarbonizing Value Chains: Hard-to-Abate” Industries” happening on April 20th-21st in Ingelheim/Frankfurt (Germany).
Our event will delve into the opportunities to decarbonize as new technological solutions such as green hydrogen and carbon capture are evolving, and innovation is underway. However, as the overall strategic roadmap for heavy industry to reach net zero emissions over the entire value chain is still unclear, the event will focus heavily on corporate strategies to decarbonize their production and procurement.
As all WEC Executive Roundtables, the event will take place under the Chatham House Rule and bring together 30-40 senior business experts.
Please note this is a member only event. To request an invitation please contact Smitha Konduri – skonduri@wec.org
Join us for an exclusive member-only WEC Action Forum as we tackle the topic of “Electrifying Corporate Fleets”. With the increasing urgency to address climate change, this event will bring together industry leaders to share insights and best practices on how to reduce carbon emissions from corporate fleets. From electrification to alternative fuels, we will explore the various strategies that can be implemented to decarbonize fleets and achieve sustainability goals. Don’t miss this opportunity to network and collaborate with peers who are also committed to driving positive change.
This is a member only event. To request an invitation please contact Smitha Konduri – skonduri@wec.org
WEC Launches Year In Review – A Look Back At Our Programs in 2022
We are thrilled to share our our Year In Review for 2022 gathering highlights from key programs and events that we hosted throughout the year.
We’re proud to have held multiple Thought Leadership events, both in-person and virtually, which brought together business leaders to address shared sustainability priorities. We also awarded our 38th Gold Medal to AB InBev and our Capacity Building programs supported small businesses in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East to build sustainable value chains. Learn more and checkout our full report below!
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The event summary can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the page
WEC, ERM, and Beveridge & Diamond are thrilled to announce our upcoming in-person event WEC Executive Roundtable: ESG Disclosure and Navigating the Complexity of New Financial Regulations happening on March 15th-16th in Washington DC!
Our event will delve into the merging of financial and ESG reporting, the evolving digital tools and technology, and much more. We have a fantastic lineup of speakers who are experts in the industry, and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in questions and discussions.
Please note that this is an invite only event and WEC Executive Roundtables are conducted under the Chatham House Rule.
On December 8th we hosted our second WEC Action Forum, bringing together executives and WEC members in a deep dive into some of the key takeaways from this year’s COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. Read the summary of this important discussion below
Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Value Chains Summary
Gold Medal Symposium Hosted with 2022 Winner, AB InBev
The World Environment Center along with 2022 Gold Medal Winner AB InBev hosted the Gold Medal Symposium on Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Value Chains. Speakers included sustainability executives from AB InBev, Mastercard, Inter-American Development Bank, Colgate-Palmolive, APCO, U.S. State Department, and UNDP
