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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
1.20.2004 ET
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CSR News from:
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World Business Council for Sustainable Development
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News Category:
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China Now Among WBCSD Regional Partners
(CSRwire) GENEVA - In a continued effort to promote business involvement in
sustainable development worldwide, the China Business Council for
Sustainable Development officially became the 48th member of the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development's (WBCSD) Regional Network.
The China BCSD is the first organization of this kind in the country,
bringing together a cross-section of national and foreign companies.
The China BCSD, whose aim is to implement more sustainable practices in
the country, is the result of a joint effort with the China Enterprise
Confederation (CEC). The China BCSD's board includes the following WBCSD
members: Sinopec, Novozymes, BASF, Shell, BP and Lafarge.
Over 200 high-level representatives from all sectors attended the launch
event in Beijing last Friday, including China Economic and Social Council
President Chen Jinhua, CEC Executive Vice-President Zhang Yanning, BP
Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive and chair of the WBCSD's China Task
Force Charles Nicholson, and WBCSD President Björn Stigson.
"China's businesses face major challenges to implement more sustainable
practices, such as improving resource and energy efficiency to support
their current pace of spectacular economic growth," said Stigson at the
press conference. "Another challenge is the need to restructure industry
sectors to achieve economies of scale to afford environmentally friendly
modern technology."
CEC's Zhang Yanning also pointed to the value of the national BCSD in
helping China cope with some of the key challenges resulting from
structural transformation, rapid growth, and increasing international
economic integration.
Stigson added that the government's aim to quadruple China's GDP by 2020
adds to the challenges ahead, and also means that the growing demand for
resources is likely to affect prices of natural resources on the world
markets. "Global Sustainability is not possible without a sustainable
China," he said. "We are looking forward to cooperate with our Chinese
counterparts in their journey toward sustainable development."
The China BCSD's priorities for 2004 include:
Raise awareness and build capacity on sustainable development in
management schools and public administration institutions
Promote higher environmental standards and eco-efficiency within
Chinese industry
Cooperate actively with Chinese authorities on policy development
NOTE TO EDITORS
BCSD China structure:
Executive President: Wang Jiming, President, Sinopec
Executive Vice-President: Weiming Jiang, President, Novozymes China
Board members: Shanghai Baosteel, First Automotive Work, China Ocean
Shipping Group, China International Marine Container Group, BASF, Shell,
BP and Lafarge.
China Enterprise Confederation (CEC) will have a permanent seat at
the board. In the coming months, another 50-60 national and foreign
companies are expected to join the China BCSD.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a
coalition of 170 international companies united by a shared commitment to
sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth,
ecological balance and social progress. Our activities reflect our belief
that the pursuit of sustainable development is good for business and
business is good for sustainable development. We also benefit from a
Regional Network comprising 32 business councils and partner organizations
located in developing countries, and 16 in OECD countries, representing a
large and diversified group of business leaders worldwide.
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