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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Leadership Comp Launch panel

With growing business interest in the management of natural capital over the last few years, members of the Natural Capital Impact Group developed a ground-breaking 'Natural Capital Leadership Compact' in 2012. This is a business statement of intent that also urges international governments to commit to a global policy framework on the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources.

What is the Compact?


The Compact fed into the UN Rio+20 policy-making processes and generated significant interest among companies with recognised global brands who want to show their support for its bold business commitments.

 

The commitment by businesses


The businesses' pledges cover:

  • Operating within the limits of natural systems  
  • Identifying and addressing externalities (un-costed impacts on people and the environment from the production and consumption of products and services)
  • Enabling consumers to make better-informed choices
  • Developing rigorous and realistic targets and plans

 

The Compact signatories


 

"Only by collaborating with others across our industry and up and down our supply chain will we be able to crack the toughest sustainability challenges. For that reason it's important for us to clearly define the non-competitive areas in the area of sustainability where we can apply our collective effort, ingenuity and scale to drive the change that's necessary in the amount of time that the scientists tell us is available in which to do it."

Thomas Lingard, Global Advocacy Director, Unilever

 

 

Read the Comparison of the Draft Text of the Rio+20 Outcome Document with The Leadership Compact: ‘Committing to Natural Capital’
 

 

NCIG

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Business leaders and Platform members present the Compact to the Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Buildings and the Brazilian Ambassador on 12 March 2012.