UN Global Compact Network Australia unites Australian business heavyweights to "get serious" about sustainability

SYDNEY, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Australian arm of the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA), is bringing together a veritable who's who of sustainable business to urge Australian leaders to get serious on their sustainability initiatives.

At the UNGCNA's two-day UNiting Business LIVE Australia: Sustainability in Action event, esteemed business and sustainability voices will come together to offer inspiration and actionable advice to business leaders who wish to lead the charge in shaping a more sustainable and profitable future for corporate Australia, in 2024 and beyond.

Executive Director and CEO of the UNGCNA Kate Dundas will take to the stage, calling on attendees to work towards systems-wide change.

As UN General Assembly week kicks off in New York, CEOs and other business leaders are tackling increasingly complex economic and geopolitical challenges, as well as environmental challenges, she says, speaking to us from the heart of global private sector activities at UN headquarters.

But as we pass the milestone of the halfway mark to achieving the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it's important to focus on the overarching goals and the long-term strategies to achieve them.

The UNGCNA helps businesses to keep environmental and social sustainability front-of-mind, through a principles-based framework in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Dundas says some Australian businesses are missing out on an opportunity to marry profit and purpose, and to build companies that actively help solve the world's problems, while remaining resilient in a changing landscape.

UNiting Business LIVE Australia: Sustainability in Action is designed to help business leaders better understand the risks of inaction, and the economic opportunities to be gained by taking a proactive approach to their operations and business models.

Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact Sanda Ojiambo will also speak at the event, sharing some of the practical steps business leaders can take to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Ojiambo said: "The private sector has a key role to play in addressing worldwide sustainability challenges, not only in the context of environmental sustainability, but also in driving social justice by paying living wages, and closing the gender gap in decision-making roles.

"We face an ever-expanding list of larger and more critical decisions, but also equally critical opportunities demanding our attention. The consequences of our actions - or inaction - are greater than ever. So, in 2024, let's be braver and more ambitious than ever before."

Kate Dundas will speak in the closing session of the event, summarising learnings and outlining the next steps necessary for sustainable business in action.

"With new mandatory climate-related financial reporting coming into place in Australia in 2025, it's imperative that businesses future-proof and set themselves up for success in the year ahead. Boards, executives, investors and employees alike will need to navigate these changes, including across departments such as finance and sustainability. However, sustainability isn't just about the environment and reporting on the impact a business has on biodiversity. Sustainability includes social sustainability, building equity into business models and maintaining good governance practices. Importantly, each of these environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles need to be integrated"

"This multifaceted and integrated approach to sustainability is a key tool for resilience and long-term business success. Forward-thinking CEOs know that, and are leveraging those opportunities.

"We're at a turning point in history. There is so much opportunity ahead for impact-led business models that boost the bottom line in the long term. The leaders who bury their heads in the sand do so at their peril."

The event will focus on progressing the Australian sustainable business agenda via the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.

Discussions will span a wide range of themes, including business strategies that leverage First Nations knowledge to protect the environment, sustainable growth and the bottom line, and leveraging AI as a 'sustainability silver bullet'.

Key speakers include former Australia Post chief, now CEO Team Global Express, Christine Holgate, AI entrepreneur and Shark Tank Australia investor Dr Catriona Wallace, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Business leader, campaigner, co-author of Net Positive, Paul Polman, New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Deb Barwick, Australian Council of Superannuation Investors CEO Louise Davidson AM, Intrepid Travel CEO, James Thornton, and Fortescue board member and longest serving Chief Executive of CSIRO,  Dr Larry Marshall, FF, FAICD, FAIP, FTSE.

The UNiting Business Live Australia: Sustainability in Action conference will take place on 30 and 31 October at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney, with tickets now available here.

All business and sustainability leaders wanting to drive a positive impact on our industry, ecosystem, and planet are urged to attend the two-day event.

UN Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA) connects, enables and leads businesses and stakeholders to create a sustainable future by supporting them to act responsibly and helping them find opportunities to drive positive business outcomes.

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations (UN) Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals.

www.unglobalcompact.org.au 

The UNGCNA UNiting Business Live Australia: Sustainability in Action event will take place on 30 and 31 October 2024, at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, Sydney. Find out more and purchase tickets here.