Member Challenge
CEF Rio +20 Initiative
Making Commitments to Demonstrate the Value of Natural Infrastructure
Christopher Helzer ©2007 The Nature Conservancy
Christopher Helzer ©2007 The Nature Conservancy
J. D. Marston ©The Nature Conservancy
For more information contact Amy O’Meara, CEF Director of Special Initiatives.
Click here to email or call 857-222-8270.
The Rio +20 Initiative builds on member requests urging CEF to act on the "power of 3 trillion" represented by the collective membership by undertaking actions big enough to move the needle on priority environmental issues.
Between now and the Rio +20 Earth Summit in June, CEF is mobilizing member companies to initiate projects and investments (“commitments”) that effectively demonstrate the need for business to protect and restore green infrastructure around the world, including forests, fresh water and marine systems. Participating CEF member companies will be featured in a dynamic e-report that will describe commitments, and aggregate expected outcomes into a compelling narrative that we’ll deliver in a high-profile way in Rio on June 19, 2012.
The initiative leverages a special relationship with The Nature Conservancy, and is spearheaded by a founding “Leaders’ Circle” of CEF companies: CA Technologies, CH2M Hill, Darden Restaurants, Dow Chemical, Hewlett Packard, Kimberly Clark, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Unilever, Xerox, The Walt Disney Company, and Weyerhaeuser.
Our Objectives
- IMPACT... To assemble commitments from CEF members that protect and restore forest, fresh water and marine systems, and demonstrate how (and why) more and more of the world's most influential companies are internalizing the value of natural infrastructure.
- COMMUNICATE... To send a persuasive message to business and finance leaders around the world – from the business community – that the private sector has a vested interest in taking actions today to safeguard well-functioning natural systems for strategic business reasons (not only philanthropy or CSR).
- MOBILIZE... To leverage commitments to inspire further action and accelerate the eventual mainstreaming of ecosystem valuation.
Commitment Criteria
- Focus on natural infrastructure (e.g., forests, freshwater, marine systems).
- May be individual or joint efforts with other companies.
- May leverage an NGO or government partnership.
- Should include specific targets and measurable outcomes, with a pledge to report annually on progress.
- Should illustrate a connection to core business/material issues (i.e., demonstrate business logic or a business case).
- Should be new or demonstrate forward momentum/scale-up/expansion.
Getting Started
Contact Amy O’Meara, Director of Special Initiatives, to discuss your commitment ideas and assess whether participation in this initiative is a good fit for your company.
Learn more about how your company depends on and impacts natural infrastructure:
*Featured in the EcoInnovator*
Determining the Economics of Ecosystems: A Breakthrough Collaboration
By Neil Hawkins, The Dow Chemical Company and Glenn Prickett, The Nature Conservancy
- The Next Global Debt Crisis by P.J. Simmons, Forbes, September 20, 2011.
- Concise charts developed by CEF displaying the goods and services provided to companies by natural infrastructure, attendant risks, and opportunities for action and investment.
- Detailed summaries of the material risks and opportunities by sector, with several examples from companies who have benefited from natural infrastructure assessment and investment, and including an inventory of relevant resources and tools (click to open):
| Manufacturing | Extractive/Energy | Food/Agriculture |
| Technology | Finance/Investment | Pharmaceutical |
Download and fill out the official CEF Commitment form.
Deadline for first drafts - April 1, 2012
*To be included in our Rio +20 launch report, commitments must be finalized by May 18, 2012*
What's Happening in Rio?
- CEF plans to launch our e-report and announce our member commitments on June 19th, to coincide with the “Business Day” planned by Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD), which is the official UN Major Group Business and Industry event drawing attendance from business leaders and policy makers. While specific details are under development, we are planning a press briefing and special evening event, and will keep this page updated as plans solidify.
- CEF members are not required to be in Rio to participate in this initiative, however, if your company plans to be there, we would like to work with you to help leverage your presence and participation in the week’s events. We would also like to extend an invitation to a special social event on the harbor on the evening of the 19th. Please contact Amy O’Meara for more information.
- The Global Compact is hosting a Corporate Sustainability Forum from June 15-18 in Rio and we are exploring possible linkages and opportunities to present our work.