World Business and Development Awards open call for business contributions to sustainable development

PRESS RELEASE

The World Business and Development Awards today, 2 February 2012, launched a call for nominations for successful business initiatives that are in line with the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. All organisations, regardless of size or location, engaged in innovative business models that are delivering both commercial success and helping improve social, economic and environmental conditions are eligible to apply online by 25th March 2012 by downloading the form at ­­www.worldbusinessawards.net/nominate.

The award ceremony will be held on 19th June, when governments convene in Brazil at the Rio+20 Conference, closing the Business Action for Sustainable Development Business Day.

Celebrating a decade of biennial award giving, the World Business and Development Awards are organized by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership this year with the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the UN Global Compact. The Awards demonstrate how companies can, through their core business activities, help achieve the Millennium Development Goals — eight internationally agreed targets to reduce poverty and environmental degradation and improve education, health conditions and gender equality by 2015.

“When businesses apply the full force of their core business activities to development challenges and measure their success both by profit and social outcomes, there is no limit to what can be achieved,” said Clare Melford, CEO of IBLF. “We hope that the WBDA will again stimulate businesses of all sizes and in all regions to bring forward their best examples and so accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs.”

The 2012 Awards will be given explicitly to companies delivering inclusive business models: sustainable, commercially-viable business initiatives that expand access for low-income people to goods and services, or improve their livelihoods by engagement in value chains as direct employees, suppliers or distributors, while also generating sales and profit growth.

In honour of the Rio+20 host country, there will be a special category designated for Brazil-based companies.

By bringing together examples of innovative, effective business practices, the World Business and Development Awards will also provide leading businesses and entrepreneurs with a valuable platform for networking and sharing experiences and promote best practices after Rio+20. This will encourage other businesses and governments to replicate and scale initiatives. (Click to read more)