Then and Now: Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Brundtland Report"

The WBCSD today issued its 2006 Annual Review, an overview of its activities, their benefits and their connection to the "Brundtland Report", which first defined the concept of sustainable development, 20 years on.

Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland founded the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1983. In 1987, it produced its groundbreaking report, Our Common Future, often simply called "The Brundtland Report".

The report defined sustainable development as forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It argued that "the shift to sustainable development must be powered by a continuing flow of wealth from industry." The report also called for the holding of the 1992 Earth Summit, which gave birth to the precursors of the WBCSD. Both because it is important to the WBCSD's history and because its findings are perhaps even more important today than in 1987, the WBCSD 2006 Annual Review celebrates the report's anniversary.

In this review the WBCSD describes its strategic move from awareness to action, specifically the numerous advocacy opportunities that it has seized upon during the past year. WBCSD Chairman Travis Engen reminds readers that 2006 was the first full year where the 190 WBCSD members advocated "with one voice in one direction . [that] there is a logic to sustainable development that draws thoughtful people and organizations into agreement."

It summarizes the actions of the Energy & Climate, Development and The Business Role Focus Areas, as well as the creation of a new one on Ecosystems. The review also looks forward, outlining future activities in each of these areas. It highlights the Council's move from "learning by sharing" to celebrating how member companies are "implementing sustainable development".

It also highlights the major publications of the year, including Energy & Climate - A contribution to the dialogue on long term cooperative action, a "preview" of Policy Directions to 2050. It features the results of the Tomorrow's Leaders group on The Role of Business in Tomorrow's Society, Ecosystem Challenges and Business Implications, Business in the World of Water: WBCSD water scenarios to 2025 and Powering a Sustainable Future: An agenda for concerted action, the work of the Electricity Utilities Project.

"The speed with which sustainability issues are moving into the mainstream challenges each of us to sharpen our collective thinking, communicating and advocacy to take advantage of it, and the WBCSD remains fully committed to this task," said WBCSD President Björn Stigson.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led, global association of some 190 companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development.

The Council provides a platform for companies to explore sustainable development, share knowledge, experiences and best practices, and to advocate business positions on these issues in a variety of forums, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

Members are drawn from more than 35 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. The Council also benefits from a global network of about 60 national and regional business councils and regional partners.

Lloyd Timberlake
Communications Director
4, chemin de Conches
1231 Conches - Geneva
Switzerland
+1 917 783-4098
timberlake@wbcsd.org

This release was published on openPR.