Driving the 2030 Agenda through Responsible Business Actions

July 26, 2023

 

About the Event:

On the sidelines of the B20 Summit India, the United Nations in India (the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the United Nations Development Programme) in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry and the European Union is hosting a side event titled “Driving the 2030 Agenda through Responsible Business Actions” on 24 August 2023 in New Delhi.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasises the business sector’s role as a key partner for the United Nations and governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Notably goal 17 calls on “all businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development challenges”.

Responsible business actions and strategies touch upon the key areas covered by the SDGs across the environmental, social, and governance spectrum. They play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future. Responsible business practices go beyond mere compliance; they demonstrate a company's unwavering commitment to conducting business ethically and responsibly across its entire value chain. This entails meticulous attention to environmental and social footprints, along with proactive measures to prevent, mitigate, and address any adverse impacts that business operations may have on people and the planet.

The "Driving the 2030 Agenda through Responsible Business Actions" event is aimed at catalyzing positive change and aligning the business sector with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It aims to emphasise the crucial role of businesses in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering a dynamic and well-functioning business sector that protects labour rights, environmental standards, and health in accordance with international agreements and guidelines like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

 

Speakers:

 

Time

Agenda

3:30 - 4:00 PMRegistration and Tea/Coffee
4:00 - 4:05 PM

Opening Remarks  

Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India

4:05 - 4:20 PM

Keynote Address  

Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon'ble Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs; and Hon'ble Minister Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India

4:20 - 4:35 PM

Special Address  

Prof. Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development

4:35 - 4:50 PM

Special Remarks 

Ms. Caren Blume, Deputy Head of Economic Cooperation and Development, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, India

4:50 - 6:00 PM

Fireside chat on driving sustainable development through Responsible Business actions.  

Moderator: Mr. Sean Lees, Business and Human Rights Specialist, UNDP Asia Pacific  

Speaker 1: Ms. Abanti Sankaranarayanan, Group Public Affairs (India & International), Group Sustainability and Group Risk & Economist at Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd 

Speaker 2: Mr. Deepak Subramanian, Executive Director, Home Care for Hindustan Unilever Limited 

Speaker 3: Ms. Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, CEO Sintesa Group, Indonesia 

Speaker 4: Ms. Caroline Meledo, Head Global Access & Inclusive Growth, Consumer Health, Bayer, Germany

6:00 - 6:25 PMQ & A
6:25 - 6:30 PM

Closing Remarks  

Ms. Isabelle Tschan, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP India

6:30 - 7:30 PMNetworking Reception hosted by UN RC, UNDP RR and B20 Secretariat

 

 

Contact Information: 

For any inquiries, please reach out to 

Ms. Nusrat Khan (nusrat.khan@undp.org); 

Ms. Sukhman Randhawa (sukhman.randhawa@un.org)