28 April 2011: The 2011 Global Summit “B4E – Business for the Environment,” an international conference for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment organized in partnership between WWF and Global Initiatives, was held from 27-29 April 2011, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In her keynote address to the Summit, Helen Clark, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, urged businesses to transform their enterprises into low-carbon operations that are environmentally sound and benefit communities in order to remain profitable and sustainable. She highlighted the proliferation of green certification systems as an indication that future markets will demand greater compliance with environmentally and socially responsible standards.

Clark also pointed to the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization as “a groundbreaking new standard for ensuring that local communities and developing countries benefit more equitably from the proceeds and use of biological resources.” She emphasized that preserving ecosystems is critical for the survival of humankind, and that the world’s poor are the most vulnerable to the effects of environmental degradation, including severe floods and droughts, extreme temperatures and rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

Clark called for: inclusive and sustainable business models, combined with strong and capable government institutions and good policy; vision and commitment from all stakeholders; and the passionate belief about transforming living standards while also sustaining the environment. [UN Press Release] [B4E Summit Website]