Business for Development - Business Solutions in Support of the Millennium Development Goals
http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MTY0MzU
Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Year: 2005
Abstract:
Business plays a central role in creating opportunities for empowerment and development. At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, business publicly ‘stepped up to the plate' by demonstrating that it is taking its own role in development seriously. Part of that commitment involves talking frankly and openly with policy leaders. This publication is part of that ongoing discussion and debate. Business solutions accelerate the pace of development efforts considerably, says the report. A growing number of companies are investing in new business ideas that have clear development benefits, especially in terms of creating opportunities for people. These ideas include designing products and services that address specific needs of the poor, increasing sourcing from local suppliers and involving low-income communities in the delivery of innovative products and services. The members of the WBCSD are ready to play an even bigger role in creating sustainable livelihoods and building prosperous societies through their core business activities. Their primary driver is the real business opportunities they see in addressing some of the most pressing development challenges. At the same time, this is driven by the desire to show that globalization can and must be inclusive.