RSPP Recommendations on maintaining and promoting the Sustainable Development Agenda in today’s Russian practice

25 January. The Bureau of the RSPP Board approved as RSPP's Position the RSPP Recommendations on maintaining and promoting the Sustainable Development Agenda in today’s Russian practice.

Russian business is recommended to develop the application of principles and standards of responsible business and sustainable development on the basis of priority directions on environmental, social and managerial aspects of activity. The tasks of development of effective national infrastructure for sustainable development - a system of evaluation, verification, certification, standardization in the field of sustainable development are outlined. It is noted that an important factor is to maintain a balance between the localization of national tools and maintaining the connection with international platforms and tools and the vector of movement towards sustainable development goals adopted by the international community.

RSPP calls on business associations to support this Position and promote it widely in the business community and within the framework of interaction with stakeholders.

Social Charter of Russian Business

Today the Social Charter of Russian Business is a platform for the development of corporate strategies, policies and practices in accordance with business sustainability objectives through effective ESG factors and risks management, meaningful cooperation with stakeholders while taking into account public interest and national sustainable development goals.

The Charter was endorsed by the business community. As of today, around 300 organizations, including companies, industry and regional business associations with a total of over 10 million employees, have joined the Charter.

The updated 2021 edition maintains continuity with previous editions. It includes current corporate practices, global and national trends and challenges related to corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, the climate agenda, and the improvement of ESG management by companies (environmental, social and corporate governance aspects of sustainable development). The principles outlined in the Social Charter are translated into an action framework. Therefore it can be viewed as a voluntary standard of responsible business conduct and as a guide for action.

The updated version of the Social Charter was developed with broad participation of business and expert communities at all stages. The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs invites representatives of the business community to join the Social Charter of Russian Business and to commit to voluntarily following the fundamental principles of responsible business conduct and integrating them in management decision-making processes.

António Guterres. UN must lead ‘surge in diplomacy’

António Guterres is the ninth UN Secretary General and the third Chairman of the Board of the UN Global Compact. From the earliest days of the initiative, the first person of the Organization oversees private sector cooperation with the UN throughout the world. And the role of this dialogue at the highest level only increases. Guterrish is not without reason waiting for UN reform and facilitating the renewal of the Global Compact on an unprecedented scale, consistent with the scope of the Sustainable Development Goals, which today more than ever unite international institutions and business at the point of decline for a gradual joint climb.