Environmental Stewardship Strategy - Overview and Resource for Corporate Leaders

Welcome Message from the UN Global Compact

It is with great excitement that we release this Environmental Stewardship Strategy for the 21st Century.

While corporate environmental and sustainability management have made great strides in recent years, it is also clear that a new level of management – or stewardship – will be required in the coming years and decades.

The environmental challenges we face be they related to climate change, water issues or biodiversity – are growing in scale and complexity.

At the same time, we are beginning to better understand the deep connections among differ-ent environmental issues, as well as their links to social and development priorities.

For business organizations operating in this context, particularly those wishing to be in a leadership position, a new level of environmental management will be required.

Grounded in the three core environmental principles of the UN Global Compact, and leverag-ing key initiatives such as Caring for Climate and the CEO Water Mandate, this Environmen-tal Stewardship Strategy represents a new paradigm that outlines – outlining a holistic and comprehensive approach to environmental management and stewardship.

The Environmental Stewardship Strategy is designed for corporate leaders – including Chief Executive Officers and other C-Suite Executives, Board Members, and the senior-most Sustain-ability and Environmental Officers. The reason for this is straightforward. To be truly effec-tive, the ultimate oversight of any serious strategy must be “owned” by those at the pinnacle of the organization.

We wish to thank Duke University for their partnership in the development of this important initiative, as well as to acknowledge the many corporate and other contributors and advisers.

Together, let us usher in a new era of Environmental Stewardship.

Sincerely,

Georg Kell
Executive Director
UN Global Compact