The Rise of Triple-Bottom-Line Businesses

People, Planet, Profit: The Rise of Triple-Bottom-Line Businesses Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2014 explores the role of ethical capitalism in the quest for sustainable economies

Washington, D.C.—     Entrepreneurs are beginning to challenge business as usual, infusing ethics into the notoriously ruthless corporate world. InState of the World 2014,contributing author Colleen Cordes discusses the small, but growing, impact of benefit corporations and other triple-bottom-line companies—   which strive to have positive social and environmental impacts, as well as to earn a profit—   in the transition to a sustainable economy (www.worldwatch.org).“Put simply, the conventional economic model—   amoral capitalism—   and the willingness of so many investors and consumers to tolerate it are two of the most challenging threats to preserving a livable human future,” writes Cordes, public policy consultant and director of outreach and development for The Nature Institute of Ghent, New York. In the last few years, however, public restlessness has been growing as the environmental and social abuses of the conventional economic model are revealed. And while activists and labor groups, investors and consumers, and national and international nonprofit groups are pushing for more corporate transparency, corporations themselves are still central to speeding the urgently needed transition to sustainable economies. “A remarkable new breed of business is volunteering to be held publicly or even legally accountable to a triple bottom line: prioritizing people and the planet, while also promoting profits,” writes Cordes. Led mostly by small and medium-sized companies in the United States (and to a lesser extent in Canada and Chile), many of these companies have been pushing to be officially responsible for their social and environmental effects, not just their financial success. Almost all of these companies are privately held, although a few major corporations have recently become connected to the triple-bottom-line movement through subsidiaries they have acquired. On the one hand, such acquisitions can expand the movement’s reach. On the other, they also raise questions about whether the movement’s identity and potential will be diluted if large corporations acquire smaller, triple-bottom-line companies but are not strongly committed to their new subsidiaries’ particular social and ecological values. Given this and other challenges, the rise of companies seeking public accountability for their social and environmental impacts is a small revolution. But a few larger companies, like Patagonia and King Arthur Flour, have already joined the ranks. And there is considerable potential to entice other companies to enter the movement and to inspire the public to demand that other companies follow. “Although it could take years for a Fortune 500 benefit corporation to emerge, such conversations—   and broader advocacy by citizens and public interest groups—   could begin now to firm up and speed up that possibility,” writes Cordes. Worldwatch’s State of the World 2014 investigates the broad concept of “governance” for sustainability, including action by national governments, international organizations, and local communities. State of the World 2014also highlights the need for economic and political institutions to serve people and preserve and protect our common resources. For more information on the project, visithttp://www.worldwatch.org/state-world-2014-governing-sustainability.

04MAR2015Leave a comment

by newdelhisamachara in Uncategorized Edit

PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club returns for its second edition

•  Prize purse raised to Rs. 55 lakh

• Gaganjeet Bhullar, Chikkarangappa, Rahil Gangjee, Shankar Das, Shubhankar Sharma to lead a strong field

Kochi, March 3, 2015: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India’, returns to Kochi for the second edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club. The tournament, which carries an enhanced prize purse of Rs. 55 lakh, will be staged from March 4 – 7, 2015, at the magnificent CIAL Golf & Country Club in Kochi. The Pro-Am event will be played on March 8, 2015.

The tournament will feature some of the top names of Indian professional golf such as Gaganjeet Bhullar, Chikkarangappa, Rahil Gangjee, reigning Rolex Rankings champion Shankar Das, defending champion Shubhankar Sharma, Shamim Khan, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Harendra Gupta, Amardip Sinh Malik, Om Prakash Chouhan, Angad Cheema, Abhijit Singh Chadha and Khalin Joshi, to name a few. The field will also feature professionals from overseas such as N Thangaraja (Sri Lanka), K Prabagaran (Sri Lanka), Anura Rohana (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia) and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bangladesh).

Mr. V. J. Kurian, I.A.S., Managing Director, Cochin International Airport Limited, said, “The inaugural PGTI Cochin Masters last year gave us a great opportunity to showcase the CIAL Golf and Country Club. It was the first big event after the completion of CGCC’s 18-hole course. The greens are settled now. Big tournaments such as All South India Addicts have brought in accolades for the lay-out of the course. Lawn Bowling event of the just concluded National Games was also held at CGCC. Our newly constructed Driving Range is attracting both Golfers and non Golfers. As part of popularizing this game, we have started a Golf academy and organized a Golf Clinic at CGCC. India’s leading golfer Anirban Lahiri and last year’s PGTI Cochin Masters champion Shubhankar Sharma have expressed their satisfaction for the greens. We are confident that this time the PGTI players will enjoy even better playing conditions.”

Announcing the event, Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “We are delighted to return to Kochi for the second edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club. A strong field, an enhanced prize purse and perfect playing conditions at the CGCC course make for a riveting week of golf. The PGTI Cochin Masters is a major stepping stone for us to further popularize the sport of golf in Kerala in partnership with the CIAL.”

The CIAL Golf & Country Club (CGCC) has been developed on 130 acres of rolling greens. CGCC is designed to play to a length of over 7400 yards and is the only 18-hole golf course in Kerala. CGCC is an eco-friendly all weather golf course that is comparable to the best. It is the first course in the country to offer an island green on the 18th hole for a very exciting and challenging round of golf.

04MAR2015Leave a comment

by newdelhisamachara in Uncategorized Edit

UN Women Executive Director’s Message for International Women’s Day

In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, world leaders committed to a future where women are equal. One hundred and eighty nine countries and 4,000 civil society organizations, attended the conference. Women left Beijing with high hopes, with a well-defined path towards equality, and firm commitments at the highest level. Their hope was that we would see this by 2005. Today, not one single country has achieved equality. It is more urgent than ever that we define – and stick to – a time frame. There has been some progress in the last 20 years – although it has been slow and uneven. Countries have narrowed the gender gap in education and some have even reached gender parity in school enrolment. They have reduced the toll of maternal mortality and morbidity. Many more women survive pregnancy and childbirth than in 1995. Many countries have created institutions that address gender inequality. Many have passed laws against gender-based discrimination. Many have made domestic violence a crime. This is all good news. And yet we are still a long way from achieving equality between men and women, boys and girls. Implementation of good policies has been patchy. Allocation of the resources needed for effective implementation has been insufficient to fund women’s ministries, gender commissions, gender focal points, and gender-responsive budgeting. For too many women, especially in the least-developed countries, not enough has changed. In Africa, 70 per cent of crop production depends on women yet women still own only 2 per cent of the land. Violence against women continues to blight lives in all countries of the world. And no country has achieved gender equality. Women need change and humanity needs change. This we can do together; women and girls, men and boys, young and old, rich and poor. The evidence is overwhelming of the benefits that equality can bring. Economies grow, poverty is alleviated, health status climbs, and communities are more stable and resilient to environmental or humanitarian crises. Women want their leaders to renew the promises made to them. They want leaders to recommit to the Beijing Declaration, to the Platform for Action, and to accelerated and bolder implementation. They want more of their leaders to be women. And they want those women, together with men, to dare to change the economic and political paradigms. Gender parity must be reached before 2030, so that we avert the sluggish trajectory of progress that condemns a child born today to wait 80 years before they see an equal world. Today, on International Women’s Day, we call on our countries to “step it up” for gender equality, with substantive progress by 2020. Our aim is to reach ‘Planet 50:50’ before 2030. The world needs full equality in order for humanity to prosper. Empower women, empower humanity. I am sure you can picture an equal world!

04MAR2015Leave a comment

by newdelhisamachara in Uncategorized Edit

E-INVITATION

To Celebrate International Women’s Day 2015,

United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan

and

Alliance Française de Delhi

cordially invite you to a

Photo Exhibition and Panel Discussion

at 6.30pm on Sunday, 8 March 2015

at Alliance Française de Delhi.

*

The e-invitation is attached.

As noted in the e-card, please do bring a photo id and follow security instructions at the gate.

Looking forward to welcoming you at Alliance Française on the 8^th March.

Best regards,

RAJIV CHANDRAN

National Information Officer

United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan

55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi-110003, INDIA

Phone:  91-11-4653-2237

mobile:  98106-06833

www.unic.org.in