Workshop on trust and transparency in Johannesburg
- August 2002
On the occasion of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Novo Nordisk, and the University of Cambridge Programme for Industry host a workshop in Johannesburg entitled: 'When Trust is Challenged: Dilemmas and Opportunities in Corporate Transparency'.
The workshop will take place on 2 September between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu offices in Johannesburg.
Why this theme?
Some are sceptical about the commitment of business to make real changes towards sustainable development. Many businesses, however, have acknowledged the need to adopt more sustainable practices, and to act in a more transparent manner. While some businesses would argue that they have made real progress, distrust of business still persists. The workshop will address:
- Is this “business as usual” in another guise? Why should the public believe what companies say about their sustainable development agenda?
- What challenges does this pose for the corporate world – what are the dilemmas associated with trust building, transparency, inclusiveness, and assurance?
- Is the way forward for sustainable development through partnerships and co-operative agreements, or through legally binding frameworks? What is the role of government?
- What opportunities are there for responding constructively to other world views?
Participants
The workshop offers invited WSSD participants from business, the NGO community, governments, and the public sector a forum to discuss these pertinent issues and to contribute to the current debate.
The opening address will be given by Carsten Staur, State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Denmark. This will be followed by a panel discussion with contributors including Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan, First Minister, Welsh Assembly Government, Craig Bennett, Friends of the Earth, Professor Tim O’Riordan, Professor of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia and UK Commissioner for Sustainable Development, Michael Spicer, Executive Vice President of Anglo American plc, Preben J. Sørensen, Global Leader, Environment & Sustainability, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and Lise Kingo, Executive Vice President, Novo Nordisk.
About the Summit
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+10 brings together heads of state and government, non governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, concerned citizens, businesses, and other major groups. The Summit offers a unique opportunity to discuss the challenges of sustainable development as well as to identify better ways to implement the Agenda 21, which was adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. Read more about the Summit at www.johannesburgsummit.org
