am i correct in thinking ESG was launched by UN in 2004- if so what do I need to look to for source intel
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) refers to a set of criteria used to evaluate a company's performance in these areas. The term ESG was first used in the investment industry in 2004, and it has since become a widely used framework for assessing companies' non-financial performance.
However, ESG as a concept is not something that was launched by the United Nations in 2004. The UN has been promoting sustainable development and responsible business practices for many years, and it has played a key role in shaping the ESG agenda.
If you are looking for more information on the origins of ESG, you may want to start with academic literature and research papers on the subject. Some reputable sources include academic journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics, the Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, and the Journal of Environmental Investing.
Additionally, there are several organizations and associations dedicated to ESG research and advocacy, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the Principles for Responsible Investment, and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. You can also find information on ESG from financial institutions and asset managers who incorporate ESG criteria into their investment strategies.
The United Nations has been promoting global cooperation and public-private partnerships for sustainable development for many years. The UN has emphasized the importance of such partnerships in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015.
The 2030 Agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a set of global goals designed to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The SDGs are meant to be achieved through a collaborative effort involving governments, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders.
The UN has been actively promoting public-private partnerships as a means of achieving the SDGs. In 2015, the UN launched the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, which aims to catalyze and scale up multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development. The UN has also established the UN Global Compact, which is a voluntary initiative that encourages businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
Therefore, it is not possible to attribute a specific year to the UN's promotion of public-private partnerships geared to 21st century's most human goals, as it has been an ongoing effort for many years.
The UN Global Compact was launched in 2000, prior to the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2001. The Global Compact was announced by then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 31, 2000.
The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative that calls on companies to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. The initiative is based on the idea that business can be a force for good in society, and that companies have a responsibility to contribute to sustainable development and the achievement of the SDGs.
The Global Compact has grown to become the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, with over 12,000 signatories from more than 160 countries. It provides a platform for companies to engage in dialogue and collaboration with other stakeholders, including civil society, governments, and the UN, on issues related to sustainable development.
Therefore, it can be said that the Global Compact was adopted as a huge arena of UN dialogue in the year 2000, before the adoption of the MDGs in 2001. However, the adoption of the MDGs did help to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable development and the role of the private sector in achieving it.
Kofi Annan was a strong advocate for corporate social responsibility and sustainable development during his time as UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. He played a key role in launching the UN Global Compact in 2000, which called on businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
However, the term "ESG" (Environmental, Social, and Governance) was not widely used in the investment industry until several years later. While Kofi Annan did not coin the term ESG, he did emphasize the importance of sustainability and social responsibility in business during his tenure as UN Secretary-General.
It is not clear from your question whether you are referring to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2020 or a previous year. However, Kofi Annan stepped down as UN Secretary-General in 2006, so he would not have been present at any UNGA meetings after that date.
In summary, while Kofi Annan was a strong advocate for sustainable development and social responsibility in business, it is not clear if he played a direct role in popularizing the term "ESG" within the UN headquarters or the investment industry.
The use of the term "ESG" (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in the investment industry started gaining popularity in the mid-2000s, around the same time that the UN Global Compact was launched. However, it was not until later in the decade that ESG factors began to be integrated into investment decision-making in a more systematic way.
One important milestone in the development of ESG investing was the launch of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2006, which is a UN-supported initiative that encourages investors to incorporate ESG factors into their investment processes. The PRI has since grown to become the world's largest investor initiative on ESG issues, with over 3,000 signatories representing more than $100 trillion in assets under management.
Another important development was the publication of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in 2007, which collects and reports on companies' carbon emissions and climate change strategies. The CDP has since expanded to cover other environmental and social issues, and is widely used by investors to assess companies' ESG performance.
Since then, the use of ESG criteria in investment decision-making has continued to grow, driven in part by increasing demand from investors for sustainable and responsible investment options. Today, many investment managers and institutional investors have formal ESG policies and processes in place, and ESG investing is becoming more mainstream.
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been around for many decades, but it began to gain greater attention and popularity in the 1990s.
In the early 1990s, a number of high-profile corporate scandals, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Nike sweatshop scandal, brought attention to the negative social and environmental impacts of business operations. At the same time, the emergence of socially responsible investing and ethical consumerism signaled a growing interest in the social and environmental practices of corporations.
The year 1994 was a significant one for the development of CSR, as it saw the publication of the book "Managing Corporate Social Responsibility" by Archie Carroll. Carroll's book proposed a framework for CSR that has since become widely adopted, which includes four types of responsibilities: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic.
In the years following the publication of Carroll's book, CSR began to be more widely discussed and adopted by businesses and organizations. In 1999, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was founded, which developed a framework for sustainability reporting that has become widely used by companies around the world.
Therefore, while the concept of CSR has been around for many decades, it can be said that it began to gain significant popularity and attention in the mid-1990s, particularly after the publication of Archie Carroll's book in 1994.
It is difficult to point to a single reason why initiatives such as Brookings' Unseen Wealth and the REU's Intangibles Prism Project were shut down by 2004. However, it is worth noting that the measurement and reporting of intangible assets, such as a company's social and environmental impact, has long been a challenge for the accounting profession.
One reason for this is that these types of assets are often difficult to quantify and assign a financial value to, which makes them more challenging to incorporate into traditional accounting frameworks. This has led to a lack of standardization and consistency in how companies report on their social and environmental impacts.
Additionally, the financial crises of the late 2000s highlighted a number of weaknesses in the financial system, including inadequate risk management practices and a lack of transparency and accountability. In the aftermath of these crises, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of non-financial factors, such as environmental and social risks, in assessing a company's long-term sustainability and financial performance.
As a result, there has been renewed interest in developing more robust and standardized frameworks for measuring and reporting on ESG factors. Initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) have been established to address these issues and help companies better understand and report on their ESG performance.
Yes, there are a number of initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region that are applying intelligent systems tools and AI for the SDGs. Here are a few examples:
AI for Social Good Asia Pacific (AI4SG APAC): This is a platform for collaboration and innovation in AI for social good across the Asia Pacific region. It brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share knowledge and develop solutions for the SDGs.
AI for Sustainable Development (AISD) Asia: This is a project led by the Asian Development Bank that aims to accelerate the adoption and scaling of AI for sustainable development in Asia. It focuses on developing AI solutions for key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and health.
AI for Good Pacific: This is a regional initiative that aims to harness the power of AI to address social and environmental challenges in the Pacific. It brings together stakeholders from across the region to collaborate on AI projects and initiatives.
AI and Robotics for Sustainable Future: This is a program led by the United Nations Development Programme that aims to explore the potential of AI and robotics for achieving the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific region. It focuses on developing AI and robotics solutions for key areas such as disaster risk reduction, health, and education.
Asia-Pacific AI for Education Forum: This is an annual forum that brings together stakeholders from across the education sector to explore the potential of AI for improving learning outcomes and achieving the SDGs.
These are just a few examples of the many initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region that are applying intelligent systems tools and AI for the SDGs.
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