President of the WBCSD highlighted Chile’s commitment to renewable energy

The President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Peter Bakker, visited the country this week to emphasize the importance of sustainability and collaboration among companies to address global environmental challenges.

Peter Bakker, CEO and President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global coalition of over 200 companies aimed at promoting the transition to sustainable policies, visited Chile. Invited by CMPC, during his stay, he engaged in discussions with representatives of national companies and associations about the importance of sustainability and the changes expected from large businesses. He also addressed the relevance of new energies, regulatory issues, and the upcoming COP28, scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

In the meeting with business leaders, which was also attended by John Revess, Vice President of Business Engagement, and Laurette Siemonek, Chief of Staff, both from WBCSD, Bakker’s presentation focused on the development model of companies and their impact on the world. In the same vein, he emphasized that transformations should occur in areas such as energy, transportation, connectivity, food, access to clean water, financial products, and services, among others.

He was also the keynote speaker at the seminar “The Power of Companies to Address Inequality,” where he stated, “We must think of inequality as a systemic risk, which translates into a business risk.” During the event, the report “Combating Inequality: An Agenda for Business Action” from The Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI), a coalition of global companies whose mission is to mobilize the private sector to create policies that combat inequality, was presented.

Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of CMPC and the only Chilean member of the executive committee of WBCSD, accompanied Peter Bakker during part of his visit to Chile. He commented, “Peter Bakker’s visit was undoubtedly a significant contribution to the Chilean business sector due to his current and future vision of the guidelines that companies must follow in terms of sustainability. Achieving sustainability goals benefits all parties, the environment, communities, and the companies themselves, and it is a task that every company must take on with a sense of urgency and responsibility. It’s good that someone with his track record reminds us of this”.