Originally published by Forbes.com on Jul 17, 2023
The first Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 brought together political leaders, scientists, journalists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from 179 countries to examine the impact of human activities on the environment.
“Only a handful of business leaders were invited, and when one of them was making a speech in the plenary room, he was booed off the stage after 90 seconds,” said Peter Bakker, CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). “In those days, business was considered the source of environmental problems and had no place at this type of meeting.”
When Bakker was invited on stage at SAP SAPPHIRE in Barcelona by Sebastian Steinhaeuser, SAP Chief Strategy Officer, he was received with rapt attention from the audience. He was there to highlight the impact of business on the road to net-zero.