MEDIA ADVISORY: Meridian Summit on Prioritizing People and Planet – Friday October 22
WHEN: 8:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. ET | Friday, October 22, 2021
WHERE: Virtual (details here)
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY ALONGSIDE EQUITY AND JUSTICE TAKE CENTER STAGE AT 10TH ANNUAL MERIDIAN SUMMIT
October 12, 2021
As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, global collaboration is essential to building a more sustainable future for all. But the power of economic diplomacy as a strategy is vastly untapped.
“Climate change and human rights have become central to business strategy and community planning, as much as national security and foreign policy priorities,” said Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO of Meridian International Center.
Governments have created new positions for climate envoys and departments of climate change, while businesses are doubling down on investments for a carbon-neutral future – all while global youth activism is advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals and holding governments and businesses accountable for their actions on these goals.
The 10th Annual Meridian Summit: Prioritizing People and Planet on October 22, 2021, will bring together leaders in business, government and policy to explore the intersection of diplomacy and environmental, social and governance issues. A key focus will be on the economic diplomacy required to drive sustainable and socially responsible investments, which will be explored in keynotes and solution-oriented sessions with leaders like Jean Case, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee, NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, Congressman Juan Vargas, UN Global Compact CEO Sanda Ojiambo, CAP President Amb. Patrick Gaspard, Millennium Challenge Corporation's Acting CEO Mahmoud Bah, and many more.
“The private sector’s investment in social impact initiatives is essential to restarting the global economy – and it’s a new business imperative,” said The Hon. Fred P. Hochberg, former Chairman of the EXIM Bank. “In the current business landscape, good corporate citizenship needs to be systemically embedded into the DNA of a company’s operations, ethos and culture. It can no longer be secondary to core business objectives.”
Mr. Hochberg is a contributor to Meridian’s inaugural Corporate Systemic Responsibility report, which makes the case for corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a new form of non-traditional foreign direct investment for countries. The report, which will launch at the Summit, presents a systemic approach to social impact initiatives that ensures the interests of shareholders and key stakeholders in both domestic and host countries are met – while also catalyzing value creation in under-developed communities.
“We believe collaboration among leaders in business, diplomacy and government is essential to building an inclusive and sustainable global economy,” said Puru Trivedi, Meridian’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs. “Through Corporate Systemic Responsibility, the private sector can help jumpstart the global economy in partnership with governments and civil society while scaling its environmental and societal impact around the world.”
For over 60 years, Meridian has been a platform for leaders in diplomacy, government, business and civil society to come together to collaborate on solutions to our world’s greatest challenges. The Meridian Summit will harness virtual technology to engage a global audience of changemakers in the international cooperation and problem-solving required for a more inclusive global economy and sustainable future for all.
The Meridian Summit is open press, on the record. For questions, please contact Megan Devlin, Meridian’s Director of Communications & Marketing.
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