The theme of the 2019, the sixth edition of CRB’s Flagship Annual Conference is ‘Market Dynamics & Social Dilemmas of Promoting Sustainable Business’. Integrating sustainability into global and local value chains is becoming increasingly common, not only for creating equitable and inclusive growth, but also for shared value creation. While many recognize these new developments, there is a need for a shift in mindsets on what we perceive as growth and development.

Since its adoption in 2015 the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the expectations and actions toward meeting the agenda’s goals have gained momentum. The focus has also expanded from the government to the private sector as a driver of sustainability/SDGs. Many segments of the private sector, supported by various national and international organizations provide frameworks and guidance on how to integrate sustainable policies and business practices in order to achieve long-term prosperity for businesses and societies, while carefully managing or restoring environmental resources.

India and Sustainability Standards: International Dialogue and Conference (ISS) has successfully completed five years of bringing key national and international stakeholders together on sustainability/sustainable business/SDGs issues in India. ISS has consistently worked towards pushing and propelling the agenda of sustainable business by engaging with multiple stakeholders through a through a consensus and evidence-based approach. Designed and hosted by the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), ISS has witnessed 5 years of action oriented deliberations on a variety of thematic and sector specific issues on sustainability – drawing the attention of Indian and international policy actors, government agencies, standard setters, large and small businesses, industry associations, civil society, academia, and media agencies.

To enhance the efficacy and outreach of these discussions CRB is developing a virtual platform with the objective to enable stakeholders to engage on sustainability/sustainable business promotion/SDGs all throughout the year – leading to ongoing dialogues, lasting impacts and positive changes. This multi-stakaholder engagement platform will be launched at the ISS conference in November, 2019.