The 2012 Annual Summit of Green Companies

WUHAN, China, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- More than 800 government officials, entrepreneurs, scholars and NGO leaders gathered at the 2012 Annual Summit of Green Companies, discussing and exchanging experience and viewpoints on sustainable business development.

Jointly hosted by the China Entrepreneur Club (CEC) and Wuhan municipal government, the summit centered on "Obligation and Innovation Under the New Realities". Leaders including Georg Kell (Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact), Liu Chuanzhi (Chairman and President of Legend Holdings), and Wang Jianlin (Chairman of Wanda Group), joined dialogues and discussions around challenges and issues which the enterprises are facing during their development in the economic transformation period.

"I send my warmest greetings to the 2012 Annual Summit of Green Companies --Your focus on 'Obligation and Innovation Under the New Realities' is especially timely. The need for sustainable business practices is more pressing than ever. It is very encouraging that more and more Chinese companies are incorporating responsible business practices into their core strategies and operations. Your leadership sends a powerful signal to policymakers," said Ban Ki-mon, Secretary General of the United Nations.

At the summit, Liu Chuanzhi, Wang Jianlin and Xu Xiaonian (professor of economics and finance at the China Europe International Business School), entered the mentor forum to offer in-depth interpretations on topics such as enterprises' obligations, innovation and competitive advantage of industry culture, and winning recognition through innovation.

"As entrepreneurs, what we can do is to run our own businesses successfully, while contributing more taxes and creating more employment opportunities. We should also cultivate business integrity, respect for social righteousness, and actively participate in social welfare activities, improving the social environment," said Liu Chuanzhi.

Influential celebrities from government, the business community and academia, both domestic and abroad, shared their ideas and views on interactive forums, including Chinese business leaders Li Dongsheng (Chairman and CEO of TCL Corporation), Guo Guangchang (Chairman of Fosun Group), Michael Yu (Chairman and CEO of New Oriental Education & Technology Group), Charles Chao (President and CEO of SINA Corporation); executives from multinationals including Intel, BASF, Virgin Group; ambassadors and consuls general to China from the United States, France, Italy, Belgium, etc. The forums' themes included "China's Agony of Corporate Innovation", "Suggestions for China's Economic Transition", "Differences between Western and Eastern Leadership", "Integrity Dividend", "Business Sustainability", etc.

"Under the cruel new realities, how can one run a business well, and how can one become the new hero? I think there are four key aspects: first, knowing right and wrong; second, being dutiful; third, knowing the trend; and fourth, being innovative. If you succeed in the first three key aspects, being innovative will be the natural result," said Liu Donghua, Founder and Deputy Executive Chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club.

The "2012 China Top 100 Green Companies" was solemnly unveiled, awarding the 100 healthiest, most sustainably competitive "Green Companies" of the year. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the ranking. The project assesses the target candidate enterprises' annual performance in a comprehensive manner. Twenty companies among "2011 China Top 100 Green Companies" failed to enter this year's list.

Six companies including Vanke, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, BASF, 3M, and Ecolab, have joined the conservation campaign "Our Waters" initiated by CEC during the summit. The companies will jointly manage water resources and reduce the water footprint significantly in the next 3 years.

With the support of the Lao Niu Foundation, the summit organizer purchased 150 tons of carbon credit to offset the emission of the event to make it carbon neutral.

The Annual Summit of China Green Companies was founded by China's most influential business leaders' organization, China Entrepreneur Club, which is committed to promoting reasonable and long-term economic growth. Around 800 global visionaries, the most transformative business leaders, political officials, academic authorities, NGO representatives and the mainstream media attend this summit each year. The Summit has been recognized as the most influential event on sustainable development.

About China Entrepreneur Club

Established in 2006, China Entrepreneur Club (CEC) is a non-profit organization consisting of a group of the most influential business leaders in China. CEC members are outstanding and highly-regarded Chinese entrepreneurs who have enjoyed commercial success by abiding the laws of market economy. They are leaders of their respective fields who have set examples for green transformation and application of new business models, and they have unique management strategies, sense of judgment and enjoy sharing their success.

CEC member companies are all dynamic and economically powerful, as gross income totaled more than RMB 12 trillion in 2011.

CEC strives to build a cross-sector platform to promote communication and exchanges among industrial elites, and to realize the establishment and progress of mainstream Chinese entrepreneurship. It is dedicated to "promote entrepreneurship and sustainable development of the economy and the society," and to cultivate a positive commercial force and pave a green path for business development.

Cai Tao
010-62766066-831
[email protected]

Amy Zhang
010-62766066 -811
[email protected]

SOURCE China Entrepreneur Club