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Mr Björn Stigson
President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Switzerland

"Business cannot be successful if the society or environment around it fails."

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Mr Rakesh Kacker
Senior Fellow, TERI

"Democracy by itself cannot ensure equality."

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Dr John Ashton
Head of Environment, Science and Energy Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK

"We are moving into a world where the past no longer guides the future."

"It's time we got the debate on environment out from the corridors of the UN and connected it to the lives of real people."

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Dr Thomas M Connelly
Chief Technology Officer, DuPont, USA

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Mr Vikram S Mehta
Chairman, Shell India Private Limited, India

"Today, the Indian consumer is not interested how much money a company is making; he wants to know how that money is being made."

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Dr Nitin Pandit
Executive Director, International Institute for Energy Conservation & Vice President, CERF, Washington DC

"In today's world we must improve both energy and environment efficiency."

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Ms Tiahoga Ruge
Coordinator General, Centre for Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development, Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Mexico

"We need to develop a new vision, one that benefits all sections of society."

While Rio visualized a bipolar world with government and civil society as the two major stakeholders, the role of business is becoming increasingly visible. The WSSD should, accordingly, redefine the world as tripolar.

While democracy and the judiciary are considered the two pillars for ensuring people’s rights, public consultation is increasingly assuming importance in ensuring transparency and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue. The WSSD should ensure that inclusion of all socio-economic groups because sustainability is indivisible. Partnerships among stakeholders require solutions, for which assumptions must be validated. Johannesburg must identify proper delivery mechanisms through non-traditional partnerships.

The attitudinal change of leading global industrial houses from being compliance-, volume-, and resource-driven to trust-, value-, and knowledge-driven is significant, transforming the perception of successful business.

While global thinking represents increasing recognition of the private sector, local action calls for government decentralization and regional impact of resource use. The government must participate as a regulator without compromising sovereignty over local energy-environment resources.

In India, corporate involvement in sustainability is tangible. Well-managed companies recognize their social obligations. Indian consumers also want corporates to demonstrate ethical and moral behaviour and act in areas that have primarily been government preserves - health, education, and infrastructure.

Corporates must understand that (1) stakeholder dialogue involves serious, long-term commitment of time, money, and manpower; (2) it must be open and consistent; and (3) the results should add value to all stakeholders.

Aided by IT and media advances, the WSSD should recognize the importance of environmental education and capacity building and channel appropriate financial mechanisms.