A few years ago, when the Rio Tinto decided to expand its iron ore production in Pilbara region of Western Australia, they faced a problem. While the remote region accounts for more than 40 percent of the world's iron ore production, it is also one of the driest parts of the world. Ironically, however, the problem for Rio Tinto's expansion was too much water: the new ore the company wanted to reach lay underneath huge underground aquifers, which meant that the company had to do something with the excess water that came up. 

New York, September 19, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Today, the UN Global Compact will announce four new platforms – in partnership with GRI, Monday Morning/Sustainia, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and Volans – to help shape the next generation of sustainable development initiatives and partnerships for business.

Sappi’s new global mission statement highlights the fact that our success depends on collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders. In my role as Director of Sustainable Development and Global Policy Initiatives, I have the pleasure of representing Sappi in numerous sustainability initiatives. This past year I began working on two new collaborative efforts focused on recycling and the best use of recycled fiber.

We are all part of a pioneering movement that has transformed the way organizations around the world identify, communicate and act on their sustainability impacts. Much has been achieved over the past 20 years, but as we enter a new era of sustainability, we must tackle the big challenges and the urgency needed to create a more sustainable economy and world in a fundamentally different way.