Statement of Support
In 2012, a letter in support of Stephan Schmidheiny was signed by hundreds of leaders from Latin America and around the world, attesting to his career and legacy as a visionary leader of the global sustainability movement.
Last February, a court of first instance in Turin found Dr. Stephan Schmidheiny guilty of "intentionally disregarding health and safety measures and intentionally causing an environmental disaster." While we trust that the higher courts will see through what appears to be a political trial invalidated by flawed proceedings, we find it imperative, in light of Stephan Schmidheiny's impact on and contributions to the global sustainability movement, to clearly state our position on this matter and our appreciation of his important legacy on societies in Latin America and around the world.
We know Stephan Schmidheiny to be a visionary leader and ethical businessperson that was willing to risk and sacrifice his family inheritance to eliminate asbestos from his companies' production processes, an effort that culminated in 1986, long before there was asbestos legislation in place in Italy (where charges were brought against him), Europe, or Latin America.
His forward-thinking approach was so singular and influential that he was named by the OECD and the United Nations, respectively, as a representative of the industrial sector and Co-Chair of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. His core message was that business leaders must take responsibility for shifting course toward a more sustainable and equitable pattern of development.
After Dr. Schmidheiny authored groundbreaking articles and books promoting the causes of eco-efficiency and sustainability in the 1980s, he decided to take the very path he had laid out in his writings to become the Founder and first Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Around the same time, he created Fundación Avina to unfurl his unique philanthropic vocation in Latin America, putting his strategic vision, financial support, and alliance-building skills at the service of thousands of leaders of social and environmental movements in the region.
With the strong conviction that sustainability is central to development, in 2003 he founded VIVA Trust, to which he donated all of his productive assets in the region, including Grupo Nueva and his shares in Amanco, Plycem, and Masisa. The flow of dividends from these assets would become an ongoing source of funding for the Latin American sustainability movement and Fundación Avina, in particular, enabling them to promote and support innovation and action that serve the common good and foster sustainability in the region.
In addition to WBCSD, Fundación Avina, and VIVA Trust, Dr. Schmidheiny has also provided substantial resources and strategic support for several key sustainable development organizations around the world, including: ASHOKA; Endeavor; the World Resources Institute; INCAE Business School and its Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development; FUNDES; the Global Sustainability Alliance, a research partnership among the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Tokyo, Chalmers University of Technology, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; and many other initiatives with global reach.
The thousands of leaders boosted and networks formed with Dr. Schmidheiny's support, along with the organizations he founded, are responsible for some of the most innovative environmental and social initiatives of our day, including social entrepreneurship, the corporate social responsibility movement, inclusive businesses, sustainable cities, organized recycling, responsible water management, protection of the Amazon and the South American Chaco, and many other efforts that continue to make a significant impact on the national and regional levels.
In recognition of the above achievements and in the face of widespread misinformation published as a consequence of the trial in Turin, we want to go on record to show our recognition of and respect for Dr. Stephan Schmidheiny as an ethical businessperson, visionary, and leader guided by humanism and a strong sense of responsibility for our planet.
We sign this statement of support for him as an individual and for the causes he has promoted through his work and by example, with the purpose of bestowing upon him all the honor and recognition he deserves in the history of the global and regional sustainability movement.
