(Yicai) April 22 -- Corporate social responsibility will take center stage at the 20th anniversary of the concept of environmental, social, and governance as Yicai joins hands with the United Nations Global Compact and China International Communication Group's Center for Asia-Pacific to produce a series of talks with Chinese business leaders.

The first part of the ESG+20 Sustainability Leaders Interview Series will be released on April 22 to share ESG insights and achievements. The series consists of 20 interviews with corporate leaders.

“In today’s globalized and interconnected world, the way in which companies deal with ESG issues and contribute to the sustainable development of societies they operate in is crucial to their longevity, reputation and success,” said Siddharth Chatterjee, the UN’s resident coordinator in China.

“That’s why I’ve been pleased to see more commitment and action over my tenure to ESG issues from Chinese companies,” he said.

The ESG+20 Sustainability Leaders Interview Series will discuss management wisdom and practical experience and explore the sustainable leadership of each company and its leaders, according to Liu Meng, head of the UN Global Compact Regional Office，China.

Telling the world about China’s CSR development will provide experience for businesses in other countries around the world, said Zhao Jun, editor-in-chief of the CICG Asia-Pacific.

The ESG concept brings extraordinary changes to businesses, said Li Rong, chairwoman of Yicai Media Group. As China’s most important financial media outlet, Yicai will continue to learn more about industry trends and market needs and listen to entrepreneurs’ stories of innovation in the new era, she added.

The ESG concept emerged in response to growing concerns about global environmental degradation, social inequality, and corporate governance failures. The UNGC released the report Who Cares Wins 20 years ago, proposing the concept and principles for the first time, calling on businesses and investors to integrate ESG into their strategies and operations.

Since then, ESG has become central to enterprises' attempts to ensure longevity. The principles are used by investors and other stakeholders to evaluate a company's performance in the ESG areas.

The co-producers of the ESG+20 Sustainability Leaders Interview Series call on businesses to take action in the spirit of the original report, upgrading the message to 'who acts gains.’

Editor: Emmi Laine