The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led organization of over 200 international companies. The Council is also connected to 60 national and regional business councils and partner organizations. Its origins date back to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit of 1992, when Stephan Schmidheiny, a Swiss business entrepreneur, was appointed chief adviser for business and industry to the secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). He created a forum called "Business Council for Sustainable Development", which went on to become Changing Course, a book that coined the concept of eco-efficiency. The WBCSD was created in 1995 as a merger of the Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Industry Council for the Environment and is based at the Maison de la paix in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in New York and New Delhi. Operations The Council works on a variety of issues related to sustainable development. It works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the transformation of six economic systems. These are circular economy, Cities and Mobility, Climate and Energy, Food, Land and Water, People and Redefining Value. Each system transformation is set up as a WBCSD Program with a number of supplementary Projects. Impact and influence A 2003 World Bank/IFC commissioned study identified the WBCSD as one of the "most influential forums" for companies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues. A 2004 Globescan survey found the WBCSD as the second most effective SD research organization. The 2006 survey by the same company reports that 54% of all surveyed experts believe the WBCSD will play a "major role" in advancing sustainable development. Only the European Union received higher approval (69%). In the 2007's Ethisphere Institute list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics, WBCSD President Bjoern Stigson has been ranked ninth, which made him the second most influential NGO leader. Membership Membership of the WBCSD is by invitation of the Executive Committee to companies committed to sustainable development. Among its over 180 members are well-known companies such as DuPont, 3M, Nestlé, BP, Danone and Royal Dutch Shell. WBCSD provides its members with the value, impact and voice to navigate unprecedented global changes and allows them to prosper from transforming their operations. By joining the WBCSD, member companies benefit from insights into the latest knowledge on sustainability, sustainability tools, peer collaboration across the value chain, participation in