Tag Archives: John Ruggie

Human Rights: A Moral and Material Business Concern

The TakeAway: Several sustainability milestones were reached in June, but the greatest of these was the UN Human Rights Council endorsement of the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, which established human rights as both a moral and material … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Human Rights, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Extractives: Dirty Industries, Clean Standards

The TakeAway: New SEC proposals require ethical health, safety, and human rights due diligence by companies engaged in the extractive industries. Extractive industries are by definition a dirty business, but recent legislation and regulatory moves aim to clean them up … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Divesting from Genocide: A Fiduciary Duty?

The TakeAway: Congressional hearing on ways to improve the Sudan Accountability & Investment Act proposes using the UN “Protect, Respect, Remedy” human rights framework to define fiduciary duty. The moral case for flexing investment muscle (from shareowner engagement to outright … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Investor Governance, Public Policy, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Business and Human Rights: The UN’s Roadmap

The TakeAway: The United Nations’ Draft “Guiding Principles” for Business and Human Rights helps governments, business, and civil society put the “Protect, Respect, Remedy” framework into practice. “There is no single silver bullet solution to the multi-faceted challenges of business … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Business Impact on Human Rights

The TakeAway: Social materiality gains traction as the role of business in advancing human rights attracts wider support. After years of neglect, companies now increasingly consider their impacts on human rights as material issues, with clear impacts on the bottom … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Three I’s of Sustainability Reporting’s Future

The TakeAway: The Global Reporting Initiative leads sustainability disclosure into a new era through Integration, Implementation, and Integrity. Around the world, thousands of organizations rely on the GRI Reporting Framework and its multi-stakeholder approach to sustainability reporting covering the range of … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Interactive Technology, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings, Sustainable Investing, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Social Materiality: A New Lens for Sustainable Investing

Guest Commentary by Liz Umlas As the concept of ESG – addressing environmental, social, and governance factors in business and investment considerations – gains traction, the focus often seems more firmly on the first and last than on the middle … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Notable News Roundup & Recommended Reading

The TakeAway: Proxy access, human rights, and ethics among important topics of the week—plus, 2 books on improving performance. Lots of news that’s fit to print this week, but we didn’t have room—so before the long Columbus Day weekend here … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

State Law, Supply Chains, and the End of Slavery

The TakeAway: Pending California law seeks to end slavery and trafficking in business supply chains, part of a renewed broader trend of state-level action to address global sustainability and social justice issues. When thinking about corporate reform toward sustainability and … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Deadline to Red-Line: GRI Invites Input on Gender, Community, and Human Rights

The TakeAway: We outline proposed changes to GRI’s Gender, Community, and Human Rights reporting guidelines to help you submit comments by 23 August. Consistent with its commitment to continual renewal through multi-stakeholder review, the Global Reporting Initiative is hosting a … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Human Rights Due Diligence

The TakeAway: Integrating Human Rights Due Diligence into Risk Management May Help Prevent Future Oil Spills and Market Meltdowns We consider the collapse of the global banking system in 2008 as a financial debacle, and the collapse of the Deepwater … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments