ESG

EU Agrees Regulation on Conflict Minerals Checks

December 05, 2016

EU institutions have agreed to a draft regulation requiring "all but the smallest" European importers of "conflict minerals" from war-torn areas of Africa to perform "due diligence" checks on the source of these minerals and "encouraging" large companies to publicly report on their mineral sourcing practices.
EU Parliament Seeks Bank Information Disclosure

December 05, 2016

The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for EU rules providing for the automatic exchange of bank account owner information by EU member states to prevent tax avoidance in the bloc.
ISO Global Standards Advance UN Climate Agenda

December 01, 2016

In a press release announcing events it planned for the recent UN climate summit in Marrakesh, Morocco, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes how its corporate reporting and other standards, including an upcoming global standard on preventing and adapting to climate change, contribute to the UN's sustainable development agenda.
Banker Pushes for Global Corporate Tax Reporting

November 29, 2016

Arguing that few multinational companies consider the societal need for them to pay "a fair amount of tax," Sasja Beslik of the financial services group Nordea writes that the only practical way for governments to promote corporate tax transparency is to force businesses to disclose their revenues and tax payments in every jurisdiction in which they operate.
Businesses Support "Decarbonisation" at COP22 Meeting

November 28, 2016

At the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP22) in Marrakesh, Morocco, a gathering of business representatives signaled the growing commitments within the private sector to support UN initiatives aimed at the "radical decarbonisation of the global economy” as part of the international organization's agenda on combating global warming.
EU Considers Deterring "Aggressive" Tax Advice

November 28, 2016

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on measures to deter tax advisers in the EU from proposing tax planning schemes to help corporations and others avoid taxes, including by implementing at the EU level a "mandatory disclosure scheme" for tax advice that might be viewed as overly "aggressive."
IEA Calls for Use of Global Energy Efficiency Standards

November 16, 2016

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published an interview with Brian Motherway, head of energy efficiency at the International Energy Agency, praising the use of global standards in regulating how businesses and investors reduce energy consumption in their operations.
Google Implements ISO "Sustainability" Standards

November 16, 2016

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published an article from a Google "sustainability" officer describing how the internet giant has used global environmental and social standards to reduce its environmental impacts and has received a certificate of recognition for implementing ISO guidelines on "energy management."
NGO Calls for Reporting on IFC Development Projects

November 11, 2016

In line with efforts to impose public reporting requirements on companies under the global business and human rights agenda, the nongovernmental organization Inclusive Development International is releasing a series of papers calling for bolstered reporting requirements for development projects funded by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation.
Professor Calls for Reporting Mandates in BHR Treaty

November 10, 2016

Following the conclusion of the second session of the Working Group charged with developing a binding UN business and human rights treaty, Professor Erika George of the University of Utah College of Law writes that a key component of such a treaty must be the global harmonization of corporate BHR reporting standards.