ESG

NGO Criticizes Draft EU Mineral Sourcing Law

February 04, 2016

The nongovernmental organization Global Witness has warned that the voluntary, limited nature of a proposal from EU member states seeking to regulate corporate sourcing of minerals from war-torn areas of Africa, to be negotiated by EU officials in Strasbourg in February, will fail "to reduce global conflict."
Tokyo Olympic Committee Pursues UN Sustainability Agenda

February 03, 2016

As it seeks to demonstrate adherence to the UN agenda on social and environmental "sustainability," including in dealing with corporate partners, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 has announced that it has established frameworks on sustainable practices in running the games and in sourcing products and services.
PR Professionals Show Complexity of BHR "Imperatives"

February 03, 2016

Arguing that the bar for corporate compliance with the business and human rights ("BHR") agenda "is higher than ever," Lisa Manley and Judy Sandford of public relations company Cone Communications call on companies to take into account UN and activist initiatives ranging from reporting standards to climate action in plotting out their future BHR strategies.
Attorney Downplays BHR "Soft" vs. "Hard" Law Distinction

February 03, 2016

In a recent article, Anne Vanhala of Castrén & Snellman describes the status of national and supranational legislation imposing business and human rights ("BHR") reporting obligations on companies and concludes that whether or not there is a "hard law" requirement in each country, businesses "cannot opt out of human rights."
UN Agency Pushes Corporate Gender Diversity Reporting

February 02, 2016

Ten major companies have reported figures on the ratio of men to women in their workforce and in their leadership positions for inclusion in a "HeForShe Parity Report" published by UN Women.
California Investigates Exxon Statements on Climate Change

February 01, 2016

The Los Angeles Times reports that California politicians are seeking to leverage a reported investigation of energy company Exxon by the state's Attorney General Kamala Harris regarding alleged false statements the company has made to investors on the risks posed by global warming into a federal investigation of similar statements from the US energy industry.
Countries Sign OECD Agreement on Corporate Financial Scrutiny

January 29, 2016

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") has announced that 31 countries have signed its Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement providing for the automatic exchange of country-by-country financial, tax, and other information relating to multinational enterprises.
ISO Seeks Use of Standard in SDG Implementation

January 29, 2016

The International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") has published an interview with academics seeking to explain how corporations following the organization's standard on social responsibility furthers their implementation of the environmental and social framework of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs").
UN Report Lauds UK "Green Finance" Initiatives

January 20, 2016

A new report from the UN Environment Programme applauds UK initiatives for placing pressure on financial companies to take into account social and environmental factors in their decision-making and calls for more action from Britain to promote "green bonds" and other vehicles that support the UN's "sustainability" agenda.
Report Criticizes Business Supply-Chain Audits

January 20, 2016

A report from the University of Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute says that business-driven auditing processes that seek to evaluate supply chains for potential violations of the business and human rights agenda are tainted, with one author calling for a more interventionist government approach to holding businesses accountable for alleged abuse.