Stakeholder Capitalism

Coca-Cola, US Use Blockchain for Labor Scrutiny

April 23, 2018

Reuters reports that the Coca-Cola Company, the US State Department, and two other companies, responding to pressure from human rights activist organizations, are launching a project through which businesses will use blockchain digital technology to determine and respond to risks of forced labor in complex, global supply chains around the world.
Adidas Faces OECD Complaint over Supplier Practices

April 20, 2018

A human rights activist campaign has filed a complaint against apparel company Adidas with the German National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises alleging that the business failed to provide an appropriate remedy for workers at a shoe supplier in Indonesia claiming the supplier failed to recognize their right to organize and strike.
Companies Join Pledge Against Cyber Attacks

April 18, 2018

Reuters reports that 34 technology companies, including Microsoft and Facebook, have signed a Cybersecurity Tech Accord pledging not to assist governments with "offensive" cyber attacks "regardless of geopolitical or criminal motive."
UN Official Issues Broad Call for Corporate Rights Obligations

April 17, 2018

UN Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo calls on corporate leaders to "build universal human rights principles into core business strategies" and perform due diligence on potential human rights impacts with the goal of "sustaining fair and stable societies" and achieving the UN's sustainable development agenda.
Norway Wealth Fund Pushes for Rights, Climate Reforms

April 17, 2018

An article by Sveinung Sleire outlines how Norway's $1 trillion wealth fund is targeting companies in which it invests across the globe with financial pressure to motivate reforms on environmental and human rights issues, including the ethical use of artificial intelligence technologies.
French Asset Management Firm Divests from Tobacco

March 26, 2018

FT Adviser reports that the asset management arm of French bank BNP Paribas is excluding tobacco companies from a range of active investments as part of the company's move toward "ethical and socially responsible investing."
BlackRock Targets Gun Companies with Divestment Threat

March 26, 2018

The Independent reports that investment management firm BlackRock has announced it is offering its clients the option of pulling their investments from gun manufacturers in response to the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and will use its ownership stake in these companies to pressure them to introduce policies aimed at preventing mass shootings.
OECD Presses Brazil on Cross-Border Tax Standards

March 22, 2018

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Government of Brazil have launched a 15-month work program studying how Brazil should reform its tax policies to move toward international standards on the treatment of cross-border transactions.
Civil Society Coalition Criticizes Business Tax Principles

February 28, 2018

A press release from the Tax Justice Network illustrates the risks businesses face in embracing activist calls for "fair" global corporate taxation policies, criticizing as "desperately disappointing" a report on corporate taxes produced by leaders of the "B Team" business initiative for lacking ambition toward consistent standards in corporate tax reporting.
Church Investors Push Corporate Social, Environmental Action

February 14, 2018

The Church Investors Group, an association of pension funds for church organizations, has announced that its members will use their votes as corporate shareholders to push progressive business policies on executive pay, "living" wages, gender diversity, and action on global warming.