Surveillance Capitalism

Dutch Court Finds Rights Obligation to Tackle Global Warming

October 17, 2018

A Dutch appeals court has struck a blow for the global litigation strategy to impose human rights obligations on businesses and states to tackle climate change by finding that the European Convention on Human Rights requires the Dutch government to reduce carbon emissions by at least 25 percent by the year 2020.
Exxon Funds US Campaign to Tax Carbon Emissions

October 10, 2018

Showing increased pressure from the UN and nongovernmental organizations on corporations to align their policies with the Paris climate accord, Bloomberg reports that energy giant Exxon Mobil will invest $1 million in a political campaign lobbying the US government for the taxation of corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
NGOs, Businesses Form Alliances to Promote Climate Action

September 05, 2018

Environmental activist organization WWF has applauded the formation, under the banner “Alliances for Climate Action,” of networks in Japan, Mexico, and the US involving governments, businesses, and nongovernmental organizations committing to policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to fulfill the UN’s 2015 Paris climate deal.
Facebook Energy Pledge Aims to Fulfill UN Climate Agenda

September 04, 2018

Engadget reports on tech giant Facebook’s announcement that it will power its global operations with renewable energy by the end of the year 2020 and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent within that time frame, as part of a trend of ambitious climate commitments agreed by businesses since the signing of the UN’s 2015 Paris climate accord.
NGO Demands More Action from Supermarkets on Plastics

August 31, 2018

The activist organization Greenpeace has applauded Kroger’s decision, under pressure from UN and environmental groups opposed to plastics production, to phase out the use of “single-use” plastic bags from its stores by the year 2025, while calling for the grocery giant to “build upon this effort” by cutting out all kinds of disposable plastics from its operations.
Paper Seeks Rights-Focused Action from Companies on Network Disruptions

August 31, 2018

The Global Network Initiative, a coalition of internet and telecommunications companies, has published a paper calling on businesses to do more to prevent the impacts on a broad range of rights caused by government-mandated network disruptions across the globe, including to economic, social, and cultural rights.
UN Agents Applaud Penalization of Monsanto over Weedkiller

August 31, 2018

UN human rights mandate holders have welcomed the decision of a US jury to award $289 million in damages from agricultural products company Monsanto due to “potential causal relations” between its weedkiller and cancer, predicting the damages will place pressure on companies to protect a “wide range” of environmental and other rights.
Businesses Pledge “Sustainable” Textile Supply Chains

August 30, 2018

As part of growing pressure on businesses to perform human rights due diligence, the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, a coalition of companies, NGOs, and the German government, has announced the release by 116 of its members of roadmaps toward “sustainable” supply chains, as reviewed and approved by “external experts.”
Article Seeks Business Action Against State Data Demands

August 21, 2018

Isabel Laura Ebert of the Institute for Business Ethics, reflecting activist pressure on telecommunications and information technology companies facing government requests for user data, calls on such companies to ramp up their transparency and increase pushback against governments making requests that violate user rights.
Tourism Council Joins UN Initiative on Climate Action

August 15, 2018

The World Travel and Tourism Council, a global body representing companies in the travel and tourism industry, has agreed to join the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative with a pledge by its members to reduce and offset their greenhouse gas emissions and push for “sustainable” practices in line with the UN’s Paris climate deal.