Surveillance Capitalism

World Bank Hosts Climate Finance "Innovation" Meeting

August 03, 2017

In May, the World Bank Group partnered with the governments of Spain and Germany to host an "Innovate4Climate Finance and Markets Week" in Barcelona gathering representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss how to push more investments toward projects whose aim is to mitigate the impacts of global warming.
Tokyo Olympics Organizers Agree to ILO Labor Standards

August 03, 2017

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the organizing committee for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have signed a partnership agreement under which the organizers of the Games will ensure that their suppliers and contractors follow global standards for "socially responsible labour practices" in preparing for the event.
Businesses Pledge Carbon "Pricing" at Coalition Meeting

August 03, 2017

At a recent High Level Assembly of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition convened by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), business leaders made pledges to help fulfill the global agenda on combating climate change by factoring into their operations and investments the perceived cost of greenhouse gas emissions.
Businesses Push G20 on Climate Action

August 03, 2017

Business recommendations from a corporate-sponsored "B20 Summit" in Berlin in May called on the Group of 20 countries (G20) to expand global governance initiatives to take on a wide range of cross-border issues, including implementation of the UN's 2015 Paris agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
UEFA Embeds BHR Principles in Bidding Process

August 03, 2017

The human rights activist coalition Sports and Rights Alliance has praised the decision of European soccer's governing body UEFA to embed business and human rights (BHR) principles into their bidding requirements for major sporting events by pledging to consider compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR as part of the bidding process.
US Activists Target New Sectors in Carbon Fight

August 03, 2017

Time reports that, while the energy sector usually receives the most attention in climate change debates, some US-based environmental activists are arguing that government regulation should begin targeting other carbon-producing sectors such as transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture to reach global warming targets set by the UN's 2015 Paris Agreement.
New EU Emissions Rules Target Coal Plants

August 03, 2017

EurActiv reports that new rules from the European Commission requiring power plants to significantly decrease pollutants will cost an estimated €15 billion in compliance and could force the majority of the EU's coal plants to close.
Companies Adopt Reporting of SDG Progress

August 02, 2017

An article on the website Eco-Business documents the growing success of the UN and activist organizations in convincing businesses to use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a benchmark by which to measure and report their contributions to the global social and environmental policy agenda.
Palm Oil Company Obtains "Sustainability" Certification

August 01, 2017

Demonstrating the growing success of nongovernmental groups in pushing businesses toward global "sustainability" and human rights standards, the Colombian palm oil company Daabon Group has touted its certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil as a company that shows "sustainability across the entire organisation."
UN Event Targets Impact of IP Rules on Medicine Access

July 27, 2017

Speakers at a recent event organized by the UN Secretary-General on increasing access to medicine called for national and international policies to limit drug patents, encourage the international proliferation of medicines, and ensure “fair prices” for patients in line with health-related targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.