UN-ESG

Paper Documents Market Responses to EU Disclosure Directive

September 22, 2015

A recent academic article on the market effects of an EU directive mandating the disclosure by companies of certain social and environmental information documents the negative market reactions to the directive among investors in companies with currently low disclosure levels and companies with weak nonfinancial performance.
UN Calls for Finance Regulators to Aid "Sustainability" Agenda

September 16, 2015

Prior to the expected adoption of the UN's proposed Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs"), the UN Environment Programme has produced a study urging national financial regulators to adopt "policy tools," including regulations for "sustainable" investment and disclosure obligations, that advance the implementation of the SDGs in the global financial sector.
Beverage Company Faces Criticism over Climate Commitments

September 16, 2015

Indicating the potential pitfalls of corporate integration of the international environmental agenda, civil society organizations are targeting beverage company Diageo for criticism over the business's failure to meet environmental goals - such as reducing carbon emissions and increasing water efficiency - it set for its operations in 2008.
Lawyer: Due Diligence Is Path to Corporate Responsibility

September 16, 2015

An article by Marie Wilke of WTI Advisors explores the world of multiplying, complex laws and standards under which companies make due diligence efforts to ensure that their supply chains are "responsible" and identifies such due diligence as the best path to countering social and environmental harm by businesses.
NGO Pushes for Climate Disclosure by Food Companies

September 16, 2015

Frances Way of environmental data-collecting organization CDP has called for food, beverage, and tobacco corporations to publicly disclose how much their operations and the operations of producers in their supply chains add to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and thus contribute to warming the planet.
GRI Program Trains Businesses on Reporting

September 16, 2015

The Global Reporting Initiative ("GRI") describes how it pushes companies to begin reporting on their implementation of international activists' "sustainability" agenda through its "Business Transparency Program."
GRI Places Pressure on Companies over Development Goals

September 16, 2015

The Global Reporting Initiative ("GRI") has called on businesses to use its reporting mechanisms in order to advance the implementation of the UN's recently proposed Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs"), set to be adopted in September, and has announced that it will track corporate progress on achieving the SDGs.
NGO Praises "Sustainability" Focus of Asian Stock Exchanges

September 15, 2015

Teresa Fogelberg of the Global Reporting Initiative applauds Asian stock exchanges for issuing guidance that pressures companies involved in these exchanges to report on their implementation of the global environmental and social agenda.
Disclosure Rules Present Problems for Business

September 09, 2015

The New York Times reports that US rules requiring corporate disclosure of the use of "conflict minerals" from war-torn areas of Africa increasingly force businesses to navigate complex supply chains and seek help from lawyers, consultants, and others who can guide them through the disclosure process.
Nestlé Announces "Sustainable" Chocolate Bar Production

September 09, 2015

As the UN and activists push an environmental and social agenda among companies around the world, food corporation Nestlé has announced that it will produce its chocolate candy bar KitKat using "sustainably sourced cocoa."