It’s unlikely that anyone’s ever cited the UN as a first mover or an organization that leads the way in international policy, but one cannot deny it’s clout. Just last week UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) presented the Investment and Enterprise Responsibility Review at the World Investment Forum in Xiamen, China. The […]
The Push to Standardize CSR Metrics Continues Read More 👉
One thing you will notice walking the streets of any eastern Chinese city these days is the burgeoning consumer middle class. What might not be initially as evident is whether the Nike, Louis Vuitton or Polo they are sporting is real or counterfeit. According to a recent New York Times Magazine article, “Inside the Knockoff
Are Companies Benefiting From the Counterfeit Goods Trade? Read More 👉
Like many other aspects of international development (microfinance, I’m looking at you), there is a wealth of literature on the value and outcomes of fair trade and for the most part, the results have been inconclusive. That’s not to say that there haven’t been some positive impacts, but like microfinance there are some definite drawbacks
Is Fair Trade Really Fair? Read More 👉
Hot off the presses comes Net Impact’s rather comprehensive report on business schools focusing on “sustainability” programs. “Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.” The organization is active on campuses and
Net Impact Publishes Business As UnUsual 2010 Report Read More 👉
It’s not hard for many of us to think back on our careers (no matter how long or short they may be) and remember that jerk of a boss that swore at people or failed to consider input other than his own. Fortunately for me, the experiences haven’t been too bad, but for those that
Being a Good Person Can Benefit You in the Workplace Read More 👉
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece on the minority stake that Coca-Cola had taken in Honest Tea. As a follow up to a New York Times small business case study, the article looked at how a small business built on specific social and environmental standards would fair with investment from a large beverage
What Coca-Cola Can Do to Your Brand Read More 👉
Today kicks off the American Business Conference’s 4th part of a global series of Sustainable Agricultural Summits. And what better city for this summit to take place, but San Francisco. California is home to 81,500 farms and ranches and tallied revenues of $36.2 billion last year alone. That figure represents 11.2% of the nation’s total.
A Meeting of the Minds: Sustainable Agricultural Summit Begins Read More 👉
While BP has taken a hit financially as a result of the oil spill, mainly due to continuing and impending lawsuits and selling off assets, the company is also getting quite a bit of pro bono help. Who would help BP for free at this point you ask? Well, it turns out that a fair
As the Gulf Clean Up Continues, BP May Have a New Addition to the Payroll Read More 👉
So the US government decided to sneak a rider into the Financial Reform Bill in an attempt to address the issue of conflict minerals coming out of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The goal is to dry up revenue that fuels rebel fighting in the region. As I mentioned in Part I last
Conflict Minerals: The Plot Thickens with the Help of Capitol Hill (Part II) Read More 👉
While many companies are still try to figure out what their CSR strategy is (or in some cases, what CSR is period), lumber and paper giant Weyerhaeuser has recently issued its 2009 Sustainability Report. Weyerhaeuser was an early adopter of the voluntary Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) report. The company started publishing a report of their
Weyerhaeuser and GRI Reporting Meet Again Read More 👉
Mining in DRC There has been a whole lot of chatter in recent days about a little provision tucked into the newly adopted Financial Reform Bill. That provision is the Conflict Minerals mandate, which basically states that companies using “columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, gold, wolframite or their derivatives” (and others at the discretion of the Secretary
Conflict Minerals: The Plot Thickens with the Help of Capitol Hill (Part 1) Read More 👉
Since 1997 the United States government has enforced economic sanctions on Sudan, by keeping American businesses from working with Khartoum and the al-Bashir government. This was due to the fact that Sudan was placed on the list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. Of course, this was a number of years before the genocide in Darfur
Doing Business in Sudan Read More 👉
On the surface Honest Tea and Coca-Cola may seem like strange bedfellows, but ultimately, each company adds value for one another. The question is, does it come at a price? This issue was explored recently in a New York Times Case Study in the Small Business report.
Honest Tea and Coca-Cola: A Match Made in…? Read More 👉
Probably not, but it sure is delicious. All joking aside, college campuses have always been rife with awareness/activism, however the recent trends seems to be direct involvement in projects rather than simple awareness campaigns. Young people are becoming more interested social and environmental issues particularly in far-away places thanks to social media and online images/videos
Can Grilled Cheese Save the World? Read More 👉
The bigger question… why do tech companies claim that it is virtually impossible to determine if they are sourcing conflict minerals?
Does Steve Jobs Really Read and Respond to His Own Email? Read More 👉
