How organizations are addressing the 'G' in ESG – striking the balance of maximizing long-term growth and value while safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders
In the weeks since the announcement that the U.S. would be pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, there has been much debate about the impact this may have on the country’s and entire world’s push toward a more sustainable future. One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation has been that cities, states and especially businesses remain committed to moving forward in the fight against climate change.
We live in a volatile, uncertain and complex world. With threats of climate change, rising income inequality, social unrest, resource scarcity and ecological degradation predicted to affect society’s progress, leaders and the institutions they run must play new roles to realize a sustainable future. Breakthrough innovation is essential, requiring paradigm shifts and pivots in how we operate and function as a society.
CO2 emissions and plastic waste aren’t the only problems plaguing the electronics industry — forced labor and dangerous working conditions are major points of contention for the sector.
Food is not a business like others. Food is not a commodity; it is not a consumer good - It is far more important. It is a human right, so defined by the United Nations. Food is part of each of us. Our food tells a point of view on the world, a meaning in life. But we have lost this meaning.
While tech heavy-hitter IBM and beverage giant Coca-Cola rev up efforts to kick climate change to the curb, the UK private sector continues to lag behind in cutting CO2 emissions. IBM has ticked two major to-dos off of its sustainability checklist. Set in February 2015 and assigned by the American Business Act on Climate Change Pledge, the company exceeded both commitments four years ahead of schedule.
This blog is part of the GlobeScan-SustainAbility Leaders Survey 20th anniversary project being conducted by GlobeScan and SustainAbility in partnership with Interface.
First articulated in 2013, Dell’s Legacy of Good Plan builds on the idea that technology should be a driver of human progress, unlocking opportunities for health, happiness and prosperity. Now in its fourth year, Dell has introduced an update to the plan that recognizes key CSR achievements for the company following its merger with EMC. 2020 Legacy of Good outlines Dell’s long-term commitment to society, team members and the environment and reveals considerable progress on the tech company’s 2020 goals.
Long gone are the days when acting in a socially responsible manner was optional. Consumers now demand it and expectations are shifting to include how companies can create social value for stakeholders across the value chain. The annual Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, which quantifies reputation ratings for the 100 most visible companies in the U.S., as perceived by the general public, provides a glimpse at how companies are stacking up in the changing corporate reputation landscape. In its latest study, U.S.
As a manager for Cisco's corporate social responsibility programs, I focus on public-private partnerships that support an inclusive digital economy, specifically by applying technology to create positive, sustainable change in education and workforce development. At SB’17 Detroit, during a panel on “How to Use Technology and Creativity to Boost People Upward in a Rapidly Changing Job Market,” I shared insights into one of these programs, the Cisco Networking Academy, which is providing digital skills that boost people upward in today’s rapidly changing job market.
“Boards should understand the broader environmental and social consequences of business operations, and must set their own priorities and account for the associated outcomes.” This sentence was included in the guidance document entitled, “Human rights: expectation towards companies,” released in February 2016 by NBIM, which manages the assets of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund.
Carlsberg Group has pledged to eliminate carbon emissions and halve water usage at its breweries worldwide by 2030, as part of a new sustainability drive, launched today. The beer maker also intends to switch to 100 percent renewable electricity for its breweries by 2022, as one of several intermediate goals.
Automation, artificial intelligence, the growth of the informal economy and shifts away from command-and-control power cultures are all trends that are profoundly shaping the workplace. But what will the future workplace look like? Of course, the honest answer is that we don’t really know.
If you haven’t updated your sustainability or corporate social responsibility approach in the last few years, you are putting your company at risk.
Ten years after the release of its first sustainability program Plan A, British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has unveiled Plan A 2025, a new and improved sustainability strategy that builds on the company’s previous successes while addressing a communication gap that exists between the brand and consumers.
The Farm to Fork Disconnect Nowhere is the disconnect between people and planet more evident than in our broken food system. For the vast majority of human history, people lived in rural communities shaped by the natural environment. The ebb and flow of seasons, the right amount of rainfall and its impact on the all-important harvest, dominated lives and livelihoods. But today, over half the world’s population lives in an urban dwelling and by 2050 this is predicted to increase to 70 percent. With the rise of sprawling mega cities comes obesity and its related health problems; with a shrinking and aging rural population comes poverty and malnutrition; in the meantime, the gap between the farm and our forks grows ever wider.
Following President Trump’s pullout from the Paris Agreement — a move that has expectedly garnered criticism from governments, businesses and NGOs around the globe — former mayor of New York and current UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael Bloomberg has pledged $15 million to keep US Paris Agreement efforts alive.
While telegraphed for days and choreographed down to the military band playing soft jazz in the background before the announcement, President Trump’s June 01, 2017 declaration that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Agreement still jarred and dismayed.
This is the eighth and final installment in a series of articles examining the many facets of ‘sustainable leadership.’ Find links to earlier posts at the end of this piece. We started our search for sustainable leadership as a way to understand more deeply what it takes to build a 'sustainable brand.' What we quickly found is that sustainable leadership brings the potential to make existing models of leadership “obsolete” by creating organizations that grow stronger with every challenge they face.
A resilient organization must operate in a way that ensures all associated entities survive and thrive. In a healthy ecosystem, everyone has a niche and a role; feedback loops are short and constant, ensuring accountable and creative decision-making is happening at all levels. Functioning in this way not only strengthens internal functionality, but allows organizations to better nurture crucial outside partnerships. So, what if an organization functioned like a climax ecosystem? Sharp feedback mechanisms, efficient supply chains, and self-organized teams create organizations that are always ready for the next big opportunity.
Climate change is the most important issue of our time and one that concerns people of all ages, genders, races and socio-economic backgrounds, yet the environmental movement continues to be dominated by an overwhelmingly narrow demographic says a new report.