ESG

French Bank Pulls Funding from Oil, Gas Projects

December 07, 2017

Bloomberg reports that French bank BNP Paribas has promised to stop financing companies whose main business is shale and oil sands projects, as well as oil and gas projects in the Arctic region, as part of its efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill the UN's agenda against climate change.
NGOs Seek Broad Australian Labor Reporting Law

December 06, 2017

A coalition of nongovernmental organizations recently contributed to a public consultation on an Australian proposal for a corporate reporting requirement on forced labor, calling for a broad requirement for businesses to report on their efforts to rid their supply chains of "modern slavery" and file these reports in a publicly accessible database.
UK NGOs Criticize Corporate Forced Labor Reporting

December 01, 2017

The UK CORE Coalition of civil society organizations has published a rating of British companies' compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act, which requires businesses to report on their efforts to eliminate forced labor from their supply chains, criticizing what it deems to be low compliance with the reporting requirements and calling for more transparency.
Guidance Seeks "Assurance" of UNGPs Implementation

November 28, 2017

As part of their UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework project, nongovernmental organization Shift and auditor Mazars have published guidance on how companies should provide "independent assurance" to investors and other parties on their progress in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Organizations Collaborate on Corporate Reporting Efforts

November 28, 2017

In September, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Principles for Responsible Investment signed a collaboration agreement promoting joint efforts "to align corporate sustainability reporting with investor expectations" as part of the work of both organizations to advance the global "sustainable development" agenda.
NGOs Seek Canadian Corporate "Due Diligence" Rules

November 27, 2017

In September, the nongovernmental organizations International Corporate Accountability Roundtable and Above Ground hosted an Ottawa symposium pushing for regulations requiring corporations to perform "human rights due diligence" for their overseas operations and to guarantee access to remedy for alleged rights victims.
EU Rules Require "Due Diligence" on Conflict Minerals

November 20, 2017

Attorneys from DLA Piper review a set of EU rules, which enter into force in the year 2021, requiring companies that import certain "conflict minerals" from war-torn areas of Africa to embed "due diligence" procedures in their supply chains to prevent human rights abuses and to publicly report on their progress.
NGO Seeks Reporting on Customs Data in EU

November 15, 2017

The nongovernmental organization Finnwatch has published a paper calling on EU authorities to force national governments to publicize customs information on products imported into the bloc to assist human rights activists in spotlighting alleged rights abuses in the supply chains of European companies.
Global Court Agrees to Hear Fashion Brand Cases

October 25, 2017

Demonstrating the risks involved in corporate agreement to "voluntary" global human rights frameworks, Reuters reports that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has agreed to hear cases against two fashion brands alleging that they failed to force their suppliers to improve the working conditions in their facilities.
European Investors Adopt "Sustainability" Reporting

October 25, 2017

In an interview with Flavia Micilotta of Eurosif, a "pan-European sustainable and responsible investment membership organization," the Global Reporting Initiative highlights how an expanding network of European investors is adopting its agenda of corporate "sustainability" reporting.