ESG

ISO Develops Global Standard on Climate Action

August 03, 2017

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has announced its development of a global standard on "greenhouse gas management" that will guide businesses and other organizations on developing a framework for action toward and public reporting on efforts to meet the UN's climate change and "sustainable development" targets.
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.
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.
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.
NGO Calls for Canadian "Due Diligence" Reporting

August 02, 2017

The Shareholder Association for Research and Education, a Canadian shareholder advocacy group, has called on the Canadian government to impose on companies mandatory reporting on their "due diligence" efforts toward combating violations of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in their supply chains, similar to requirements in the UK, EU, and other jurisdictions.
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."
GRI Seeks "Sustainability" Reporting on Supply Chains

July 31, 2017

In a recent article, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) explains how corporations should use its "sustainability" reporting framework to increase transparency among activists and others regarding the human rights and environmental impacts of their complex, global supply chains.
GRI Launches SDGs Program in South Asia

July 31, 2017

The Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) South Asian hub and the Confederation of Indian Industry ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development have launched a two-year program pressuring businesses in the region to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout their supply chains.
Reporting Initiatives Collaborate on "Sustainability" Agenda

July 31, 2017

Two major organizations that push corporate "sustainability" reporting, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, recently discussed their collaboration on initiatives allowing investors and a wide variety of other "stakeholders" access to information on companies' environmental and human rights impacts.
Insurance Network Supports Climate Risk Disclosure

July 27, 2017

The Sustainable Insurance Forum, an international network of insurance supervisors and regulators, has announced its support of recommendations from a task force of the G20 Financial Stability Board calling for the analysis and disclosure of “climate risks and opportunities” in insurance investments.