ESG

France Implements EU Law on Israeli Settlement Products

December 12, 2016

The Independent reports that the French government has become the first in the EU member states to transpose EU regulations into national law requiring that businesses specify on labels of products made in West Bank settlements that they are from an "Israeli settlement" to avoid misleading consumers.
Investor Guide Pushes Energy Companies on Climate

December 12, 2016

A group of activist investor organizations have published an updated version of their guidelines on how oil and gas companies must adapt their business practices to comply with the UN's Paris deal on climate change and other instruments setting out global climate policies.
ISO Produces Environmental Technology Standard

December 08, 2016

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) explains how it is seeking to contribute to the UN's "sustainable development" agenda by releasing a global "environmental technology verification" standard to permit climate-friendly technologies to reach new markets.
Companies Call on Trump to Support UN Climate Oversight

December 07, 2016

NPR reports that a group of companies has published a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump urging him to accept UN oversight of US actions reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate deal agreed by the Obama Administration earlier this year.
Microsoft Pledges End to Greenhouse Gas Impacts

December 07, 2016

In a new publication, technology giant Microsoft highlights how it is responding to pressure from activists and international organizations on reducing its climate impacts by pledging to go "beyond carbon neutral" by working toward a world in which there are no greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
EU Agrees Regulation on Conflict Minerals Checks

December 05, 2016

EU institutions have agreed to a draft regulation requiring "all but the smallest" European importers of "conflict minerals" from war-torn areas of Africa to perform "due diligence" checks on the source of these minerals and "encouraging" large companies to publicly report on their mineral sourcing practices.
EU Parliament Seeks Bank Information Disclosure

December 05, 2016

The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for EU rules providing for the automatic exchange of bank account owner information by EU member states to prevent tax avoidance in the bloc.
ISO Global Standards Advance UN Climate Agenda

December 01, 2016

In a press release announcing events it planned for the recent UN climate summit in Marrakesh, Morocco, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes how its corporate reporting and other standards, including an upcoming global standard on preventing and adapting to climate change, contribute to the UN's sustainable development agenda.
Banker Pushes for Global Corporate Tax Reporting

November 29, 2016

Arguing that few multinational companies consider the societal need for them to pay "a fair amount of tax," Sasja Beslik of the financial services group Nordea writes that the only practical way for governments to promote corporate tax transparency is to force businesses to disclose their revenues and tax payments in every jurisdiction in which they operate.
Businesses Support "Decarbonisation" at COP22 Meeting

November 28, 2016

At the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP22) in Marrakesh, Morocco, a gathering of business representatives signaled the growing commitments within the private sector to support UN initiatives aimed at the "radical decarbonisation of the global economy” as part of the international organization's agenda on combating global warming.