ESG

World Bank, ISO Collaborate on Global Standards

March 16, 2016

The World Bank Group has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") to highlight the use of ISO's international standards in promoting "open, fair and transparent trade."
Gap Reports Compliance with UN Sustainability Agenda

March 10, 2016

Vikas Vij writes that, following its release of a "sustainability report" containing data on its compliance with the UN's environmental and social agendas, apparel company Gap Inc. has announced that it will further pursue the sustainability goals set out by the UN and activists by cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by fifty percent from 2015 levels by the year 2020.
EU Backs Rules on Corporate Tax Reporting

March 09, 2016

Politico reports that the Council of the EU has agreed to support rules requiring corporations to report to EU member states financial information from operations in every country in which they are located, as the European Commission prepares a proposal that would also require companies to disclose this information to the public.
GRI Seeks Corporate Reporting on Gender Equality Measures

March 09, 2016

The Global Reporting Initiative ("GRI") describes the pressure it has placed on businesses around the world to report on their efforts to further gender equality, including through equal pay and leadership diversity initiatives.
California Emissions Tax Costs Billions

March 04, 2016

Bloomberg reports that California's "cap-and-trade" system, which effectively taxes businesses on the carbon emissions they release, is costing some energy companies hundreds of millions of dollars per year and the entire industry approximately $3 billion, most of which will likely be passed on to consumers.
ISO Publishes Revised "Environmental Management" Standard

March 03, 2016

The International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") has produced a revised standard that provides a framework for businesses and other organizations, regardless of size, to meet the "growing imperative" of establishing a "sound environmental management system," in line with the agenda of the UN and activists on "sustainability" issues.
New York Calls for SEC to Force Exxon Climate Vote

March 02, 2016

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and other shareholders in energy company Exxon Mobil have petitioned the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to force Exxon to permit a vote on a resolution that would require the company to report annually on its response to business risks relating to climate change.
Businesses Face Complications in Creating Climate-Friendly Supply Chains

March 02, 2016

The International Business Times reports that, as they seek to pass on to their suppliers pressure they receive from international organizations, governments, and activists over their contributions to climate change, businesses are finding that it is difficult to change the behavior of, or even receive a response from, their suppliers on the climate impacts of their operations.
NGO Pushes Development Through Corporate Tax Reporting

March 02, 2016

Chris Hegarty has published an article in which he explains how his nongovernmental organization Christian Aid has sought to further the global economic, social, and cultural rights agenda by encouraging transparency in the taxation of companies around the world, including through country-by-country tax reporting by multinational corporations.
Article Pushes Business Transparency in Climate Efforts

February 25, 2016

An article in Time sets out criteria by which climate activists should judge corporate commitments to combat climate change, including whether commitments includes a pledge to publicly report on the companies' ongoing efforts.