Business & Human Rights

NGOs Claim Liability of Corporate Executives for Global Warming

July 10, 2014

Three nongovernmental organizations ("NGOs") have sent a letter to corporate executives of insurance and energy companies suggesting that, in future lawsuits, courts may hold them personally liable for the harms caused by climate change.
NGO Criticizes Conflict Minerals Reporting as Insufficient

July 10, 2014

As U.S. companies release their first legally required reports on the use of "conflict minerals" from war-torn areas in Africa in their products, the nongovernmental organization ("NGO") Global Witness has complained that these reports do not sufficiently assess companies' use of these minerals.
BP Publishes 2013 "Sustainability Review"

June 23, 2014

As nongovernmental organizations ramp up their pressure on transnational corporations to provide human rights and environmental impact assessments, the oil and gas company BP has released an assessment of its impacts on the environment and societies in which it operated in 2013.
Unilever Commits to International BHR Standards

June 23, 2014

Consumer goods company Unilever has announced that it will report on its progress in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") in its operations and that it will produce impact assessments reviewing activities in its supply chain.
TJN Equates Tax Avoidance with Human Rights Abuse

June 20, 2014

The nongovernmental organization Tax Justice Network ("TJN") has released a newsletter accusing transnational corporations of committing human rights abuses by moving their funds to accounts in so-called "tax havens" because governments are left with less tax revenue to use to "alleviate poverty."