The world’s two biggest fashion retailers, Inditex and H&M, along with several other companies have backed an accord aimed at preventing another disaster like last month’s Bangladesh factory building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people. The agreement on fire and building safety, which is being led by the International Labor Organization, trade unions and [...]

German sports gear maker Adidas said Monday it is encouraging workers in factories of some of its Asian suppliers to anonymously share possible grievances directly with the company via text message. The new hotline service will help bridge the communication gap between management and workers, enabling employees to “simply send an SMS when they feel [...]

A detailed guide for investors and businesses seeking a more socially responsible approach to corporate tax has been published today by ActionAid. The guide, Tax responsibility: an investor guide, timed to coincide with the spring AGM season, draws on the first comprehensive survey of the FTSE100’s tax policies, practices and reporting. It shows how aggressive [...]

Toyota’s global sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have surpassed 5 million in a milestone for a technology that was initially greeted with skepticism. The Japanese automaker, which said Wednesday it had sold 5.125 million hybrid vehicles as of the end of March, started selling the Prius, the world’s first mass produced hybrid passenger car, in [...]

Heavy industry giant ThyssenKrupp (IW1000/75), rocked by a slew of corruption scandals, said Tuesday it will not prosecute or fire employees involved in any wrongdoing if they cooperate in uncovering the malpractices. “For employees who disclose compliance matters voluntarily, truthfully and fully … and who cooperate unreservedly in investigating them, the executive board promises that [...]

Zurich and Geneva, April 9th 2013 – Swiss agencies Inrate and Covalence announce their strategic collaboration in the field of environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis of stock-quoted companies. The cooperation gives Inrate access to up-to-date research on controversial issues. As of early 2013, Covalence provides Inrate with regular up-to-date research on controversial issues such [...]

Zurich et Genève, 9 avril 2013 – Les agences suisses Inrate et Covalence annoncent leur collaboration stratégique dans le domaine de l’analyse environnement, social et gouvernance (ESG) des sociétés cotées. Cette coopération permet à Inrate de bénéficier d’un service de recherche continue sur les sujets de controverse. Depuis début 2013, Covalence fournit à Inrate de [...]

Of all the challenges posed by globalization, regulating abusive corporate practices has long been particularly difficult. From Asian sweatshops supplying brands like Nike and Apple, to the oil giant Shell polluting and abetting violence in Nigeria, recent decades have been rife with tales of multinationals harming communities in which they operate – usually in low-income, [...]

Alors que Benoît Hamon, ministre délégué à la Consommation, s’est engagé à lutter contre l’obsolescence programmée, le sénateur vert Jean-Vincent Placé vient de déposer, le 18 mars, une proposition de loi visant à lutter contre l’obsolescence et à augmenter la durée de vie des produits. La proposition de loi du Groupe écologiste du Sénat portée [...]

Using Integrated Reporting as a catalyst for integrated thinking. That’s how Peter Graf, SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer expressed the firm’s decision to replace two reports – the annual report mandated by the law and submitted to the SEC indicating the company’s financial performance and the sustainability report , voluntary in nature and showing its non-financial [...]