Don’t simply restart the engine; building back better means re-tooling
Covid-19 vs climate change The parallels between the Coronavirus response and how we should collaboratively tackle the climate crisis should not be overlooked. Tackling either problem will change our lifestyle in a number of ways, and we will all have to make short term adaptations for a much longer-term gain. I believe that the pandemic […]
Join us to participate in the largest ever global conversation on building the future we want
In less than two weeks, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High Level Meeting will begin in New York, but for the first time in its 75 year history, the event will be held almost entirely online and sessions will be streamed into homes and workplaces around the world. Usually tickets for UNGA are a […]
Building Forward Better – Closer sector collaboration to build a more resilient future
What are the innovations that could shape and transform the next decade?
The essential systems transformations that sit at the heart of the delivery of the SDGs will all depend on innovation: in decarbonization technologies, transport technologies, in preventative healthcare and in gene technologies, materials and materials reuse, in building design, building use and reuse, in sanitation and in the sanitation economy, in agricultural practices, food storage […]
The Business Fights Poverty Fortnightly Round Up
This month, the United Nations General Assembly will bring world leaders together to broker agreements on how to respond to common threats and work for a better collective future. In the wake of COVID-19, there is a sense that we are standing at a pivotal moment in history – one in which we must choose […]
Supporting Women’s Wellbeing through Flexible, Digital Earning Opportunities
The WTO has recently predicted that the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic will be disproportionately felt by women, with a ‘pink collar recession’ threatening to roll back the gender equality gains of recent decades. In the UK, there are indications that women are bearing the brunt of redundancies, mothers are more likely than fathers […]
Going above and beyond to support women entrepreneurs
At home, women are taking on much greater caring responsibilities for children who have been unable to attend school, while also having to step into an educational role. At work, women are more likely to be in the sort of low-paid or informal work – hospitality, healthcare, cleaning – which either exposes them to the […]
Resetting the Agenda: Using partnerships as a step to more impactful change in a better, post pandemic world
“The real problems of our planet are not economic or technical, they are philosophical. The philosophy of unbridled materialism is being challenged by events.” EF Schumacher: Small is Beautiful: “A Study of Economics as if People Mattered,” 1973 The coronavirus has exposed just how fragile our lives are. Over the past decade, even though there […]
The Business Fights Poverty Fortnightly Round-Up
Reflecting on the articles that Business Fights Poverty have published over the last fortnight, I have been struck by how they all demonstrate, in their various ways, that the fight against poverty is so often about collaborating to widen access to solutions that already exist. This, in many respects, is very good news. Innovation will […]
Bold thinking, brave action
In July 2020, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and Forster Communications launched a collaborative report, “Bold thinking, brave action”, in which we interviewed 11 leading sustainable business figures from a host of organisations – from B Corps and corporate foundations through to major household brands and multinational companies. This blog aims to provide a flavour of […]
Air Quality: A breath of fresh air
Air pollution is the world’s fourth biggest killer Man-made air pollution is a global phenomenon – and a global killer. The WHO estimates poor air quality is responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths a year, as well as contributing to a wide range of health concerns. The World Bank ranked air pollution as the fourth-highest […]
Reinforcing the ‘S’ in ESG during COVID-19: reflections from our investees
Social risk is a broad term which primarily focuses on the management and engagement of people across the workforce, community and wider stakeholder groups. It is a topic which has risen to the fore during COVID-19, as firms consider not only the impact of the pandemic on business operations, but also its impact on workforces […]
Study on the Economic Impact of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa Demonstrates High Loss of Income and Usage of Digital Loans
In the months since the COVID-19 outbreak started, it has already wreaked havoc on global economies; It is estimated that almost half the world’s population is at risk of job loss due to COVID-19, and the World Bank has forecasted that the pandemic will cause the largest recession in over 50 years. Industries such as […]
Strange Bedfellows or Logical Partners? Collaboration Between the Agriculture and Mining Sectors to ‘Build Forward Better’
The COVID-19 pandemic has held a mirror up to us all, exposing inequalities and vulnerabilities throughout society. With this in mind, last week’s panel discussion focused on the critical importance of cross-sector collaboration in order to build forward better towards a greener, more equal, and more resilient future post-COVID-19. Not least, this pandemic is shining […]
Evaluation gaps, challenges and implications: Responsible business initiatives for sustainable supply chains?
Internally, many companies are already innovating on sustainability to a greater or lesser degree. Some make strategic changes with respect to sustainability performance, but the competitive pressures of globalized value chains remain very strong. Hence, becoming more responsible is not a straightforward task for brands and retailers, especially those in mainstream and/or highly competitive markets, […]
The Business Fights Poverty Fortnightly Round-Up
To round-out July, the Business Fights Poverty team have been reflecting on our experience earlier this month of hosting our week-long online event, Business Fights Poverty Online 2020: Rebuild Better. We’ve been thrilled by the feedback we’ve received via our post-conference survey. 96% of people who completed the survey rated the online conference as good […]
The data revolution must accelerate food sustainability
The current pandemic has exposed how vulnerable global supply chains are to disruption. These technologies not only have the potential to push entire food supply chains—all the way from farmer to consumer—toward greater sustainability, they can also help improve resilience to future shocks. Here’s how: At the source: data-based farming If we want to continue […]
The Cost of Cash to Ghana’s Cocoa Sector
Although he was initially skeptical about the new system, Samuel has been won over. He likes the convenience: “Mobile money is more manageable. My children are spread around at different schools. When they call and need money, because I have it on my phone, I can immediately forward it to them.” He also likes the […]
COVID-19: The role of business-led innovation and advocacy in supporting refugees
COVID-19 has reignited debate on the role of purpose as distinguished from profit, in business. From early on in the crisis, attention has been directed at how businesses can support the most vulnerable. The Business Refugee Action Network’s (BRAN) webinar was an opportunity for businesses to consider the impact of COVID-19 on refugees specifically and […]
Technology and Partnerships: Force Multipliers for an Inclusive Economic Recovery
Digital technology has improved how workers get paid, expanded training opportunities and provided more real-time support for new entrepreneurs. For business owners, digital tools have increased important networks and opened access to credit so they can grow, among other benefits. As COVID-19 threatens to push upwards of 100 million more people into poverty as businesses […]