Diageo Case Study: Building Diversity Internally
Diageo Case Study on Women’s Economic Empowerment Celebrating diversity and actively creating an inclusive, collaborative culture is core to Diageo’s purpose of celebrating life everyday everywhere. For our business to thrive, Diageo depends on having the right people with the skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which they operate. Diageo is […]
Virtuous Circle: Increasing Productivity and Fighting Poverty
What do engine manufacturer Rolls Royce, shipping company Maersk and Kenyan toilet provider Sanergy all have in common? All three are using the circular economy concept to increase their productivity. In Sanergy’s case, they use the waste from their network of high-quality, low-cost toilets in the slums of Nairobi to produce agricultural inputs and energy. […]
IDB’s SCALA Program Shares Lessons on Engaging Micro-distributors
Small-scale retail, or what is often called the “traditional trade” is essential to reaching low-income consumers. The thousands of shops, kiosks, or tiendas that line the streets in many developing countries often account for the majority of retail sales and are the face of brands in most low-income communities. Although many companies, particularly in the […]
Empower a Woman and a Whole Community Will Thrive
Empowering women benefits everyone and is essential for cocoa growing communities to thrive. Research shows that increasing women’s involvement leads to improved financial management by farmers, better education of youth and more sustainable, thriving communities. Cocoa Life, Mondelez International’ cocoa sustainability program, is deliberate about promoting women’s empowerment. Cocoa Life has worked to mainstream gender […]
Supporting SME Growth through Innovation and Partnership
This week Connect to Grow launches its first public report ‘Supporting SME growth through innovation and partnership’ – a review of the landscape. The report provides a baseline for what is currently known about the role of innovation and partnership in SME growth. But it is much more than a literature review. It also draws […]
Economic Empowerment for Women in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector
This article forms part of a series we are featuring on the Women’s Economic Empowerment Challenge over the course of the summer while the UN High Level Panel continues work on its first report, due to be published in September 2016. Each article in the series will showcase an example of how companies are supporting […]
Labour Rights in Vietnam: Progress and Challenges
A month after I first joined Unilever, in February 2013, Oxfam published a report on Unilever in Vietnam – “Labour Rights in Unilever’s Supply Chain – from Compliance to Good Practice”. A month later, we were conducting a joint stakeholders consultation in Vietnam. I remember reflecting at the time on the importance of the transparency […]
Going the Extra Mile for Labour Rights
It’s always important to have an evidence base when addressing ethical trade issues. It’s also important to acknowledge progress as well as to address any supply chain challenges. That’s why Oxfam’s five-year collaboration with Unilever in Vietnam is so useful to other companies and brands that want to be ethical leaders in their particular industrial […]
Words and Actions: Lessons from Unilever's Supply Chain
‘You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do’ (C.G. Jung) Why did Unilever open itself up to scrutiny? The new Oxfam Unilever progress report on labour rights in Vietnam is out. Unilever has provided Oxfam with all the necessary information to assess its performance on labour rights in practice. If Unilever were […]
Words and Actions: Lessons from Unilever’s Supply Chain
‘You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do’ (C.G. Jung) Why did Unilever open itself up to scrutiny? The new Oxfam Unilever progress report on labour rights in Vietnam is out. Unilever has provided Oxfam with all the necessary information to assess its performance on labour rights in practice. If Unilever were […]
Access to Finance, Gender Bias and Climate Change Resilience for Smallholders
Olam expands on lessons learned from 5 years of the Olam Livelihood Charter Despite extensive progress being made under its Livelihood Charter, global agri-business Olam predicts that smallholder productivity across Africa, Asia and South America will still be massively hindered by lack of access to finance, equality for women and climate change impacts, unless far […]
The 2016 SDG Business Forum – A Recap
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development held from July 11-20 2016 at United Nations Headquarters in New York is an annual platform for reviewing progress and guiding global efforts on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. During the first HLPF oriented towards the SDGs, the global business community was present […]
Sustainable Business and Sustainable Development – Two Sides of the Same Coin
Bhaskar Chakravorti explores how achieving the sustainable development goals is dependent on global business taking a leading role, but equally, the SDGs will help business orchestrate action. The UN General Assembly committed to “eliminate poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030, when it met in New York last year. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) […]
Personal Perspectives on the Corporate Response to HIV/AIDS
Interview with Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) This interview is the second in a four-part series in which experts reflect on the progress made since the groundbreaking AIDS 2000 Conference in Durban and the challenges that remain. The 21st International AIDS Conference is being held in Durban, South Africa, […]
Big Opportunities and Inspiring Examples on World Hepatitis Day
A few years ago I had the privilege of leading a team of highly committed health professionals to provide healthcare services to some of the most marginalised people in our world: rural communities in South Sudan who were enduring immeasurable suffering from the 22 year civil war and ongoing ethnic conflicts. We trained nurses, midwives […]
How Can Sustainable Development Remain a Priority?
Bhaskar Chakravorti explores innovation in sustainable development amid Brexit, anti-globalisation and a worldwide slowdown. The summer is heating up with reminders that the first anniversary of the launch of the2030 Agenda is not far – and when it comes to implementing sustainable development worldwide, time passes rather quickly. The high level political forum (HLPF) on […]
Refelctions on the Corporate Response to HIV/AIDS
This interview with Kelly Curran, Director of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases at Jhpiego, is the first in a four-part series in which experts reflect on the progress made since the groundbreaking AIDS 2000 Conference in Durban and the challenges that remain. The 21st International AIDS Conference is being held in Durban, South Africa, July 18-22. […]
An Introduction to GBCHealth’s HIV/AIDS Expert Interview Series
Bolstered by the global multisector response to Ebola and Zika over the past two years, I have found myself reflecting on the origins of business engagement in the HIV/AIDS pandemic when MTV Networks and the Financial Times came together with four large pharmaceutical companies to start the Global Business Council, which eventually became GBCHealth. Since […]
Helping Companies Create Positive Outcomes, Step-by-Step
“All corporations seek to differentiate themselves and look for new ways to create value. But when many traditional routes have been exhausted, how does an organisation change the way it does business?” This fundamental question is at the heart of the recently released Practitioner’s Guide: Steps to Corporate Investment, Innovation, and Collaboration (now available in […]
Reflections from the Private Sector at AIDS 2016
The 21st International AIDS Conference, also known as AIDS 2016, was expected to have nearly 20,000 people from around the globe gathering in Durban, South Africa to show their support for the fight against AIDS. This year’s theme, “Access Equity Rights Now,” issued a clear call-to-action to address the inequality in care, treatment and prevention. […]