Supporting Business Solutions To Poverty
Over the past few decades, much progress has been made on a range of development challenges – including poverty reduction, preventable disease and access to education. Yet much remains to be done and the urgency of dealing with intractable, global problems that put these gains at risk has increased. With so much at stake, the […]
Plan for the Future
This requires having a clear Purpose, which is authentic and inspiring, explains why the business exists and how it creates value for itself and for society. It is about having a comprehensive Plan, which minimises negative social, environmental and economic impacts, maximises positive impacts and covers all aspects of the business and extends into the […]
The Unilever Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2019: Open for Applications Until 30 June
The , delivered by Unilever and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, support and celebrate inspirational young people from all over the world who have initiatives, products or services tackling some of the planet’s biggest sustainability challenges. Now in their sixth year, the Awards have reached over 5,800 entrepreneurs, and provided tailored support […]
To Boldly Go Where We’ve Not Been Before Doesn’t Need to be a Leap of Faith
Sometimes the future is not hard to predict – it’s totally logical. Widely cited, Star Trek’s Chief of Logic (COL), Spock nailed it when he said that “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” If we are bold and if we act now to change our organisations and our systems we […]
Business as Usual – Or Business with Purpose?
While the debate on business’ social and environmental impacts (both positive and negative) is not new, when the CEO of Blackrock, one of the world’s largest investors, and the head of Oxfam International are both talking about the potential for business to help achieve inclusive and sustainable development, it feels like we’re at a tipping […]
Why Addressing Gender-Based Violence is an Imperative for Business Today
As part of our latest Challenge project, we are asking our network, and beyond, to contribute important insight into how businesses are, can or should be tackling gender-based violence – whether in the workplace, or supporting employees who are victims and survivors of domestic violence. Your insights will help in the creation of a toolkit, […]
Businesses and Social Change: We’re At The Starting Point, Not The Finish Line
More than three-quarters of people worldwide want CEOs “to take the lead on change” instead of waiting for the government to act, according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. Is this a good idea for society? What would this kind of leadership look like, and how could it be achieved? The past can provide answers. […]
The Tide is Coming in for Indonesia’s Seaweed
Along the coast of the province of South Sulawesi, villagers began farming seaweed to supplement their income from fishing several decades ago. As global demand for seaweed and seaweed products has taken off, prices have increased and many villagers have taken up seaweed farming full-time. Mangambe Daeng Siama, a seaweed farmer from the village of […]
2019: Why Business Should Still Care About the Sustainable Development Goals
2019 will mark four years since the United Nations (UN) member states unanimously agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet by 2030 – a deadline which is starting to loom ever-larger on the horizon. As the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) we […]
BCtA at 10: Inclusivity for All in an Ambitious New Call to Action
A decade ago, Business Call to Action (BCtA) was launched with just 18 companies at the helm. During our inauguration, then-prime minister of the UK Gordon Brown said: “Business Call to Action is a landmark opportunity for global business leaders to come together to develop new and innovative ways to spread growth, prosperity and opportunity […]
How Can We Produce Enough Protein to Feed 10 Billion People?
Accessible, affordable, healthy and sustainable protein is critical to human nutrition and economic development. Yet academic analysis shows it will be impossible for a global population of 10 billion – a figure expected around 2050 – to consume the amount and type of protein typical of current diets in North America and Europe if we want to […]
Business Fights Poverty Oxford 2019: Embedding Purpose into Business
As my colleague, Zahid, discusses in his recent article, there is a clear and deepening frustration amongst some with the rhetoric of “purpose”. For those of us who believe in the power of business to do good, this is an opportunity for some honest self-reflection. The key is “authenticity”; the recognition we need to move […]
‘Total Stakeholder Value’: Is This a New Purpose that Can Drive Necessary, Systemic Change?
‘Total Stakeholder Value’: is this a new purpose that can drive necessary, systemic change? A new book, The Mature Corporation – a Model of Responsible Capitalism explains how Back in 2011, I wrote a piece for the Guardian, and argued that the sustainability agenda had largely ignored people; the human systems that are fundamental to […]
Top Stories of 2018
It’s been another busy year at Business Fights Poverty, including with the launch of 6 new reports on Education for Sustainable Development, Transformative Partnerships, Intrapreneur Ecosystems, Refugee-Inclusive Business, Advocacy Partnerships, and Low-Cost Education – all co-created through our Challenge-based approach to collaboration. Thank you to all our members and Content Partners who participated in these Challenges, and also to all […]
How can we build the skills and knowledge that are vital to achieving sustainable development?
Education is at the heart of human progress and central to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It enables people to build better lives for themselves and their families. It is also fundamental in equipping businesses and society to tackle social and environmental challenges. If sustainable development is important, so are the skills and knowledge […]
Beyond Certification: The Systemic Impacts of Sustainability Standards
In recent years, understanding of the impacts of sustainability standards has been increasing. ISEAL members have invested significantly in monitoring and evaluation systems, and various organisations have commissioned research into the impacts of standards and certification. A growing body of evidence points to the positive changes that can occur when farms, forests, fisheries and other […]
International Retail Therapy Creates New Jobs
“Bpeace is aiming to prevent poverty and violence and that is what I’m trying to do, too.” Martha Estrada knew she had a solid business, but she needed advice. Enter Nat Love, an experienced retail executive from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who was looking for a meaningful mentorship experience. He was introduced to Bpeace through his […]
Towards Solving the SDG’s Funding Gap: UNEP FI’s Positive Impact Initiative
UNEP FI’s Positive Impact Initiative proposes a new approach: social, economic and environmental impacts have an as-yet under explored potential to generate financial revenues: impact-based business models can be developed, with the delivery of positive impacts as a driver of sustainable business growth and long-term enterprise value. This could be game-changing: by making it cheaper […]
Partnerships – All Talk and No Action?
Partnerships can be costly and complex, and often they don’t deliver their intended goals, but this is not because there is anything inherently wrong with the approach. The usual problem with partnerships is that they are too rarely used effectively. And, they are often over-hyped: they are seen by some as a panacea for the […]
It’s Time to Move: 5 Ways We Can Upgrade Our SDG Navigation Systems
We invite you to visit the streets of New York during the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the annual meeting where leaders from across the world, from all sectors and all impact domains, come together to expedite their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These leaders and their entourages converge on the same stretches of […]