Transcending Boundaries to End Hunger
Ending hunger is in everyone’s interest. Succeeding in this Goal #2 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals means not only ending the misery and debilitation of the starving and malnourished, but also stemming the spread and persistence of disease, and enabling at least 2 billion people, if better nourished, to be more productive for themselves […]
Supporting Cocoa Smallholders to Combat Climate Change
Climate change poses a multitude of risks to business. From the effects on agricultural commodity production, to the cost of rising fuel taxes, to human health threats caused by extreme weather events. As a result, businesses are increasingly building a climate change agenda into their own risk management strategies. But how can a company such […]
Living Well within Planetary Boundaries
By far the biggest boundary we have to transcend today is our compulsion to keep on transcending boundaries! Over the last 40 years, I’ve collected any number of definitions of sustainable development. One of my favourites is this: ‘To live on Planet Earth as if we were planning to live there forever.’ Right now, we’re […]
Corporate Impact Venturing at the BOP
The base of the global economic pyramid (BoP) comprises 4 billion people and represents a $5 trillion USD market opportunity. Both corporates and entrepreneurs recognize this large and growing opportunity. Both struggle to realize it. Corporate Impact Venturing allows them to complement each other’s weaknesses and reinforce their strengths. Together, they can reach the scale […]
Happy New Year and Introducing New Strategy for 2016
We’re excited about the year ahead: in response to the feedback and advice many of you have kindly given us, including through our survey, we have been working hard on a new strategy for 2016, and I can’t wait to share the details with you! One message that we have heard consistently is that people […]
What Happened at COP21: 10 Things Your Business Can Do
In December, world leaders agreed to tackle climate change – what should your business do next? At a top level the signal is clear. The world is taking climate change seriously and every business needs to be part of the solution. In December 195 countries were present at the Conference of the Parties in Paris. […]
The Problem with Slavery and the SDGs
The inclusion of slavery eradication in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is recognition by the international community that, until now, many of the world’s poorest people had been comprehensively ignored in the wider struggle to end poverty. That is a fact confirmed by the number 5.5 million, the International Labour Organization’s most recent […]
Top 10 Blogs of 2015
It’s been another busy year on Business Fights Poverty with between one and two stories published every weekday on our homepage. Thank you to all our members and Content Partners who shared their insights with the community. With the New Year imminent, we thought we’d once again take a look at the most popular articles […]
Understanding and Tracking Social Impacts of Business
2015 was a year of progress. We have a long way to go to understand, track and strengthen the social impact of business. But we are beginning to ask the right questions and shape better tools. In case you missed them, these are my top highlights of 2015 for building the impact measurement space for […]
PPPs: The Business Case
Why should corporations partner with international development organizations? There are many other ways to develop a strong and ethical corporate image: Ways that do not involve the complex and sometimes messy business of working with a completely different type of organization than your own. And we’ve all heard the term ‘only partner if you have […]
A "Like" for Mark Zuckerberg
“India is personally very important to the history of our company.” Who would have thought that the path of spiritual discovery through India would be so well-trodden by so many among the global mighty? Allen Ginsburg, George Harrison, Steve Jobs; and, with that admission, Mark Zuckerberg follows in their footsteps. India can legitimately take credit […]
A “Like” for Mark Zuckerberg
“India is personally very important to the history of our company.” Who would have thought that the path of spiritual discovery through India would be so well-trodden by so many among the global mighty? Allen Ginsburg, George Harrison, Steve Jobs; and, with that admission, Mark Zuckerberg follows in their footsteps. India can legitimately take credit […]
How Science Can Inform Business Climate Commitments
Big business can make a big difference to tackle climate change in agriculture, but needs a strong scientific base to guide and monitor investments, says Sonja Vermeulen When the world’s biggest agribusinesses, with collective revenues of over $800 billion, come together to announce their intentions to reduce food emissions by almost a third in the […]
How Do We Get Businesses Working Towards the SDGs
“Let us put aside what divides us and overcome narrow self-interest in favor of working together for the common well-being of humanity.” With those inspiring words, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon kicked off last week’s Addis Ababa conference on Financing for Development. It was the first of a series of major events that could make […]
What Businesses Need to Know About the SDGs
The UN General Assembly held its regular meeting in New York this fall. But this year its purpose was different – and with significant implications for the future of the human condition. More than 190 member countries committed to “eliminate poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030, together with 16 other “big, hairy, audacious […]
3 Ways to Make Your Supply Chain More Climate Resilient
Your business sells products that depend on agricultural commodities. You have built a great brand, you have a loyal and expanding customer base and great relationships with your providers. But is your supply chain really sustainable? Can climate change affect your business? Most of the debate and focus in Europe and the US has been […]
Global Goals Could Trigger a Burst of Innovation
Leaders from 193 nations are converging on New York for the U.N. General Assembly. They are expected to adopt the sustainable development goals, which are not short on ambition. Beginning with a goal to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere,” they cover gender equality, food security, peace, health, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities, […]
Responsible Taxation is Key to Financing SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been estimated to require an additional $2.5 trillion a year of financing in developing countries. Matti Kohonen, PhD, describes how responsible tax behaviour by businesses, supported by investors, forms a critical part of ensuring that taxes are fairly paid and accountably used to fight poverty. The UN’s Sustainable Development […]
Enabling SME Adaptation to Climate Change
Ismail Faisov tends a farm in the mountainous Dashtijum Jamoat region in Tajikistan. Dashtijum Jamoat is rich with indigenous fruits and legumes that have become naturally resilient to drought, cold weather, diseases, and other environmental stresses. For a number of reasons though, Ismail did not cultivate these traditional species, choosing instead to sell imported cultivars […]
Why I’m Optimistic About Climate Change
Only a few days into the UN climate summit, and it is already time to sing the Paris blues. The path to Paris was, unfortunately, paved with pessimism and imperfect accords: Rio, Kyoto, Copenhagen. In the meantime, carbon dioxide in the air has increased, raising the world’s average temperature by one degree Celsius relative to […]