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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Gearing Up for the BSR Conference 2011
Eighteen years after the first annual BSR Conference debuted in Washington, D.C., the BSR Conference 2011 once again lines up three days of thought-provoking and inspiring sessions with expert speakers covering a range of sustainability topics.
To get you ready for this year’s event in San Francisco, this issue of the BSR Insight offers a sampling of what the Conference has to offer. In our feature article, BSR Vice President Kara Hurst offers her thoughts on opening plenary speaker former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and how to get the most out of the event, whether you’re new to the Conference or new to CSR.
We also highlight two timely sessions: supply chain conflict minerals policy, management, and reporting, and investments in watersheds that deliver concrete business value.
We hope to see you in San Francisco!
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In Depth
Redefining Leadership at the BSR Conference 2011
By
The BSR Conference 2011, taking place in San Francisco on November 1 through 4, will showcase ideas, trends, and tools in sustainable business related to the theme of “Redefining Leadership.” Here, we talk with BSR Vice President Kara Hurst about the highlights this year, what “Redefining Leadership” means to her, and the questions she has for plenary speaker Al Gore.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Conflict Minerals Policy, Management, and Reporting for Supply Chain
Corporate executives are experiencing increased risk exposures from conflict minerals in an already challenging and rapidly changing international business environment. Pending regulation that requires companies using minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo or adjoining countries to report on their due diligence measures regarding the source and chain of custody of those minerals is one evolving aspect of managing risks within supply chains.
Join BSR experts Marshall Chase and Sasha Radovich in the BSR Conference session “Conflict Minerals: Cleaning the Supply Chain and Solving the Problem?” as they use industry-specific examples to explore the current state of supply chain conflict minerals policy, management, and reporting. The session will include an overview of tools and methods that companies are using to address regulatory and stakeholder pressures. Participants will also have opportunities to discuss their own efforts and questions in this area.
On the Record
The Long Journey of Corporate Water Stewardship
Water has become a key strategic issue for global companies: 39 percent of companies are already experiencing detrimental impacts related to water issues, according to the CDP Water Disclosure’s first report. As more companies assess their water-related risk, they’re recognizing that corporate water stewardship entails much more than conservation and efficiency.
Creating value for business, communities, and local ecosystems requires appreciating the complexity of water—seasonal variability and uncertainty in supply, simultaneous and interdependent users, the interaction between surface and groundwater, to name a few—and developing a set of strategic responses that address this complexity. In an interview with Ecosystem Marketplace, Greg Koch from Coca-Cola reiterated the importance of placing water impacts within a broader framework:
“You need to think about water footprints as a very useful tool to starting a much bigger, more complex journey.”
—Greg Koch, managing director, global water stewardship, The Coca-Cola Company
Learn more about Coca-Cola’s journey in the BSR Conference session “From Conservation to Restoration: How Investing in Watersheds Can Deliver Concrete Business Value.”
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