BSR Insight

A Weekly Newsletter for BSR Members | November 1, 2011

   
 

In This Issue

Editor's Note

Redefining Leadership

As you read this week’s newsletter, we are just about to kick off the BSR Conference 2011. Many of you may even be gathered with us in San Francisco to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable business.

Our Conference this year focuses on a theme of “Redefining Leadership.” One of the places where the landscape is changing rapidly and requiring new forms of leadership is Asia. If your company is operating there, it’s important to understand your business footprint within the local market so you can identify the risks and opportunities, clarify and change where appropriate, and invest as necessary. BSR’s Managing Director of Asia Jeremy Prepscius offers his perspective on five ideas that can help companies navigate these changes.

We also offer an insider’s guide to the BSR Conference—how to get the most out of the event, whether you’re here with us or following the news online.

And we highlight a new BSR report on how the licensing industry can promote social and environmental standards among a complex network of licensors, licensees, agents, suppliers, factories, and retailers.

Doing Business in a Changing Asia Department Icon

In Depth

Doing Business in a Changing Asia

By Jeremy Prepscius, Vice President, Asia-Pacific, BSR

In Asia, global trends are magnified: There are ongoing developments in access to information, new expectations of governance, growing questions about economic equality, and more demands for environmental stewardship. If your company is operating in Asia, here are five ideas to embrace.

Read more →
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Spotlight

Insider’s Guide to the BSR Conference 2011

By Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services, BSR

Regardless of whether you will be attending the BSR Conference 2011 or following it online, here’s our guide to getting the most out of the event.

Attendees can:

Customize your schedule by choosing from more than 40 sessions.

Connect with your peers on our social networking site. Develop your own profile and network, search for other attendees, set up meetings, plan your daily schedule, link to your personal blog or Twitter account, and join or start a discussion group.

And anyone can access the rich content both during and after the event:

  • Videos: Watch highlight videos from our plenary sessions and other short video clips at www.bsr.org/videos.
  • Session notes: Read summaries of the 35 breakout sessions at www.bsr.org/session-summaries  (starting Tuesday, November 8).
  • Twitter: Use the hash tag #BSR10 and follow us at @BSRnews.
  • Facebook: See photos and updates at www.facebook.com/bsrorg.
  • Storify: Follow coverage of the event from across social media through interactive stories posted on our blog.
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Toolbox

A Practical Guide to Social and Environmental Compliance in the Licensing Industry

By

BSR’s new guide—created with the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association and BSR’s Licensing Working Group (which includes representatives from Hasbro, NBCUniversal, Time Warner, and the Walt Disney Company)—helps the licensing industry promote social and environmental standards among a complex network of licensors, licensees, agents, suppliers, factories, and retailers.

This guide contains more than 30 tips and resources to help licensees and their suppliers:

  • Understand licensors’ expectations related to human rights and labor standards, occupational health and safety, environmental compliance, and governance and anti-corruption.
  • Integrate social and environmental compliance into their business relationships with suppliers, identify and understand compliance risks, and disclose factory information to licensors.
  • Work with suppliers to address noncompliance issues and create corrective plans that meet licensors’ requirements.

To get involved in the Licensing Working Group or to learn more, contact Cody Sisco.