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In This Issue
Editor's Note
What to Watch at Copenhagen
The Copenhagen climate negotiations now underway in the Bella Center may not result in a final treaty, but the next two weeks should provide greater clarity about the path policymakers will take and the steps involved.
This week, we help you plan your own "Copenhagen watch" with a guide to five key issues we think are important for business: global goals, technology and innovation, adaptation, forestry accounting and funding, and rules governing carbon markets. For each of these issues, we define the implications for business. Also watch for our blog posts on Copenhagen and climate issues this week and next.
Since December 10 is International Human Rights Day, we are also devoting two articles this week to human rights—including a review of a new guide to human rights reporting and a spotlight on how companies can support Mary Robinson's call for businesses to deliver a formal human rights statement.
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In Depth
What Copenhagen Means for Business: Five Key Issues to Watch Now and in the Future
By Marshall Chase, Associate Director, Advisory Services, BSR
Copenhagen may not be the finish line when it comes to an international climate treaty, but it should provide clarity for business on global goals; plans for implementation and funding of technology, adaptation efforts, and forestry efforts; and outlines of international rules and mechanisms.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Mary Robinson Calls on Companies to Issue Human Rights Statements
By Nikki Weston
Now through the end of June 2010, Realizing Rights, a human rights organization headed by Mary Robinson—the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights—is encouraging major companies to adopt a formal human rights policy statement, which will be posted on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's website.
This request follows a similar campaign by Robinson, reinforcing stakeholders' expectations that all companies should demonstrate their commitment to human rights.
In addition to a formal statement, an effective human rights strategy should include:
- A commitment to respect all human rights, referencing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- A description of the company's human rights governance structure
- An outline of how human rights policies are implemented, including specific strategies and management systems
- Specific commitments in the areas of the most significant risks and opportunities
For more information on how to develop a formal human rights statement, please contact Nicki Weston at nweston@bsr.org.
Toolbox
New Guide to Human Rights Reporting
By Faris Natour, Director, Human Rights, BSR
According to a new resource guide on corporate human rights reporting—developed by Realizing Rights, the UN Global Compact, and the Global Reporting Initiative—many businesses struggle with how to integrate human rights into their business practices and public reporting. In fact, most companies do not publicly disclose information on their human rights impacts.
Including human rights impacts in sustainability reporting not only helps companies meet stakeholder expectations, it also helps them identify and mitigate human rights risks throughout their operations. This report—along with a complementary report on positive and negative trends in human rights reporting—provides practical suggestions to help companies get started.
The guide covers:
- Stakeholder expectations on human rights reporting
- Key challenges and how to overcome them
- How to prioritize human rights issues to include in a report
- How to integrate human rights into overall sustainability reporting
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