Publications by Tag: Information & Communications Technology
Blog
Playing by the Numbers for Sustainable Consumption
Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
From the popularity of Robert Parker's wine scoring system to Consumer Reports’ products rankings, consumers love numerical scores. The reason is simple: They help buyers make informed decisions. Read more
In Your Words: AMD CR Director Tim Mohin on Leadership
Tim Mohin, Corporate Responsibility Director, AMD
This guest blog is part of BSR's ongoing series exploring what leadership for sustainability looks like in today's world.
Opportunities for Wireless Technology to Improve Environmental Impacts
Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
A new report developed by BSR—and commissioned by CTIA- the Wireless Association—explores the impacts of wireless technology on the environment in the United States. To our surprise, we found several innovations occurring with wireless applications that not only reduce costs but also benefit the environment—and the applications are in just about every industry. Read more
Steve Jobs: A Visionary and Inspiration for a Sustainable Future
Kara Hurst, Vice President
The reaction to Steve Jobs’ death on Twitter last night was fast and furious. So much has already been written about his vision, his genius, and the way he changed how we all think about interacting through devices designed in a simple, elegant style. The world is undoubtedly worse off without his ideas, but the spirit he generated–at Apple, NeXT, Pixar, and beyond–is strong and will likely lead us forward, expecting new and better things from our technology companies every day. Read more
In Your Words: Christine Bader on Leadership
Christine Bader, BSR Advisor
This guest blog is part of BSR's ongoing series exploring what leadership for sustainability looks like in today's world.
VIDEO: How the Tech Sector Should Address Human Rights
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As a result, more clarity exists today than ever before on governments' duty to protect human rights and business' responsibility to respect human rights. Read more
Four Priorities for the Tech Sector in Applying the New UN Guiding Principles
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights—a major milestone in the history of business and human rights. More clarity exists today than ever before on governments’ duty to protect human rights and thebusiness responsibility to respect human rights. Read more
Staff Spotlight: Vijay Kanal
Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
As part of a new series of BSR staff spotlights, our Information and Communication Technology Director Vijay Kanal offers his insights on the greatest opportunities and challenges for the industry. Read more
The Truth About the Migrant Worker Recruitment Process
Guy Morgan, Director, Advisory Services
Last week, Laura Ediger and I were in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, to study the recruitment process of semi-skilled workers who migrate to Malaysia each year to work in the ICT and apparel sectors. As part of our Migration Linkages initiative which seeks to uphold the rights of migrant workers in global supply chains, we are looking at countries of origin to understand the process by which workers find jobs, sign contracts, and leave their villages on extended work visas abroad. Read more
A Letter from San Francisco
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Seven years ago today, I boarded a Virgin Airways flight from London Heathrow to San Francisco armed with a one-way ticket, a quaint English accent, and all the unbounded optimism that accompanies a promising new stage of life. I was headed west to work for BSR, tasked with engaging the world’s largest technology companies in their efforts to become more sustainable. I’d never been to the United States before, but from all I’d read about San Francisco, I’d clearly hit the jackpot. Fast forward seven years and I’m moving to a new, equally engaging role at BSR, handing over my portfolio of work to Vijay Kanal, BSR’s new director of our Information and Communications Technology (ICT) practice. In light of this transition, I’ve reflected on how the ICT industry’s approach to sustainability has shifted over the past several years. Here I offer what I believe to be the three most significant developments that I’ve had the privilege to witness, and the corresponding areas where significant improvement is required. Read more
Technology, Collaboration, and Human Rights: A Slightly Unfair (but Somewhat Useful) Comparison
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
How can companies effectively engage with stakeholders? That was the theme of a recent panel I participated in at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s “Sustainable Corporation” conference. Read more
What Conflict Minerals Regulation Means on the Ground
Amaya Gorostiaga, Manager, Advisory Services
I recently returned from a trip to Kigali, Rwanda, where I attended a regional conference on mineral certification—an effort to create responsible supply chains for “conflict minerals” mined from the African Great Lakes Region. Through the discussions, I learned where the region stands on promoting transparency and good governance in the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors, and the implications that recent legislative efforts would have on companies operating in, or sourcing from, the region. Read more
HERproject Takes to the Field in Kenya
Jennifer Schappert, Associate, Advisory Services
During my most recent trip for HERproject with colleague Ryan Flaherty, the term "fieldwork" took on a whole new meaning—we found ourselves suiting up in boots and smelling roses. Ryan and I traveled to Naivasha (an hour northwest of Nairobi) to lay the groundwork for expanding HERproject into the cut-flower and food-processing industries in Kenya. Traditionally, BSR’s HERproject—a factory-based program that provides peer-to-peer health education to female workers—has operated in factories in the garment and information technology (IT) sectors. Read more
Conflict Minerals Regulations and Round Two of Multi-Stakeholder Responses
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
In advance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deadline for comments on proposed conflict minerals reporting rules, a multi-stakeholder group facilitated by the Responsible Sourcing Network has developed a set of comments on the SEC's draft regulations. The comments encourage greater clarity and specificity in certain parts of the regulations, and more importantly, highlight the need to support the continued sourcing of verifiably conflict-free minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding region. Read more
Egypt and the Realization of Human Rights in the Digital Age
Aron Cramer, President and CEO; Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
The recent developments in Egypt have provided increasing hope for all of us who believe in democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The events have also provided ample new material for the “cyber-optimists” versus “cyber-skeptics” debate. Read more
Egypt and the Complicated Ethics of the Telecommunications Industry
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Like many people, I’ve been watching the scenes of democratic protests in Egypt unfold with a mixture of awe and fascination, fear and hope. I’ve also been reflecting on the implications of these events for the relationship between business and human rights. Read more
Protecting Human Rights in a Networked Age
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Recent restrictions announced by the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on the use of BlackBerry services—citing various national security concerns—have shed light on challenging ethical questions that are growing in importance for major global companies across the whole information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Read more
What Does the Global Network Initiative Tell Us About the Value of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives?
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a phone call that would change my life. It was November 2005, and a group of internet companies wanted BSR and Harvard’s Berkman Center to help explore the human rights to privacy and freedom of expression that were of growing risk in many markets around the world. Read more
Google and China: When Should Business Leave on Human Rights Grounds?
By Aron Cramer, President and CEO, and Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, ICT Practice, BSR
With Google’s decision today to shut down its Chinese-based search engine, google.cn, the company has won considerable praise from organizations concerned about its human rights record. This approval stands in stark contrast to the condemnation the company received when first entering the country in 2006. The Financial Times cartoonist Ingram Pinn captured these contrasting perspectives perfectly, depicting Google as the speech-suppressing “Great Firewall of China” in 2006, then casting the company as the lone protestor stopping the tanks in their tracks in 2010. Read more
New Opportunities for ICT and Human Rights
Cody Sisco, Manager, Advisory Services
Last week, BSR hosted a meeting for information and communications technology (ICT) companies in our Paris office to discuss the current state of human rights in the industry. Companies from the telecommunications, software, semiconductor, and industrial equipment sectors, among others, attended. It was fascinating to hear diverse companies from across the whole ICT value chain come together to discuss similar issues that they are facing related to human rights. Read more
IT Companies Collaborate to Address China’s Digital Divide
Adam Lane, Manager, Advisory Services
Last week, seven information and technology (IT) companies (five international and two Chinese) met in Beijing as part of a regular BSR working group for IT companies in China established earlier this year. This third meeting focused on how the companies could collaborate to address the digital divide, while still maintaining their competitive edge. Read more
BSR Conference Session Summaries
BSR Conference Session Summaries
Mobility and Sustainability: The Impact of Wireless on Social Issues and Business
BSR Conference 2011
Read moreBSR Insight Articles
How Wireless Technology Can Support Social Impact
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
A new report by BSR and CTIA–the Wireless Association explores opportunities to use wireless services to support health care, financial inclusion, education, and community empowerment. Some of these opportunities include: Read more
Eco-Rating Electronics Products: Has the Time Come?
Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services; Virginia Terry, Director, Advisory Services
How safe from toxic substances is that cell phone my children are playing with? How energy efficient is it? And what kind of take-back program does the manufacturer offer at the phone’s end-of-life for safe recycling or disposal? Read more
Using Games to Spur Greener Behaviors
While companies struggle to find new ways to get customers to embrace sustainability, one industry expert has arrived at an engaging approach: games. Read more
Taking Ethics to the Cloud
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services ; Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Just a decade ago, it would have been hard for all but the most tech-savvy to imagine the extent of cloud computing today. A complex system of data centers worldwide that store, process, and deliver information on demand over the internet, the cloud provides users with resources, applications, and information that they previously would have stored locally. The cloud—what some are calling “the factory of the 21st century”—is run by a network of IT service companies, internet firms, and telecommunications services providers, and it offers services to all of us: from banks and retailers to individuals like you and me. It is both real—requiring traditional inputs such as electricity—and virtual. Read more
2012: Sustainability Steams Ahead in Uncertain Times
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
History moved fast in 2011, even as the economy was stuck in neutral, and 2012 promises to be a wild ride. Exactly how it will play out is hard to say. 2011 provides ample evidence of how difficult it is to foresee specific changes: Last January, few anticipated the Arab Spring, and Hosni Mubarak was ejected from office before the end of February. And early in 2011, any mention of the "Occupy Movement” was more likely to be considered a good name for a new indie rock band than one of the most potent political forces seen in years. Read more
HP, Dell, and Nokia Top Greenpeace’s Green Products Ranking
Greenpeace’s 2011 “Guide to Greener Electronics” ranks 15 leading mobile phone, TV, and computer manufacturers on their policies and practices to reduce climate impacts, produce greener products, and make their operations more sustainable. HP, Dell, and Nokia top the list of the greenest manufacturers, while LG Electronics, Toshiba, and RIM take the bottom three ranks. Read more
The Sustainability Opportunity in Product Obsolescence
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
On the last day of the BSR Conference 2011, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn noted that we have about five years to address the world’s critical sustainability challenges. But to do this, he added, we need new business models. Read more
Re-Scaling for the New Local
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
In the next decade, rapidly growing urban regions will need redesigned infrastructure, goods, and services to match peoples’ needs and work within planetary constraints. New efforts to track well-being and happiness, ecological systems under stress, and community and culture shocks like forced water restrictions and food-safety scares are driving people to pursue more resilient solutions such as low-impact housing, off-grid water and energy, seed-sharing programs, and community-supported agriculture. Read more
Moving Beyond Traditional Notions of Human Rights in the ICT Sector
Last week, BSR facilitated a workshop with sustainability, procurement, and legal representatives from nine information and communications technology (ICT) companies—Alcatel-Lucent, Belgacom, BT, Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, SAP, ST Microelectronics, Telefonica, and Telia Sonera—on implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights. Participants discussed how to conduct a human rights impact assessment, develop and integrate a human rights policy, and measure progress. Read more
Using Wireless Technology to Protect the Environment
Peter Nestor, Associate, Advisory Services
A new report by BSR and CTIA —the Wireless Association examines opportunities for companies in the transportation, utilities, agriculture, and government sectors to use wireless technology to help protect the environment. Highlights include: Read more
The Opportunities and Challenges of ‘Things’ Connected to the Internet
Climate Change Adaptation: Building Resiliency
Tiffany Finley, Associate, Advisory Services
Today, BSR is releasing the final four industry briefs in its “Climate Change Adaptation” series, which provides insight on climate-related risks and opportunities, actions companies are taking, and recommendations for how companies can lead their industries’ adaptation measures. Read more
The Future of Business-NGO Relationships
In my new role as BSR’s Director of Stakeholder Collaboration, I am focused on building relationships with NGO colleagues globally to bring their insights to our member companies and develop next-generation stakeholder engagement approaches that are outcome based and take into account trends in the field. BSR created this position to deepen relationships with civil society and foster collaboration between stakeholders and business. Read more
Opportunities for Technology in Sustainability: In Conversation With BSR’s New ICT Practice Director
Eva Dienel, Communications Manager; Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
Vijay Kanal first began working on sustainability issues in the technology sector several years ago when a client retained his consulting firm to identify market opportunities for sustainable design software. Intrigued by this assignment, Kanal—who began his career in the industry as an electrical engineer, and later held senior roles in marketing, partnership development, and product introductions at Sun Microsystems—made a personal investment in sustainability by educating himself on the opportunities for the ICT industry. Several engagements followed in developing sustainability strategies and identifying best practices for clients. Read more
BSR Around the World
From helping the world’s largest shipping company develop a sustainability strategy to building a multi-stakeholder coalition to address the challenge of conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we work with business in all sectors and regions to redefine leadership in sustainable business. Read more
Climate Change Adaptation for the ICT and Consumer Products Sectors
For the consumer products and ICT sectors, climate change has the potential to disrupt supply chains, damage critical assets and infrastructure, and create new customer needs. The latest reports in BSR’s "Climate Change Adaptation" series—which provides insight on climate-related risks and opportunities for a variety of industries—include practical examples of actions companies are already taking, as well as recommendations on how company leaders can improve their business’ resiliency. Read more
Conducting Site-Level Human Rights Impact Assessments
Alejandra Martin, Manager, Advisory Services
Although more than 270 companies have human rights policy statements in place, few have implemented the policies, and even fewer have conducted human rights impact assessments at the site level. These assessments are particularly relevant for companies operating in remote areas where local governments and civil society have limited experience interacting with the private sector. Read more
The Case (Book) for Responsible Labor
Terry Nelidov, Manager, Advisory Services
BSR's new "Stories From the Field" provides a reader-friendly collection of 14 case studies from our DR-CAFTA Responsible Competitiveness Project in Central America and the Dominican Republic, which BSR created and led to make the business case for responsible labor in the region. Read more
Stories From the Field
Interview with Richard Feinberg, Professor, University of California, San Diego, by Terry Nelidov, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR
Terry Nelidov, project manager of BSR's DR-CAFTA Responsible Competitiveness Project, recently talked with University of California, San Diego Professor Richard Feinberg, a senior advisor to the project, about his insights gained from developing the case studies for it in BSR’s new compendium “Stories From the Field.” In excerpts below from the conversation, Professor Feinberg highlights both overall learnings from the three-year project and practical tools that companies anywhere in the world can apply to their labor and competitiveness strategies. Read more
Prosperity on a Crowded Planet: BSR’s Next Phase of Work on Sustainable Consumption
Virginia Terry, Director, Advisory Services
By nearly any measure, our current consumption patterns are not sustainable. The 2010 World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Index—which reflects changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems—shows a drop by about 30 percent since 1970, and its 2010 Living Planet Report concludes that we are now using 50 percent more natural resources than Earth can sustain. This decline is already stalling progress addressing the needs of the more than 1 billion people who still lack adequate food, clothing, and shelter. As the population continues to grow, from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2050, we need to shift to a more sustainable form of consumption that meets people’s needs without overtaxing natural resources. Read more
Women and Sustainability: Integrating Women Into Your Business and Sustainability Strategies
Racheal Yeager, Manager, HERproject
Growth in women’s income, education levels, and labor participation rates makes them essential participants in the global economy, and engagement with women and girls increasingly critical to sustainable growth for every industry. Women contribute to the private sector’s social license to operate; market, crop, and supply chain stability; a talented and stable employee base; and market growth and innovation. Additionally, investments in women have a multiplier effect, as women are more likely to reinvest in education, health, and economic activities at the community level. Read more
New Cell Phone Ratings Increase Transparency for Consumers
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
GoodGuide, which provides information on the social, environmental, and health impacts of a variety of consumer products, recently launched its 2011 rankings of cell phones. The company rated 576 cell phones using criteria including environmental and social performance at the product and company levels. These rankings are also available via a mobile application, which allows consumers to browse, search, or scan barcodes to see detailed information for more than 70,000 products and companies. Read more
Protecting Human Rights in the Digital Age
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Today, BSR published "Protecting Human Rights in the Digital Age," a new report describing the freedom of expression and privacy risks faced by information and communications technology (ICT) companies, and how these risks can be more effectively mitigated by the industry. Read more
Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
European companies, government officials, and civil society representatives have tended to scoff at their American cousins’ approach to sustainability, and also at the perceived fundamental disregard for the environment and human rights in BRIC countries. But as we make our way into 2011, I sense a shift in Europe toward a more somber mood, similar to the sobriety that comes to a soccer team the day after an unexpected defeat by a mignon competitor: heads down, feet dragging, and a realization that something different has to be done. Read more
State of Green Business 2011
GreenBiz's fourth annual "State of Green Business" report presents the top 10 trends and 20 indices for measuring how well companies are improving their environmental performance. According to the report, green business did not die during the recession; rather, companies are diving deeper and investing in longer-term sustainability initiatives. Read more
Greenpeace Ranks Green Electronics for 2011
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
Greenpeace just released its third "Green Electronics Survey"—which assesses the greenest electronics products that will be available in 2011, and ranks 18 leading electronics manufacturers on three criteria: removing toxic substances, responsible take-back of their end-of-life products, and energy efficiency. Read more
Responsible Sourcing Network Helps Companies Combat Human Rights Abuses in Supply Chains
Corporate accountability NGO As You Sow recently launched the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) in an effort to combat slavery and other human rights abuses in corporate supply chains. RSN provides a space for companies, investors, NGOs, and other stakeholders to share best practices and take coordinated action. RSN is presently working to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry, and addressing the conflict minerals trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—where profits help fuel one of the world's bloodiest conflicts. Read more
Mitigating Water Pollution Risks in Electronics Supply Chains in China
BSR's new report, "Electronics Supply Networks and Water Pollution in China</a>" provides global electronics companies with context for China's water challenges, discusses results of a supplier risk assessment conducted on behalf of Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) member companies, and presents recommendations and resources for identifying water pollution risks in the global electronics supply chain. Read more
Coalition Provides U.S. SEC With Recommendations on Conflict Minerals
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
A group of NGOs, investors, and companies—facilitated by BSR and led by AMD, the Enough Project, and As You Sow—has developed recommendations to guide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) pending rulemaking on conflict minerals (defined as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This rulemaking, mandated by the U.S. financial reform legislation passed in July, will require U.S.-listed companies to report if their products contain conflict minerals, which are so named because of the role of armed groups in mining and taxing their trade. Read more
Doing Business With China’s New Generation of Workers
Wei Dong Zhou, Vice President, Broad Group
In December 2009, Time magazine unveiled its short list for Person of the Year. Though the Chinese worker was eventually a runner up to Ben Bernanke, the second-place nomination belies huge changes sweeping across China, as “new generation” workers aspire to more than just higher wages and better working conditions. As we learn from a discussion with BSR’s China Director, these workers represent a significant shift taking place that has implications for global companies, consumers, and 800 million workers in a country that no longer wants to be “the sweatshop of the world.” Read more
Business and Sustainable Consumption: The Call to Action
In London last week, at BSR's second workshop on business' role in promoting sustainable consumption, representatives from the apparel, food and beverage, telecommunications, and chemicals industries discussed issues such as product design, consumer engagement, and what to do with a product at the end of its use life. Read more
The Path to ‘Conflict-Free’: Risk Management or Responsibility?
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
With recent headlines about the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) broadcasting strong claims like “Break the Link Between Laptops and War” and “Death by Gadget,” it’s easy to get the impression that the information and communications technology (ICT) sector is solely responsible for the violence in that country. These articles generally focus on the association between “conflict minerals” (tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold) used in ICT supply chains and the ongoing violence in the eastern DRC that has contributed to the deaths of more than five million people during the past 15 years. Read more
Virtual Sustainability Summit Showcases Smart ICT
"Smart ICT" is the first in a groundbreaking virtual event series focusing on sustainability in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The event—co-sponsored by BSR—will feature an innovative format with virtual auditoriums for presentations, meeting rooms for networking, and an exhibit hall. International thought leaders, policymakers, advocacy groups, and experts will discuss concrete strategies on how the ICT sector can provide profitable opportunities and solutions to create a low-carbon society. Read more
Comparing Like With Like: Privacy, Security, and Content Issues
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
The world today is increasingly dependent on all-pervasive networks provided by the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Commonplace tasks, such as placing a phone call, making airline reservations, or banking via the internet are all built on extensive flows of information and supported by vast ICT infrastructures. The rapid expansion of bandwidth, and the resulting growth of social networking have dramatically increased the social, political, and economic significance of user-generated content. Read more
Responses to Google’s Move in China
Following Google's decision last month to reconsider its presence in China due to concerns about human rights infringements related to security, privacy, and free expression, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre collected a selection of commentaries and articles on the subject from NGOs, the media, and others. Below is a sample of those responses. Read more
Should You Stay or Should You Go? What’s the ‘Right’ Decision on Entering or Leaving a Market?
Aron Cramer, President and CEO; Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Google’s recent announcement to reconsider its business in China has won considerable praise from organizations concerned about the country’s human rights record. This approval stands in stark contrast to the condemnation the company received when first entering the country in 2006. The Financial Times cartoonist Ingram Pinn captured these contrasting perspectives perfectly, depicting Google as the speech-suppressing “Great Firewall of China” in 2006, then casting the company as the lone protestor stopping the tanks in their tracks in 2010. Read more
Guest Perspective: GreenBiz on Ten Trends Shaping the State of Green Business
By Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com
“We’re still here.” Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Imagine that when you buy a pair of jeans you’re offered an agreement to sign before you pay: “I hereby promise to cold-wash, line-dry this clothing item, and own it for at least three years or ensure it is given away for someone else to enjoy.” When you sign, you are rewarded instantly with a coupon for cash back. The rebate is the estimated financial value of the carbon-dioxide emissions you save by avoiding hot-water washing, and by machine drying your jeans over the lifespan of the item. The clothing company is able to provide this discount by aggregating its consumers’ carbon credits and selling them on the open market. This model provides financial incentives for both the clothing company and the consumer to alter behavior. Read more
Not Just for Heavy Emitters: Why Climate Change Matters to Every Company
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Recently, BSR has fielded inquiries from a range of member companies asking how climate change is relevant to their business. The timing of these questions is obvious: With prospective climate change legislation and policy discussions in the United States and elsewhere, intensive international negotiations culminating later this year, and ongoing stakeholder interest, companies are scrambling to develop or boost their climate change strategies, assess their internal and supply chain emissions, and examine the potential risks and opportunities throughout their operations, value chain, and industry. Read more
Electronics Companies Seek Cross-Industry Collaboration for the Responsible Sourcing of Metals
Because of the ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also a source of metals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold that are used in electronics products, electronics companies are being asked more frequently to identify the origins of their materials. Read more
High-Tech Solutions for Low-Tech Problems
By Adrienne Cademenos
In the West African nation of Ghana, the women who pick and process shea nuts into shea butter may seem like unlikely candidates for software solutions provided by the global information and communications technology (ICT) leader SAP. Read more
ICT as a Sustainability Solution: Moving from Theory to Practice
Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services
Recently, several companies have taken the lead in using information and communications technology (ICT) to address pressing sustainability challenges as diverse as climate change, urban development, water scarcity, health care, and sustainable food chains: Read more
Events
BSR Conference 2011: Leadership Required
Leadership in business is changing fast. In today’s global, integrated, and transparent world, business is expected to do more than deliver shareholder returns. At its best, business is a creative force and an integral player in delivering prosperity for 9 billion people, applying game-changing technologies for social benefit, and radically reducing our use of natural resources. Learn more
Implementing the Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business in the ICT Industry
Meeting Purpose
In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework”, proposed by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. This decision represents one of the most significant milestones so far on the issue of business and human rights. After six years of consultation, debate and discussion, more clarity exists today than ever before on the responsibilities that businesses hold to respect human rights.
Learn moreReports
Socioeconomic Impacts of Wireless Technology
The rapid adoption of smart phones, machine-to-machine communications, and other wireless technologies are creating exciting opportunities to improve our lives. Read more
Wireless and the Environment: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges
The world is witnessing tremendous innovation in wireless technologies, leading to significant changes in how humans and machines interact with one another. These new wireless technologies and the changes they support are generating exciting opportunities to address environmental impacts in a range of fields, from agriculture to utilities. Read more
Applying the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to the ICT Industry | Version 1.0
In June 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As a result, more clarity exists today than ever before on governments’ duty to protect human rights and the business responsibility to respect human rights. Read more
Adapting to Climate Change: A Guide for the ICT Industry
This primer on climate change adaptation in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry summarizes how ICT companies are reporting on climate change risks and opportunities. It outlines current and emerging best practices and guidance for ICT companies on how to develop a proactive approach to climate change adaptation, and makes recommendations. Read more
Maximizing Benefits From a Sustainable Supply Chain
Leading companies are working to improve the social and environmental performance of their supply chains by building closer relations with suppliers, developing supplier capacity, and identifying and investing in opportunities for improvements along the supply chain. Read more
Stories From the Field
"Stories From the Field" provides a reader-friendly collection of 14 case studies from our DR-CAFTA Responsible Competitiveness Project in Central America and the Dominican Republic, which BSR created and led to make the business case for responsible labor in the region. Read more
Protecting Human Rights in the Digital Age
This report describes the freedom of expression and privacy risks faced by information and communications technology companies and how these risks can be more effectively mitigated by the industry. Read more
Electronics Supply Networks and Water Pollution in China: Understanding and Mitigating Potential Impacts
Electronics manufacturing has become an important economic contributor to China’s success, but its rapid growth has come with environmental costs as well, including negative impacts on water quality. Read more
Electronics Supply Networks and Water Pollution in China: Understanding and Mitigating Potential Impacts
Electronics manufacturing has become an important economic contributor to China’s success, but its rapid growth has come with environmental costs as well, including negative impacts on water quality. As governmental enforcement of wastewater standards improves, along with public awareness and civil society engagement on environmental issues, global companies have a growing need to effectively understand and mitigate potential risks. For this study, BSR worked with the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) to better understand the environmental performance of a sample of China-based suppliers to EICC members in relation to wastewater management. Read more
A Practical Approach to Greening the Electronics Supply Chain
This report, published by BSR and the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), reflects on the EICC’s efforts to increase transparency and focus on emissions reduction with respect to greenhouse gases (GHG) in the electronics industry. Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Business leaders face not only the economic fallout of the financial crisis, they face the substantial challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy that is constrained by dwindling natural resources. These pressures also represent opportunities to innovate new business models—including ones that help consumers make sustainable choices. Read about four categories of innovation that, with more development and experimentation, will ensure business success in a reset world. Read more
Human Rights in a Wired World
Sixty years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the world finds itself in a very different place, where almost anyone, anywhere, has the potential to access an endless source of information and communicate directly with the rest of the world. Information and communications technology (ICT) has been one of the most powerful drivers of change in our global society and has greatly shaped how we protect and advance human rights today. Read more
Value Chain Approaches to a Low-Carbon Economy: Business and Policy Partnerships
This paper is prepared in support of a workshop at the World Business Summit on Climate Change Summit on leveraging value chains to reduce climate impacts and build a low-carbon economy. Read more
Software Accelerates Sustainable Development
Find out how software companies—such as Microsoft, Autodesk and SAP—are making waves with innovative products and services that advance the way people, businesses and communities interact to achieve sustainable development in our new report. Read more
Materiality Analysis for CSR in the Software Industry
Building Capabilities to Implement CSR Management Systems at ICT Suppliers in China
Learn how companies who work directly with factory managers to equip suppliers with CSR skills, knowledge, and systems are more effective in addressing persistent issues such as labor standards violations, environmental degradation, and poor health and safety protections. Read more
CSR in China's Information and Communications Technology Sector
Beyond Monitoring: A New Vision for Sustainable Supply Chain
CSR in China's Information and Communication Technology Sector
Over the past decade, multinational companies, suppliers, workers, governments and civil society have focused increasing attention on corporate social responsibility (CSR) within global supply chains. CSR efforts have improved social and environmental conditions around the world. There is growing recognition of a connection between CSR and a company’s ability to attract and retain international customers. Read more
Case Studies Report
BSR Membership: A Global Network of Sustainability Leaders
BSR is proud to support and partner with our powerful network of member companies, who share with us a focus on building a just and sustainable world. We work every day to provide our member companies with value based on the insights, expertise, and relationships we’ve built through years of hands-on work in the field. Learn more
Leading Business Action on Conflict Minerals
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed conflict has claimed more than 5.4 million lives over the past 15 years, militant groups controlling most of the region’s mines use the trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold as important sources of funding. At the same time, this trade—which feeds into complex supply chains for products ranging from cell phones and cutting tools to jet engines and jewelry—is an important source of income for a million people in the region. Learn more
Alcatel-Lucent’s CSR Council Embeds Sustainability Into Core Strategy
Information and communications technology (ICT) plays a critical role in enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy—and, increasingly, investors, consumers, and NGOs expect ICT companies to step up to the challenge. Alcatel-Lucent, a world leader in high-tech equipment for telecommunications networks, wanted to meet not just these expectations, but also to embed a strategy to anticipate future sustainability requirements. Learn more
Achieving Global eSustainability
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector moves quickly. It is known for developing new products and services, as well as driving the convergence of previously separate services into integrated products. These constant changes are accompanied by rapidly shifting CSR risks and opportunities. While companies often seek to maximize the sustainability of CSR efforts by prioritizing their most material issues, there is no consensus on which issues are most material for the ICT industry as a whole. Learn more
Shenzhen’s ICT Sector Strives for Social and Environmental Leadership
The Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS), a joint initiative of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, sought to build the capacity of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Shenzhen, China, to meet international social and environmental requirements and improve the "soft" competitiveness of the industry. This in turn necessitated an innovative multi-stakeholder project approach that included a wide range of industry and public sector players. Learn more
IBM Supports Small Businesses in Emerging Economies
IBM wanted to develop a virtual business incubator for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and asked us to help evaluate target markets, assess gaps in current offerings and desired functionality, and identify potential partners. Such an understanding would prepare IBM to develop a solution that best meets the needs of SMEs and maximize the impact on economic development. Learn more
China Mobile: Advancing Corporate Responsibility Reporting
While sustainability reporting in Europe, Japan, and the United States has been common practice for years, businesses in China have begun embracing this practice recently. China Mobile issued its first corporate responsibility report in 2006, and it engaged BSR to assist with its 2007 report as a way of advancing its newest sustainability efforts. Learn more
Sustainability Matters
Stories From the Field: The Business Case for Better Working Conditions
To ensure responsible labor practices—in both farms and factories—business leaders should start by meeting basic government, buyer, and corporate standards. However, companies should also look for how investments in better working conditions can improve their bottom lines. Learn more
Preparing for the 2011 Proxy Voting Season
Proxy voting is an important tool that many investors use to show their support for ESG issues, with a goal of garnering attention for areas they view as critical to a company's business.
Learn moreConflict Minerals and Corporate Responsibility
Pending U.S. regulations will require companies to report on "conflict minerals" in their supply chains, with the goal of severing the link between trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold and the illegal funding of militants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, NGOs are encouraging corporate action on this issue, companies are asking their suppliers for mineral-sourcing information, and industries are defining due diligence efforts. Learn more
Microsoft and Human Rights: Protecting Freedom of Expression in the Age of Global Communications
We live in a world today where vast information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and extensive flows of information have become a natural and unquestioned feature of modern life. Learn more
Responsible Transitions: Managing Factory and Site Closures in the Economic Crisis
In this webinar, learn strategies and solutions to manage factory or site transitions in a responsible way and to assist communities that are most impacted. Learn more
BSR Review
Information and Communications Technology
The information and communications technology (ICT) industry is in a unique position to advance the sustainability agenda. With an annual spend of around US$2 trillion and a growth rate faster than other industries, the ICT sector is becoming a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and e-waste. It has also contributed to lesser-known negative social impacts such as poor working conditions in some factories, slavery, child labor, and other human rights abuses. View email publication
Other Publications & Events Tagged, Information & Communications Technology
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