All Articles About Community Engagement & Development

Blog: Is China’s Rise a Threat or Opportunity?

Xin Zhuo, Former Manager, Advisory Services

U.S. President Obama's recent visit to China once more generates discussion about the changing role of China. Actually, he broke tradition and was the first U.S. President to visit China within the first year of taking office. One reason behind this is the rise of China as a world power. Read more →

Posted: November 25, 2009 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development

BSR Insight Article: Indigenous People and Business: Meeting Expectations

Chris Nolan, Associate Director, Advisory Services

With 370 million indigenous people worldwide, international standards defining the basic rights of these people—including the ILO 169, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the International Finance Corporation's Performance Standard 7—are increasingly relevant for industries such as extractives, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Read more →

Posted: October 13, 2009 | Topics: Civil & Political Rights, Community Engagement & Development, Consumer Products, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Mining

BSR Insight Article: Who Cares About the Millennium Development Goals?

All companies—particularly those with market and supply chain exposure in emerging economies—continually face health, environmental, and human rights challenges that impact their business. Such challenges affect market access, supply chain sustainability, and base-of-the-pyramid strategies. With more than a billion people currently living on less than US$1 per day, and even more lacking access to safe water, proper nutrition, and basic health care, these challenges show few signs of abating. Read more →

Posted: August 4, 2009 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Economic Development, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain

Case Study: Shell Wind: Community Engagement in a New Era of Energy

Shell Wind Energy is involved in 11 wind-generating facilities across the United States and Europe, with 550 megawatts of owned generating capacity—saving around 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year compared to conventional energy sources. Shell recognizes that wind projects can have a range of impacts that require community engagement, and that community engagement is central to positive outcomes. For example, while wind developments in rural areas can support the regional economy, important public services also need to be readied for managing revenues, safety, and communications regarding planned construction and operating activities. Shell asked BSR to support community engagement with wind projects in several locations, including New Mexico and Texas. Learn more →

Posted: June 1, 2009 Topics: Climate Change, Community Engagement & Development, Energy, Stakeholder Relations

Report: Culture Matters: The Soul of CSR in Emerging Economies

At the annual BSR Conference in 2006, we hosted a session to discuss a topic not commonly addressed in the business community — religion. Through this vibrant conversation, led by rabbi, a pastor and an Islamic scholar, we began to understand the powerful interplay of spiritual practice and corporate social responsibility in many parts of the world. What emerged from that discussion was a recognition that, as Allen White writes in this paper, “In a globalizing world, culture still matters.” In a world where we like to compartmentalize things like government, business and religion, it’s refreshing to discover that in fact these things are often intertwined. Read more →

Posted: July 1, 2008 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Stakeholder Relations | Download (PDF)