All Articles About Governance & Accountability

Blog: Executive Pay: Are We Missing a Broader Point?

Aron Cramer, President and CEO

A recent edition of the Sunday New York Times presented an unintentional debate between two very different perspectives on public and government responses to the recession. Read more →

Posted: February 11, 2009 | Topics: Governance & Accountability

Report: Aligned for Sustainable Design: An A-B-C-D Approach to Making Better Products

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Posted: May 1, 2008 | Topics: Consumer Products, Economic Development, Governance & Accountability, Reporting & Communications, Strategy & Integration, Sustainable Consumption, Toxicity & Product Design | Download (PDF)

Report: Eco-Promising: Communicating the Environmental Credentials of Your Products and Services

This business briefing is intended to help managers in consumer- facing companies to communicate the environmental credentials of products honestly and convincingly. We examine why businesses are increasingly using environmental messaging on products, how different formats (such as eco-labels) have developed, and the risks and challenges associated with making environmental claims. Read more →

Posted: April 1, 2008 | Topics: Consumer Products, Economic Development, Environment, Governance & Accountability, Reporting & Communications, Sustainable Consumption | Download (PDF)

Report: The Leadership Challenge for CEOs and Boards

Over the past 18 months, the World Economic Forum Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative (GCCI) Advisory Committee, which is composed of top corporate citizenship executives of leading Forum member companies, explored how companies can contribute constructively to efforts to improve public policy frameworks and the capacity of public institutions. The project has attempted to improve understanding of the business case for improved public governance and provide guidance on how businesses can engage in public-private efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of such frameworks and institutions. The outcome of these deliberations is a CEO leadership statement and supporting analysis that together provide a roadmap for business leaders seeking to work with governments to improve the enabling environment for sustainable economic growth and development. Read more →

Posted: January 28, 2008 | Topics: Governance & Accountability, Reporting & Communications, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration | Download (PDF)

Report: The Stakeholder Fiduciary: CSR, Governance and the Future of Boards

This paper explores how corporate boards do, could and should relate to the CSR agenda. In equal shares, it observes the present and envisions the future, seeking to both position the board as an agent of CSR under current rules and show how to reconstitute it under different rules that may emerge in the coming decades. Our core premise is this: the board’s current posture is incommensurate with the changing nature of the social contract between business and society, and with the attendant opportunities and risks that lie ahead. This incongruity must be corrected if the board is to function in a way that enables the firm to create and allocate long-term wealth in a form consistent with 21st century needs and expectations. In short, it is time to transform the board from a shareholder fiduciary to a stakeholder fiduciary. Read more →

Posted: April 28, 2006 | Topics: Governance & Accountability | Download (PDF)