All Articles About Information & Communications Technology

BSR Insight Article: 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 →

Posted: December 21, 2010 | Topics: Environment, Information & Communications Technology, Water

Report: 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 →

Posted: December 3, 2010 | Topics: Environment, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain, Water | Download (PDF)

BSR Insight Article: Coalition Provides U.S. SEC With Recommendations on Conflict Minerals

Marshall Chase, Associate Director, 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 →

Posted: November 30, 2010 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain

BSR Insight Article: Doing Business With China's New Generation of Workers

Wei Dong Zhou, Former General Manager, Tanoto Foundation

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 →

Posted: November 16, 2010 | Topics: Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain

BSR Insight Article: 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 →

Posted: September 28, 2010 | Topics: Consumer Products, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain, Toxicity & Product Design