BSR Insight Articles About Economic Development

How Freedom of Association Supports Economic Development

The International Labour Organization’s new report outlines how freedom of association—the right to create and join organizations without fear of reprisal—supports sustainable economic development. The report explores the challenges to freedom of association; provides case studies on the positive effects it can have when governments, employers’ organizations, and trade unions work together; and shares how these actors can promote respect for freedom of association. Read more →

Posted: September 6, 2011 | Topics: Civil & Political Rights, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Stakeholder Relations

New BSR Tool Helps Business Identify Strategic Social Investments

Alison Colwell, Associate Director, Advisory Services

BSR’s new tool helps companies make strategic social investments in communities where they operate, which is a critical aspect of building sustainable local economies. Strategic social investments allow companies to maximize the impact of their resource allocations, increase the long-term sustainability of their efforts, develop productive and mutually beneficial relationships with local stakeholders, and mitigate operational disruptions by strengthening their social license to operate. Read more →

Posted: September 6, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration

Explore Our Impact: Videos

Take a deeper dive into the BSR Report 2010 and core areas of our work in video clips that provide personal perspective from BSR staff members. Read more →

Posted: June 7, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Conflict Minerals, Economic Development, Ecosystem Services, Energy, Investor Perspective, Mining, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain

The Human Face of Water-Related Risk Assessments

Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research

At the CEO Water Mandate meeting in Copenhagen last week—which focused on corporate water disclosure—one participant reminded us of the connections between water, healthy populations, and corporate performance. Despite the growing number of  tools to help investors and companies assess water-related risks, companies will miss a critical factor when evaluating their long-term risks if the tools do not link physical-, regulatory-, and reputational-risk frameworks to people’s ability to participate in the growth of healthy economies. Read more →

Posted: May 24, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Water

Building Effective Local Content Strategies

Jessica Davis Pluess, Manager, Research

BSR's new report highlights some of the challenges and opportunities extractives companies face in building local content programs that drive commercial value and deliver sustainable local development benefits in countries where they operate. Read more →

Posted: March 29, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Energy, Human Rights, Mining, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain