BSR Insight Articles About Reporting & Communications

New California Regulation Spurs Greater Supply Chain Transparency

Sasha Radovich, Former Manager, Advisory Services

In a recent roundtable discussion that BSR and San Francisco’s Department on the Status of Women led on California’s new anti-human trafficking law—which requires retailers and manufacturers to disclose information related to labor and human trafficking in their supply chains—Verité Southeast Asia Founder and Director Maria Apostol said her organization found debt-bonded forced labor in every single one of its audits in Taiwan and Malaysia where foreign workers were present. Read more →

Posted: January 10, 2012 | Topics: Human Rights, Reporting & Communications, Supply Chain

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 →

Posted: November 29, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Information & Communications Technology, Reporting & Communications, Supply Chain

A Practical Guide to Social and Environmental Compliance in the Licensing Industry

Cody Sisco, Former Manager, Advisory Services

BSR’s new guide—created with the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association and BSR’s Licensing Working Group (which includes representatives from Hasbro, NBCUniversal, Time Warner, and the Walt Disney Company)—helps the licensing industry promote social and environmental standards among a complex network of licensors, licensees, agents, suppliers, factories, and retailers. Read more →

Posted: November 1, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Environment, Reporting & Communications, Supply Chain

New Tool Helps Companies, Investors Assess Water-Related Risks

The Ceres Aqua Gauge, an Excel-based tool to help companies and investors assess water-related risks and opportunities, allows investors to score a company's water-management activities using a four-tiered rating system: no action, initial steps, advanced progress, and leading practice. Read more →

Posted: October 25, 2011 | Topics: Reporting & Communications, Stakeholder Relations, Water

Best Features of the New Scope 3 Standard

Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy

Earlier this month, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol launched its Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, establishing a common way for companies to define and measure their total greenhouse gas impacts, risks, and opportunities—including those that are beyond the company’s direct operating control but that may represent the most significant impacts on the price and stability of the company’s supplies, customer demand, reputation, and costs. Read more →

Posted: October 25, 2011 | Topics: Environment, Reporting & Communications