In Case You Missed It: Noteworthy BSR Insights of 2016

Authors

• Julia Robinson

  Former Manager, Communications, BSR

• Katie Morris

  Former Manager, Communications and Marketing, BSR

You might have missed some of these blogs and reports that we published in 2016, but that’s OK. We’ve rounded them up all in one place for you. This is your official ICYMI (in case you missed it) blog post.

ICYMI: Blogs

BSR Member Series: This year, we published a dozen interviews with BSR member companies, from AXA to Dow to Facebook to Unilever and more. BSR’s Vice President Laura Gitman, who heads up BSR Membership, closed the series with reflections on common themes.

Lord Browne of Madingley: Before his plenary address at the BSR Conference 2016, Lord Browne participated in an inspiring interview about bold leadership.

A Different Perspective: Alison Taylor made a provocative argument on how the renewables sector can learn a lesson or two from the mining and gas industry when it comes to obtaining a social license to operate.

Women’s Empowerment: After their research trip to Ghana, Ouida Chichester and Jessica Davis Pluess shared five lessons on how companies can go beyond women’s participation in the economy to holistic empowerment of women. Look out for more on this when we publish a larger report in 2017.

Sustainability Reporting Q&A Series: We published a series of interviews with leaders from GRI, the IIRC, and SASB about where sustainability reporting is headed and concluded that the future looks triangular.

ICYMI: Reports

“Fast Action and Quick Results on Near-Term Climate Change” outlines how and why businesses should take action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). These ambitious but pragmatic steps represent a quick win on climate change and can contribute to significant impacts in key sectors.

“Good Jobs and the Changing Nature of Work” explores the core issues around good jobs in the United States, and the emerging areas that require action by U.S. business leaders, including automation, income inequality, part-time and contract work in the digital age, living wage, and diversity and inclusion. Recommended reading for anyone wondering about the plight of the American worker.

“Advancing Access-to-Healthcare Metrics” sets out to help pharmaceutical and medical-device companies improve their ability to measure and report performance on access to healthcare. The approaches in this paper are also useful beyond the healthcare industry—they should resonate with and motivate companies across sectors to focus more strategically on metrics and impacts.

“Child Labor in Myanmar’s Garment Sector” is an informational brief for business stakeholders interested in how best to understand and engage with child labor issues in Myanmar’s garment manufacturing sector. The report finds that underage workers are a common challenge in this emerging economy, and outlines remediation and prevention steps through a child-rights-based approach.

“Triangles, Numbers, and Narratives: A Proposal for the Future of Sustainability Reporting” summarizes how sustainability reporting can improve performance and decision-making. It also proposes a conceptual model for the future of sustainability reporting. This is a must-read for your reporting team grappling with the advances in the practice and trying to understand what comes next.