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Reports | Thursday October 16, 2025

Applying a Systems-Based Approach to Move from Climate Risk to Resilience

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The business imperative for climate adaptation has never been more urgent. Due to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, extreme weather events—including droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves—are becoming more intense, and already fragile ecosystems are close to reaching critical tipping points. While business efforts to decarbonize remain essential, it is critical that companies recognize that reducing emissions alone will neither secure business continuity nor safeguard the communities and ecosystems vital for business success. To build true resilience, organizations need to consider climate adaptation alongside mitigation strategies and integrate it into strategic decision-making, treating climate, nature, and people as interconnected systems.

BSR’s latest report, Applying a Systems-Based Approach to Move from Climate Risk to Resilience, responds to this growing need. The report builds on several years of BSR research and engagement with companies, investors, and policymakers to help bridge persistent gaps in the adaptation and resilience landscape.

Through a six-step, systems-based approach, it provides practical, actionable guidance for organizations to move from identifying climate risks to designing and evaluating adaptation solutions that respond to local community and ecosystem needs, respect human rights, and are aligned with long-term resilience goals. This guidance supports risk and sustainability teams within the private sector in assessing the potential co-benefits of adaptation solutions and minimizing unintended trade-offs between other climate mitigation efforts, nature, and people. 

The report also provides recommendations for organizations at various stages of their adaptation journey on how they can leverage and complement this guidance with other existing and relevant frameworks and resources. With BSR’s framework, companies will be able to lay the groundwork for a growing and evolving systems-based approach to resilience.

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Gregoire Lusson

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Alexandra Reeve Givens

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Alexandra Reeve Givens is the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. She is a prominent advocate for protecting people’s online privacy and access to information, and ensuring emerging technologies advance human rights and democracy.

Alex regularly appears in news outlets such as CNN, CBS News, NPR, The Washington Post and Wired, and has testified in Congress multiple times. Her writing has been featured in outlets ranging from Democracy Journal and Barron’s to Slate and Ms Magazine.

At CDT, Alex leads an international team of lawyers, policy experts, and technologists. CDT advocates to policymakers and the courts, works to improve tech companies’ policies and product designs, and helps the public have a voice in how technology shapes our lives and futures.

Alex previously served in the United States Senate, as the chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee covering innovation and consumer protection. Prior to joining CDT, she was the founding Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy, where she set the Institute’s research agenda, and directed its public convenings, policy work, and strategic development. Alex began her career as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City, and taught for nine years as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law and Georgetown Law.

Alex serves on the boards of the Urban Institute, BSR, and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is named for her late father, Christopher Reeve. She also serves on advisory boards for the Aspen Institute, World Economic Forum, Partnership on AI, KKR, and numerous companies, and is a judge for the Webby Awards.

She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Blog | Thursday October 9, 2025

Stakeholder Engagement in a Changing Business Landscape

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This is the first in a series of blogs that will unpack the importance of stakeholder engagement, how regulations have reshaped the landscape, and how companies can continue to conduct meaningful stakeholder engagement in alignment with well-established industry best practices that align with expectations set out in standards like the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. 

Various regulations, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), have made stakeholder engagement a legal imperative, but the rationale for engagement has always extended beyond compliance into long-term business resilience. It helps align business priorities with external expectations and allows companies to identify, anticipate, and manage risks and impacts.

Stakeholder engagement also enables companies to build trusted relationships that are mutually beneficial, gain insights to improve decision-making, enhance their reputation, and meet legal and regulatory requirements. In fact, it may be one of the most powerful tools companies have to navigate uncertainty for both their own operations, as well as across their value chains. 

Amid regulatory uncertainty, it’s time for companies to shift from a compliance approach to a strategic approach and unlock the full value of engagement for business and society alike.   

Who Is a Stakeholder? 

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who affect or are affected by a company’s operations, activities, products, or services, including employees, local communities, suppliers, customers, civil society organizations, governments, and investors. 

Affected stakeholders, also known as rightsholders, are a special category of stakeholders that are individuals or groups whose human rights may be directly impacted by business activities, products, or services. These may include employees, trade unions, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, landholders, direct customers, and local suppliers. 

What Is Stakeholder Engagement?

Stakeholder engagement is the process of building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, addressing their concerns, and integrating their insights into business strategy, governance, and operations. It can take many forms depending on objectives and stakeholder groups, including focus groups or interviews during a double materiality assessment, supplier trainings on a Code of Conduct, or community consultations before operational changes. Stakeholder engagement is an ongoing dialogue and relationship that should be meaningful, inclusive, and transparent. Stakeholder engagement has long been recognized as an expectation for responsible business conduct in international standards like the UNGPs and the OECD Guidelines. 

Why Should Companies Conduct Stakeholder Engagement? 

Stakeholder engagement bridges business priorities and societal needs by grounding decisions in the perspectives of those most affected. Meaningful engagement helps companies anticipate risks, surface concerns early, and adapt strategies while building trust between companies and stakeholders. By integrating stakeholder insights into all aspects of their business and operating models, companies can protect their ability to operate and grow, and contribute to broader community resilience and societal progress. 

Strategic Drivers for Stakeholder Engagement and Their Business Value 

The Regulatory Landscape Influencing Stakeholder Engagement 

To meet certain regulatory expectations, companies are required to demonstrate not only that stakeholder engagement is happening, but that it is meaningful, inclusive, and woven into decision-making. These regulations reflect a global shift to embedding stakeholder engagement in corporate governance and sustainability processes, not as a one-off event, but as an ongoing, integrated practice.  

International frameworks, such as the UNGPs and the OECD Guidelines, have long established that companies have an ongoing responsibility to engage and consult meaningfully with affected rightsholders as part of their human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct.  

Key Laws Addressing Stakeholder Engagement

Amid regulatory uncertainty, it’s time for companies to shift from a compliance approach to a strategic approach and unlock the full value of engagement for business and society alike.   

Much of the regulatory momentum has been concentrated in Western jurisdictions, particularly in Europe. How these standards influence approaches in other regions, including in the Global South, will be important to monitor in the years ahead. The ripple effects may redefine expectations and practices for global companies operating across diverse regulatory environments. 

Conclusion  

As sustainability commitments face scrutiny and some companies retreat from proactively addressing human rights impacts, stakeholder engagement provides a constructive path forward. By fostering meaningful relationships with communities, customers, and workers, companies can help restore societal trust in the role of business and demonstrate that they can create lasting positive impact for people as well as profit. 

As regulations evolve and expectations rise, now is the time for companies to strengthen their internal approaches on stakeholder engagement. With decades of experience designing and implementing stakeholder engagement strategies across industries and geographies, BSR is ready to help companies take the next step. Interested in conducting meaningful stakeholder engagement at your company? Reach out to BSR’s Human Rights and Transformation teams to find out more about BSR’s 5-Step Approach to Stakeholder Engagement. 

Blog | Tuesday October 7, 2025

The CSDDD: Implications for the Tech Sector

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Apurv Gupta

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Peter Herweck

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Peter Herweck leads Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, guiding its strategy in sustainability, industrial software, and digital transformation.

He first joined Schneider’s Executive Committee in 2016, heading its Industrial Automation business. In 2018, he oversaw the merger of Schneider’s Industrial Software business with AVEVA, before becoming CEO of AVEVA in 2021. In May 2023, he assumed leadership of Schneider Electric as CEO.

Earlier in his career, Peter began as a Software Development Engineer with Mitsubishi in Japan and later moved to Siemens, where he held senior roles including Chief Strategy Officer and CEO of its Process Industries & Drives division. He has also held leadership roles across the US, China, Japan, and Europe. His expertise spans automation, digitalization, and leading complex global transformations.

Peter holds an MBA from Wake Forest University School of Business, as well as electrical and engineering degrees from Metz University in France and Saarland University in Germany. Additionally, he has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. 

Blog | Thursday October 2, 2025

Climate Week 2025: The World Shows Up at A Critical Time

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2025 has been a roller coaster ride for sustainable business, and for action on climate in particular. With so many questions swirling, many of us wondered a few months ago who would come to Climate Week NYC and what level of commitment they would bring.

While Climate Week did not magically solve the many economic, policy, cultural, technological challenges we face, it did deliver a solid rejoinder to those who have declared the end to the energy and ambition that has laid the foundation for progress over the past several years. As we’ve heard from our partners at The Climate Group, this year’s Climate Week was the biggest in its 16-year history, with more than 1,000 events, a high level of government participation, and a noteworthy level of business engagement. Many of us are walking away from this year’s edition of Climate Week with more cause for optimism and hope than we entered it.

First of all, the world showed up. In the spring, many people responded to political changes in the U.S. by expressing their reservations about coming to New York. Some preferred to show up—and they did!—at other events, such as London Climate Action Week. For those of us who felt it was important for the world to show its commitment to climate action on U.S. soil, it was gratifying to see participants from so many corners of the world. Going solely by the diverse turnout at the CSO dinner BSR hosted for its members, representing companies from Asia, Europe, and the U.S., the worries that people would stay away (mostly) didn’t come to pass.

Second, the dialogues were more candid than in past years. At past Climate Weeks, companies, non-profits, investors, and governments expressed optimism bordering on triumphalism. Events suggested unstoppable progress, and a “What, me worry?” mindset that often minimized or ignored the thorny challenges to achieving a Paris-aligned future. Not this year. CSOs, journalists, BSR, and our peer organizations stepped right into the hard questions about why momentum has stalled and why progress toward a 1.5°C future was looking far more challenging. This is mostly a function of the realities of the world in 2025, but it felt far more “real” than in past years. 

Third, the hard questions were tackled. With fewer splashy public events, there was considerably more effort put into quiet dialogues that addressed the hardest questions head on. I welcomed the opportunity, for example, to engage with a diverse group discussing how to address climate in a way that can be supported across the political spectrum. I also had numerous discussions with CSOs about how they are navigating a less forgiving environment inside their companies, with budgets shrinking and executive support declining or distracted.  The impact of AI—positive and negative—was taken up frequently by both developers and deployers. Continuing a theme from throughout 2025, the sustainable business community is tackling the need to paint a picture for the public that emphasizes the way sustainability makes life better in tangible ways. Too often, we’ve fallen short of that mark. It is high time we look in the mirror and start to communicate in ways that more people can appreciate and embrace.

Finally, the world is accepting the challenge of making progress on climate change without the support of the U.S. government and with global cooperation fragmenting. The macropolitical situation has changed. The world cannot take for granted a fully functioning multilateral system. The fate of COP30—and the COP system generally—is highly uncertain. Geopolitics have transformed global energy priorities from climate action to energy security. The slow but steady drive to convergence in rules and regulations has lost its momentum, and in many ways has gone into reverse. Last but not least, the U.S. government, at least at the federal level, has resolutely walked away from climate action in both rhetoric and policy, while seeking to dismantle the tools needed for future administrations to respond to climate change. While all these developments are regrettable (or worse), it was very clear that most businesses are getting on with things. And in some corners, there is a growing acknowledgement that while the world may have become disillusioned with climate politics, it has pivoted to being more concerned with the climate economy.

In retrospect, perhaps the past Climate Week gatherings suffered from the “irrational exuberance” that former U.S. Chair of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan famously used to describe a frothy stock market. This year, while there were reasons for optimism, it would be a mistake to glide past the very real challenges facing more rapid progress on climate. That said, everyone was more clear-eyed about the challenges we face—and dedicated to keep pushing forward with determination to make the progress we need in spite of the conditions we face. This may just reflect a necessary maturation that will deliver more of the results that we all need.

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Adrian Monck

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Case Studies | Wednesday October 1, 2025

Developing a Financial Resilience Program with a Corporate Foundation

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Introduction 

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) worked with BSR to pilot, develop, and scale a bespoke financial literacy program to equip women shea nut collectors and processors across the Ghanaian shea supply chain with the tools needed to better manage their finances. Over a five-year period, this program yielded significant positive impacts for the women and communities, as well as participating companies.  

Background 

The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. (ELC) is a major global manufacturer of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and haircare products. With gender equality at the core of its values, ELC is committed to supporting the next generation of leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Through ELCCF’s global partnerships, the company helps connect women and girls with education, skills training, leadership development, and career placements. 

The Challenge 

An integral ingredient in many ELC products, shea butter is derived from the nuts of shea trees that grow almost exclusively across sub-Saharan Africa’s “shea belt,” with Ghana among the leading producing countries. Women working in the shea sector occupy a critical position within the global shea supply chain, but they have been unable to gain financial security through their work. Their labor is essential: women perform the majority of all shea nut collection and shea butter processing in the value chain, yet their access to economic opportunities and financial services is limited.  

The sector is characterized by informality, limited access to capacity-building opportunities, a seasonal income cycle subject to global market volatility, and difficulties in finding other income sources during the off-season. Even during the shea collection season, market fluctuations leave women collectors and processors exposed to agricultural and financial shocks, which are further exacerbated as changes in biodiversity and climate affect the yield of shea trees and the amount of nuts that can be collected from these trees each year. These dynamics drive the need for secondary income activities to smooth earnings, both during the season and particularly during the off-season. 

Altogether, these factors create financial precarity for women workers, impeding their ability to engage in formal markets, build financial assets, and navigate periods of economic stress. 

Shea is an important raw material in the cosmetics industry, so empowering women working in this sector presented an ideal opportunity to advance ELCCF’s commitment to women’s development with action on a key material. Since identifying this opportunity, ELCCF and BSR have worked together for four years to develop and implement financial resilience training programs for women working in the shea sector in Ghana.  

BSR’s Approach 

BSR’s work on this program first started in January 2021. The pilot phase took place over two years and started with an in-depth scoping study conducted with local stakeholders. This identified key needs of women shea workers, specifically that financial resilience was both a critical need and enabler of empowerment for these women, helping to shape a program that would be tailored to women’s lived realities. Consequently, BSR developed and piloted a training-based approach in two shea cooperatives, focused on building financial literacy through modules on savings, budgeting, and financial planning, as well as talking about finances with trainees’ families.  

Following the pilot, BSR partnered with ELCCF to expand the program to both existing and new partners, reaching additional cooperatives and communities. To maximize reach and impact, BSR worked with our implementation partner, Pure Trust Social Investors Foundation, and two Ghana-based shea suppliers, Global Shea Alliance (GSA) and Savannah Fruits Company (SFC), to trial different training and engagement models, while also partnering with a local microloan service to embed gender and savings information into trainings delivered during loan disbursements. Key messages were further amplified through a local radio station to engage women in remote areas. BSR is now building the business case for financial resilience by developing a data collection approach to capture tangible benefits for participating brands and suppliers. Through 2025, the program will continue to advance uptake by working with and training additional partners. 

Recognizing the need for improved financial resilience across the sector, BSR launched a practical guidance toolkit for organizations interested in replicating the trainings to maximize reach and scale. BSR encourages buyers, suppliers, and NGOs operating in the shea sector to use the toolkit to boost the financial resilience of women workers. 

Impact 

“Since 2006, our primary commitment has been to position women at source as co-creators, not beneficiaries. This project with BSR and ELCCF exposes financial resilience as a vital component for achieving this goal: it builds women's abilities to more confidently negotiate and to better navigate debt cycles and ongoing financial burden. We plan on continuing this training to further reinforce our commitment to building ethical sourcing relationships.”

- Raphael Gonzalez, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Savannah Fruits Company (SFC)

To date, the program has engaged more than 8,000 women shea nut collectors and processors in more than 90 shea cooperatives and communities. Surveys delivered both before and after the trainings revealed significant improvement in core financial management practices among women workers, including increased savings (an average of 96% of interviewed women now save every month), more consistent budgeting (an average of 75% of women interviewed now track both their income and expenses, compared to 21% at baseline), greater willingness to engage in financial dialogue at the family level, and better preparedness for income fluctuations and unforeseen expenses.  

Additionally, women described increased self-confidence and accountability, higher participation in household financial decisions, and strengthened investments in their shea work as well as supplementary business and income streams. Perhaps most striking were the broader ripple effects: increased collective investments in community infrastructure, such as water pipelines, and intergenerational change, as children began practicing some of the financial behaviors learned by their mothers via these trainings. In addition, many women participants have either established new businesses or expanded existing income-generating activities, applying the financial planning and resilience strategies gained through the training to entrepreneurial ventures. 

These outcomes highlight the program’s role in fostering not just individual empowerment, but also more resilient and economically vibrant communities. Community benefits have included growth in entrepreneurial activities, investments in community infrastructure improvements, and an increase in local savings groups that help members pool resources for emergencies and invest in small businesses.  

"This program demonstrates the impact that is possible when we align the expertise of partners like BSR with the commitment of local communities. What began as a pilot in Ghana is now becoming a blueprint for embedding financial resilience in ingredient supply chains. By centering women’s voices and needs, we are not only strengthening the shea sector but also helping to shape more equitable and sustainable practices across the industry."

- Mindi DeLeary, Vice President, Responsible Sourcing, Sustainability, and Upstream Procurement, The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.

The program illustrates the value of investing in upstream supply chain actors. Financially resilient workers are better positioned to sustain their livelihoods and express higher job satisfaction, thereby enhancing productivity and contributing to long-term sourcing stability. 

Conclusion 

Integrating contextual and gender-responsive approaches into supply chain sustainability strategies can help address barriers women face with tailored solutions, and also help to meet tangible business outcomes, such as improved productivity and retention, as well as more consistent and reliable supply. By investing in women’s financial resilience, companies can contribute to more inclusive and equitable value chains while reinforcing the operational resilience of key sourcing geographies. 

BSR encourages all stakeholders operating in the shea sector, including buyers, suppliers, and development actors, to leverage the financial resilience toolkit and join us in scaling proven approaches that support women’s economic empowerment and responsible sourcing outcomes. For more information on improving financial resilience within your value chains, please contact BSR’s Supply Chain Sustainability team.