 |
|
|
| (click episode for synopsis) |
|
(click episode for synopsis)
|
| |
Series One
The first episode of Responsible Business explores the definition and essence of corporate citizenship. We will introduce the UN Global Compact and explain the ten universal principles it promotes so that business can be part of the solution to the challenges of globalization. 
In this episode we look at companies that are creating innovative solutions to global problems through successful multi-stakeholder partnerships. We will highlight companies that are partnering with government, NGOs and civil society to promote a more holistic approach to sustainable development and advance the broader goals of the United Nations.
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a devastating impact on the lives of millions, affecting entire communities and undermining economic development. Here we explore the business case for companies to get involved in fighting HIV/AIDS and take an in-depth look at public-private partnership projects to combat HIV/AIDS both in and beyond the workplace.
Microcredit has been called the backbone of social development, providing the most needy communities a way out of social and economic poverty. In this episode we see how some companies are driving innovative microfinance initiatives that are resulting in better health, education and housing for those who have in the past been excluded from the global economy.
The risks of not managing social and ethical performance throughout the supply chain are increasingly high, yet this can be extremely complex and challenging. Episode 5 looks at companies that are successfully applying ethical sourcing and certification systems and managing a global network of suppliers committed to the highest standards in social and environmental performance.
The increasingly rapid deployment of broadband and wireless technology, and the impact of this on economic development, education, healthcare and governance, creates severe challenges of access and exclusion. The companies featured in Episode 6 are rising to this challenge and bridging the digital divide.
Ensuring the sustainable management of our natural resources is critical if we are to maintain the health of our environment and meet the growing global pressures on our food and resource supply. Here we look at two companies that are leading the way in the protection, conservation and sustainable management of the world’s most precious resources.
Companies operating in an unstable, conflict-prone country will be faced with a wide range of risks, challenges and uncertainties from security and human rights to corruption and damage to the environment. In this episode we will see how companies are addressing these issues through positive engagement and contribute to peace-building and conflict prevention.
Ensuring equal access to quality basic education for all children, youth and adults is a major challenge for many countries. Education is a fundamental human right and this issue has been highlighted in the UNESCO goals on education and also in the UN Millennium Development Goals. This episode looks at companies that are demonstrating leadership and innovation to make education accessible to all.
More and more companies are realizing the relevance of human rights to their business and the need to respect and promote human rights throughout their operations. This episode looks at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how leading companies are seeing the many benefits of advancing human rights both within and outside their organization.
In the year 2000 the leaders of 189 countries signed up to the Millennium Declaration, a global plan to halve extreme poverty by 2015. In 2007, with over 1 billion people still living on less than $1 a day, we are far short of that goal. Here we highlight the Growing Sustainable Business for Poverty Reduction Initiative of UNDP and the UN Global Compact, and look at business-driven enterprise solutions to empowering the poor and ending poverty.
One of the most challenging issues facing the world today is improving access to medicines and health care for those living in poverty, especially in countries in Asia, Africa and other developing regions. We learn how some companies are implementing innovative approaches to delivering healthcare to those in need.
Episode 13 - Beyond Kyoto: The role of business in reversing climate change
Climate change has been called “the greatest challenge to face man” and “a far greater threat to the world than terrorism”. Governments however have been slow to respond. In this episode we look at the emerging partnership between multinational corporations and nongovernmental groups that calls for sweeping new gas emissions guidelines and a post-Kyoto Protocol framework aimed at reducing greenhouse gas levels.
Climate change has been called “the greatest challenge to face man” and “a far greater threat to the world than terrorism”. Governments however have been slow to respond. In this episode we look at the emerging partnership between multinational corporations and nongovernmental groups that calls for sweeping new gas emissions guidelines and a post-Kyoto Protocol framework aimed at reducing greenhouse gas levels.
Series Two
More and more people care about the conditions of the people who produce the products they buy. We look at the emergence of a new, more responsible consumer concerned about human rights, workplace conditions and the environment. We highlight companies that are embracing the needs of the responsible consumer and at the same time building significant market advantage.
As the evidence for global warming mounts, the potentially devastating effects of climatic changes are becoming clear. There is intense pressure on corporations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming. This episode explores the carbon trading market and highlights companies that are going beyond carbon neutrality and negating their environmental footprint to become carbon-positive.
The international fair trade movement has grown rapidly in recent years to include even the major food corporations it once shunned. Here we take a look at the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), fair trade standards, codes of conduct and certification schemes and how the companies are empowering previously marginalised producers and workers to move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency.
In this episode we look at the development of the social business enterprise, a concept promoted by Nobel prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus and built on the belief that the poor can be empowered as entrepreneurs if given access and the means to start their own small businesses. We highlight larger corporations that are investing in sustainable businesses and at the same time reaching new markets, expanding their core businesses and improving lives.
According to the IFC the four billion low-income consumers who make up the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP) represent a potential $5 trillion market. This episode looks at companies seizing the significant opportunities to better meet the needs of the world’s poorest communities, increase their productivity and incomes, and empower their entry into the formal economy.
In this episode we look at the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Who Cares Wins initiative, launched by the UN Global Compact, grouping financial-industry leaders to advance current thinking in investment research and practice. We look at how leading investment, asset management and brokerage houses are integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) aspects into their work.
More than 1.2 billion people, about one-fifth of the world’s population, lack access to safe drinking water. Without action this could increase to 2.3 billion by 2023. In this episode we meet companies that are collaborating with government, NGOs and international agencies through the Global Water Challenge to implement solutions for the conservation and development of global water resources.
Business action, government regulation and greater use of energy-saving technologies can substantially reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the building sector which accounts for 30-40 % of global energy use. This episode features the Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative, an international partnership to ‘green’ the multi-billion dollar building and construction sector.
More and more companies are using renewable energy. Initially this was mostly for ethical reasons, to demonstrate commitment to a clean environment. Today however, businesses are seeing the cost benefits. This episode looks at leading companies and the latest innovations in renewable energy and puts forward the business case for green power.
Corruption has a devastating and disproportionate impact on the world’s poorest, most vulnerable communities, limiting development, growth and poverty reduction. It also has a major impact on business. This episode focuses on the Business Against Corruption Initiative and companies that are demonstrating leadership in governance and combating extortion, bribery and other forms of corruption.
The human race is pushing our planet towards the edge of disaster by flooding land, sea, and air with pollution and by over use. These issues amount to one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever face. This episode looks at companies developing innovative partnerships, technologies and solutions for saving the planet, humanity and the natural world.
Can brands change the world? Here we meet companies driving positive social change by integrating messages of responsibility throughout their branding and marketing campaigns. We see how the influence of a brand on consumers can truly be a force for good through education and collective action.
A recent report shows that companies that are considered leaders in implementing environmental, social and governance policies to create sustained competitive advantage are outperforming the general stock market by 25 per cent. The final episode in this series looks at the standards, metrics and certification options for measuring the success of responsible business and how this is impacting financial performance.
|
|
|
 |
HOME
© 2007 Global Initiatives