Previous Blogs
During my 20 years at BSR I published variety of blogs, both alone and with colleagues. Here I am sharing links to a selection of the most recent and significant blogs—especially those that have stood the test of time.
The lack of blogs after 2022 is mainly because I began to focus on LinkedIn posts instead.
Human Rights Everywhere All At Once (September 2022). Taking a human rights-based approach based on the UNGPs will help technology companies comply with both the spirit of and letter of new regulations.
And May Be The Most Important Word (September 2022). We need to move away from false binary choices of entrepreneurship vs. standards, ambition vs. compliance, and materiality vs. comparability.
Impact-Based Materiality (February 2022). Why companies should focus their materiality assessments on impacts rather than perception.
The Stars Are Aligning (October 2021). An optimistic look at convergence in laws, regulations, and standards for just and sustainable business.
Human Rights Are Not Just an “ESG Factor” (September 2021). Respect for human rights is not just an ESG factor, but a global standard of expected conduct for all companies, including institutional investors.
The Case for SEC-Mandated Climate and ESG Disclosure (July 2021). A summary of BSR’s submission to the SEC on mandatory climate disclosure.
Five Insights on the Future of Reporting from Uber’s Safety Report (January 2020). Insights on the future of transparency and disclosure from Uber’s unique and innovative safety report.
AI and Human Rights: We Need to Talk about the Use Phase (May 2019). One important constituency needs to participate more actively in dialogue about AI: the “non-technology” companies integrating AI into their business operations, strategies, and plans.
A New Transparency Challenge for Business and Human Rights (February 2019). The urgent need to enhance disclosure practices across all industries (not just technology) that receive requests for data and assistance from law enforcement agencies.
Are You Prepared for the Future of Business and Human Rights? (December 2018). Futures and strategic foresight methodologies offer a promising pathway for improving today’s human rights due diligence methodologies so that they are better equipped to address an uncertain future.
The Sustainability Form 10-K: A Proposal (November 2017). The need for an equivalent of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 10-K for sustainability reporting.
Human Rights by Design (February 2017). Setting out a “human rights by design” approach to fully integrate human rights considerations into the development of products, services, and technologies.
The Future of Reporting Is Triangular (July 2016). An early attempt to define the interoperability of different reporting standards.
Don’t Forget the Ethics (April 2015). When “good” and “bad” are not easily defined it is important to unpack important ethical questions before making what we assume is the “right” decision.
Does Transparency Matter? (August 2014). Using a personal story to illustrate the importance of transparency to just and sustainable business.
What Vodafone’s New Law-Enforcement Report Says About the Future of Sustainability Reporting (July 2014). Vodafone’s reporting on law enforcement relationships illustrates six important insights about the future of sustainability reporting.
Law Enforcement Reporting Shouldn’t Stop with the Telcos (March 2014). Any company that engages with law-enforcement agencies should report on these activities.
Zero Dark Thirty: The Human Rights Responsibilities of Entertainment Companies (February 2013). The importance of considering how human rights abuses are portrayed in movies, television, and video games.
What Does the Global Network Initiative Tell Us About the Value of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives? (July 2010). A review of the early significance of the GNI from the vantage point of 2010.