Eight Dutch institutional investors, with combined assets of €725 billion, have launched a platform campaigning for fair wages in the textile sector in the developing world. The investors – including asset managers MN, Kempen, Achmea IM, NN IP and Robeco – have also targeted banning child labour and excessive overtime. The Platform Living Wage Financials (PLWF) initiative demanded that textile manufacturers increase the salaries of staff in clothing factories to a ‘living wage’. “As shareholders, we can make the difference,” said Karlijn van Lierop, Head of Sustainability at MN. Van Lierop said that textile firms would likely speed up wage increases if investors raised the issue. (IPE)
Sustainable Investment
Salesforce foundation announces $18 million donation to local causes in San Francisco
Salesforce.org, the non-profit arm of the San Francisco business-software company, will donate $18 million to education, cleanliness, homelessness and other Bay Area causes, the organization announced last week. The sum comprises $15.5 million for the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts; $2 million for Hamilton Families, Larkin Street Youth Services and the San Francisco Food Bank; and $500,000 for the San Francisco Park Alliance. “As a Bay Area-based company, a San Francisco-based company, we’re very concerned about issues facing San Francisco,” said Ebony Frelix, Salesforce.org’s executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer. “We take our responsibility really seriously.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
Waste
UN launches Global Plastics Platform
The United Nations has this week launched a fresh push to curb the tide of plastic pollution, unveiling the Global Plastics Platform to help nations share expertise on reducing plastic use and transitioning to a more circular economy. The Platform, launched by UN Environment and the European Commission, is designed to become a hub for nations to come together to make new commitments to combat plastic pollution. It encourages countries to rethink design standards, consumption patterns and waste disposal systems to ensure plastic use shifts to a more sustainable footing. Head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said the Platform would bring such countries together in a forum where they can learn from each others’ experiences. (BusinessGreen)*
Diversity
Unilever takes ‘unstereotype’ mission to Asia
Unilever is taking its unstereotype campaign to Asia, according to a report published by CNBC after research commissioned by the Dutch FMCG company revealed that the advertising world is failing to reflect the zeitgeist in parts of the region. The study analysed 500 ads shown in India, China and Indonesia in the first six months of the year. Just 1 percent showed women as intelligent or in leadership role and only 4 percent featured women aged over 40. Aline Santos, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing at Unilever told CNBC “Women are only portrayed as housewives, as someone that doesn’t have a very important career, or is intelligent or a leader. It’s a really, really big gap between the reality of these countries and how we are portraying people in advertising.” (Global Cosmetics News)
Diversity
California is 1st state to require women on corporate boards
California has become the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors, one of several laws boosting or protecting women that Governor Jerry Brown signed Sunday 30th September. The measure requires at least one female director on the board of each California-based public corporation by the end of next year. Companies would need up to three female directors by the end of 2021, depending on the number of board seats. The law applies to companies that report having their principal executive offices in California. Companies can be fined $100,000 for a first violation and $300,000 for subsequent violations. (Yahoo)
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External Event
Global Initiative’s Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Sustainable Development
11 – 12th October | Singapore
The Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Sustainable Development in Singapore will be the largest gathering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia Pacific region with more than 700 international delegates from governments, civil society and businesses.
The format of the Forum has been transformed in order to move beyond the theory and articulate clear pathways to achieving the Goals. At the end of the forum, delegates will deliver tangible solutions across five areas critical to the attainment of the SDGs: Climate action, Urbanisation, Circular economy, Human rights and Food & nutrition.
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