Research & Reports

The report defines the Brands Taking Stands movement succinctly: “A growing roster of Blue Chip companies are using their powerful voices to urge continued U.S. support of the Paris Climate Agreement, to strengthen gun control laws, to fight immigration laws that would negatively impact Dreamers, to champion diversity and inclusion, and to protect LGBTQ rights, among other hot-button and often political issues.”

What business strategists, and those of us who report on their projections, are on the lookout for is a trend that becomes much more than a cultural snapshot. We’re talking about a defining idea of the zeitgeist that carries large, long-lasting consequences for society as well as for business—in a phrase, a movement--not a moment.

Join GRI's 3rd annual Reporters' Summit in February 2019, in Arizona. Take advantage of the early fee and register now!

What kind of leader can move companies toward better social and environmental performance? Research has shown that evaluating certain individual traits can help identify the leaders of tomorrow who will have the tools to address the serious sustainability challenges businesses face today. Former Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Judith Walls describes these traits in “The Power of One: Leadership and Corporate Sustainability,” recently published in The European Business Review.

GRI is hosting a session at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, focusing on meaningful reporting and the challenges associated with it.

When CSRHub was founded ten years ago, sustainability wasn’t considered a key part of corporate or investment strategy. However, the company’s core team believed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) was a strong indicator of value and a tool for stakeholders to reliably measure it would soon become a necessity.

IBM is leveraging its technology, expertise and commitment to global service and sustainability to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Nations in Southeast Asia are working to balance energy security, environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness at a time when the financial sector is looking for bankable energy projects in which to invest. The region’s industrial growth in recent years has encouraged economic growth and urbanization that has expedited its consumption of energy.

With their infrastructure graying and renewable energy posing growing threats to their customer bases and bottom lines, electric utilities are awakening to the power afforded by dynamic advances in construction, from the deployment of drones to innovative construction practices. Amid the prospect of a continued shift to decentralized, digital grids and the broadening appeal of increasingly affordable solar power systems, electricity suppliers no longer have the luxury of resisting change or delaying the adoption of next-generation power delivery.

In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Global Compact has released a new report — Human Rights: The Foundation of Sustainable Business — showcasing opportunities for businesses of all sizes and sectors to strengthen and scale up their efforts on human rights.