Brian Whisler, Partner, Baker McKenzie The Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and other international financing institutions (IFIs) are preparing for the increased risk of fraud and corruption that will follow the release of significant emergency funds to combat the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects. Companies operating in low- and middle-income countries should ...
Remember the days before the physically distant social life brought on by COVID-19? You might have been fortunate enough to have a foodie friend invite you to a dinner party complete with the experience of new dishes to taste and new people to meet. Whatever the circumstance that brought you to the table, it ...
Baker McKenzie’s Peter Tomczak last spoke with Ethisphere Magazine a year ago in “The Super ESG Issue.” Since then, a few things in the ESG landscape have shifted, and the same trends we discussed then have only been accelerated by this year’s upheavals. We returned for a follow-up conversation with Tomczak about ESG’s long-neglected ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in how businesses approach corporate social responsibility. COVID has accelerated many processes, and corruption is not immune to its influence. Underneath the constant reporting on the virus and the headwind of lockdowns lies the ever-present challenge of global corruption, a systemic barrier to development. John Blood, Chief ...
Over the last several months, Ethisphere has been running a working group of Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) member companies all engaged on ESG best practices. Emily Rickaby, Ethisphere’s Director of Shared Expertise and Strategic Projects, has been coordinating the group, and got a chance to discuss the work they’ve done so far with Marvell’s ...
One of the trickiest challenges for companies looking to improve their ESG performance is dealing with the constantly-shifting landscape of ratings agencies and reporting best practices. Fortunately, Newmont’s Carrie Christopher has years of experience, both in-house, and as a consultant in the sustainability space and, now, as Director, Sustainability Reporting for the world’s largest gold ...
We’re all in this together, and together we can drive meaningful change. For many, this hopeful statement may fall flat, and for good reason. Many have had to endure lifelong injustice and bias. This pain magnified by recent events is enough to discourage even the most strong-willed. But, in talking with a few senior leaders ...
This time feels different. Yes, we’ve all said that before. After Michael Brown, after Trayvon Martin, after Charleston, after Charlottesville. After all the other stark and undeniable reminders of the racism that’s been baked into American culture and law for 400 years. But this time, it needs to be different. And I think it will ...
2020 has been a year unlike any other. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to see society attempt to come to terms with pervasive social and racial injustice. The public is increasingly looking at how businesses are reacting to these unique and complicated issues. The quality of a product or the health ...
In June in response to Black Lives Matter and the global reckoning on race, numerous companies announced major initiatives to help close the gap with Black and minority communities and try to redress lingering inequities. Perhaps no company’s initiatives had quite the same dollar amount attached as SoftBank’s $100 million Opportunity Fund of venture ...
