The global population has reached an astounding 8.23 billion. This significant milestone underscores the dynamic nature of our planet’s demographic landscape. Understanding these trends is crucial for sustainable development and global cooperation. Here’s a detailed look at the current age distribution: • 0-14 years: 24.3% • 15-24 years: 15.6% • 25-55 years: 40.1% • 55-69 years: 13.3% • 70+ years: 7.0%
A company’s strategic course is set by its management, yet it is these managers who must help ensure that this course is adhered to in their daily decisions. An effective way of providing them with further incentives to stay on course is to anchor the company’s sustainability targets in their remuneration, in the same way as other strategic aims. Consequently, linking strategic priorities to the key governance setup of a company remains an aspect of utmost importance to stakeholders, particularly investors. Remuneration is one strategic pillar of a robust governance model. For this reason, the management board pay system is…
Samuel Abel, Co-Founder of Eden Greenspace argues for a broader concept of greenwashing known as 'greenwaving'. Greenwashing is a prevalent feature of the modern corporate world. But it’s not just the obvious candidates, like big oil and big banks, it’s everyday companies with good intentions trying to do good things that often get caught out. One reason that it’s easy to greenwash is that those in the industry and society more broadly, are not completely clear on what it is.
ESG has become a battleground. Once a beacon of responsible business, it is now facing a barrage of criticism, with some companies rolling back commitments and politicians decrying "woke capitalism." While the "E" (environmental) and "G" (governance) rightfully command attention, it is the "S" (social) that holds the key to ESG's redemption and, ultimately, its success. Why? Because the "S" is fundamentally human. It is about people, communities, and the very fabric of society. In a world increasingly defined by social inequality, distrust, and polarisation, ignoring the "S" is morally questionable and strategically shortsighted.
In the tenth year since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”), Rathbones, a provider of wealth and asset management for individuals, charities and professional advisers, has launched its sixth Votes Against Slavery campaign (VAS), securing support from a record 168 institutional investors, with funds under management totalling £2.96 trillion**. To address non-compliance with the Act, in 2020 the Rathbones Stewardship team began challenging companies suspected of not meeting the reporting requirements.
The European Union (EU) has been set to implement significant changes to its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), affecting companies selling consumer products within the EU. This directive aims to expand the scope of prior regulations, targeting large corporations, listed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and non-EU businesses with substantial operations in the region. The CSRD's primary objective is to promote sustainable business practices through increased transparency and accountability, with far-reaching implications for the fashion industry both in the EU and worldwide.
As the world grapples with mounting environmental challenges, industries across the globe are being forced to confront their consumption patterns - workwear included. For years, the workwear sector has been rooted in a ‘buy it, wear it, discard it’ mentality, contributing to a rising environmental footprint.
Although the EU Commission previously committed purely to “simplifying” European sustainability laws in its proposed Omnibus I directive, the far-reaching changes to the CSDDD and CSRD announced today would represent a radical deregulatory shift if adopted – one that risks compounding confusion for large corporations who are preparing to implement the laws as currently drafted.
There is a rapidly arising debate as to whether a trustee’s fiduciary duties hinder or encourage consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when making investments. The traditional approach, that a trustee must invest to maximise profit to the exclusion of all other considerations, continues to face increasing scrutiny amongst the business community.
A groundbreaking new collaboration between Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV), a foundation focused on finance and technology innovation to transform children’s lives, and eight of the UK’s leading law firms (through Legal Charter 1.5) is projected to see an initial US$5 million invested over 10 years in western Kenya to support livelihoods impacted by climate change.
