Hong Kong businesses mark Tiananmen anniversary in face of pressures
Hong Kong, ChinaReuters Some Hong Kong shopkeepers are quietly commemorating the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown despite the spectre of a China-imposed national security law and pressure to stay silent on the episode that is censored in mainland China. Hong Kong used to play a leading global role in commemorating the 1989 crackdown by […]
Essay: Protecting the climate is loving our neighbour
In an article first published on Religion News Service, DIANE RANDALL, general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation in the US, says faith communities have a newfound hope that political and business leaders are joining in calls for greater action on the environment…
Ethnic minority firms excel “against the odds” in the UK
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Ethnic minority entrepreneurs succeed “against the odds” in Britain, performing strongly in tech, innovation and in efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, found a first-of-its-kind study seeking to address racial inequalities in business. The British government does not collect ethnicity data when entrepreneurs register a company, although calls to address unequal […]
Ex-Facebook executive starts group to help employees push companies on climate
San Francisco, USReuters Facebook’s former sustainability chief has launched an organisation to help employees at big companies press their bosses for more aggressive policies to fight climate change. Hundreds of companies have committed to reducing emissions in their own operations to be in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, in which governments aim to limit […]
European consumers back businesses supporting refugees
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation European consumers say they would be more likely to buy a product if it was sold by a business helping refugees, but most oppose companies lobbying for more to be allowed in, according to a study published on Thursday. Young consumers and women in particular favoured brands that aid refugees, according to […]
BRAZIL: MAJOR COMPANIES FOUND USING COURTS TO AVOID SLAVE LABOUR ‘DIRTY LIST’
FABIO TEIXEIRA reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation…
Brazil names major fashion company to its slavery ‘dirty list’
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilThomson Reuters Foundation The maker of two of Brazil’s biggest fashion brands was named to the country’s “dirty list” of companies that have engaged in slave labour, with workers putting in excessive hours for scarcely any pay, government officials said this week. Fabula Confecçao e Comercio de Roupas was found to be […]
Australian companies ‘significantly exposed’ to slavery risk – investors
Thomson Reuters Foundation Australian companies are “significantly exposed” to modern slavery in their supply chains, with sectors ranging from finance and mining to healthcare most at risk, an influential group representing some of the country’s biggest investors said. Australia last month became only the second country in the world to bring in an anti-slavery law, […]
Satellites to survivors: five goals for the anti-slavery fight in 2019
Thomson Reuters Foundation With global efforts mounting to combat modern slavery and human trafficking, activists say the world must sharpen its focus in 2019 to meet a United Nations goal of ending the ills by 2030. About 40 million people are estimated to be enslaved, mostly women and girls in forced labour and forced marriages, […]
New face of capitalism sees business put planet before profit
Thomson Reuters Foundation Be it banning plastic or enshrining worker rights, an increasing number of businesses are reinventing the way they operate by putting people and the planet before profit. For some companies, that has involved a public and transparent overhaul of their business model, as well as their social and environmental impact, through an […]