Principled Companies Praised (06/16)
Ethisphere Magazine publishes its second annual list of the World's Most Ethical Companies.

Envisioning the Sustainable Supply Chain (06/05)
Innovative collaborations between suppliers, retailers and consumers need to be forged so future supply chains support businesses and the environment.

Michael Conroy on Activist Campaigns and the Certification Revolution (06/02)
SocialFunds writer Bill Baue speaks with Michael Conroy about his new book, Branded! How the “Certification Revolution” is Transforming Global Companies

Abolishing Child Labor on West African Cocoa Farms (04/24)
Mil Niepold of Verité on the International Cocoa Verification Board and Bama Athreya of the International Labor Rights Forum on the Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing.

Transparent Supply Chain Sends A Clear Message (04/10)
Hewlett-Packard recently released a list of its largest suppliers in hopes of increasing accountability from factory floors to consumers' front doors.

Measuring Companies with a Ruler of Responsibility (03/02)
With 21 return businesses from the 2007 list, CRO's 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008 ranks large-cap companies' corporate responsibility.

Coke To Try Smaller Delivery Trucks (01/29)
A pilot program in Uruguay has Coca-Cola using energy efficient ZAP trucks.

New Survey Uncovers Discrepancies on Corporate Citizenship Issues (01/29)
There is gap between what executives say on corporate citizenship and what their corporations actually do, finds a survey of over 750 executives.

Corporate Operations in Burma Fuel Human Rights Abuses, Say Shareowner Activists (10/26)
Shareowner letters to Chevron and Total criticize the piping of revenues to the Burmese regime, while the Norwegian Pension Fund defends its decision not to divest from Total.

Principles For Responsible Investment Quadruples Assets in First Year (06/01)
The United Nations sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment is only one year old, but have already reached $8 trillion plus in assets and expect to keeping on growing.

Fidelity Divests Large Chunk of Sudan-Related Holdings (05/22)
Despite similar pressure from Sudan divestment activists, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway retain holdings in PetroChina, which is linked to genocide in Darfur.

Yes and No: Newmont Recommends Voting For One Resolution, Petitions SEC to Omit Another (05/02)
The actions span the gamut of corporate responses to shareowner resolutions on environmental, social, and governance issues, from wholehearted support to forceful opposition.

Surveillance, Schmurveillance? (04/20)
Wal-Mart's apparent research and surveillance activities geared toward shareholders raises troubling, but perhaps fleeting questions about trust.

The World's Poor: Huge Market or Just a Marketer’s Fantasy? (03/29)
New report from the International Finance Corporation and World Resources Institute measures the market-size of the Earth's people who live in poverty.

Shareowner Activism Precedes Development of SRI Slavery Screen (03/27)
Most slavery exists far up the supply chain, and auditing practices do not yet exist to monitor for slavery at second- or third-tier suppliers, so it is too early to enact an enforceable slavery screen.

Ruggie Report Says Voluntary Human Rights Initiatives Set Stage for Binding Global Standards (03/19)
While the report finds significant flaws with voluntary collaborations between corporations and civil society, they currently fill the gap created by nation-states failing to protect human rights.

Book Review--Make Poverty Business: Increase Profits and Reduce Risks by Engaging with the Poor (01/09)
The co-authors provide a blueprint for on-the-ground managers of multinational corporations to create sustainable profits and reduce country risk by helping alleviate poverty.

Marriott Combats Child Sexual Exploitation (12/11)
Shareowner engagement by Boston Common Asset Management and the First Swedish National Pension Fund prompts Marriott to explicitly address child sex tourism in its human rights policy.

How to Do Sustainble Banking (12/06)
BankTrack, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations promoting social and environmental responsibility in the finance sector, issues a guide to best practices in sustainable banking.

Pharma Companies Need to Keep Improving AIDS Response, Says ICCR and Nigerian Doctor (12/01)
Chukwumuanya Igboekwu of Physicians for Social Justice adds his own critiques to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility study on pharmaceutical industry shortcomings in addressing AIDS.

(PRODUCT) RED Combats HIV/AIDS by Funneling Portions of Sales to the Global Fund (10/19)
Gap Inc commits half of profits from its RED-branded product line to the Global Fund, exemplifying this new business model for generating sustainable funds for addressing the AIDS pandemic.

ICCR Benchmarks Pharma Responses to AIDS and Diseases of Poverty in Emerging Markets (08/18)
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility report assesses 15 pharmaceutical companies, and finds all of them falling short of best practice in most areas on AIDS and neglected diseases.

Shareowner Activists See Progress at TimeWarner, and Room for Improvement (08/08)
In part one of this two-part article, activists applaud the company on its first corporate social responsibility report while continuing to push on environmental, social, and governance issues.

BP, Suncor, and Shell Top Oil Sector Sustainability Rating; Chevron and ExxonMobil Rank Low (08/01)
The report by Jantzi Research examines 23 oil companies worldwide on environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions as well as human rights and other social issues.

Revised Equator Principles Fall Short of International Best Practice for Project Finance (07/12)
While some observers praise the strengthening of labor rights, others decry the failure to implement adequate transparency, accountability, and governance mechanisms.

Semantics and Semitics: Presbyterian Church Investment to Focus on Israeli-Palestinian Peace (06/26)
A recommendation approved by the church General Assembly apologizes to Jews and refines language while reaffirming commitment to corporate engagement with divestment as last resort.

Norwegian Government Pension Fund Dumps Wal-Mart and Freeport on Ethical Exclusions (06/16)
The $230 billion global fund--one of the largest pension funds in the world--cited Wal-Mart for systematic human rights violations and Freeport for serious environmental damage.

Digging for More than Gold: SRI Letter Asks Newmont to Address Western Shoshone Concerns (05/11)
The letter cites a recent decision by the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to support Western Shoshone claims.

Wal-Mart Discloses Equal Employment Opportunity Data (04/14)
The company joined six others in the S&P 100 that publicly disclose their EEO-1 report, but Wal-Mart still faces shareowner action on union-busting and selling gems mined in Burma.

White House and Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Address Pediatric AIDS (03/24)
Bush Administration launches a new public-private partnership on Pediatric AIDS, an area where ICCR engages pharmaceutical companies in shareowner advocacy.

Thirty Years and Counting: Cofounder Wayne Silby Recounts the Birth of Calvert (03/18)
To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Calvert, SocialFunds.com speaks with co-founder Wayne Silby about its genesis, development, and future.

Sudan Presents Investment Risk as Genocidal Regime and State Sponsor of Terrorism (03/09)
Socially responsible investing research provider IdealsWork Financial now offers data from Conflict Securities Advisory Group on corporate exposure to human rights abuses in Sudan.

SEC Forces Chevron, Dow, and CVS to Include Shareowner Resolutions on Their Proxies (03/07)
Part two of this two-part article examines no-action activity thus far in the 2006 proxy season, focusing on attempts to apply the personal grievance rule and expand a new risk assessment rule.

SRI Community Adding Its Two Cents to Comments on GRI G3 Guidelines (03/02)
The Global Reporting Initiative is seeking public comments on its new sustainability reporting guidelines by March 31st.

Bank Policies Fail to Meet International Social and Environmental Standards, Report Says (02/25)
The 39 banks assessed fall far short on global sustainability standards, and fail to disclose enough information on implementation to even be assessed by NGO coalition BankTrack.

Defining Corporate Complicity in Human Rights Abuses (02/22)
Business and Human Rights Seminar report maps the landscape of corporate complicity in human rights abuses, and addresses the dichotomy of mandatory laws versus voluntary codes.

IT Company Collusion with Chinese Authorities to Repress Free Expression Shorts Shareowner Value (02/17)
Boston Common Asset Management submits testimony to congressional hearings asserting that protecting shareholder value and respecting human rights are not mutually exclusive mandates.

KLD and ISS Offer Research Tools for Divesting from Sudanese Genocide and Terrorism (02/07)
The KLD tool focuses narrowly on the Illinois law mandating divestment from companies doing business with the Sudan; the ISS tool focuses beyond divestment and on other state sponsors of terrorism.

New Domini Funds Invest in the World (01/10)
Domini charts new territory with the creation of the Domini PacAsia Social Equity Fund and the Domini EuroPacific Social Equity Fund.

Alien Tort Claims Act Lawsuit Alleges Slavery and Child Labor on Liberian Firestone Plantation (12/30)
The International Labor Rights Fund calls this its strongest ATCA case yet because the evidence of forced labor is so clear and Firestone owns and operates the plantation.

Are European Finance Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Adequate? (12/23)
A report from a recent EU conference on CSR suggest so, while a Corporate Responsibility Coalition report says voluntary CSR initiatives and current regulation fall short.

Book Review--Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism (12/22)
The newest in the Megatrends series advances a framework for conscious capitalism that highlights socially responsible investing.

Verite Report Identifies Exploitation of Foreign Contract Laborers in Asia and the Middle East (12/20)
The report uncovers placement fees that exceed legal limits, forced overtime, loans with interest rates of up to 60 percent, and so-called runaway insurance deposits that are not refunded.

First Steps: Corporate Engagement on HIV/AIDS Improves Since Last World AIDS Day (12/01)
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS Best Practice AIDS Standard represents an important step forward, and companies such as Intel are responding to shareowner dialogue with ICCR.

New International Finance Corporation Sustainability Standards: Watershed or Watered Down? (11/23)
A group of socially responsible investors express concern over perceived shortcomings in the proposed IFC policy revisions, while the IFC points out where the policies break new ground.

Citigroup Smith Barney Report Seeks to Bridge Divide Between SRI and Traditional Analysis (11/21)
The report seeks to cross the metaphorical river dividing socially responsible investing analysts, who assess sustainability, from traditional analysts, who examine financial fundamentals.

Consortium Advances Microfinance as an Emerging New Asset Class (11/09)
The Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium, with its $75 million fund, links mainstream financial institutions to socially responsible investment practitioners with microfinance experience.

Tearing Down the Great Firewall (11/08)
Social investors issue a statement holding information technology companies accountable for collusion with repressive regimes such as China that stifle dissent expressed on the Internet.

Wal-Mart Embraces Sustainability: Does the SRI Community Buy It? (10/26)
Socially responsible investors cautiously applaud Wal-Mart for committing to social and environmental sustainability, but remain highly skeptical about actual implementation.

Spreading SRI: Goldman Sachs Adds Its Own Twist in Social and Environmental Assessment (10/05)
As socially responsible investment strategies migrate into the mainstream, mainstream analysts apply social and environmental considerations in innovative ways.

Business Impacts on Millennium Development Goals: A Virtuous Cycle or a Coin Toss? (09/14)
A new World Business Council for Sustainable Development report profiles corporate initiatives to alleviate poverty, but focuses less attention on how business may confound such goals.

Shareowner Resolution Asks Monsanto to Create Ethics Oversight Committee (08/26)
The company stonewalls inquiries related to the resolution, which springs from a $1.5 million settlement with the SEC and DOJ earlier this year regarding a bribe Monstanto paid in Indonesia.

Human Rights Site Spotlights Bank Investment in Chinese Manufacturer Linked to Forced Labor (08/25)
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre posts an article alleging Chinese firm Henan Rebecca uses forced labor, as well as responses from banks implicated through investment for their clients.

Most Canadian Extractive Companies Behind the Curve on Human Rights Policies (08/18)
Ethical Funds surveys Canadian energy and mining companies and finds less than a handful with comprehensive human rights policies, management systems, and disclosure mechanisms.

Lack of Human Rights Policy Concerns Chevron Shareowners in Light of Unocal Merger (08/16)
Part two of this two-part article examines the implications of the delay in adopting a human rights policy given the inheritance of Unocal holdings in Burma and Alien Tort Claims Act cases.

New Document Alleges Tie Between Chevron and Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria (08/12)
Identified in the discovery phase of a case proceeding at state and federal levels, the invoice and receipt indicate Chevron paid Nigerian soldiers for services on a day several villagers were allegedly killed (part one of a two-part article.)

Arthur D Little Study Identifies Trends in Sustainability Innovation (08/10)
The report finds increasing corporate commitment to sustainability innovation, though it demonstrates room for more growth.

Power to the People: Amnesty Launches Grassroots Shareowner Advocacy Program (08/05)
The SharePower program encourages ordinary people to tell institutional investors holding shares in their name to vote for shareowner resolutions supporting human rights.

Gap and Nike Engage Stakeholders For Assurance Statements on Sustainability Reports (07/14)
Sustainability reports, whose credibility is enhanced by such stakeholder engagement and assurance statements, are gaining in significance, as KLD indexes add Nike due in part to its report.

Annual LOHAS Survey Finds High Consumer Interest in Corporate Responsibility (06/28)
LOHAS represents a quarter of the US population, according to surveyor Natural Marketing Institute.

As HIV/AIDS Migrates Beyond Africa to Other Emerging Markets, So Too Do Business Risks (06/02)
Concern over HIV/AIDS-related business risks is also shifting from the socially responsible investment community to the mainstream investment community.

Students and States Seek to End Genocide in Sudan Through Divestment Campaigns (06/01)
Students urge Stanford University to follow in the footsteps of Harvard University by divesting, and urge California senators to pass legislation like Illinois did.

The Ghost of a Shareholder Resolution Haunts ExxonMobil Annual Meeting (05/26)
Despite an unprecedented 28 percent vote for a first-year climate change resolution and strong support for seven others, the censoring of a resolution quashes shareholder democracy.

IFC Urged to Include Corporate Screens and Address Climate Change in New Standards (05/13)
A group of socially responsible investment practitioners recommends revisions to new International Finance Corporation social and environmental sustainability standards.

Book Review--The Bhopal Reader: Remembering Twenty Years of the World's Worst Industrial Disaster (05/12)
A collection of primary and secondary sources spanning the twenty-year quest for corporate accountability from Union Carbide and now Dow for the 1984 chemical leak that killed thousands upon thousands.

Institutional Investors Call on SEC, Wall Street, and Companies to Address Climate Risk (05/11)
The second Investor Summit on Climate Risk focused on information, from the perspectives of disclosure, data generation, and analysis, as a key to transforming climate risk into opportunity.

JPMorgan Chase Environmental Policy Triggers Tipping Point for US Bank Sustainability (04/29)
The JPMC policy surpasses environmental best practice established by Citigroup and Bank of America in some areas, but also lags these sustainability leaders in others.

Pharma and Biotech Companies Just Starting to Pass the Transparency Litmus Test (04/27)
oekom research rates the social and environmental sustainability performance of 27 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and finds disclosure lacking across the board.

Ecuadorian Attorney General Tells ChevronTexaco Shareholders Remediation Agreement May Be Invalid (04/12)
The questionable validity of the remediation agreement indemnifying ChevronTexaco could carry implications for the lawsuit and beyond (part three of a multipart article).

Asphalt Jungle: Did Oil Drilling by Texaco Create Environmental and Social Harm in Ecuador? (04/11)
Both ChevronTexaco and lawsuit plaintiffs are finding evidence of contamination during judicial site inspections: the question is, does it pose human health or environmental risks? (part two of a multi-part article.)

Oil Spread Upon the Waters of Ecuador May Return Harm for ChevronTexaco Shareholders (04/08)
A shareholder delegation surveys the environmental and social impact of oil operations, assessing potential risk from a twelve-year old lawsuit in its judicial inspection phase (part one of a multi-part article).

Caterpillar Bulldozes Shareowner Concern Over Aiding Alleged Israeli War Crimes (03/24)
Caterpillar faces a shareowner resolution as well as a lawsuit filed by the family of peace activist Rachel Corrie that cites the Nuremberg Tribunal as precedent in alleging war crime complicity.

Campaign to Enhance Pharma Industry Accountability Broadens Shareowner Action (03/04)
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility sent letters to over 2,750 institutional investors seeking support for three resolutions filed at nine pharmaceutical companies.

Book Review--Cause for Success: 10 Companies that Put Profits Second and Came in First (02/09)
The profiles present a wealth of information supporting the claim that corporate social responsibility can enhance profitability, but little information critiquing this claim.

Speaking From Both Sides of the Mouth: The Art and Science of Corporate Tax Avoidance (02/04)
Three reports--by a US tax watchdog, a pair of US academics, and a UK socially responsible investment firm--find troubling trends in corporate tax strategies.

Book Review--Faith and Fortune: The Quiet Revolution to Reform American Business (01/25)
Fortune magazine writer Marc Gunther documents the growing link between spiritual values, which he defines broadly to include sustainability, and business conduct.

World Economic Forum Report Finds Decreasing Corporate Awareness and Response to AIDS (01/20)
The report also finds an increase in companies adopting HIV/AIDS policies, a trend confirmed by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.

Monsanto $1.5 Million Fines for Genetic Engineering Bribe Illustrates Risks of GE Strategy (01/19)
The penalties, levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, may lend credence to a shareowner resolution asking Monsanto to report on GE risks.

Top Five Socially Responsible Investing News Stories of 2004 (01/11)
Shareowner engagement shifted from confrontational to collaborative, sustainability analysis fused with financial analysis, and fiduciary duty expanded to include social and environmental issues.

Addressing the Israel-Palestine Conflict Through Shareowner Action and Selective Divestment (01/06)
Part two of this two-part article examines the Presbyterian Church USA's policy of "phased, selective divestment" and the Episcopal Church's decision to study the issue before responding.

To Divest or Not to Divest: Ethical Considerations of Addressing the Israel-Palestine Conflict (01/05)
Part one of this two-part article examines across-the-board divestment from companies profiting off Israeli policies that harm Palestinians, and the case against divestment.

Report Finds Bank Sector Assessment of Impact on Disadvantaged Communities Lacking (12/29)
AccountAbility and Business for Social Responsibility to apply their new assessment methodology to the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and extractive sectors next.

Unocal Alien Tort Claims Act Case Settlement Boosts Corporate Accountability (12/16)
Some interpret the settlement between the energy company and Burmese villagers as setting a practical precedent for holding companies responsible for indirect human rights abuses.

Divesting from Genocide: More Conversation with Eric Reeves of the Divest Sudan Campaign (12/14)
In part two of this two-part interview, Mr. Reeves discusses the significance of actions by the investment and legislative communities to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Ford HIV Report Exemplifies New Shareowner Action Strategy (12/07)
Ford joins Coca-Cola, Cinergy, and others heeding shareowner resolutions requesting reporting on social and environmental issues, but it remains to be seen how far the strategy will extend.

Bhopal, Climate Change Require Shift From Legal Liability to Moral Accountability (12/03)
A report by SustainAbility examines how increasing legal liabilities are blending into moral liabilities, forcing companies to face social and environmental accountability.

Gap-Verite Collaboration Exemplifies Award-Winning Practice on Social Responsibility (12/02)
Verite wins a Social Capitalist Award for labor standards monitoring such as its work with the Gap, whose Social Responsibility Report earns a Social Reporting Award.

Book Review--The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits (11/18)
C. K. Prahalad seeks to solve global poverty by turning the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid from victims of globalization into its beneficiaries through consumerism.

Graphing Graft: Transparency International Finds Rampant Corruption in 60 Countries (11/03)
The tenth annual Corruption Perceptions Index highlights the acute problem of corruption in oil-rich countries.

About Face: Cintas Settles Lawsuit and Supports Vendor Standards Resolution (09/15)
In his apology, Tim Smith of Walden Asset Management highlights the need for accurate information, which Cintas promises to supply in the report requested by the resolution.

US Banks Criticized for Involvement in China State Bank Bonds (08/19)
Nongovernmental organizations and socially responsible investing firms criticize US banks for selling Chinese bonds that fund socially and environmentally problematic projects.

Keeping Score: The Mathematics and Linguistics of the World Bank Extractive Industries Review (07/28)
World Bank Group management and socially responsible investors interpret EIR recommendations differently.

Book Review--Raising the Bar: Creating Value with the United Nations Global Compact (07/27)
Primarily a guidebook for companies to navigate Global Compact participation, the book also reports on a study suggesting a Global Compact market premium.

How HIV/AIDS Impacts Corporations, and How Corporations Can Impact HIV/AIDS (07/14)
The World Economic Forum and the International Labor Organization report on the impact of HIV/AIDS on business, but will companies respond by addressing HIV/AIDS?

Does Supreme Court Validation of Alien Tort Claims Act Apply to Corporations? (07/01)
Human rights organizations say yes, lawyers representing corporations in ATCA cases say no, but the Supreme Court opinion itself remains vague on the issue.

Calvert Group Launches Code for Corporations to Profit by Promoting Gender Equality (06/29)
Calvert links equality for women to sustainable development, making the ethical and business cases for implementing its corporate code of conduct for empowering women.

How Unsustainable Forestry Practices in Indonesia Impact Sustainable Practice in the US (06/23)
Part one of a three-part article exploring the complex global relationship between sustainable and unsustainable forestry practices.

Report Finds CSR Policies on the Rise in Asia, Europe, and North America (06/18)
University of Hong Kong survey overturns some assumptions about the development and prevalence of corporate social responsibility policies.

The Emergence Story Behind Indigenous Peoples Rights Screens (06/10)
Socially responsible investment firms also engage in shareowner action on indigenous peoples rights issues.

Are the Equator Principles Sincere or Spin? (06/04)
A report calls into question whether signatory banks are complying with the Equator Principles.

ChevronTexaco Faces Class-Action Lawsuit in Ecuador Over Environmental Damage (05/11)
A resolution asking ChevronTexaco to report on new initiatives to address its legacy of environmental damage in Ecuador gained nine percent support from shareowners.

First-Year Resolution on HIV/AIDS Garners Significant Support at Pharmaceuticals (04/29)
The HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens human life and shareowner value, according to a shareowner resolution filed at companies in the pharmaceutical, oil, and beverage sectors.

Into Africa: The Paradox of Socially Responsible Investing in the Developing Continent (04/01)
To support sustainability in Africa, social investors can invest directly outside the SRI community, or else they can pursue community investment and shareowner action.

A Passage to India: Report Asks If BT Offshoring Is Socially Responsible (03/30)
A recent report by SustainAbility assesses whether offshoring and corporate social responsibility are compatible, focusing on the case of British Telecom.

Social Investors Urge World Bank to Adopt Extractive Industries Review Proposals (03/23)
If adopted by the World Bank, EIR recommendations could serve as a social and environmental best practice benchmark for oil, gas, and mining companies.

Occidental To Adopt Formal Human Rights Policy, Shareowners Withdraw Resolution (03/18)
Successful shareholder action results in steps towards Occidental formalizing its human rights policy.

Starbucks Provides Loan Capital for Coffee Farmers (03/16)
Starbucks is providing a $1 million loan to the Calvert Foundation to support microfinance to Latin American coffee farmers, and it answers critics of its Fair Trade commitment.

Critics Challenge Christian Aid Report as Biased, Cynical, and Inaccurate (02/27)
Part two of this two-part article considers defenses of corporate social responsibility against attack by a recent Christian Aid report.

Report Favors International Regulation Over Voluntary Corporate Social Responsibility (02/26)
A recent report by Christian Aid argues against the voluntary aspect of CSR and for international regulation. Part one of this two-part article discusses support for the report; part two presents criticism of the report.

Cintas Defamation Suit Challenges Shareowner Free Speech Rights (02/10)
Cintas files a defamation lawsuit against Tim Smith of Walden Asset Management for alleging that the company uses sweatshop labor in Haiti.

Book Review--The Corporate Responsibility Code Book (01/22)
This book is no thriller, but it is indispensable for anyone seeking to grasp the complex landscape of the multitudinous tools that measure corporate social responsibility.

2004 Proxy Season Glimpse: HIV/AIDS Shareowner Campaign Shifts from Conflict to Collaboration (12/18)
The 2004 proxy season has commenced with an instance of cooperation between a company and its shareowners (Part two of a two-part article.)

British American Tobacco Reluctantly Exits Myanmar (11/07)
Bowing to pressure from activists and the UK government, BAT sold its interest in its Myanmar operation, though it will continue to license its cigarette brands there.

Moskowitz Prize-Winning Study Correlates Lower Corruption With Higher Shareowner Value (10/31)
The Social Investment Forum awards its annual Moskowitz Prize to a study that correlates lower political corruption with higher corporate value in international markets.

Book Review--24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America (09/23)
A new book tells the behind-the-scenes story of Enron's demise and the detective work that revealed the chicanery in Enron's corporate practices and culture.

The Implications of the Nike and Kasky Settlement on CSR Reporting (09/18)
Although Nike reached an agreement with Marc Kasky to end his lawsuit, the settlement's effect on corporate social responsibility reporting remains to be seen.

UN to Hold Corporations More Responsible for Human Rights and the Environment (08/26)
A UN sub-commission adopted a resolution calling for transnational corporations to be held more accountable for human rights protection and environmental stewardship.

McDonald's Phases Out Animal Growth Promotion Antibiotics from Global Supply Chain (06/27)
McDonald's, which is often the first in its sector to introduce sustainable practices, will end use of animal growth promotion antibiotics, but does this make the company socially responsible?

Investors Managing $3 Trillion Back Blair's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (06/18)
Developing countries are being prodded to support oil and mining companies disclosure of payments the companies make to governments.

Will Equator Principles Deliver Social and Environmental Responsibility from Banks? (06/05)
Social investors and NGOs question whether the Equator Principles will serve their stated purpose of increasing global banks' social and environmental responsibility.

Nike and Others Increase Transparency into Their Global Labor Practices (06/04)
The Fair Labor Association releases a report today on the internal and independent external monitoring of apparel and footwear manufacturers' global labor practices.

Book Review: Saving the Corporate Soul & (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own (05/29)
A new book recommends a series of corporate reforms that mirror those advocated by the corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment communities.

Religious Institutions Issue Benchmarks for Corporate Social Responsibility Performance (05/28)
A global coalition of religious activists have published the third edition of a comprehensive set of guidelines for corporate social and environmental performance.

The Answer to the Coffee Crisis? Farmers Want Fair Price, Kraft Says Increase Demand (04/25)
Calls for fair prices and Fair Trade Certified coffee by social investors, coffee farmers, and Oxfam go unheeded by Kraft.

Is Nike Guaranteed Free Speech? The Supreme Court Will Decide (04/23)
Advocates of socially responsible investment and corporate social responsibility on both sides of the Atlantic weigh in on the implications of Nike's Supreme Court case.

Back in the U.S.A. (04/15)
A combination of investors, activists, and congresspeople are working to make sure U.S. companies keep paying their share of taxes.

Pay Dirt or Payola? How Halliburton Strikes it Rich (04/11)
A number of practices have generated profits as well as controversy for Halliburton, the company where Vice President Dick Cheney served six years as CEO.

Rebuilding Iraq: Humanitarianism Versus Opportunism (04/04)
Socially responsible investing supports companies and nonprofit initiatives that advance humanitarian efforts to rebuild Iraq and avoids investment in profiteering companies.

Socially Responsible Investment Firms Respond to New War with Tried and True Tactics (03/28)
SRI firms are sticking with their traditional strategies, such as screening, community investment, and support for humanitarian aid, in response to war.

Oekom Applauds Insurers Employing SRI but Chides Rest of Sector's Non-Transparency (03/18)
Lack of transparency prevented the German corporate research firm from conducting corporate responsibility ratings on the majority of global insurance companies.

International Right to Know Campaign Promotes Disclosure of Global Corporate Impacts (02/27)
In a recent report, the International Right to Know Campaign outlines the benefits of corporate disclosure of global environmental and social policies and practices.

Chinese Toy Manufacturer Labor Standards Found Lacking (02/20)
New report highlights structural obstacles to toy manufacturer implementation of labor codes of conduct.

Talisman Leaves Sudan But Remains on Social Investment Nix List (11/19)
Canadian SRI rating agency recommends investors continue to avoid investment in Talisman due to ongoing human rights and environmental concerns.

National Policy Association Book Advocates Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting (11/13)
A new book published by the National Policy Association makes a series of recommendations to promote global corporate social responsibility, among them triple bottom line reporting.

Conference to Consider the Business Case for SRI (07/29)
Institutional investors will discuss SRI at the Green Mountain SRI Summit, to be held in Stowe, Vermont in September.

Rio + 10 Series: UNAIDS' Accelerating Access Initiative May Decelerate Access (07/19)
ACT UP Paris criticizes Accelerating Access, a joint United Nations/pharmaceutical industry initiative, for limiting price reduction on AIDS medicine in developing nations.

Calls for Shareowner Action Continue to Rise on U.S. Campuses (06/05)
Swarthmore this year became the first college to singly file a shareowner resolution since the end of the anti-apartheid movement, and campuses across the U.S. are calling for divestment from Israel.

Two Perspectives on the Business Case for Ethical Corporate Behavior (05/17)
Robert Monks defends the business case for corporate ethics against Sir Geoffrey Chandler's recent editorial attacking the business case as amoral.

Social Investors Press Unocal to Cut Ties to Burma (10/24)
Social investors have become part of a sophisticated, multi-pronged campaign to keep the Burma issue in front Unocal senior management. (part two of a two-part article)

Book Review: The Civil Corporation (09/28)
The New Economy brings increased competition, faster dissemination of information and the rise of corporate citizenship.

ExxonMobil's Troubled Relationship in Aceh (09/19)
Questions are being raised about ExxonMobil, the world's largest integrated oil company, retaining the Indonesian army and police forces for security.

Wal-Mart Booted Out of the Domini 400 (04/17)
KLD cites lack of leadership on labor controversies among reasons for removal.

European Members Urged to Halt Oil Activity in Sudan (03/30)
U.K.-based charity calls for companies to suspend operations that are supporting an ongoing war.

California's Supreme Court to Decide Corporate Whitewash Trial (03/02)
Suit charging Nike with false advertising regarding its labor practices has implications for corporate image advertising.

Microsoft Resolution Spotlights Shareholder Concern Over Soft Money (11/13)
A resolution calling for Microsoft to report its political contributions highlights increasing shareholder attention to the corporate influence of elected officials.

Ford Adopts CERES Principles at National Conference (05/05)
The national conference of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) was the backdrop for Ford Motor's historic endorsement.

Nike CEO Retracts University Donation over Human Rights (05/03)
Founder Philip Knight canceled a $30 million gift to University of Oregon after the school took a stand on international labor and human rights.

Tomorrow's Business Leaders Strive for Corporate Responsibility (04/20)
A commencement speech by Citizens Funds' Joseph Keefe prepares the next generation of managers for the new landscape of socially responsible business.

Washington Protests Deliver Message to World Bank, IMF (04/17)
Although they did not shut down international finance meetings, peaceful demonstrations yesterday remained a reminder of the social costs of unfettered globalization.

Friends Ivory & Sime Engages Companies on Human Rights (04/12)
The London-based social investment firm launches a unique human rights initiative through dialogue with company management.

Business Leaders Report on Corporate Responsibility in China (02/25)
The Business Roundtable asserts that responsible businesses contribute to improved social, labor, and environmental conditions.

Shareholders Lean on Global Corporate Accountability (02/08)
In shareholder resolutions pending for the 2000 proxy season, global human rights, vendor standards, and other issues of corporate accountability loom large.

NGOs Author (01/31)
Groups monitoring the World Economic Forum meeting seek UN leadership in corporate behavior addressing environmental protection and human rights.

Sullivan Principles for Corporate Accountability Go Global (01/18)
The author of the code of corporate behavior that ushered South Africa out of the Apartheid era brings his uncommon good sense to multinationals around the world.

Jubilee 2000 Marks the Millennium with a Pledge for Debt Relief (12/13)
An international coalition gathers momentum in its efforts to erase the debt of the poorest nations and the collateral cost to health and social programs.

Can WTO Pick Up the Pieces? (12/08)
Last week at the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting, there was more consensus between protesters outside than delegates inside the talks.

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