New research studying winemakers in Italy exposes how production processes can become more environmentally friendly through institutional support, civil society pressure, and tech innovation. Prosecco’s popularity over the last two decades has grown exponentially; the Italian sparkling wine now sells more bottles than champagne and cava combined. Valpolicella also enjoys global success, although on a […]
Insights
The Taxonomy, CSRD, ESRS – Let’s Not Make it a Numbers Game
Europe’s new sustainability regulations such as the Taxonomy and CSRD come with a risk: they may turn corporate sustainability into a “numbers game” with compliance being the main (and sometimes only) goal. We risk ending up with lots of reporting but too little actions. European companies face a wave of sustainability regulations, most notably the […]
How unfairness in CEO compensation breeds corporate irresponsibility
CEO compensation, especially stock options, is a hotly debated topic for management and society. While CEOs earn several hundreds times more than average workers, largely through stock options, adding to growing inequality in our society, it is argued that such stock options are important to appropriately incentivize and remunerate CEOs for the enormous responsibilities they undertake. […]
Lobbying as if it mattered – an update: The Egypt Climate Summit and the Bleeding Edge of Demanding Corporate Political Responsibility
About a year ago, I traced the evolution of expectations about what responsible lobbying should look like. Back then I argued that the climate emergency is driving a substantive re-evaluation of what it means for companies to engage with the political sector in a responsible manner. The most recent COP27 summit provides yet more intriguing evidence of how the climate emergency is driving a deep transformation of what responsible lobbying means. Here are two examples:
Does sustainability get lost in the iron triangle?
Mounting evidence shows that while an increasing number of companies pledge to address sustainability challenges and reduce emissions, delivering on those promises is proving difficult. Companies are advised to get better at aligning priorities and operational goals. Yet one overlooked aspect of organisational life continues to surface in our data, as a barrier to realising the sustainability promises of companies. And that is something as ubiquitous as projects.
Governments’ Greenwashing and the Meaning of the “Fossil of the Day” Awards
An important, yet somewhat controversial international summit, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – commonly known as COP27 – is currently taking place in Egypt (6–18 November 2022). The first COP meeting was held in Germany in 1995 and the series of subsequent meetings has been […]
Should We Boycott the FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
On 20 November, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is opening its doors. Billions of football fans around the world will tune in and watch this mega sport event. As we are getting closer to the opening match, I am often being asked whether I believe it is responsible to watch the World Cup or whether it is better to boycott the tournament. Here is my personal assessment.
Centre Session on Paradoxes with Rikke Rønholt Albertsen
In this first episode of our Business of Society Centre Sessions podcast, centre manager Sarah Netter and PhD Rikke Rønholt Albertsen talk about the PhD journey, paradoxes, tensions, and the importance to “find your tribe”.
Environmentally Sound and Financially Rewarding? Key Findings From an Exploratory Study on the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
The Science-Based Targets initiative aligns firms’ emission reduction targets with a net-zero emissions pathway. Firm commitment yields significant abnormal returns which are larger for firms committed to larger emission reductions and for high-emitting firms. The IPCC’s sixth assessment established a code red for humanity and provided mounting evidence of widespread, rapid, and intensifying climate change. The Paris […]
Corporate Social Responsibility and Societal Governance
Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine reminds us that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is both a reflection of the times we live in and also dynamic! Numerous corporations, acting in response to social and political pressure, are withdrawing from Russia on the grounds that human rights, and a nation’s rights, are being trampled on. This is not to say that these decisions necessarily come easily: there may be ethical, strategic, stakeholder and political tensions. But the point is that perhaps the most basic societal issue of war and peace – and its governance – enters CSR agendas. Ethical investors are even considering the defense industries as suitable for their assets.