14 May 2014 A just-released survey of expert stakeholders from business, government, NGOs, and academia across 87 countries shows that Unilever, Patagonia, Interface and M&S are viewed as leaders in corporate sustainability. For the fourth year in a row, and by the largest margin yet, Unilever is regarded as the number-one corporate sustainability leader, with 33 percent of expert respondents identifying the company (up 8 points from 2013) as a “leader in integrating sustainability into its business strategy.” Nearly one … “Global Experts Rank Unilever Number One for Sustainability Leadership in New Survey”
London, 13 May 2014 Download the Report (PDF) Amnesty International has reported on torture or other ill-treatment in 141 countries over the past five years New global survey of more than 21,000 people in 21 countries across every continent reveals fear of torture exists in all these countries Nearly half of respondents fear torture if taken into custody More than 80% want strong laws to protect them from torture More than a third believe torture can be justified Amnesty International … “Global Crisis on Torture Exposed by New Worldwide Campaign”
This article was originally published on GreenBiz.com, as part of our Proof Points blog series. 28 March 2014 – Despite a severe drought, Americans don’t seem to notice that water is at low ebb. New GlobeScan Radar survey results show that American concern about fresh water shortages counterintuitively has hit new lows, especially compared to a year ago. The proportion of Americans now saying water shortages constitute a “very serious” issue has declined from more than half (54 percent) in 2013 to just over … “Why Your Business Should Keep Ahead of Public Concern About Water”
Download the Full Report (PDF) 31 March 2014 – Just over one in two citizens (52%) across 17 countries polled for the BBC World Service disagree that “the Internet is a safe place to express my opinions,” outnumbering the 40 per cent who agree it is safe. The poll, conducted by GlobeScan among over 17,000 people worldwide between December 2013 and February 2014 is being released as part of Freedom Live—a day of broadcasts on the World Service’s 27 language services exploring stories about freedom … “One-in-Two Say Internet Unsafe Place for Expressing Views: Global Poll”
Majority think climate change is causing more frequent storms, but aren’t taking action to protect their homes and communities TORONTO, 19 March 2014 – Heavy rainstorms, snowfall and floods increasingly dominate news headlines, with extreme weather events directly affecting more than 3.5 million Canadians in 2013. According to the seventh annual RBC Canadian Water Attitude Study, three-quarters of Canadians (74 per cent) agree that climate change will cause these events to happen more frequently. Yet just 23 per cent are concerned … “What Will It Take For Canadians To Wake Up To The Threats of Extreme Weather?”
This article was originally published on GreenBiz.com, as part of our Proof Points blog series. 21 February 2014 – Who do you trust to interpret data for your business decisions? If you’re a CEO, it may be the members of your executive team; if you’re a mainstream investor, you may look to Bloomberg or the Dow Jones Index to decipher the data on Wall Street. But what if you’re a sustainability professional? With companies producing increasingly transparent sustainability reports, each with extensive … “How Much Do Stakeholders Trust Corporate Sustainability Ratings?”
Quality of Life Improved by Solar Lanterns New survey of rural Haitians documents multiple benefits of solar lights NEW YORK – 22 January 2014 – A new study by the GlobeScan Foundation and MPOWERD Inc. demonstrates the significant improvements in quality of life that solar lights can deliver for rural Haitian families. The research was conducted to evaluate and measure the impact of MPOWERD’s Luci inflatable solar lantern on economically disadvantaged families living in rural Haiti. According to the report (download … “Quality of Life Improved by Solar Lanterns: New Survey of Rural Haitians”
Redefining Sustainability in Asia This article was originally published in K Magazine PARIS – 16 January 2014 – Attitudes to business in the three largest Asian economies are changing. There’s a need for companies to balance opportunity with responsibility, says GlobeScan co-CEO, Christophe Guibeleguiet. While the economic opportunities in China, India and Indonesia are enormous, companies are now coming face-to-face with the responsibilities involved. Over the past year, major environmental disasters, food contamination scandals and stronger government demands for corporate citizenship have disrupted … “Redefining Sustainability in Asia”
This article was originally published on GreenBiz.com, as part of our Proof Points blog series. 7 January 2014 – “Materiality” was 2013’s sustainability buzzword. This is largely due to the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 framework, launched in May, that moved the concept of materiality into the heart of sustainability reporting and consequently into the bedrock of sustainability strategy. According to the GRI, material issues are those that have “direct or indirect impact on an organization’s ability to create, preserve or erode economic, environmental and … “New Survey Helps Move “Materiality” Beyond the Buzzword”
Stakeholder Collaboration Key to Curbing the Harmful Use of Alcohol AB InBev and GlobeScan release report highlighting crowd-sourced outcomes of online Well-Being and Responsibility Forum BRUSSELS, 17 DECEMBER 2013 – Anheuser-Busch InBev (Euronext: ABI) (NYSE: BUD) and stakeholder research firm GlobeScan today published a report (download here) detailing the outcomes of its Well-Being and Responsibility Forum, the first-ever online conversation on the harmful use of alcohol convened by a global brewer. As part of AB InBev’s Better World corporate social responsibility strategy, the … “Stakeholder Collaboration Key to Curbing the Harmful Use of Alcohol”