Sharp perspectives. Deep expertise. Cutting-edge innovations. Purposeful Connections is your bi-weekly source for the latest in purpose and ESG. Subscribe here.
There's an old adage which says it takes a healthy society for a company to thrive and grow. As ESG becomes increasingly radicalized, the victims are broad: our Earth, people of all ages seeking equitable jobs, a future filled with optimism instead of fear and want. Having grown up in the 60s and 70s, social justice—and later, climate survival— now seem so imperative for the future health, happiness, and prosperity of all generations. At CCOP, we show up daily in our work to help prescient companies leverage ESG commitments as a means of growth and innovation. If only the political swords could drop and the solutions could thrive. Our futures depend on it. Join us in this journey in any way you can—in the meantime, read on.
ESG is facing a showdown at the White House.
The "battle" over ESG—in particular, a Labor Department rule that allows retirement plan managers to include ESG in investment plans—is heating up and heading for President Biden's desk. A Senate resolution aimed at blocking the Labor Dept. rule is expected to get a Biden veto. However, the fight won't be over even if the President nixes this particular effort: "Republicans are likely to keep making [ESG] a political punching bag. Investment firms in turn are increasingly worried that incorporating socially minded issues in their decisions will cut into their profits." // New York Times: The Battle Over E.S.G. Heads to the White House // New York Times: Congress Moves to Block Investment Rule, Setting Up Veto Fight // Financial Times: Wall Street titans confront ESG backlash as new financial risk
Corporations made promises to support racial justice. BOMESI is keeping them honest. BOMESI—that's the Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute—is focused on nurturing economic empowerment, ecosystem sustainability, and innovation among Black-owned media. The Institute is focused in large part on increasing the advertising spend directed toward Black-owned media, which not only helps those founders and creators thrive, but helps "continue to document our stories in our voices." One of BOMESI's recent initiatives is a partnership with Color of Change to ensure corporations uphold the racial justice commitments they made during the height of civil unrest in 2020. // AdWeek: Brands still aren't grasping how to sustainably support Black-owned media // BOMESI: About us
One (tiny) step forward for workplace sexual harassment victims.
Around 54% of non-union, private sector employees are bound by a non-arbitration clause in their contracts. Historically, that has been a significant roadblock to employees when it comes to instances of sexual harassment or sexual assault. Last March, President Biden signed H.R. 4445, a new law which enables workers to choose arbitration, or bring their sexual harassment/assault cases to court. While a positive step forward, there's still work to be done, and today, the "onus is still on the worker to know their rights." Further, experts call the new law great but find it "frustrating...to see these claims get special treatment over allegations of gender bias, pregnancy discrimination or civil rights violations." // Fortune: It may be easier to sue your employer for sexual harassment now, but one huge barrier is preventing real progress
Hollywood is taking the climate change conversation to the big screen. Most existing movies about climate change take a familiar approach: Humanity failed, the climate changed drastically, and the outcome is apocalyptic. Today's screenwriters are working to reshape that narrative on both the big and small screens by including more accurate depictions of climate change and its impacts in their films and shows. The goal is to "shape society's collective approach to climate action"—and there is precedent for this approach. For example, evidence suggests that "queer representation in popular culture helped pave the way for marriage equality and that a coordinated effort among entertainment studios in the '80s and '90s...contributed to a decrease in drunk driving." // FastCompany: 'The visuals of today help create the reality of tomorrow:' Why Hollywood is finally tackling climate change on screen
Comments