Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

How BNP Paribas promotes sustainable palm oil

Elisabeth Hipeau, senior industry analyst, BNP Paribas, explains to Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb the bank’s approach to dealing with deforestation risks, and how it puts into practice its policy of its investments having as little impact as possible. Hipeau outlines how innovative financial products can help reward sustainability performance.

Weekly podcast: changing corporate deforestation commitments and impact of slavery sanctions

This week: Mickael Blais from the French Alliance for Forest Protection talks to Toby Webb about how company commitments on deforestation across different commodities are changing. And Stephanie Brown Cripps, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, discusses with Ian Welsh the impacts of government modern slavery sanctions on business. Plus, Australia pulls back on emissions commitments, plastic pollution in SE Asia and the best jeans ever, in the news roundup.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Business benefits of the natural capital approach

Mark Gough, executive director of the Natural Capital Coalition explains to Ian Welsh how the natural capital protocol has been developed and why it is being taken up by an ever-expanding network of leading companies. Taking a natural capital approach, Gough argues, brings robust business school thinking to sustainability.

Webinar – Responsible recruitment: tackling forced labour at the root

Recruitment is often the stage at which workers in supply chains can be most vulnerable to falling into modern slavery and bonded labour. They are forced to pay large fees to recruitment agents and middle-men. In response, a number of brands are taking action. In this webinar, an expert panel discusses the Employer Pays Principle and assesses the latest company commitments towards responsible recruitment.

Webinar panel:

Brent Wilton, director of global workplace rights, The Coca-Cola Company

Doug Nystrom, director of human rights – supply chain, Walmart

Cindy Berman, head of modern slavery strategy, The Ethical Trading Initiative

Hosted by: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum

Is slavery the greatest human rights risk for business?

Yousuf Aftab, principal at Enodo Rights, explains to Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh why modern slavery is both a salient and material risk for companies. Given the legal trends – slavery is the area that legislators worldwide are now targeting – business has no option but to take notice and engage on the issues. Aftab outlines why the move of mainstream investors, such as Black Rock, to ask companies more and more questions about modern slavery and human rights is another key trend that corporate leaders can’t ignore.

Weekly podcast: why investors expect more on modern slavery, and palm oil's biodiversity impact

This week: Valentina Gurney from the Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility talks to Ian Welsh on trends in disclosure and behaviour change that investors expect from companies on modern slavery. And Erik Meijaard from Borneo Futures and Toby Webb talk about palm oil’s impact on biodiversity. Plus why regulation on plastic bags is having a big impact, investor pressure on the RSPO and some potential impacts of the recent Monsanto court verdict, in the news roundup.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Capacity building to enforce modern slavery laws

Tim Gehring, director of global policy and partnership, International Justice Mission and Ian Welsh discuss why governments worldwide require help to develop the capacity to respond properly to modern slavery and forced labour. They discuss collaboration trends and why too many actors work in parallel rather than combining to tackle slavery issues more effectively together. And Gehring outlines what companies can do better to identify their own human rights risks and to help bring modern slavery perpetrators before the courts, while at the same time improving supply chain efficiency.

How to achieve supply chain trust

Antoine Heuty, founder and CEO of Ulula, talks with Ian Welsh about what is required to effectively develop transparency for workers in supply chains, how innovation is developing the next generation of solutions, and how to get the right balance between low tech and high tech. 

Weekly podcast: the future of business leadership, and what you need to know about materiality

This week: David Grayson, emeritus professor from Cranfield School of Management, takes Toby Webb through five key attributes of business leaders. And Sancroft chief executive Judy Kuszewski outlines findings from new research into business and materiality. Plus why food companies are becoming the world’s biggest carbon emitters, Burberry’s disposal policy under fire, and the G20’s £272bn of imports with slavery risks, in the news roundup.

Hosted by Ian Welsh.

How positive community impact is good for business

Terry Nelidov, managing director of the Erb Institute for Sustainable Business, describes to Ian Welsh trends he sees in how companies approach their social licence to operate, particularly in the extractive sector. He argues that companies now see this as essential given their businesses will struggle to cope with having facilities that are rendered un-operational because of local disputes – at a potential cost of millions of dollars. They also discuss how the sustainable development goals are driving the agenda for business sustainability.