OPINION: Five years ago, Oxfam and Unilever agreed to an unusual collaboration. Oxfam conducted a study on labour rights in Unilever’s Vietnam supply chain and operations. Liesbeth Unger founder of Human Rights@Work, and adviser and co-writer of Oxfam’s previous Unilever report asks, why did Unilever do it? How did they perform? And what can other companies seeking to improve their …
Labour rights in Unilever’s Vietnam supply chain: what has changed since the first Oxfam study?
LEARNING: Rachel Wilshaw, Ethical Trade Manager for Oxfam, introduces their latest report on labour rights in Vietnam, a unique study done in conjunction with Unilever. Five years ago, Oxfam and Unilever agreed to an unusual study. Unilever opened up its business so Oxfam could understand how it managed labour rights, and what this meant for workers on the ground. Vietnam …
Business must show more commitment and collaboration on climate change
OPINION: At the Paris climate summit there were promising signs from the private sector about taking action on climate change, but the path to a low carbon future is still far from clear. Lucia Lopez Pineda urges businesses to step up their game in collaboration with civil society and the development sector. This week the Business and Climate Summit 2016 …
Will business continue to feed climate change?
OPINION: As business representatives gather for a climate summit in London Irit Tamir explains why the food and beverage sector should play a prominent role in reducing global emissions. The Paris Agreement marked a major breakthrough in support for climate action from the business community, and later this week business leaders will gather in London for the Business and Climate …
Partnering with IKEA Foundation and local communities for effective emergency response
NEWS: As world leaders and NGOs meet for the World Humanitarian Summit the importance of local organisations in responding to disasters is high on the agenda. Here Alex Lankester, Head of Corporate Partnerships, explains how Oxfam is taking its humanitarian work with local partners to a new stage, in collaboration with the IKEA Foundation. With the global humanitarian system close …
Supplier treatment: why Tesco and other supermarkets should integrate business and ethics
The actions that large companies take to source their products have direct implications for workers in their supply chains. In the wake of a critical report about Tesco’s treatment of its suppliers, Rachel Wilshaw, Oxfam’s Ethical Trade Manager, explains why more needs to be done to protect suppliers and the rights of their workers. Twelve years ago I was at …
What is a human worth? Bold commitments from business needed
Business has a key role to play in tackling inequality, but the evidence suggests this isn’t happening. Erinch Sahan, Global Adviser on Business and Markets, proposes corporate targets that would ensure workers get a fairer proportion of profits. Extreme inequality is rising and business is key to tackling it. We need companies that are geared to channel much more of …
Gender mainstreaming in Malawi’s tea sector
Together with Oxfam, the Ethical Tea Partnership recently organised a workshop looking at gender mainstreaming in Malawi’s tea industry as part of Malawi 2020, a scheme to improve living standards for Malawi’s tea workers. Here Heleen Bulckens, Programme Manager at the Ethical Tea Partnership, explains what they learnt. Women make up about 30% of Malawi’s 50,000-strong tea sector workforce. They …