The Top BSR Insights of 2017

Authors

• Katie Morris

  Former Manager, Communications and Marketing, BSR

To close out the year, we looked through our archives to see what insights from our sustainability experts you most enjoyed reading. Common themes appear throughout: a focus on futures thinking, increasing consumer demand for sustainability, new expectations for ethical and sustainable business, and the importance of continuing work to empower women.

Here are the most-read BSR blogs and reports of 2017.

Top Five Blogs of 2017

1. HERproject at 10: Celebrating HERsuccess, Inspiring HERfuture
   By Christine Svarer, HERproject Director 
   On International Women’s Day this year, we took a moment to think about what we have achieved with HERproject over the past 10 years and what we have left to do.
    
2. Introducing the Sustainable Futures Lab
   By Jacob Park, Sustainable Futures Lab Director 
   In September, BSR launched the new Sustainable Futures Lab, a new practice that will conduct research on horizon scanning and big data and offer consulting on scenario planning and “future-proofing,” all to meet the increasing needs for futures thinking.
    
3. Investors, Consumers, and Markets Demand Climate Action: Four Trends for Your Business to Know
   By Emilie Prattico, Former Manager
   Here are four business-driver trends that you should know as you explore how to implement climate strategies that support a low-carbon economy.
    
4. The State of Sustainable Business in 2017: Results from the Ninth Annual BSR/GlobeScan Survey
   By Laura Gitman, Senior Vice President
   Data from this year’s State of Sustainable Business Survey indicate that there is no question if business will lead on climate change, inclusive growth, human rights, and other sustainability priorities. Now we must answer how.
    
5. When the Business Case and Shared Value Aren’t Enough
   By Laura Gitman, Senior Vice President
   Yes, businesses have to earn profits and provide a return to their investors, but has the focus on a business case for everything undermined what it means to be a good corporate citizen?

Top Five Reports of 2017

1. Big Brands, Big Impact: A Marketer’s Guide to Behavior Change
   By Elisa Niemtzow, Managing Director; Edwina McKechnie, Manager
   In this report, we explore how companies can trigger simple behavioral shifts that enable more sustainable lifestyles, grow demand for more sustainable products, and create business value. It also offers insights on how sustainability teams can more readily engage with internal marketing colleagues.
    
2. The Five Levels of an Ethical Culture
   By Alison Taylor, Sustainability Management Director
   This working paper highlights the five levels at which business can build an ethical culture: at the individual, interpersonal, group, intergroup, and inter-organizational level.
    
3. The Future of Sustainable Business
   By Aron Cramer, President and CEO; Jacob Park, Sustainable Futures Lab Director; Eric Olson, Senior Vice President; Elisabeth Best, Communications and Marketing Manager
   The time is here for a new approach to sustainable business. Business as usual won’t get the job done—and sustainability as usual won’t suffice. This paper offers our thinking on where to go next and kicks off the conversation for 2018 and beyond.
    
4. Empowering Female Workers in the Apparel Industry: Three Areas for Business Action
   By Christine Svarer, HERproject Director; Racheal Meiers, Former Director; Berkley Rothmeier, Manager
   This business brief proposes three areas where apparel companies can build from a strong foundation to better drive improvements in outcomes for women workers and promote women’s economic empowerment around the world.
    
5. The Supply Chain Leadership Ladder
   By Tara Norton, Managing Director; Meghan Ryan, Manager; Jeremy Prepscius, Asia-Pacific Vice President
   This working paper introduces the Supply Chain Leadership Ladder, a maturity model for supply chain sustainability programs that companies can use to develop their program toward deeper impact.