October 9, 2023
One of the more shocking trends in ESG and sustainability is when a stand-out leader in one area of ESG (environment, for example) lags behind significantly or experiences concerning controversy in another area. Today on Table Stakes, we’re examining three examples of companies (Kaiser Permanente labor strikes last week, Patagonia controversy in fair pay of textile workers, and Ben & Jerry’s role in a migrant child worker crisis) whose fair treatment and fair pay initiatives just don’t hold up against their impeccable environmental programs. What can we do to influence the fair labor work of brands we already respect?
Shownotes
- Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S.
- Ben & Jerry’s NYT Response
- ESG Is Going to Have a Rocky 2023. Sustainability Will Be Just Fine
- Fashion United: Patagonia Exploits Textile Workers and Produces in Fast Fashion Factories
- Business Wars: McDonald’s Quietly Removes “ESG” References from Its Website
- Ten Ways to Support Workers on Strike and One Don’t
- What the Child Labor Crackdown is Missing
Great discussion and timely as companies are receiving framework scores, a lot of which are heavily weighted “E”. I had to come find the materials you referenced as my team has been having this discussion on making sure we have a balance between E,S & G.
Looking forward to your next episode.