DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ World’s largest sovereign wealth fund says green backlash is a chance for it to 'phase in' — not out
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Norway's $1.6 trillion wealth fund added to its bets in the biggest technology companies last year after interest in artificial intelligence drove a surge in the sector. Norway's $1.6 trillion sovereign wealth fund says it will continue to advocate for investments based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, brushing off the impact of a green political backlash. Analysts expect the outcome of this year's U.S. presidential election to determine whether the pushback against ESG investment strategies will have a deep and lasting effect. Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), told CNBC that the country's wealth fund continued to advocate for the ESG agenda. So that's important," Tangen told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on April 23.

Persons: Nicolai Tangen, Tangen, CNBC's Organizations: Norges Bank Investment Management, Republican, Democratic, CNBC Locations: Oslo, Norway, United States, U.S

☆ Biden administration sanctions makers of commercial spyware used to surveil US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Bad actors have used commercial spyware to target at least 50 US government officials, the Biden administration said last year as it unveiled an executive order banning federal agencies from using the technology. In 2021, the US government said NSO Group’s spyware had been used against roughly a dozen State Department employees serving in Africa. The US government has sought to build international support for curbing the use of commercial spyware, and last month, it announced visa restrictions for anyone seeking to enter the United States who has been involved in the commercial spyware industry. The use of commercial spyware “has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases,” the State Department said at the time. On Tuesday, the Biden administration vowed to watch closely for signs that Intellexa may seek to circumvent the sanctions.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Tal Jonathan Dilian, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, Côte, Biden, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Treasury Department, Intellexa Consortium, US, Google, Pegasus, Intellexa, Amnesty International, State Department, Commerce Department, Oregon Democratic Locations: Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain, Indonesia, Africa, States

☆ Bank CEO shrugs off U.S. war on 'woke' capital, says ESG investing is good for business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Sam Meredith | Www.Linkedin.Com In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Winters, Chief Executive Officer at the Standard Chartered Bank, attends a panel session of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. Ryan Lim | Afp | Getty ImagesStandard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters says environmentally conscious investing can be good for business, dismissing the impact of a U.S. crusade against mission-driven investments. In the United States, for example, Republican lawmakers have decried ESG as a form "woke capitalism" that seeks to prioritize liberal goals over investment returns. But one of the stats that I love is the biggest renewable power center in the United States is the state of Texas, right? Signage atop the Standard Chartered Plc headquarters building, center, in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024.

Persons: Bill Winters, Ryan Lim, ESG, Winters, CNBC's, — Organizations: Standard Chartered Bank, World Governments, Afp, Getty, Standard, Democratic, Chartered Plc, Bloomberg Locations: Dubai, U.S, United States, Texas, Hong Kong, China

☆ Exclusive: H&M probes Myanmar factory abuses as pressure intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The BHRRC has been tracking allegations of workers' rights abuses in garment factories since the military junta took power in Myanmar, plunging it into political and humanitarian crisis. There have been 21 cases of alleged abuses linked to Inditex suppliers over the two-year period, and 20 linked to H&M suppliers, according to the report. The Myanmar Garment Manufacturing Association did not reply to a request for comment. It expects its final orders from Myanmar suppliers to ship before the end of this year, but has also increased its presence on the ground. H&M and Bestseller are among 18 brands that are part of the European Union-funded MADE project aimed at improving labour conditions in Myanmar's garment factories.

Persons: Inditex, Spencer, Primark, we've, Karina Ufert, Vicky Bowman, Bowman, Helen Reid, Vanessa O'Connell, Marguerita Choy, Emelia Organizations: Reuters, Zara, Human Rights Resource, Myanmar Labour News, Myanmar Garment Manufacturing Association, Ethical Trade, European Union, European Chamber of Commerce, Myanmar Centre, Responsible Business, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, British, MYANMAR Spanish, Danish

Djamani was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty in 2018 after being convicted of possessing 31 grams of heroin. Djamani is the first woman to be hanged in Singapore since hairdresser Yen May Woen, 36, in 2004, who was also convicted of drug trafficking. Criminal lawyer Joshua Tong said those convicted of drug trafficking were usually men, but he had seen “his fair share” of women drug offenders. We demand an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty,” the group wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The case put Singapore’s zero-tolerance drug laws back under scrutiny, with rights advocates arguing the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking is an inhumane punishment.

Persons: Saridewi, Djamani, Yen, Woen, ”, Celia Ouellette, “, ” Adilur Rahman Khan, Chiara Sangiorgio, Joshua Tong, Tong, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, Kirsten Han, “ TJC, Suppiah, Dharmalingam Organizations: CNN, Singapore, Central Narcotics Bureau, Business Initiative for Justice, International Federation for Human Rights, Ministry of Home Affairs, Twitter, United Nations Office, Drugs Locations: Changi, Singapore, “ Singapore, France, Asia, East, Southeast Asia

☆ New York City pension chief urges pay clawbacks at Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Since the financial crisis of 2008, provisions to recover pay have been strengthened at top U.S. banks to limit risk-taking. Bank of America did not admit wrongdoing in its July 11 agreements with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Lander oversees public-employee pension funds with some $300 million worth of Bank of America (BAC.N) stock. It said Bank of America charged multiple fees to customers who did not have enough funds in their accounts from February 2018 until February 2022. The bank said it voluntarily reduced overdraft fees and eliminated all nonsufficient fund fees in 2022.

Persons: Brad Lander, Lander, Wells, Michael Garland, Ross Kerber, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York, of America's, Bank of America, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Reuters, Bank of, Human, of America, Thomson Locations: New, Charlotte , North Carolina, Reuters , New York City, New York City, Boston

☆ Morgan Stanley adds this beat-down energy stock to its list of best up-and-coming ESG plays
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's also growing capacity for renewable energy three-fold through 2027, giving it one of the largest renewable pipelines in the world. Byrd pointed to the company's leadership in new technology, including energy storage and carbon-free electricity. The energy stock has tumbled more than 28% this year after sidestepping 2022's bear market and finishing the year more than 18% higher. AES YTD mountain AES, year to date The other stocks in his top ideas list for the Americas — Deere , Eastman Chemical , New Fortress Energy and Nu Holdings — remained. AI and real-time sensing could help improve decision making around food distribution and waste, Byrd said.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Stephen Byrd, It's, Byrd, Nu Holdings —, Deere, That's, Nu, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: AES, Americas, Deere, Eastman Chemical, New Fortress Energy, Nu Holdings Locations: Brazil

☆ BlackRock's Fink says he's stopped using 'weaponised' term ESG
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - BlackRock (BLK.N) boss Larry Fink, at the forefront of the business world's adoption of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) standards, has stopped using the term, saying it has become too politicized. But the world's largest asset manager hasn't changed its stance on ESG issues, Fink told the Aspen Ideas Festival on Sunday. Republican politicians have attacked ESG as a way for the corporate world to implement what they argue is a politically liberal agenda, triggering a backlash from Democrats who are seeking to defend it. "I don't use the word ESG any more, because it's been entirely weaponised ... by the far left and weaponised by the far right," Fink said. "We had ... one of the best years ever, but I'm ashamed of being part of this conversation," said Fink, adding that his annual letters to investors that addressed ESG issues were never meant to be political statements.

Persons: Larry Fink, hasn't, Fink, it's, " Fink, Isla Binnie, Ross Kerber, Mark Potter Organizations: Aspen Ideas, Republican, United, BlackRock, Aspen, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, United States, United Nations, Texas, decarbonization

☆ Shopping platform Shein poised to take major U.S. market share. UBS thinks these companies will be hurt most
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Some big-name U.S. retailers could struggle as Chinese e-commerce company Shein gains ground in the country, UBS warned. "We believe SHEIN's momentum to continue, and the company could take major market share from US Softlines companies. Elsewhere, UBS data showed Shein was the second most-downloaded shopping app in the U.S. over the past month behind Temu.com. Nearly a quarter of those Shein shoppers said sales are not important to them, which is higher than average. Of typical clothing retailers, shoppers of Shein in the last three months were most likely to also shop at TJX Companies ' TJ Maxx during that period.

Persons: Jay Sole, Shein, Sole, Temu, TJ Maxx, Ross, There's, Nordstrom, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: UBS, Wall, Companies, Inc, Navy, Amazon, Walmart, Target Locations: U.S, Shein, American

☆ This compact fund beats the market and provides a downside cushion in tough times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

While now considered compact with 40 holdings, portfolio manager Andrew Choi said it has become known for its cushion when the market hits a bad patch. " The fund has returned 10.9% annually since its inception, compared with a 9.9% year gain over the same period for the broad S & P 500. PRBLX .SPX YTD mountain The fund vs. the S & P 500 'Dancing in the right places' The fund was created in 1992, about eight years after the firm itself began. He said the fund finds stocks that can provide downside cushion by looking at moats and management teams. Rolling returns over the past five years show the fund outperforming the S & P 500 and Russell 1000 about 60% of the time.

Persons: Andrew Choi, Choi, Morningstar, Todd Ahlsten, Ahlsten, Warren Buffett, Biden's, they're, Salesforce, Charles Schwab, Apple, Big, Stephen Welch, it's, Russell, sharpe, Welch Organizations: Equity Fund, firm's CIO, GOP, Semiconductor, Devices, Nvidia, Bank of America, Microsoft, Apple, Deere, Linde, Procter, Gamble, Adobe, Mastercard Locations: downturns

☆ Elon Musk's potential plan for turning Twitter into a super app is an uphill battle. These are the 3 biggest things holding the strategy back, according to experts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

And while he's never publically detailed specific plans for a super app, recent changes at Twitter offer some clues. He first teased his intentions to transform Twitter into a super app called "X" prior to acquiring it in October 2022. It 'makes no sense' to build on TwitterFor starters, Twitter is a peculiar place to build a super app, some experts said. A super app in the US is difficultPerhaps a bigger issue not specific to Musk's plans for Twitter is whether a super app in the US is even possible. So if anyone can build a super app in the US, it would be him.

☆ Elon Musk's everything app could include Twitter. But industry experts can't make sense of the strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk wants to create a US super app, but industry experts have some concerns. And while he's never publically detailed specific plans for a super app, recent changes at Twitter offer some clues. He first teased his intentions to transform Twitter into a super app called "X" prior to acquiring it in October 2022. It 'makes no sense' to build on TwitterFor starters, Twitter is a peculiar place to build a super app, some experts said. A super app in the US is difficultPerhaps a bigger issue not specific to Musk's plans for Twitter is whether a super app in the US is even possible.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis' attempt to strip the company of its decades-long special tax status as 'anti-business' and 'anti-Florida'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger says Gov. Disney and DeSantis have been embroiled in a bitter feud over a law known as "Don't Say Gay." Disney CEO Iger on Monday accused the Sunshine State's governor of retaliating against Disney and attempting to punish it by stripping Disney of its special tax status. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek was initially slow to respond to the bill despite mounting pressure to denounce it, angering both the public and its staff who accused the company of side-stepping the issue. DeSantis has asked Florida's inspector general to look into whether Disney executives, staff, or agents had anything to do with the loophole.

☆ Intel’s New Compliance Chief Navigates Geopolitics, Supply-Chain Shift
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Carol Tate is the chief compliance officer at Intel. “It’s an exciting time to lead a global team with a company that’s at the center of those things.”Ms. Tate spoke with Risk & Compliance Journal about the supply-chain shift, layoffs and other topics. WSJ: What role does compliance play when it comes to these massive geopolitical pressures around the chip industry? Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. We refer to it as CRIS [compliance risk intelligence system].

☆ 23 major brands suspected of illegally sourcing products made by forced labor in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And more ...Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderThese companies have also been suspected of having direct or indirect ties to Chinese forced labor in the aforementioned reports. Bosch"Bosch is committed to ensuring that its products are not produced wholly or in part by forced labor. "Compliance with human rights, labor rights and environmental standards is a top priority at PUMA and has been specified in our Codes of Conduct for over 20 years." As stated in our Business Conduct Guidelines, we reject all forms of oppression, forced labor and participation in human rights violations. We will continue to respect human rights and take a strong stand against forced labor."

☆ Is Patagonia the end game for profits in a world of climate change?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As far back as 1985, Patagonia deployed portions of its profits to the environment, via an "Earth tax." "The Patagonia model is a little more sophisticated." It often is very attractive from a corporate tax perspective, too, which has been noted of both the Ikea and Patagonia business models. One hundred percent of Patagonia profits are now committed to its new non-profit Holdfast Collective — which owns all of the company's non-voting stock (98% of the total stock). "What people fail to understand about Patagonia, both the past and the future, is that we are unapologetically a for-profit business, and we are extremely competitive," Ryan Gellert said.

☆ Taylor Swift used my company's casket for her 'Anti-Hero' music video. We saw a huge spike in traffic and thank her profusely.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Joshua Siegel cofounded Titan Casket, a direct-to-consumer casket seller. It sold a casket to a production company, which Taylor Swift used in her new video for "Anti-Hero." When Scott described the industry structure to me, I immediately saw the opportunity to create a direct-to-consumer business selling caskets. Liz and Scott ran the business full-time, and we brought on an intern from the University of North Carolina for the summer of 2020. Because funeral caskets don't constitute a highly competitive space, we could book Google Ads without much competition.

☆ Prosperity: Companies foster sustainable communities when they take a long-term view and measure progress
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-03 | by ( Julia Hood | Megan Dematteo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Prosperity goals seek to help communities thrive, which is crucial to ensure a sustainable future. This article is part of the "Financing a Sustainable Future" series exploring how companies take steps toward funding and setting their own sustainable goals. Prosperity goals are designed to foster the health and growth of communities across multiple tracks — including adequate employment, economic opportunity, and access to education and training. So if companies are doing all this simply by existing, why focus on prosperity as one of the pillars of a sustainable future? "By measuring and reporting on aspects of prosperity more holistically, companies and their stakeholders can become better informed."

Search resuls for: "Responsible Business"

18 mentions found