home
frankly speaking podcast

#54 Michael H. Posner: Views from the U.S. on the Future of Business and Human Rights

There's very little pressure being applied to companies by investors looking at how they're actually behaving and treating human rights as a core business priority. This needs to change.

In this Frankly Speaking episode, we welcome Professor Michael Posner, director of the Centre for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern School of Business. He also served in the Obama administration as assistant secretary of State. Throughout his career, Mike has played a key role in establishing some of the major global initiatives on responsible business, including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the Fair Labor Association, and the Global Network Initiative, and he continues to be one of the leading voices on business and human rights in the United States.

You’ll hear more about:

  • How too much about business and human rights is still process, not outcome or performance.
  • Why companies must not abrogate responsibility
  • A strong call for standards on due diligence and said these are needed if there's going to be  genuine accountability for businesses on their conduct 
  • The difficult political situation in the United States at the moment and how to respond to the ESG backlash

Resources:

“I'm not interested if the only outcome of the European due diligence directive is that companies issue more reports, They have more people working in sustainability offices. They have more task forces. They do more evaluations. I want to know, are the workers in your supply chain being treated differently?”

Michael H. Posner in Frankly Speaking

You may also like these episodes

41:20

#39 Dr. Anneloes Smitsman: Social Tipping Points and How Can Business Contribute to Systems Change

Listen to Dr. Anneloes Smitsmann Systems scientist, futurist, founder and CEO of EARTHwise.

34:25

#38 Nele Meyer: EU Due Diligence Rules Unpicked and Predictions for 2024

Listen to Nele Meyer, director of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice European network of NGOs which undertake advocacy on issues of corporate accountability.

33:04

#37 Maria Mendiluce: An Inside View of COP28 - What Are the Implications for Business?

Listen to Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and one 2023 world’s top 100 Climate leaders.