Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2010)

Reduced energy use and costs through training on identifying energy-saving opportunities, building systems for energy management, and emulating best practices.
Reduced water consumption and pesticides in sustainable cotton growing

Improved worker empowerment leading to reduced turnover (3% in one case study), improved productivity, and reductions in excessive overtime.
Investments in women’s health education and care resulting in a US$3 to US$1 return on investment (ROI) through reduced turnover and absenteeism.

Partnering with suppliers to improve human resources management practices (minimum hiring age, worker contracts, health and safety) to reduce risk of poor quality or production disruptions.
Developing worker empowerment programs and sustainability management systems with suppliers.

Poor working conditions in supply chains.
Supply chain interruptions or delays associated with suppliers’ environmental, social, or governance challenges.
Labor challenges leading to delivery delays or poor productivity.
Poor water management practices leading to unexpected shortages and sourcing delays.
Sustainability-related regulations (REACH, Illegal Timber Law, conflict minerals, human rights).

Providing suppliers with training on sustainability issues.
Developing worker empowerment programs.
Partnering with suppliers to develop sustainability management systems.
Auditing suppliers’ sustainability performance and partnering on corrective action plans.
Developing contingency strategies to respond to external sustainability events (new regulations, labor unrest).
Sustainable procurement practices to ensure supplier adaptation to regulatory changes and extended product responsibility legislation.

Partnering with suppliers to improve sustainability performance.
Providing technical assistance to implement energy and material use efficiency improvements.
Working with suppliers to adopt more sustainable farming practices.