All articles tagged with #corporate accountability
Democratic leaders are preparing for a potential return to power in 2026, but internal divisions are emerging over how aggressively to investigate corporations that interacted with the Trump administration. While progressives push for broad scrutiny of tech and crypto firms, moderates warn against using government power for retribution, arguing that many companies acted under coercion rather than voluntary corruption.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) added 61 companies to its database of businesses operating in Israeli settlements, bringing the total to 214 firms across 11 countries. The list, which targets companies involved in construction, surveillance, or utilities in occupied territories, has been updated only twice since its 2020 inception. Israel rejected the update as a political smear, while the UN emphasized corporate due diligence responsibilities.
The UN human rights office has added 61 companies to its database of firms linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, bringing the total to 214 businesses across 11 countries. The majority of listed entities are Israeli, with others based in the US, UK, France, and other nations. The list, which lacks binding enforcement power, aims to name and shame companies involved in activities such as construction, surveillance, and utility provision. Israel rejects the database as illegitimate, while European nations have recently banned trade with settlement-linked goods.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expanded its database of companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The latest update adds 61 new entities, bringing the total to 214 businesses across 11 countries. The report outlines 10 prohibited activities, including construction facilitation and utility provision, and notes that 126 businesses were assessed for inclusion. While the majority of listed firms are Israeli, others are based in the US, UK, France, and other nations. The UN applies a 'reasonable grounds' standard of proof, lower than criminal court requirements, and allows companies 60 days to respond to inclusion. This move follows the International Court of Justice's 2024 advisory opinion declaring settlements unlawful and coincides with recent European trade restrictions on settlement-linked goods.
DoorDash agreed to a $131.5 million settlement with New York City to resolve claims of underpaying 264,000 delivery workers. The deal includes $115 million in restitution and $16 million in fines, marking the largest worker settlement in the city's history. This resolution follows a period of intense political scrutiny, as the company had spent $1.4 million opposing Mayor Mamdani’s election, which now oversees strict labor enforcement.
Billionaire Mark Cuban advocates for naming and shaming large employers like Walmart, McDonald's, and Amazon that pay low wages causing their full-time workers to rely on Medicaid, arguing that taxpayers are subsidizing corporate profits and emphasizing accountability over policy reform.
The UN has added nearly 70 companies from 11 countries to its blacklist for allegedly supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, highlighting concerns over human rights violations and international law. The list now includes 158 companies, mostly Israeli, with some from the US, Europe, and China, and aims to name and shame firms linked to settlement activities. Israel strongly rejects the list, calling it unjustified, amid ongoing tensions over settlement expansion and potential annexation plans.
A new analysis by Corporate Accountability reveals that many major corporations, including Delta, Gucci, Volkswagen, ExxonMobil, Disney, easyJet, and Nestlé, have invested in carbon offset projects that are fundamentally flawed and likely ineffective, casting doubt on their claims of greenhouse gas reductions. The study found that a significant portion of the carbon credits purchased by these companies are "likely junk," suggesting that the voluntary carbon market may be overvalued and not delivering the promised environmental benefits. Critics argue that reliance on such offsets distracts from the urgent need for real, lasting climate action.
The Carbon Majors Database has identified 57 industrial and state entities as the main culprits behind climate change, with a shocking 88 percent of global emissions attributed to just these top offenders. The group aims to hold these polluters accountable and shift the blame from consumers to the moneyed interests driving climate change, emphasizing the moral reprehensibility of companies continuing to expand carbon fuel production despite knowing the harm caused. The report highlights the urgent need for corporate accountability and action to combat climate-related human rights violations.
Boeing has been facing scrutiny over the quality of its planes, with concerns dating back years and exacerbated by the pandemic-related loss of experienced workers. Former and current employees described practices such as "inspector shopping" to bypass quality procedures. Boeing stated it did not allow this and had increased the number of quality inspectors and inspections per plane. The company now faces the challenge of improving product quality and regaining credibility with regulators, airlines, and the public.
John Oliver criticizes management consulting firm McKinsey & Company for its questionable clients and practices. McKinsey, known for its low profile and high prices, has advised companies like Purdue Pharma and oil companies, as well as public entities like New York City's Rikers Island. Oliver highlights conflicts of interest, such as consultants working for both Purdue and the Food and Drug Administration simultaneously. McKinsey's involvement with the Saudi government and its creation of a list targeting dissidents also come under scrutiny. Oliver argues that consulting firms should be held accountable for their actions and not allowed to operate invisibly.
California's Legislature has passed a bill that would require large companies to disclose their annual emissions of greenhouse gases, making it the first state in the US to do so. If signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, about 5,300 corporations earning over $1 billion and doing business in California would be required to report their global emissions, including indirect sources such as supply chains and consumer use of their products. The aim is to hold companies accountable for their role in climate change and increase corporate transparency on emissions.
Agnieszka Fryszman, a former hockey mom turned human rights lawyer, has gained international recognition for her fearless advocacy and groundbreaking work in confronting corporate giants, human traffickers, and human rights abuses. From fighting against Nazi profiteers to securing settlements for victims of torture and slavery, Fryszman's career is an inspiration for bookworms everywhere. Her most recent victory came in the form of a settlement with ExxonMobil, ending a two-decade battle over torture allegations against the company's hired security forces in Indonesia. Despite her achievements, Fryszman remains humble and emphasizes the importance of pro bono work and making a difference wherever possible.
Grassroots activists who took on British mining giants and a serial plastics polluter are among the six 2023 Goldman prize winners. The winners include Diane Wilson, who won a landmark lawsuit against Formosa Plastics for dumping vast quantities of toxic plastic waste on the Texas Gulf coast, and Chilekwa Mumba, who helped change UK law after the supreme court in London ruled that the British mining company Vedanta Resources could be tried in the UK court system. Other winners include Indigenous women from Indonesia and Brazil who overcame powerful corporations and deep-seated misogyny in their communities to safeguard large swathes of two of the world’s largest rainforests.