B4IG Newsletter #4
In this issue:
Inclusive growth content recommendations for the new year
Incubator 2021 applications now open
WISE Centre seeking contributions regarding remote work experiences
Key upcoming dates
B4IG Updates
Welcome back, we hope you had a good break and holidays even given the current context, and that you and your loved ones are all happy and healthy.
Of course, if there’s one thing the new year has proven, it’s that the challenges we were facing at the end of 2020 haven’t changed simply because the calendar did. Indeed, we could even say that issues surrounding inequality, social justice, labor and how to create inclusive communities are only becoming more pressing.
At B4IG, the new year brings an accelerating calendar in the Working Groups (you’ll find key dates to remember in their own section at the end of this newsletter) and a new batch of initiatives that will begin working with the Incubator team soon. Keep reading for all the details and don’t hesitate to let us know about specific developments regarding inclusive growth that are taking place at your company.
The Actions
The Incubator’s 2021 acceleration program is starting soon! B4IG coalition members can submit their applications now, with a deadline of February 12th. The 9-month long acceleration program will strengthen companies’ inclusive business projects and support them in solving a key challenge. Each project team will be assigned to a lead consultant who will provide tailored support. Furthermore, the teams will join the Incubator community, which will allow them to benefit from collective events and connections with experts, impact investors, and peers from the current and previous cohort as well as the coalition as a whole.
Find the application form and a more detailed overview of the program elements here and reach out to to hbrault@hystra.com or jclaugee@hystra.com with any questions. For insights into the acceleration experience, we recommend the short video here in which last year’s project managers share their thoughts. The Incubator team is looking forward to hearing from you!
Additionally, the full collection of the Incubator’s peer mentoring notes is now available for the coalition here. As each session had its specific structure and purpose, the styles of the notes differ slightly. We addressed diverse topics like behavior change, sustainable sourcing, and stakeholder engagement, and invite you to look at any note that may interest you.
From B4IG Members
On January 21 Unilever announced its plans to help build a fairer and more socially inclusive world with a set of commitments and actions including:
Ensuring everyone who directly provides goods and services to Unilever will earn a living wage or living income by 2030.
Spending €2B annually with suppliers owned and managed by people from under-represented groups by 2025.
Pioneering new employment models for our employees and equipping 10M young people with essential skills to prepare them for job opportunities by 2030.
You can find all the details here.
From the OECD
The OECD WISE Centre is collecting evidence on the effect of teleworking on the quality of work and the working environment. They invite any companies who have been working on these issues to share their work and any lessons that have been gained. This can include impacts of the new forms of work emerging throughout COVID (remote work and hybrid work) on the range of quality of work dimensions, from productivity, innovation, and personal well-being to work-life balance, trust and cooperation in the workplace, etc. Please contact Gabrielle.MCFARLANE-SMITH@oecd.org and gaiabottura.oecd@gmail.com if you have any studies or examples to share.
The OECD commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the OECD Convention in an event co-hosted by President of France Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez on Dec. 14-15. The event looked at the historical path of the Organisation and its achievements over the past six decades, highlighting the great transformation that has taken place. The opening Leaders’ Session with Heads of State and Government took stock of the state of affairs in the world economy, long-term trends, and of the specific contribution of the OECD to shaping “better policies for better lives”. Up to 11 Heads of State and Government from OECD Countries joined the conversation live and 30 other OECD Leaders sent video messages to celebrate this important moment for the OECD and for multilateralism. Other stakeholders joined this conversation through a number of events around the 60th Anniversary, including Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, who participated in the Stakeholder’s Panel on the topic “Fostering Collective Action Beyond Governments and International Organisations”.
Around the Globe
In terms of other developments occurring in the world of inclusive growth, we wanted to point out the following:
Is economics about to arrive at a new paradigm, a moment similar to the Copernican or Darwinian revolutions? Economist and G20 policy advisor Dennis Snower says, “Yes”.
Supported by the Gates Foundation, the ILO is pushing for wage payment digitalization to promote respect for workers’ rights and to broaden financial inclusion.
B4IG CEO Camille Putois wrote an op-ed together with Bertrand Badré on the next frontier of responsible business.
Then to kick off the new year, we asked the B4IG team to contribute with a burst of inspiration, their recommendations on books/articles/talks that no coalition member should miss. Here’s some of their suggestions, we hope you enjoy!
Impact: Reshaping Capitalism To Drive Real Change by Ronald Cohen (a member of the the Inclusive Growth Financing Forum Advisory Board )
Sustainable Investing: A Path To A New Horizon by Herman Bril, Georg Kell and Andreas Rasche
The Six New Rules Of Business: Creating Value In A Changing World by Judy Samuelson
A just recovery for whom? And how to achieve it? by Surya Deva, current Vice Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
How inclusive is inclusive business for women? by the Asian Development Bank
Save the Date(s)
In closing, this new section will be where we highlight upcoming dates and milestones for various parts of the B4IG coalition. So without further ado:
Working Group 1 (Human Rights) will develop a collective pilot relating to human rights due diligence by focusing on agency workers and/or contractors. The next preparatory meeting will be in February.
Working Group 2’s segments will be holding 1-on-1 interviews and multiple group meetings in the coming weeks:
Diversity & Inclusion is currently conducting a series of 1-on-1 interviews with Diversity/HR leads to get their insights and learn more about how coalition members are implementing D&I policies. Any companies wishing to participate are invited to contact Antoine Bakewell (bakewell.oecd@gmail.com) with the relevant people in their organization.
Responsible Restructuring (case studies): Jan. 28 (Danone); Feb. 11 (Unilever); Feb. 24 (Schneider)
Bridging the Digital Divide: Feb. 10.
Working Group 3 also has multiple meetings in its segments:
Inclusive Sourcing will be conducting a review of inclusive sourcing tools (Feb. 19) and a presentation of those tools to the B4IG coalition (March 4 workshop). These will then be used for a pilot program implemented over the course of the year.
Living Wage is conducting a coalition-wide information session on Feb. 4, led by Unilever and L’Oréal. This will lead toward the kick-off meeting of the new sub-working group, which coalition members are invited to join, on Feb. 18.
Access to Essential Goods & Services is moving toward a pilot program with Unilever’s Survive & Thrive team. Following a review of potential services on Jan. 28, the group will conduct a meeting with Unilever on Feb. 25 with the aim of launching the pilot and beginning to collect user feedback on March 25.
Working Group 4 (Impact Measurement) will receive updates on the Harvard Business School - Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative methodology on employment on Feb. 12 while also presenting the OECD program of work on impact measurement and beginning to engage on outcome indicators. On March 12, the meeting will focus on progress made with the HBS methodology.
Working Group 5 (Fair Transition) will hold its first meeting in February. Please contact Tae Park (tae.park@oecd.org) if you wish to participate.
March 4 workshop: Working Groups will present draft deliverables & ongoing projects for member feedback, in preparation for possible discussion and/or adoption by the Board. Several workshops will be held in parallel, open to all B4IG coalition members. The workshop agendas will be communicated in February.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow B4IG on Twitter and LinkedIn - we’re looking forward to moving down the path to inclusive growth with you!
B4IG Team