Entries by Michael Posner

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How to Make ESG Investing Real and Meaningful

Attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently made frequent references to ESG. An acronym for environment, social, and governance issues, ESG has become shorthand for what had been known as “corporate social responsibility” or “sustainability.” Judging from programs and conversations in Davos, there is a growing sentiment, at least in some quarters, that global companies need […]

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How Corporations Should Respond to Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine

Since the end of World War II, thousands of Western-based companies have benefited from the advent of the globalized economy. They have profited from selling their products to consumers in China, India, and other far-flung markets while reducing costs by shifting manufacturing of everything from clothing to digital devices to low-wage economies. Western-based mining and […]

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Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Offers a Moment for the U.S. to Rebuild Bipartisanship

Thirty-five years ago, when Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” Americans across the political spectrum stood behind their president. Reagan articulated a long-standing bipartisan commitment to human rights and democracy: “We believe that freedom and security go together,” he said, “that the […]

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Does Tesla Deserve to Be Treated as an ESG Champion?

In January, Tesla, a company with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion, announced “breakthrough” 2021 profits of $5.5 billion. But there is trouble in the company’s supply chain. The batteries in electric cars like the ones Tesla manufactures require cobalt, a mineral found in abundance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While electric […]

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Business Leaders Should Take a Stand Against China’s Human Rights Abuses

On November 2, Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis star and former Olympian, posted a statement online accusing a former senior Chinese government official of sexually assaulting her. Chinese censors quickly removed the post and Peng disappeared from the public eye for weeks.She has since resurfaced in videos and images, but the Beijing government has restricted Peng’s ability to speak […]

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Global Business Leaders Need to Push Ethiopia Toward Peace

Ethiopia is a country in crisis. In the last year, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been locked in a violent confrontation with the Tigray People’s Liberation Army (TPLF) , an armed conflict that has resulted in wholesale violations of human rights by both sides. The government has just declared a state of emergency as TPLF forces march toward the […]

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