Since the mid-2000s the number of security professionals working for humanitarian organisations has increased significantly. This has important consequences for how humanitarian aid is delivered.

The SEC’s proposed climate rule, set to take effect in April 2023, is indicative of how the world has prioritized climate change and environmental degradation. However, the principles behind ESG and sustainability require us, as society, to consider social-based risks, not just environmental-based risks.

There is an “S” in ESG for a reason.

Environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) have become an important tool for decision-makers around the world to explore and understand the impacts of proposed development projects on the wider ecosystem.

They’re supposed to measure — and ensure that mechanisms are put in place to manage — the possible negative impacts on ecosystems and affected communities.

A French court on Tuesday dismissed a case brought against TotalEnergies by activists contending that the energy company’s major oil projects in east Africa violated the human rights of the region’s inhabitants and posed environmental risks.

In this episode I have the pleasure to chat to Liam Strang, the Global Head of Security and Crisis at Sightsavers. Sightsavers is a pretty cool organization. It's an international NGO that works to prevent and cure avoidable blindness, and it promotes equality for people with visual impairments mostly in developing countries.

Now, this is obviously cool in and of itself, but what I find really interesting is because of the success in relatively stable parts of the world, their mission is now compelling them to work in increasingly riskier jurisdictions. And to cope with this Sightsavers has evolved highly integrated program and security functions. Listen as Liam shares his experience working within this sector.

Policymakers tend to assume that the effects of conflict are felt only where violence occurs. As a result, humanitarian aid, protection efforts or asylum policies largely focus on conflict-hit areas. The World Health Organisation, for instance, provides emergency medical supplies in areas directly affected by violence. The UN Refugee Agency ties protection status to residing in areas hit by conflict. Our recent study finds, however, that conflict negatively affects food security, nutrition, health and education outcomes of families living hundreds of kilometres away from the epicentre of violence.

Anglo American, one of the world’s largest mining companies, has been accused of turning a “blind eye” to decades of lead poisoning suffered by hundreds of thousands of people living near a Zambian mine that it held a stake in for nearly 50 years, according to a landmark case in the Johannesburg branch of South Africa’s High Court.

Responsible sourcing should be at the top of the agenda for multinationals. But many green technologies — which we advocate in our war on climate change — rely on the use of minerals sourced in high-risk areas with poor human rights records.

Large African firms are making strides to improve community well-being, strengthening their social license to operate. They are part of the great global tide of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement pushing businesses to pursue better outcomes for all. It seems like a no-brainer – so why aren’t more African businesses and governments on board?

Sandwiched between the reporting behemoths of environment and governance, the social pillar of an organisation’s ESG strategy has always proved something of an enigma. Important yes, but what does it actually stand for, and how can companies demonstrate they are making measurable progress towards social goals?

Villagers in a township in Sinoe County’s Kpayan District last week blocked the entrance of a company mining sand in that area, claiming not to have taken part in a memorandum of understanding with their community.

Tainted by decades of environmental disasters, shattered communities and ravenous water consumption, mining companies — including those that dig up battery metals — are not traditional darlings of the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) crowd.

A South African researcher has developed a way to remove contaminants from water used in mining that could help clean up the dirty industry. The award-winning ion exchange method not only cleans the water but captures polluting metals that can then be re-purposed.

2023 will be a test of corporate America — the year we find out if corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles are deeply ingrained values or in fact only hobbies to be enjoyed in economic fair weather.

While addressing environmental concerns is critical in the long run for the world, in the here and now Africa has a broad spectrum of pressing social challenges that must also be addressed. Many investors are starting to recognise the link between environmental and social outcomes, especially in developing markets, and appreciate the complex ways in which tracked indicators can interconnect and influence each other.

ESG is playing a larger role than ever in investors’ portfolios. A new survey from PwC finds that certain environmental, social and governance issues are now among investors’ top 5 concerns, with 49% citing effective corporate governance and 44% citing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Deutsche Bank, meanwhile, found that “more than half of investors (53%) regard climate change as the most important factor affecting their investment decisions, up from 47% last year.”

The Small Arms Survey and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently launched a new report assessing the threat of violent extremism in this border region, as well as in four other border areas in northern Chad, southern Libya, north-eastern Niger, and western Sudan.

In this episode I have the pleasure to be speaking to Sabrina Segal. We discuss risk assessments and Sabrina shares an alternative approach to the risk register. Sabrina is a licensed US attorney, certified fraud examiner and government specialist with almost 20 years of experience working in the risk, ethics and integrity field. Her focus is on the third sector and she has worked at every level from direct implementation of humanitarian activities in the field to the development of organizational risk and compliance environments.

Conflict and insecurity are prevalent in northern Kenya. In recent weeks, cases of bandit attacks in the region have left villages terrorised and led to several deaths. In October 2022, the government launched a multi-agency security operation aimed at curbing further attacks.