Why are some issues greyed out? Environment
- GHG Emissions
- Air Quality
- Energy Management
- Water & Wastewater Management
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
- Ecological Impacts
Social Capital
- Human Rights & Community Relations
- Customer Privacy
- Data Security
- Access & Affordability
- Product Quality & Safety
- Customer Welfare
The category addresses customer welfare concerns over issues including, but not limited to, health and nutrition of foods and beverages, antibiotic use in animal production, and management of controlled substances. The category addresses the company’s ability to provide consumers with manufactured products and services that are aligned with societal expectations. It does not include issues directly related to quality and safety malfunctions of manufactured products and services, but instead addresses qualities inherent to the design and delivery of products and services where customer welfare may be in question. The scope of the category also captures companies’ ability to prevent counterfeit products.
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
The category addresses social issues that may arise from a failure to manage the transparency, accuracy, and comprehensibility of marketing statements, advertising, and labeling of products and services. It includes, but is not limited to, advertising standards and regulations, ethical and responsible marketing practices, misleading or deceptive labeling, as well as discriminatory or predatory selling and lending practices. This may include deceptive or aggressive selling practices in which incentive structures for employees could encourage the sale of products or services that are not in the best interest of customers or clients.
Human Capital
- Labor Practices
- Employee Health & Safety
- Employee Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion
Business Model & Innovation
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
- Business Model Resilience
- Supply Chain Management
- Materials Sourcing & Efficiency
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change
Leadership & Governance
- Business Ethics
- Competitive Behavior
The category covers social issues associated with existence of monopolies, which may include, but are not limited to, excessive prices, poor quality of service, and inefficiencies. It addresses a company’s management of legal and social expectation around monopolistic and anti-competitive practices, including issues related to bargaining power, collusion, price fixing or manipulation, and protection of patents and intellectual property (IP).
- Management of the Legal & Regulatory Environment
- Critical Incident Risk Management
- Systemic Risk Management
(Industry agnostic)
Disclosure Topics (Industry specific) for:
Media & Entertainment
Get access to the full industry standard
Customer Welfare
Media Pluralism
Media pluralism, which is diversity in the broadest sense, includes both external and internal pluralism. External pluralism refers to media ownership, independent editorial boards, channels, titles, or programs. Internal pluralism refers to the social, racial/ethnic, and political diversity represented in media content. Media and entertainment companies can ensure pluralism by maintaining on- and off-screen diversity and by safeguarding the independence of editorial boards and programming.
Selling Practices & Product Labeling
Journalistic Integrity & Sponsorship Identification
Audiences rely on journalists for accurate and timely information on current events. Principles of journalism include accuracy, fairness, minimization of harm, independence, accountability, and transparency. Failure to adhere to these principles can affect the credibility of not only the journalist, but also of the company responsible for publishing or broadcasting these materials. As regulations around the disclosure of sponsorship and endorsement evolve, transparency is important for both journalism and entertainment content.
Competitive Behavior
Intellectual Property Protection & Media Piracy
Companies in this industry rely on their intellectual property (IP) to generate revenue. However, while IP protection is inherent to their business model, strong IP protections may sometimes conflict with the interests of society. Proponents of IP protection assert its importance as a driver of innovation. Opponents argue that assigning ownership can stifle innovation and competition by enabling the creation of monopolies. Despite the industry’s best efforts, media piracy is rampant and companies devote significant resources to protecting and enforcing their IP rights. Media and entertainment companies therefore must balance protecting their intellectual property with ensuring access to media and allowing fair use.
Add Industry
Recommended Next Step: Get access to the full industry standard