"Investors and the ESG blind spot: Upholding civic freedoms as part of geopolitical corporate responsibility", July 2023

... Business and civil society both benefit from strong civic institutions... the rule of law and the civic freedoms of expression, association and assembly. These elements of accountability are all critical to stable, profitable and sustainable business environments in which companies thrive and economies prosper.

... For investors and companies, which face growing public expectations that they should act responsibly, and which have increasing influence over global affairs, the reduction of civic space presents not only political but also legal, ethical, reputational and financial risks.

... Currently, there are several barriers to investor support for civic freedoms, including short-term decision-making; political sensitivities in relationships among investors, companies and host governments; the difficulty of measuring and integrating civic space issues into traditional investor methodology; and insufficient internal governance to support attention to these issues.

... For investors to demonstrate geopolitical corporate responsibility and match their rhetoric on social purpose with action, there needs to be a shift in both culture and process. By undertaking more comprehensive human rights due diligence and by increasing engagement with civil society stakeholders, investors and companies would be better able to identify and mitigate risks relating to civic space...