Lighthouse Action on Social Justice through Stakeholder Inclusion

Overview

Lighthouse Action on Social Justice through Stakeholder Inclusion surfaces leadership examples of how businesses are addressing social justice and equity through meaningful engagement with external stakeholders. It aims to both inform corporate leaders about potential approaches to advancing social justice through stakeholder inclusion and provide deeper reflection on the direction in which corporate actions must continue to evolve towards greater systemic change.

The Challenge

In 2020, Black Lives Matter, the Amazon and Australian wildfires, and the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on people of colour globally have driven massive attention to systemic injustices across our societies. Pandemic, protest and societal disruption have created an inflection point for many business and social enterprise leaders to evaluate their sustainability and long-term business strategies: not only in bolstering their internal practices, but also rethinking their commitments to impacted stakeholders within their ecosystems. These are the same communities bearing the brunt of the current COVID-19 crisis and future crises in climate, healthcare, food systems and other areas highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In addition to the surge of corporate discourse on environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, many businesses are responding to this moment by thinking holistically about long-term sustainability and, as part of their corporate vision, taking an integrated approach to justice: economic, environmental, gender, racial and social. Leaders from business, government and civil society are readying themselves to take bold new steps in engaging with impacted communities during and beyond the pandemic.

The Opportunity

Lighthouse Action on Social Justice through Stakeholder Inclusion highlights how businesses paving the path towards integrating social justice and sustainable development are partnering with impacted stakeholders to place them at the centre of both their sustainability initiatives and core business functions.

Outputs will be in the form of:

An insight report to be released September 2021, presenting nine “lighthouse examples” illustrating three areas in which business is partnering with communities and civil society to accelerate action on equity and social justice:

– In making new, bold investments targeting impacted communities in value chains and ecosystems

– In influencing public policy and speaking out as corporate citizens

– In applying rigorous accountability practices and sharing power with communities in their supply chains and in the communities they affect

A series of thematic virtual dialogues in 2021-2023 aimed at bringing together industry, government and civil society leaders on stakeholder inclusion, social justice and designing for inclusion in the decade of delivery.

For more information, please contact:

David Sangokoya, Head, Civil Society and Social Justice

Ty Greene, Community Specialist, Civil Society