The Corporate Responsibility Forum, organised by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, successfully concluded on 30 January at the NTU International Convention Centre. This year’s theme, Human-Centred Corporate Strategy: Linking Value Chain Responsibility to Global Competitiveness, examined the impacts of business and human rights on corporate operations, business expansion and investment opportunities. The Forum also explored both the legislative context of business and human rights and Taiwan’s key labour regulations. The event concluded with an introduction to the TCSA Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards, which encourage enterprises to advance their sustainability responsibilities.
Dr. Bonny Ling, Chief Executive Officer of Work Better Innovations, delivered a speech on Good for Workers, Good for Business: Making the Business Case for Responsible Recruitment. She highlighted that information related to labour rights not only influences whether consumers choose to purchase a company’s products, but increasingly affects investors’ decision-making. A growing number of investment institutions and funds now incorporate human rights and sustainability indicators when assessing potential investments.
Bonny cited Giant Manufacturing, the bicycle manufacturer, as a case study at the beginning. Following a U.S. withhold release order on its exported products, the company swiftly improved workers’ accommodation and implemented a zero-fee policy for migrant workers. This demonstrated Giant’s capacity to carry out human rights due diligence and address labour challenges, while underscoring the importance for industries to continue treating labour rights as a core component of operational risk management.
The forum attracted more than 400 registrants. We hope that respect for business and human rights will become a shared consensus among an ever wider audience.
