STWR - Share The World's Resources

In countries rich in minerals, private companies often benefit from their extraction while local populations remain poor. The way to fight the ‘curse’ of natural resources is to ensure their benefits are shared fairly to improve spending on basic needs, says a report by Oxfam.

Whilst many mining companies have signed up to ‘corporate social responsibility’ initiatives in the last decade, debate remains as to whether voluntarism is effective. Are legal mechanisms required to ensure local communities benefit from resource extraction? By Matt Kennard.

So-called ‘green consumers’ often seek to purchase what they perceive as eco-friendly products. But a company’s reputation for sustainability and the extent to which it has genuinely minimised its impact on the environment are not the same thing, finds an investigation by the New Scientist.

After eight years of investigation into allegations of corruption, BAE Systems has reached settlements with UK and US regulators totalling almost US$500 million. Is this outcome an encouraging move towards corporate accountability, or an affront to justice?

A US Supreme Court ruling has abolished long-standing limits on corporate contributions to political campaigns. Does this edict uphold the right to freedom of speech, or does it corrupt democracy by further entrenching the electoral power of business interests?

Bribery and corruption in business are not only costing countries billions of dollars in lost revenues, but are partly to blame for the global economic crisis. Tackling these issues should be integral to the ongoing reforms of the global financial architecture, says a report by Transparency International.

The toxic waste dumped by oil trading firm Trafigura represents one of the world's worst cases of chemical exposure. The story is also a metaphor for corporate capitalism in revealing that without regulation, it's all too easy for firms to protect profit and pass the risk onto the world's poor, argues George Monbiot.