Salesforce + Customs and Border Patrol

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Author(s): Caroline Soussloff | UC Berkeley School of Law | J.D. Candidate 2019 | Posted: January 10th, 2019 | Download PDF

In June, employees at Salesforce called for the company to withdraw its contract with US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in opposition to the agency’s implementation of the Trump administration’s policy of family separation. In an open letter to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, they decried their employer’s complicity in “the inhumane treatment of vulnerable people.” NGOs are backing their efforts. However, Benioff has so far declined to cancel the contract—despite his personal political convictions, which lean progressive, and his demonstrated willingness to use Salesforce as a vehicle for political activism in the past (in the context of LGBT rights). (more…)

Standardized ESG Disclosure: European Union as Role Model?

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Author: Lukas Herndl | UC Berkeley School of Law | LL.M. Candidate 2019 | Posted: January 8th, 2019 | Download PDF

An increasing number of companies disclose their ESG[1] strategy and related risks to investors and to the public. These disclosures, commonly referred to as sustainability reports, follow a rising demand by investors who see ESG as an important factor influencing the long-term performance of businesses. But since disclosure is not mandatory, a significant number of companies does not report. And absent common guidelines, voluntary sustainability reports are hard to compare and thus have less value for investors. (more…)

Looking Beyond Bitcoin: How can Blockchain Drive Supply Chain Sustainability?

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Author: Roslyn Akel | UC Berkeley School of Law | J.D. Candidate 2019 | Posted: November 27th, 2018 | Download PDF

While blockchain is typically associated with crypto-currency, recent innovative uses for this technology in different sectors has the potential to transform corporate sustainability efforts.

Walmart can prevent food waste by using blockchain to quickly and cost effectively track the movement of their fresh produce in the event of a contamination. Partnering with IBM and using IBM’s blockchain technology, Hyperledger Fabric, Walmart ran successful trials on tracking the supply of mangoes from Mexico and pork from China. Most recently, Walmart announced that it utilized blockchain technology to track its lettuce supply chain in order to determine where potential outbreaks of illnesses may be coming from. Thus, Walmart was able to rely on this technology for the health benefits of its consumers. Typically, when there are reports of spoiling or contamination with a product, distributors and retailers such as Walmart are forced to pull all products off the shelves. The complexity of tracking the supply chain means that products are often pulled off the shelves even if those products may not actually be contaminated as a precautionary measure because it is unclear where the contamination originated and how far it reached. The New York Times reported that by this time next year, Walmart will require over 100 of their farms to input detailed information on a blockchain. (more…)

The Power of the Purse: The Role of VC Funding in Closing the Tech Gender Gap

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Author: Julia Molo | UC Berkeley School of Law | J.D. Candidate 2020 | Posted: October 15th, 2018 | Download PDF.

Venture capital (VC) funds play a critical role in determining the tech leaders of tomorrow. As such, closing the “gender investment gap” is one of the most talked about issues in the tech industry. As are the benefits – and unrealized opportunities – that will come from closing the gap. Indeed, report after report has shown that businesses founded by women outperform their male-founded counterparts, growing faster and ultimately delivering higher revenue.

Nonetheless, a staggering gender investment gap persists.

Only 2% of VC funding went to women in 2017. Since 2013, the average male entrepreneur has raised more than four times the funding than his female counterpart. And the numbers are even worse for women of color – a mere .0006% of VC funding has gone to black female founders since 2009. (more…)

Kofi Annan’s Path to Corporate Sustainability

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Author: Lukas Herndl | UC Berkeley School of Law | LL.M. Candidate 2019 | Posted October 8th, 2018 | Download PDF.

Today, the idea of corporate sustainability is mainly associated with tech firms like Apple, Google and Salesforce, or with institutional investors like Blackrock or the Yale University endowment, which recently announced it would not invest in retailers that sell assault weapons. Far less focus has been on former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan, who passed away on August 18. (more…)

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