Transforming How Business Impacts People: Unlocking the Collective Power of Five Distinct Narratives

Abstract

This paper examines the narrative of business and human rights in its relationship to five other established or emerging narratives: the narratives of sustainability, growing inequality, stakeholder capitalism, companies' environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, and social and human capital. It considers the opportunity and challenges for the business and human rights narrative to add value to and influence the course of the other narratives, in service of building a new global economy that better protects and respects the most vulnerable people in societies.