Government support for companies during the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated why all businesses need to maintain a social licence to operate underpinned by a corporate purpose.

Alphabet has published a set of principles to promote the responsible use of AI, followed by white papers, case studies, fairness indicators, and ethical dashboards and tool suites for enterprises and developers that use its technologies for building their own AI systems.

A public health crisis often leads to regulatory changes, as well as shifts in cultural expectations and human behaviour. What can companies do to mitigate the worst impacts of a major crisis? There are several areas for board members and company executives to consider.

ConocoPhillips has improved its climate policies, practices and disclosures to help assure investors of its preparation towards the low-carbon economy. EOS has engaged with the company to achieve best practice and communicate this publicly.

In 2010, Duke Energy adopted its first carbon dioxide emissions reduction target – it planned to reduce emissions 17% below the 2005 levels by 2020. The Clean Power Plan (CPP) was finalised in 2015 by the US Environmental Protection Agency, targeting power generation emissions reductions of 32% by 2030 relative to 2005. The Supreme Court stayed the CPP’s requirements in early 2016 and it was never implemented.

Ping An has made substantial progress on managing climate change and disclosing its approach to AI governance. This case study explores how Hermes EOS has engaged with the company on these topics since 2017.