In 1984, 40 tons of lethal gas leaked from a Union Carbide plant at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of people were killed. The disaster in India led the U.S. Congress to pass a law requiring companies to disclose chemical emissions. But even though Bhopal was an overseas disaster, the law it inspired applies only in the United States. Dangerous pollutants are just one aspect of corporate behavior that can be hidden abroad. Companies should have to make public information about overseas activities that would be prohibited or subject to disclosure laws at home. ... lees meer

(Gepubliceerd in Trouw van 1 februari 2002). De beurs kent geen moraal, dat was al bekend. Het bagger- en offshorebedrijf IHC Caland, dat in opspraak is vanwege activiteiten in het dictatoriaal geregeerde Burma, wordt binnenkort opgenomen in de AEX-index. Het bedrijf houdt zich in Burma bezig met gaswinning en wil in ieder geval het tot 2013 lopende contract, ter waarde van 250 miljoen dollar, uitdienen. ... lees meer

The 2003 annual report on global corruption underlines the media’s role in the fight against corruption, calls for better access to government-held information and states that companies are somewhat less likely to bribe now than before. ... lees meer

On 21 January, the Social Affairs Committee briefly considered the Bushill-Matthews report, in which the MEP urges the Commission not to “submerge” the environmental and enterprise aspects of CSR by social considerations. ... lees meer

De Consumentenbond roept consumenten op om supermarkten te bestoken met vragen over de leefomstandigheden van dieren, waarvan zij vlees verkopen. Supermarkten worden zo aangespoord informatie te verstrekken, waarmee consumenten in de winkel kunnen kiezen voor verantwoord gemaakte producten. Na de supermarkten zal de bond zijn oproep ook richten op andere branches. Bedrijven die na herhaaldelijk aandringen geen informatie geven komen op de -lijst van zwijgzame bedrijven’. ... lees meer

The UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development will cooperate more closely for a coherent approach to corporate social responsibility The very distinct nature of the two organizations presents considerable scope for building on complementary strengths and creating synergy – the Global Compact being an open action and learning network and the WBCSD being a membership based organization dedicated to sustainable development and engaged in such programs as Sustainable Livelihoods, Advocacy and Communications, Accountability and Reporting and the Regional Network. ... lees meer

A large study of Research International shows: . Major worldwide study explores perceptions of modern brands and the issues facing globalisation . Naomi Klein’s thesis is wrong, consumers seek to forgive brands, negative issues are largely put aside . But consumers also reject homogenous global branding . The study highlights the emergence of wave three branding, where consumers want to find the brand and not the other way around . The category a brand is in, its level of aspiration, the nature of different local cultures and the fit between cultural and brand values are key to localisation ... lees meer

The question of which companies take a responsible attitude towards investors, employees and the environment is becoming an increasingly explosive issue. The Munich-based rating agency oekom research has been focussing on precisely this issue for almost ten years now. In its latest “Corporate Responsibility Rating”, it analysed the 19 top companies in the networks and components industry worldwide whose principal products are memory chips, semiconductors and mobile phones. 200 environmental and social criteria were examined in the study. On a scale from A+ to D-, Siemens (DE) achieved a B, followed by Ericsson (SE) and Intel (US), both of whom scored a B-. Qualcomm and EMC (both US companies) turned in the worst performances, both scoring a D. Four companies failed to provide sufficiently transparent information, with the result that it was not possible to draw up a comprehensive Corporate Responsibility Rating for them. ... lees meer

Alle binnengekomen commentaren op de door de Raad voor de Jaarverslaggeving gepubliceerde richtlijn 400 zijn nu (in pdf) beschikbaar. In deze ontwerp-Richtlijn zijn aanbevelingen voor het directieverslag betreffende informatie over maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen opgenomen. ... lees meer

There was widespread recognition at the global summit meeting in Johannesburg last September that corporations are indispensable to sustainable development. Put simply, there can be little enduring social or environmental progress without active contributions from the private sector. Yet for corporations to meet such expectations, they must win the trust of all their stakeholders – investors, workers, consumers, communities. ... lees meer

Whether this past year in Washington or next week in Davos, “corporate responsibility” has become synonymous with combating company wrongdoing. But for the vast majority of global firms who play by the rules, the term signifies something rather different. What do companies mean when they say they are committed to operating responsibly? And what instruments do they find most effective in measuring and improving their impact on stakeholders and on society? A new statement from the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) provides much-needed answers. ... lees meer