Geniet van maatschappelijke betrokkenheid

(Gepubliceerd in Het Financieele Dagblad van 20 april 2004). Respect, passie, charisma, zingeving, maatschappelijke betrokkenheid, verantwoord ondernemen . Onderwerpen die de ondernemers van vandaag bezighouden. Uitgever André Visser en hoofdredacteur Nelleke Launspach proberen in hun ‘glossy’ de optimistische kant van deze zware kost te laten zien. ‘Het leven is zo slecht nog niet’. ... lees meer

Thirteen Pension Leaders Call on SEC Chairman to Require Global Warming Risks in Corporate Disclosure

Thirteen major public pension fund leaders – including eight state treasurers and comptrollers, four labor pension fund leaders, and the New York City Comptroller, collectively managing assets of nearly $800 billion- today called on the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to eliminate any doubt that publicly traded companies should be disclosing the financial risks of global warming in their securities filings. ... lees meer

Public Debate on: The UN Norms for Business – Process, Content and The Real Value

The UN Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights has approved last year the UN Norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights. Governments, business, Trade Unions and NGOs have expressed their views on these UN Norms for business. At the moment the Norms are on the agenda of the 2004 meeting of the Human Rights’ Commission from 15 March till 23 April. With this Public Debate on May 12th we want to raise awareness about the UN Norms, highlight the outcomes of the Human Rights’ Commission meeting and discuss the arguments of governments, NGOs, business, political parties and Trade Unions concerning this first set of international human rights norms that specifically address the responsibilities of business. ... lees meer

Vijf bedrijven in eindronde voor LNV MVO-stimuleringsprijs

Het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV), LTO Nederland en de Nederlandse Voedingsmiddelen Industrie VAI reiken in 2004 voor de tweede keer de prijs ter stimulering van maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen (MVO) uit. De vijf genomineerden zijn nu bekend. De jury heeft meer dan 35 inzendingen beoordeeld. ... lees meer

SRI World Group Unveils OneReport , Revolutionizing the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Process

SRI World Group, Inc., a leading provider of social investment and corporate responsibility information services, today announced the launch of OneReport (www.one-report.com). This new global electronic reporting network enables companies to more efficiently report their social, environmental, economic and corporate governance information to investors, the financial community and other stakeholders. Over 50 multi-national companies from around the world, including 22 Fortune 100 companies, participated in the development of OneReport. ... lees meer

Daadkracht is bij duurzaam ondernemen volkomen afwezig

(Gepubliceerd in Trouw op 17 april 2004). -Duurzame Daadkracht – Actieprogramma duurzame ontwikkeling’ heet de nota waarover vijf kamercommissies, vier ministers en één staatssecretaris op maandag 19 april de hele dag met elkaar in debat gaan. De uitkomsten van de wereldtop over duurzame ontwikkeling in 2002 in Johannesburg worden in deze nota vertaald in een internationale en een nationale strategie. ... lees meer

Oekom Rates Food and Beverages Industry Average in Sustainability Performance

The global food and beverages industry has merely average performance on social and environmental sustainability, according to the latest corporate responsibility industry report released by Oekom Research, a Munich-based sustainability rating firm. The 16 companies that qualified for comprehensive “Inside” Ratings (16 other companies with inadequate transparency or sustainability performance received more cursory “Outside” Ratings) earned an average grade of C, on a scale from A+ to D-. ... lees meer

GRI completes most intensive engagement since 2002 Guidelines development process

420 individiuals from across the globe contributed their voices to the recently concluded Structured Feedback Process (SFP). In an effort to gain feedback on many aspects of the 2002 Guidelines from a diverse array of stakeholders in all global regions GRI designed this SFP to include those organisations that report using the Guidelines and also those that use data from sustainability reports. ... lees meer

Innovest releases another sector report correlating progressive social, environmental, and governance practices and policies with financial outperformance.

Once again, Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, a global socially responsible investment (SRI) research firm, has produced a report demonstrating the financial value of environmental, social, and corporate governance best practice. The most recent report, released earlier this week, assesses 26 electric power producers in the US. The electric power sector is particularly exposed to the risks of regulation and litigation, as it emits approximately one third of the air pollution in the country. ... lees meer

More business students showing an interest in ‘corporate social responsibility’

As the stereotype goes, business students are supposed to be single-minded in their career goals: making money, more money and still more money. But don’t tell that to Daron Horwitz, who spent his spring break in Iraq — visiting schools that will be helped by a nonprofit group he and a small group of students formed at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. ... lees meer

Shell: ouderwetse PR?

(Dit artikel van Eveline Lubbers is verschenen in Kleintje Muurkrant nr 390, 16 april 2004) De tegenvallende gas- en oliereserves veroorzaakten grote onrust onder de aandeelhouders. In enkele weken ging 10 miljard euro van de beurswaarde van Shell in rook op. Geheel in de geest van deze tijd -waar de aandelenkoers is gekoppeld aan reputatie en charisma- richt de kritiek zich op topman Phill Watts. Hij wist de publieke arena te mijden tot bij de presentatie van de kwartaalcijfers, en dacht daar weg te komen met een deemoedig excuus over de gemaakte fouten. Shell dreigt terug te vallen in de arrogante houding, die het concern decennia lang eigen was. ... lees meer

Laks gedrag van bedrijven in India

(Gepubliceerd in Het Financieele Dagblad van 10 april 2004). Nederlandse bedrijven in India brengen maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen ‘mondjesmaat in de praktijk’. Multinationals hebben vaak wel een officieel beleid voor verantwoord ondernemen in ontwikkelingslanden, maar ze laten de uitvoering daarvan over aan de Indiase dochteronderneming en dat levert niet het gewenste resultaat op. Dat blijkt uit het onderzoek ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in India – Policy and practices of Dutch companies’ in opdracht van de Landelijke India Werkgroep. ... lees meer