Reports and documents
Around the world, pressure is mounting to hold companies to account for the impact of their activities on individuals, communities and the environment. Despite the spread of sophisticated systems of occupational health and safety management and environmental management, corporate disasters continue to shock and dismay.
One of the fundamental values that holds together democratic societies is that organisations wielding power and influence must be held accountable to society.
In 1987 the United Nations published its highly influential report Our Common Future, calling for alleviation of global poverty, hunger and inequality through economic development that does not damage the global environment – ‘sustainable development’ – and highlighting the crucial responsibility of business in achieving this.
The concept of Corporate Responsibility has two facets: at a minimum, business is responsible for avoiding Corporate Irresponsibility – avoiding harm to the environment, to communities and to individuals as it pursues its economic activities; but more positively, business is also responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility – for repairing environmental damage, protecting individuals’ rights and dignity, and giving back to communities.
There is a continual output of reports and documents on the issue of corporate social responsibility, and only a small sample can be provided here. For further research in this area see the Related Sites page
These are mostly available in Portable Document Format, and you will require Adobe Acrobat in order to view them.
Achieving High Performance: CSR at the Heart of Business (PDF
264 Kb)
by Stephen Bevan et al., The Work Foundation, London, England
Behind the Mask: The Real Face of Corporate Social Responsibility
(PDF 1.1 Mb)
Christian Aid
Clear
Advantage: Building Shareholder Value (PDF 480 Kb)
Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI)
Governing Multinationals: The Role of Foreign Direct Liability
(PDF 61Kb)
The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Briefing Paper New
Series, No. 18 February 2001
The State of Sustainability Reporting in Australia 2004
Department of the Environment and Heritage
Transparency: A Path to Public Trust (PDF 2.35 Mb)
"The Global Environmental Management Initiative has released a new
tool been designed to provide approaches that a company may consider
as it addresses transparency-related challenges and opportunities."