Shell’s improving social-responsibility record makes the oil giant attractive to investors

(Published in Fortune on 10 november 2003). Over the past couple of years a surprising trait has emerged among the oil giants: Some of their most outstanding employees are actually environmentalists. Or at least you’d think so from their advertising. From BP’s claim to be moving “beyond petroleum” to Exxon Mobil’s “promise of technology,” the companies that fill our gas tanks are trying their darnedest to build an eco-friendly image. But will the pitch pay off with investors? ... lees meer

New World Bank Report Aims to Reduce Barriers to CSR Compliance at the Supplier Level in Global Supply Chains

A new report, Strengthening Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains, issued by Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), and the Copenhagen office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, assesses barriers to the implementation of CSR in global supply chains, and outlines options for the “next generation” of efforts to improve labor and environmental conditions in suppliers’ workplaces and their communities. The World Bank Group commissioned the report, with additional support from the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Levi Strauss Foundation. ... lees meer

Companies urged to engage in good citizenship

In the wake of huge corporate scandals in Japan and the United States, companies are under pressure to be more socially responsible. The trend has fed demand for universal guidelines for firms to use in filing reports on how they are performing in terms of society, the environment and ethics, according to Ernst Ligteringen, head of the Amsterdam-based nonprofit organization Global Reporting Initiative, known as GRI. ... lees meer

CEOs respond to governance changes

Corporate boards are putting more pressure on CEOs to build corporate reputation, which is perceived as more important than it was four years ago by global company CEOs, presidents and chairmen who responded to the survey conducted by recruitment firm Korn/Ferry International. The fifth annual corporate reputation watch survey was conducted in conjunction with ORC International in August and September 2003. Some 257 executives with qualifying titles of CEO, president or chairman from 199 public and 54 private companies across the US, Asia and Europe were surveyed. ... lees meer

Management & Excellence says good ethics pay off for BP&Shell

British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell received strong ratings for their policies in ethics, transparency and corporate social responsibility. Both got ‘B’ ratings on a scale of A (highest) to D (lowest). These are the first ethics ratings to be given to oil companies and are significant for investors. Oil companies are ethically high-risk companies, being regularly plagued by oil spills, chemical explosions, fatalities, litigation and management scandals. A landmark study by international ethics rating agency Management & Excellence (M&E) finds that oil companies are investing more in equipment, social policies and employee trainings, resulting in fewer mishaps. ... lees meer

Update of ISO developments in the field of CSR

A number of developments relevant to CSR have happened at the ISO level over the past few months: (1) the ISO Advisory Group on Corporate Social Responsibility has met, and worked out a process for selecting a service provider to assist them in developing a “state of the art of CSR and issues” document, and timelines for this and related items; (2) the ISO Consumer Policy Committee has met, and issued a recommendation concerning ISO CSR work; (3) the ISO Technical Management Board has met, and provided guidance concerning next steps; (4) the service provider has been selected to develop background work for the Advisory Group’s report on the state of the art of CSR and issues document; (5) timelines for future work have been clarified; and (6) two new members to the Advisory Group have been added. Each of these six items is discussed in more detail below. ... lees meer

Financial Community Still Sceptical of CSR

Echo Research, global specialists in reputation audit and analysis, today reveals the findings of its third international corporate social responsibility (CSR) report – ‘CSR and The Financial Community – Friends or Foes?’ Via a mix of face-to-face interviews with financial community leaders in UK, US, Australia, France, Germany and South Africa, plus an analysis of over 5,000 CSR-related media mentions, Echo reveals the trends and ways forward for greater CSR adoption and validation, and posts its influential CSR ‘saints and sinners’ listing. ... lees meer