This Global Community project promotes research and policy dialogue on corporate social and environmental responsibility. An investigation is conducted to found
whether or not transnational corporations (TNCs) and other companies are taking meaningful steps to improve their social and
environmental record, particularly in developing countries. Considerable attention is focused on the effectiveness of "voluntary
initiatives" such as codes of conduct, social and environmental reporting, certification, labelling, corporate social investment and
improvements in environmental management systems.
The Global Community proposes to corporations that they take responsibility on behalf of society and people, and that they should pay
more attention to human and Earth rights, working conditions and getting ride of corruption in the world of business and trade. We have developed
a criteria, and we ask you to turn it into practice.
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The following types of issues are addressed:
· Is the TNC discourse on "corporate responsibility" being applied in practice?
· Where progress is apparent, what types of pressures, incentives and institutional arrangements are promoting change?
· Do voluntary initiatives and corporate self-regulation constitute an effective alternative to government and international regulation?
· What are the implications for development in the South of efforts by TNCs and others to raise social and environmental standards?
Additional research on issues of international regulation of TNCs, company codes of conduct, multistakeholder standard-setting and
certification schemes, UN-business partnerships and the corporate accountability movement is also being carried out.
The Global Community proposes to corporations that they take responsibility on behalf of society and people, and that they should pay
more attention to human and Earth rights, working conditions and getting ride of corruption in the world of business and trade. We have developed
a criteria, and we ask you to turn it into practice. Governments should encourage enterprises to use the criteria both by legal and moral means.
At first, the criteria should be adopted in key areas such as procurement, facilities management, investment management, and human resources.
Corporations want to be seen as good corporate leaders and have a stronger form of accountability.
Business and trade will prosper after stronger common bonds and values have been established. Adopting the criteria will have a beneficial
impact on future returns, and share price performance.
We want to help businesses be active corporate members of the Global Community, the human family, the Earth Community.
Apply to us to be a global corporate citizen of the Global Community.
A Certified Corporate Global Community Citizenship is a unique way to show the world that your ways of doing business are best for the Global Community.
You can obtain the citizenship after accepting the Criteria of the Global Community Citizenship and following an assessment of your business. The process shown here is
now standardized to all applicants. You are
then asked to operate your business as per the values of the citizenship.
GCAC will be conducting the assessment of your business.
Corporate citizen global ethics
A corporation will now be required to operate its business as per global ehtics:
* Be concerned with issues such as climate change, bio-diversity, pollution prevention and adopt high standards
* Minimize environmental degradation and health impacts
* Be responsible for the environmental impact of its products and services throughout their cycle
* Adopt a wide environmental code, and policies, health and safety practices and procedures aimed at reducing resource and energy
use in each stage of a product or service life-cycle
* Set up appropriate management systems to implement policies
* Conduct annual checks and balances and provide reports to the community
* Respect the political jurisdiction of national communities
* Respect human rights, social and cultural rights
* Recognize its political and economic impact on local communities
* Contribute to the long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic sustainability of the local communities
* Respect the rights of indigenous peoples, their culture and land, and their religious and social customs; provide employment and training opportunities
* Ensure that each employee is treated with respect and dignity and is not subjected to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse
* Respect employees' right to freedom of association, labour organization, and free collective bargaining
* Provide equal pay for work of equal value
* Recognize the responsibilities of all workers to their families, and provide for maternity leave, and paternity leave
* Ensure that their be no barriers to the full participation of women within the company
* Participate in the creation of child care centres and centres for the elderly and persons with disabilities where appropriate
* Ensure no discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, or culture
* Ensure that persons with disabilities who apply for jobs with the company receive fair treatment and are considered solely on their ability to do the job; provide resources
and facilities which enable them to achieve progression in employment in the company
* Provide training to all employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner
* Work with organizations concerned with children's rights, human rights and labour rights to ensure that young workers are not exploited
* Ensure that a mechanism is in place to address ethical issues of concern raised by employees
* Make sure that the company's policies balance the interests of managers, shareholders, employees, and other affected parties
* Adhere to international standards and protocols relevant to its products and services
* Adopt marketing practices which protect consumers and ensure the safety of all products
* Conduct or support research on the environmental impacts of raw materials, products, processes, emissions and wastes associates with the company and on the means of minimizing such adverse impacts
* Make a sustainable use of renewable natural resources such as water, soils and forests
* Conserve non-renewable natural resources through efficient use and careful planning
* Conserve energy and improve energy efficiency of internal operations and of the goods and services being sold
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