Globalization, corporate social responsibility and human rights

Abstract

In extending this journal to include issues of corporate social responsibility, we have come to recognize and reflect the fact that in order to move towards sustainable development we must examine social, environmental and economic issues. In this journal we have in the past demonstrated how companies can benefit from the use of environmental management tools and strategies. Now we extend the debate to social issues. However, corporate social responsibility tends to be much more controversial than improving environmental performance. Social responsibility requires us to look at ethics, stakeholder accountability and our own value systems. There will often be contradictory positions taken on some social issues and stakeholders will not always agree with each other. One starting point that seems productive however is to see corporate social responsibility in the context of human rights. This article therefore lays out how we can use the process of globalization to improve human rights through business activity and commitment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

A History of Scandinavian Socially Responsible Investing

“…The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development summit in Rio in 1992 boosted a general consciousness of environmental, social and cultural issues (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 2005), followed by increased awareness of the CSR concept (e.g. Post et al, 2002;Welford, 2002;Korhonen, 2003). 3 Towards the end of the 90s, CSR had become a frequent issue of debate and discussion in Scandinavia (SwedWatch, 2006a).…”

Sustainability quotients and the social footprint

“…At a personal level of analysis, then, we can say that every man, woman, and child in the United States has also failed to meet its commitments to the UN, and that human well-being is compromised because of it. People in their individual (and occupational) identities, and not just their governments, also bear responsibility for human wellbeing on Earth, especially in cases where their governments will not (Welford, 2002).…”

Measuring Corporate Social and Environmental Performance: The Extended Life-Cycle Assessment

“…This is commonly interpreted as simultaneous economic, social and environmental development. While many authors disagree on this definition, the notion of sustainability has nevertheless become the basis for corporate social responsibility and corporate environmental management (Korhonen, 2002(Korhonen, , 2003aWelford, 2002).…”