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Online Sources of Information on Corporate Social Responsibility
(excerpted from "A Guide to Contemporary Sources of Information on Corporate Social Responsibility")

No list of Internet-based resources on the social dimensions of business can hope to capture all the online resources available. At any given time there are hundreds of such sites, with new ones being added constantly. The list below has been compiled to provide a snapshot of those considered the mostuseful from the standpoint of content, clarity, and comprehensiveness, with an emphasis on those most relevant to corporate social responsibility as it is practiced in a global context. 

Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement of the sources or the views expressed therein by the Washington Council on International Trade or the Discovery Institute, the sponsors of this guide.

Business for Social Responsibility  (San Francisco, CA) 
www.bsr.org
BSR was founded in 1992 as a resource for companies “seeking to sustain their commercial success in ways that demonstrate respect for ethical values, people, communities and the environment.”  BSR has more than 1,400 member companies that collectively employ more than six million workers and have more $1.5 trillion in annual revenues. Members include such companies as American Express, AT&T, DuPont, Ford, General Motors, Honeywell, Levi Strauss, Motorola, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.  The BSR site includes the Global Business Responsibility Resource Center, which supports efforts to understand and implement responsible policies and practices. This is a very extensive site, well laid-out, and easy to navigate once the free registration process is completed. Clearly one of the premier websites devoted to the subject of social responsibility.

Calvert Group  (Bethesda, MD)
www.calvertgroup.com
Socially responsible funds have become a rising trend over the years, though they are still small in relation to the overall amounts under professional management. The Calvert Group has been a pioneer in developing innovative approaches to providing socially responsible investment products, such as the Calvert Social Investment Fund. This site provides information on the basics of socially responsible investing, a tool to measure the profile of mutual funds according to certain social ‘screens’, and a very informative timeline tracing the history of socially responsible investing.

The Caux Round Table (Caux, Switzerland)
www.cauxroundtable.org
Named after the Swiss village in which it was founded, the CRT was launched in 1986 by senior business leaders from Europe, Japan and North America committed to the promotion of principled business leadership. In 1994, the group published the Caux Round Table Principles for Business expressing “a world standard against which business behavior can be measured.” The principles are the most broadly circulated code of business ethics in the world. Copies of the principles may be downloaded from the website (in 10 different languages) along with various position papers, reports andspeeches.

The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (Boston, MA)
www.ceres.org
The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) is the secretariat for the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and a leading advocate in the field of standardized corporate environmental reporting. The CERES principles have been endorsed by over 50 companies, including nine Fortune 500 companies. The principles serve as guideposts for the development and implementation of a company’s environmental policies. Their website describes the process used in creating corporate environmental reports, provides forms, copies of existing reports, as well as news on current and upcoming events and programs. See appendix 2 for the list of CERES principles.

The Conference Board  (New York, NY)
www.conference-board.org
One of the largest business membership and research organizations in the U.S. Aims to enhance the contribution of business to society. Founded in 1916 during a period of declining public confidence in business and rising labor unrest, The Conference Board brings leaders from business and the community together to examine major issues having an impact on business and society. Numerous publications are available by ordering through their website, which also offers access to chat rooms and bulletin boards on a variety of topics related to business and society. Access to specialized information services is restricted to The Conference Board members.

Consumers International  (London, England)
www.consumersinternational.org
Consumers International established its Consumer Charter for Global Business in 1997. Modelled on existing international codes of practice, it sets forth best business practice in areas of interest to consumers such as ethical standards, competition, product standards, marketing, labeling, and disclosure of information. Site contains issues briefs, newsletters, and links to other consumer organizations and NGOs active in the field.

Council on Economic Priorities (New York, NY)
www.cepnyc.org
CEP is a public research organization that analyses the social and environmental records of corporations to help consumers buy brands that support their beliefs. Reviews of more than 300 large and mid-cap publicly-owned American corporations are contained in an extensive research database that can be accessed at no cost through its website. The information includes company names, grades in seven issue areas (environment, women’s advancement, minority advancement, charitable giving, workplace issues, family benefits, and disclosure). More extensive information with regularly scheduled updates is available by subscription.

The Global Compact  (New York, NY)
www.unglobalcompact.org
At the 1999 World Economic Forum in Davos, UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan challenged world business leaders to “embrace and enact” both in their individual corporate practices and by supporting appropriate public policies, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labor standards, and environmental practices  (see appendix 3 for a complete list of principles). The UN’s Global Compact was thus launched and with it this extensive website containing information on putting these principles into practice, along with case studies, reviews of current research on globalization, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility issues, and current news and events are also on the site. A very comprehensive resource, well organized, and user-friendly.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Paris, France)
www.oecd.org
The OECD covers many aspects of international economic and social policy, and is responsible for overseeing the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), first adopted in 1976. Agreement on a new set of Guidelines was reached on June 27 and contains new recommendations on core labor and environmental standards, as well as sections on combating corruption and safeguarding consumer rights. The complete text may be found at the address above, as well as the text of the Convention on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions, which went into effect in February 1999.

The Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum (London, England)
www.pwblf.org
The Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum, founded in 1990, includes among its members 50 CEOsfrom major international corporations, such as Coca-Cola, Diageo, Shell and, locally, the Frank Russell Company. The PWBLF works in conjunction with business, government, IGOs, and NGOs on a variety of regional programs promoting corporate social responsibility. A database, accessible at no cost via the website, provides extensive examples of socially responsible business practices employed by companies throughout the world. A new website, unveiled June 27, covers key players in the CSR field; company, business sector and country profiles from a CSR perspective; and a ‘roadmap’ to the main themes of CSR. Well worth a visit.

Transparency International  (Berlin, Germany)
www.transparency.org
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both national and international corruption in partnership with governments, other NGOs, and the private sector. Their website is huge storehouse of information with links to numerous organizations combating co rruption locally, regionally, and globally. As with any effort to deal with so vast a subject, there is a risk of information overload. The TI website search engine helps make navigating through the thicket of information that much easier.

The World Resources Institute  (Washington, D.C.)
www.wri.org
The global environmental resources watchdog group. Its programs combine 4 themes: biological resource stewardship, climate protection, development and sustainable development enterprises. A well-thought out and designed website with a large number of resources, education tools, publications, and links. Website also has a business resource center for helping improve the management of environmental issues by the private sector.
Resources for CSR Implementation and Measurement 

The Copenhagen Centre  (Copenhagen, Denmark)
www.copenhagencentre.org  
The Centre runs the Business in Society program aimed at integrating corporate social responsibility-related issues in training, teaching and research activities at universities and business schools. The website has four principal areas of focus: a Knowledge Centre for general resource information, case histories and articles, etc.; an Activity Centre that provides a comprehensive overview of activities in the CSR; and a Conference Centre, an online dialogue forum for The Copenhagen Center partners and team members; prior authorization and registration required to participate.

The Global Reporting Initiative (Boston, MA)
www.globalreporting.org
The GRI was established in 1997 with the aim of becoming the global standard for corporate reporting on sustainability issues (see section above on ‘current trends in thinking’). The GRI guidelines enable the public at large to measure and compare the progress of corporations’ sustainability policies in the social, environmental, and economic spheres; until now, most reporting has been ad hoc, inconsistent and unverifiable. It is currently being pilot-tested by nearly two dozen companies worldwide, including GM, Proctor & Gamble, and Shell. Their website offers information about the guidelines, the process involved, and comments from those responsible for implementing them.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (Winnipeg, Canada)
iisd.ca/business
A website that describes how to integrate sustainability in business, from corporate policy and sustainable development implementation tools to sustainable development reporting.  Helps management develop plans to turn sustainability into a competitive advantage. Includes definitions, teaching modules on moving from principles to practice, and the history and institutions of sustainable development.  Very comprehensive site with many links to business and sustainable development resources.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Geneva, Switzerland)
www.wbcsd.ch
The Geneva-based WBCSD was created in 1995 to help companies develop metrics to track their progress in reducing the environmental burden of their products and services. Its focus is increasingly on corporate social responsibility issues. Their website contains much in the way of useful information on corporate social responsibility issues and helpful links to other organizations dealing with sustainability and CSR issues.  A very good way to be introduced to the subject if one is approaching it for the first time.