Sectoral Principles and Guidelines
4.1 - Introduction 4.2 - IFC - International Finance Corporation 4.3 - Kyoto Protocol 4.4 - Corporate Sustainability Index in the Stock Markets 4.4 - Brazil and the SRI sector 4.4 - The São Paulo Stock Exchange and the ISE 4.5 - ICMM - International Council on Mining & Metals 4.6 - CSI - Cement Sustainability Initiative 4.7 - ABRAPP - Brazilian Closed Pension Fund Association
4.1 - Introduction
Some sectors have structured themselves to advance social responsibility practices. These experiences show the expansion of the movement and show that social responsibility tend to be a general concern of businesspeople who wish long-term sustainability for their businesses.
Many businesspeople are already under pressure from the external market to maintain a high level of respect for the environment and the human rights, which means reorganizing labor procedures, updating equipment, and implementing practices that are less harmful to the ecosystems.
These initiatives contribute to increasing the exports and transparently disclosing to the society how these sectors and their production chains work, enabling the consumer to identify how the items have been produced with regard to the environment and the human rights.
The Instituto Carvão Cidadão – ICC (Citizen Charcoal Institute) and the Instituto do Algodão Social – IAS (Social Cotton Institute) are examples of initiatives by the producers and businesspeople for the social responsibility of their sectors. In order to embed the social responsibility principles in their sector, these institutes provide guidance to their members and inspect all the steps of the production chain.
• ICC has been created by seven steel plants in the State of Maranhão, one of the states on the top of the ranking of forced labor or similar to slave labor, according to the Ministry of Labor file (also know as “blacklist”). Besides inspecting from charcoal extraction to final processing, ICC also develops the work of social insertion of people that have been subject to this form of labor, offering openings for these workers in the reforestation of associated plants.
www.carvaocidadao.org.br
• ICC was created in September 2005 by the Associação Matogrossense dos Produtores de Algodão (Mato Grosso Association of Cotton Producers). Its goal is similar to ICC’s, that is, inspect and raise the awareness of cotton producers about the importance of social responsibility and, above all, compliance with the labor legislation and respect for the human rights. Between September 2005 and February 2006 the Institute had surveyed labor relations and compliance with the labor laws in 167 farms.
www.algodaosocial.com.br
• Soon the Instituto ARES (ARES Institute) will publish its principles and criteria for responsible soybeans, with the mission of “contributing to the development of sustainability in the Brazilian agribusiness through knowledge building, dialogue with the society, and communication.”
www.abiove.com.br
In addition to the initiatives presented above…
• FCS - Forest Stewardship Council
• IMCC - International Council on Minerals and Mines
• CSI - Cement Sustainability Initiative
• EP - Equator Principles
… several other sectoral initiatives are part of the global sustainable development panorama.
• ETI - Ethical Trading Initiative (multi-sectoral)
www.ethicaltrade.org
• EITI - Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
www.eitransparency.org
• FLA - Fair Labor Association (textile)
www.fairlabor.org
• Kimberley Initiative (conflict diamonds)
www.kimberleyprocess.com
• MSC - Marine Stewardship Council
www.msc.org
• MFA Forum (textile)
www.mfaforum.org
Many businesspeople are already under pressure from the external market to maintain a high level of respect for the environment and the human rights, which means reorganizing labor procedures, updating equipment, and implementing practices that are less harmful to the ecosystems.
These initiatives contribute to increasing the exports and transparently disclosing to the society how these sectors and their production chains work, enabling the consumer to identify how the items have been produced with regard to the environment and the human rights.
The Instituto Carvão Cidadão – ICC (Citizen Charcoal Institute) and the Instituto do Algodão Social – IAS (Social Cotton Institute) are examples of initiatives by the producers and businesspeople for the social responsibility of their sectors. In order to embed the social responsibility principles in their sector, these institutes provide guidance to their members and inspect all the steps of the production chain.
• ICC has been created by seven steel plants in the State of Maranhão, one of the states on the top of the ranking of forced labor or similar to slave labor, according to the Ministry of Labor file (also know as “blacklist”). Besides inspecting from charcoal extraction to final processing, ICC also develops the work of social insertion of people that have been subject to this form of labor, offering openings for these workers in the reforestation of associated plants.
www.carvaocidadao.org.br
• ICC was created in September 2005 by the Associação Matogrossense dos Produtores de Algodão (Mato Grosso Association of Cotton Producers). Its goal is similar to ICC’s, that is, inspect and raise the awareness of cotton producers about the importance of social responsibility and, above all, compliance with the labor legislation and respect for the human rights. Between September 2005 and February 2006 the Institute had surveyed labor relations and compliance with the labor laws in 167 farms.
www.algodaosocial.com.br
• Soon the Instituto ARES (ARES Institute) will publish its principles and criteria for responsible soybeans, with the mission of “contributing to the development of sustainability in the Brazilian agribusiness through knowledge building, dialogue with the society, and communication.”
www.abiove.com.br
In addition to the initiatives presented above…
• FCS - Forest Stewardship Council
• IMCC - International Council on Minerals and Mines
• CSI - Cement Sustainability Initiative
• EP - Equator Principles
… several other sectoral initiatives are part of the global sustainable development panorama.
• ETI - Ethical Trading Initiative (multi-sectoral)
www.ethicaltrade.org
• EITI - Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
www.eitransparency.org
• FLA - Fair Labor Association (textile)
www.fairlabor.org
• Kimberley Initiative (conflict diamonds)
www.kimberleyprocess.com
• MSC - Marine Stewardship Council
www.msc.org
• MFA Forum (textile)
www.mfaforum.org
