Institutional Responsibility
The Change We Seek
We work toward a world where the institutional responsibility of corporations, governments, foundations and other powerful interests can be upheld through standards for transparency, citizenship and sustainability. Good social and environmental citizenship has a place in the global markets and ultimately enhances financial bottom lines. Corporations, governments, and multinational agencies, as well as charitable, religious and educational institutions can engage productively in a market-based economy to enhance universal prosperity, rather than concentrating wealth in the hands of a few stakeholders. Shareholders and constituents can and should hold powerful institutions accountable.
Benetech is a nonprofit technology company based in Palo Alto, California. Benetech pursues projects with a strong social rather than financial rate of return on investment, harnessing open source technology to create solutions to social issues. The Benetech Bookshareservice is the world’s largest accessible online library of copyrighted books for people with print disabilities such as blindness.
Fair Trade USA is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade helps alleviate poverty in the developing world. It empowers consumers to vote with their dollars for fair prices, better working conditions, environmental stewardship, and brighter futures for people who make the high-quality products we buy.
Ceres works with institutional investors who believe that companies should act on climate change because it is best for their shareholders. Its leveraging of financial power on climate helped lead to Texas Utilities’ decision not to build 8 of 11 traditional coal-fired power plants, for example. Its Investor Network on Climate Risk has more than 85 members, with $8 trillion in assets. Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, or BICEP, which now includes 17 companies, have met with 60+ Senate offices. Ceres built the Global Reporting Initiative, which allows companies to disclose what impact they have on their communities and put financial value on that.
Global Footprint Network’s programs influence decision makers to help end ecological overshoot. Six countries have formally adopted the Ecological Footprint as a measure of the sustainability of their economies. Through its work with GFN, the United Arab Emirates has redirected $15 billion into alternative energy and $22 billion into Masdar City, the first carbon-neutral, no-waste community.
Verite helps involve workers in the factory audit process. For example, in partnership with just a single leading brand, Verité’s social investigations helped return $3 million to hundreds of poor migrant workers in Asia who were cheated by labor brokers.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent global organization tackling the problem of overfishing, since more than 50 percent of the world’s marine fish stocks are fully exploited. It recognizes and rewards sustainable fisheries through its certification and eco-labeling program. McDonald’s recently introduced MSC certified white fish in its restaurants throughout Europe; the Filet-o-Fish sandwiches will carry the MSC logo starting in October 2011.
BioRegional Development Group delivers practical sustainability solutions through consultancy, education and informing policy. Korea is using its work as a best-practice case study, Chinese Ministers are reviewing the use of its framework, and it made a significant contribution to the planning policy statement for the U.K. government’s eco-towns, which is now being used as best practice by many governments, including Quebec, Mexico and France.
