Development and Society
Corporate Social Responsibility
CSR Activity in Canada
The increasing importance of CSR is reflected in the growing number
of Canadian private-sector and civil society led initiatives emerging
across Canada and around the world. Many Canadian companies are
either working individually, with members of civil society or through
their associations to develop codes of conduct and in the development
of best practices including risk assessment, stakeholder relations
and reporting, to guide their operations both domestically and overseas.
Voluntary codes of conduct are not a new phenomenon internationally
nor for Canadian companies. There has been a proliferation of interest
and activity in Canada on the part of private business in the whole
area of CSR. These include companies and organizations involved
in advising, training and promoting CSR such as the Canadian
Business for Social Responsibility, the Conference Board of
Canada’s - Canadian
Centre for Business in the Community, the Canadian
Centre for Philanthropy’s Imagine Program, the Centre
for Innovation and Corporate Responsibility and Interpraxis
Consulting, and companies involved in "ethical" or
"socially responsible" investment funds such as VanCity
and Ethical Funds Inc. and umbrella groups such as the Social Investment
Organization, a non-profit network of companies and investment professionals.
As well, CSR investment research groups, such as Michael
Jantzi Research, EthicScan
Canada, publish website information and newsletters. Institutional
investors, such as foundations and pensions funds are also showing
a growing interest in the issues motivated by human rights and other
concerns related to investments in countries in conflict. Canadian
organizations which advise institutional investors in this area
include: Shareholder Association for
Research and Education and Innovest
Strategic Value Advisors.
Canadian non-governmental organizations are also involved in CSR
- examples include: Canadian Council
for International Cooperation, Amnesty
International Canada, Mining
Watch, Halifax Initiative,
The International Institute for Sustainable
Development and the Taskforce
on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility.
Canadian business associations such as the Canadian
Association of Petroleum Producers, the Mining
Association of Canada, the Canadian
Chemical Producers Association and Retail
Council of Canada are assisting their members in the development
of codes of conduct and in the development of best practices to
guide their overseas operations.
Canadian companies are also actively involved in international
CSR initiatives. In an effort to promote CSR in Canada, a private
initiative was recently launched to annually rank the 50 Best Corporate
Citizens in the country. The project’s website
has up to date information on the CSR initiatives of the Canadian
private sector and the list of annual ranked 50 Best Corporate Citizens
in the country. In May 2004, the Conference Board of Canada released
Canada’s first National Corporate Social Responsibility Report:
“Managing Risks, Leveraging Opportunities.” The report
includes an in-depth analysis of the CSR management practices of
53 of Canada's 300 largest companies. The National
Corporate Social Responsibility Report, sponsored by a number
of leading public and private sector organizations including ITCan
is available on the website.
In May 2003 a Corporate
Social Responsibility Study examining the best practices of
10 Canadian companies in the area of CSR was released by a joint
Federal Government Working Group.
For specific examples of Canadian company activity and Canadian
Industry Sector activity please see Industry Canada’s CSR
website.
Link for Canadian companies
Link
for Canadian Industries
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