Germanwatch
The German non-governmental organisation Germanwatch e.V. has worked actively since 1991 to promote fairness between industrialised and developing countries and to preserve natural resources by fostering sustainable development. Germanwatch concentrates on the areas policy, trade and industry in industrialised countries and these areas' global impacts. Priority topics include fair trade relations, a responsible financial market, observance of human rights and climate protection. Germanwatch is particularly active in public relations work and lobbying.
www.germanwatch.org
GHG Protocol/Green House Gas Protocol
The Green House Gas (GHG) Protocol is an internationally-recognised and used instrument for quantifying and managing greenhouse gas emissions. The numerous standards that have been bundled in the GHG Protocol were developed in a collaboration between the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) in 1998. The GHG Protocol defines requirements for calculating greenhouse gas emissions for entire organisations and for conducting projects to reduce emissions. These are aimed at governments, companies and other organisations. Companies increasingly use the GHG Protocol for managing their greenhouse gas emissions as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.
www.ghgprotocol.org
Global Compact
The Global Compact is a corporate social responsibility network of the United Nations that was initiated in the year 2000. Today, some 5,000 companies around the world are members of the Global Compact. They have committed themselves to complying with ten principles in the fields of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and the fight against corruption. These companies must publish regular reports on the progress they make with the implementation of these ten principles. The Global Compact is also an information and exchange platform for members. In Germany, meetings of members of the German Global Compact network are held regularly in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
www.unglobalcompact.org
www.gtz.de/de/leistungsangebote/2701.htm
Globalisation
Globalisation means the global interdependence of trade, industry, politics, culture and society. It has progressed at a faster pace in recent years primarily due to three developments: Declining transport and communication costs, the alleviation of trade restrictions such as customs duties, and falling crude oil costs. Two conflicting trends can be identified as being a result of globalisation. Firstly, poverty in newly industrialising countries such as China and India has lessened dramatically and prosperity has increased on average worldwide. Secondly, the disparities in income and prosperity have grown not only between individual countries but within them as well. In light of this, civil society players are calling on internationally-operating corporations which profit from the lower manufacturing costs in developing and newly industrialising countries to work for sustainable development directly on location by ensuring compliance with social and environmental standards, particularly in their manufacturing operations.
Good work
Good work is the central term used by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) to designate the improvement of the quality of work and is an area of activity for corporate social responsibility. When a company takes on social responsibility, this responsibility also applies to the way it treats its own employees. Good work is work that pays fairly, that enables democratic participation, offers recognition and preserves and fosters the individual's health. Good Work also means using and improving existing skills, integrating young and older people and making it easier to reconcile the demands of work with the demands of raising a family. In its capacity as the competent ministry, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs establishes the conditions for just employment market policies and for reducing unemployment in Germany.
www.bmas.de
GRI/Global Reporting Initiative
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed guidelines to help companies report regularly on their social, environmental and economic performance. The aim behind these guidelines is to make sustainability reports more complete, transparent, credible and comparable and thus raise their level to that of financial reports. The GRI organisation was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of the American non-governmental organisation Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics (CERES) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and has its headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Reorganised as an independent, non-profit organisation in 2002, the GRI functions as a multi-stakeholder network that is comprised of many experts who are involved in the continued development of the GRI standard around the world. The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are the cornerstone of the GRI framework. The third edition - known as GRI G3 - was adopted in October 2006.
www.globalreporting.org
GRI G3
GRI G3 is the third edition of the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) guidelines for sustainability reporting. This document was published in 2006 and contains not only information on the planning, content and quality of sustainability reporting but also a catalogue listing the required information on the management method and indicators that should be communicated as part of sustainability reports. These indicators are broken down into the dimensions Economic, Environmental, Labour Practices and Humane Work, Human Rights, Society and Product Responsibility and apply to companies in all sectors. There are also so-called Sector Supplements - expanded, sector-specific indicator lists - for individual industries such as the automobile industry. Sustainability reports must indicate, analogously to GRI G3, their level of application (A-C) whereby 'A' is the highest level and 'C' the lowest. This classification can be undertaken by the reporting company on the basis of a self-assessment or by an external expert.
www.globalreporting.org
GTZ/Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH - German Agency for Technical Cooperation - is a federally-owned, globally-operating company that assists the German government with the implementation of its development policy objectives. The GTZ is primarily involved in implementing projects on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The GTZ is active in Africa, Asia, Latin American, the countries in economic transition in Eastern Europe, and the New Independent States (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). The aim of the GTZ is to improve people's living conditions on a lasting basis.
www.gtz.de
Human rights
Human rights are rights that all people have, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or any other status. These inalienable human rights have been enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations since 1948. They are also the foundation for the basic law and constitutions of many nations. National governments are not just obligated to respect human rights such as the bans on torture and slavery, they are also obligated to take action to ensure they are observed.
Humane working conditions
According to the International Labour Organization, establishing humane working conditions entails implementing the ILO's core labour standards, in other words, implementing humane employment opportunities with adequate remuneration in companies and strengthening social security and the dialogue between social partners. The ILO's core labour standards apply to the following four areas: freedom of association and the right to engage in collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labour and child labour and the prohibition of discrimination at work and in one's occupation.
www.ilo.org
IfB!/Initiative für Beschäftigung!
The Initiative für Beschäftigung! (IfB!) - Initiative for Jobs - is a network organisation in which more than 400 companies and a total of 2,500 persons are active. This network's aim is to implement new, tailored solutions to improve the employment situation at regional and national level. In order to accomplish this, IfB! supports the identification of employment-boosting instruments and measures, the development and implementation of innovative projects on a decentralised level, the communication of experience and findings to the political sector and the public and the dissemination of best practice models.
The IfB! also organises the Shape Employment - Enterprises Demonstrate Responsibility competition together with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In the 2007 edition of this competition, 16 public figures from trade, industry, the media and the political sector honoured positive examples of corporate commitment to employment and vocational training.
www.initiative-fuer-beschaeftigung.de
www.beschaeftigung-gestalten.de
ILO core labour standards
The eight ILO core labour standards were laid down by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1998. These standards are based on the following four fundamental principles which determine all of the ILO's activities: freedom of association and the right to engage in collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labour and of child labour and the prohibition of discrimination at work and in one's occupation. More than 120 Member States, including Germany, have ratified the core labour standards to date.
www.ilo.org
ILO/International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization (ILO) began its work in 1919. It became a specialised agency of the United Nations in 1946 and currently has its offices in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is comprised of 182 member countries which are represented not only by government representatives but also by employer and employee representatives. The aim of the ILO is to ensure global peace by improving the working and living conditions of all people. This is to be achieved by formulating legally-binding agreements and conventions and by gaining acceptance for international labour and social standards. The core labour standards which regularise the fundamental rights of work represent the fundamental principles behind the ILO's work. Member countries must submit regular reports to the ILO on their implementation of agreements they have ratified and on the status of national legislation regarding labour law and labour protection.
www.ilo.org
INQA/Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit
The Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (INQA) - New Quality of Work Initiative - is a joint initiative of the federal government, state governments, social partners, social security bodies, foundations and enterprises. The initiative's overriding aim is to foster competitive, human-centred jobs. At the same time, the INQA supports company health policies that help ensure employees' fitness for work. The INQA initiative also supports corporate cultures that are employee-oriented and trustful and that value employees. It views such cultures as a factor in a company's economic success.
www.inqa.de
ISO/International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the international association of national standardisation organisations. It was established in 1961 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Standards have the aim of ensuring that products and services uniformly comply with stipulated requirements in order to in this way facilitate global trade and foster collaboration in economic and technical matters. There are ISO standards for nearly all fields and sectors. Prominent examples include the ISO 9001 quality management standard and the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. The ISO 26000 guideline for the social responsibility of enterprises and organisations is currently being developed.
www.iso.org
ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is a standard that describes the requirements a quality management system must fulfil. It was first published in 1994 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and was last revised in 2008. The ISO 9001 standard is process-oriented and outlines principles for structured processes and measures in companies. It serves the continuous improvement of internal processes and helps enterprises ensure and/or increase customer satisfaction. ISO 9001 can be applied by manufacturers and service providers in all sectors. ISO 9001 certification confirms that the respective organisation has target planning and organised, documented workflows and processes. Certification does not however say anything about a product's actual quality.
www.iso.org
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is part of the family of standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It was first published in 1996 and last revised in 2004. This internationally-recognised standard contains several individual standards which stipulate the requirements that must be fulfilled by environmental management systems. It provides industrial enterprises and the service sector a guide for setting up an environmental management system, for developing environmental protection policies and for continually improving their environmental performance. ISO 14001 has been adopted by the European Committee for Standardization. In 2005 the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) adopted it as the German standard.
www.iso.org
ISO 26000
ISO 26000 is a large-scale attempt on the part of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to establish social responsibility on a broad basis worldwide. ISO 26000 is accordingly intended to serve companies and organisations of all kinds as a guide for taking on social responsibility. An international working group of different stakeholders has been working since early 2005 on the development of the ISO 26000 standard. It will probably be published in late 2010. In contrast to standards like ISO 14001, there will probably be no certification for the implementation of ISO 26000. The aim of ISO 26000 is to foster social responsibility and to introduce a joint platform for definitions, evaluation methods and best practice examples.
www.iso.org
KPI/Key Performance Indicator
A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a fundamental, quantifiable business indicator. KPIs show the progress made in achieving previously defined financial and non-financial corporate goals. Thus KPIs also serve as an early warning system for possible deviations from set goals. In this way they help companies steer their performance within the framework of a sustainability management system. KPIs can vary from company to company, depending on the strategy and sector. Important KPIs in the field of corporate responsibility include energy consumption per product unit and accident rates.
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. This treaty became binding for the parties to it in 2005. The aim of the climate change convention is to stabilise the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a means of countering climate change. The Kyoto Protocol additionally lays down the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in industrialised countries by an average of 5% over 1990 levels by the year 2012. Exceptions have been made for Norway, Iceland and Australia who were allowed increases of 1% - 10%. Germany committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 21%. Instruments that are helping to achieve this goal include - besides the direct reduction of greenhouse gas emissions - emissions trading and the granting of emission reduction credits. A follow-up protocol is planned for 2013.
http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php
LCA/Life cycle assessment
A life cycle assessment analyses the entire course of the processes in a production system, usually with an eye to environmental aspects. A product life cycle encompasses all product phases, from the extraction of raw materials used in it, to its design and processing all the way to its sale, recycling and disposal. The aim of a life cycle assessment is to continually review and improve processes and to solve economic, environmental and social problems. Although companies can directly control some of the stages, others can be influenced only indirectly through third parties. A characteristic feature of responsible corporate governance is that the particular company's life cycle assessments also take the effects of upstream and downstream processes into consideration.
Lisbon Strategy
Adopted in the year 2000, the Lisbon Strategy is the European Union's main economic programme. Its aims are to develop the European Union into the world's most competitive economic area and achieve full employment in the Union's Member States. The Lisbon Strategy is based on three pillars in this connection: An economic pillar to initiate the transition to a knowledge society, a social pillar to prevent social exclusion and an environmental pillar to decouple economic growth from the consumption of finite resources. The individual Member States of the European Union are implementing the Lisbon Strategy with the help of national programmes.
LOHAS/Lifestyle of health and sustainability
The term lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS) is the designation for a consumer group that bases its lifestyle and purchasing decisions on the criteria health and sustainability. In contrast to other groups that market research targets, the LOHAS consumer group cannot be narrowed down by age or income level. Instead, this group is defined by its shared values. The term was coined by the American sociologist Paul Ray in the mid-1990s. According to a study conducted by the AC Nielsen market research institute in collaboration with the KarmaKonsum portal, 30% of consumers in Germany have a LOHAS lifestyle.
Through their buying power, conscious consumers have enormous influence on responsible corporate policy and products.
See also: Ethical consumption
www.lohas.de
MDGs/Millenium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a list of eight primary goals for improving the quality of life of the world's poorest people. The MDGs were adopted with the United Nations Millennium Declaration in New York, USA, in the year 2000. They envisage improvements in the areas of poverty, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, reproductive diseases such as AIDS, environmental protection and global partnership for development. Industrialised nations have committed themselves to spending at least 0.7% of their gross domestic product on development assistance until the year 2015. Many companies also contribute to achieving the MDGs through, for example, their foreign direct investment or their work in the Global Compact.
www.un.org/millenniumgoals
Microfinancing
Microfinancing refers to the provision of basic financial services such as microloans, passbooks and insurance to poor segments of the population, primarily in developing countries but also in industrialised nations. Microfinancing is an important instrument for alleviating poverty. Microfinancing institutes often grant their loans to co-operative associations. The borrowers in these associations jointly bind themselves by contract to repay the loan and are held responsible for one another. Repayment rates are as high as 98%. The largest microfinance bank is the Bengali Grameen Bank with some 7.65 million borrowers and a lending volume of US$ 638.16 million (as of November 2008). Its founder Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this concept in 2006.
Monitoring
Monitoring means the organised and standardised gathering of information for the purpose of controlling and supervising a process or a project. In the case of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the monitoring of processes and performance indicators is important not only for making decisions on possible improvements with regard to social or environmental aspects. Rather, CSR activities themselves should also be monitored so that progress can be tracked and countermeasures can be taken in the event of deviations from plan. Continual monitoring facilitates the assessment of target achievement and is therefore indispensable for the implementation of an effective CSR strategy.
