Working together for corporate and investor responsibility

1. Working together for corporate and investor responsibility • Companies • Communities • Faith-based and responsible investors • Church groups, church members, civil society organisations, concerned citizens Partnership for Development Ecumenical World Development Consultation March 2009 Miles.Litvinoff@eccr.org.uk

2. Companies: good, bad & ugly • Jobs • Goods we need • Taxes pay for public services • Dividends & pensions • Philanthropy but … • Exploitation / human rights abuse • Pollution, environmental damage • Human health • Excessive profits / tax avoidance • Arms trade etc

3. Examples of the problem • Nigeria – oil pollution and gas flaring • UK – gangmasters: `Forty Bulgarians … illegally employed and exploited by a gangmaster in Cornwall … picking and packing vegetables destined for Tesco and Morrisons … said they were forced to "live like pigs on scraps“ … gangmaster withheld their pay for 34 days …’ –Guardian, 2007 • India – water extraction • Philippines – mining • Canada – tar sands

4. and – where are we (going) now? • Worsening crisis? • Towards sustainability?

5. ECCR’s response • Seeking a transformed relationship between companies and communities • Advocating corporate responsibility and responsible / sustainable investment • Working with churches, church investors, wider investment community, civil society, and concerned individuals • Using international networks to hear and give voice to communities’ experience • Researching and publishing reports • Working with and supporting members in action & advocacy • Building awareness, membership and capacity

6. Founding beliefs & ways of working • Communities rather than companies are the basis of economic life • The churches, with major shareholdings in global companies, and active in human rights and development, have opportunity and responsibility to influence business policy & practice • Primary stakeholder is the host community • Host communities can provide detailed, powerful first-hand testimony as basis for advocacy • Companies more likely to respond to advocates and local communities when they work together • ECCR’s contacts with church-based and community organisations - eg Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Ireland, Nigeria, Madagascar, Philippines, Uganda, as well as UK

7. ECCR’s model of change • Establish facts and share information • Effective communication • Work with others including local communities • Awareness prompts action • Faith- and values-based engagement and advocacy • Dialogue not condemnation • Combine moral case with business case • Companies: • transparency leads to accountability • concern for reputation and bottom-line risk • will respond to pressure from investors, moral voice of churches and other faiths, reputational issues, media exposure

8. ECCR’s research • Bench Marks – analytical framework of criteria and indicators • Company reports on Astra Zeneca, BP, BHP Billiton, GlaxoSmithKline, Marks & Spencer, Rio Tinto, Shell • Issue and sector reports – food & drinks company `water footprints’, vulnerable migrant workers

10. ECCR’s advocacy • Shell • BP • Rio Tinto • Food & drinks companies re water • Mining companies and financial backers • Food producers & retailers re migrant workers

11. ECCR in partnership – Britain, Ireland & international • Member and donor organisations • Bench Marks partners • Church Investors Group • Local communities & clergy –Nigeria & Ireland • Working Group on Mining in the Philippines • Tar sands collaboration • Trade unions • Central & Eastern Europe • Supporting members

12. Membership • c. 70 corporate members: national denominations, religious orders, regional and local church bodies, church based national organisations, NGOs, responsible investment companies and fund managers • c. 125 individual members • several major fund managers also belong to Church Investors Group • many smaller corporate members have funds managed by others • members nominate and elect ECCR’s Board and determine its direction • ECCR local groups: Oxford, South-West, West Midlands

13. Support for members • Information & knowledge sharing • Advice & consultation • Resources & materials • Outreach – articles, presentations • Joint advocacy & dialogue with companies • Action suggestions, model letters • ECCR Guide

14. Impacts – the hardest test • Madagascar • Nigeria • Philippines • Tar sands • Water sustainability

15. Media coverage • Ekklesia Feb 2009 - `Halt mining in the Philippines says new report’ • Church Times Nov 2008 - `“Champion needed” for migrant workers’ • Methodist Recorder May 2008 - `Water: the most essential resource of all’ • The Times April 2008 - `Fund managers attack BP over tar sands plan’

16. What people say about ECCR’s work • ‘You can be a small organization but the result is beginning to be seen. Thank you so much’ - family affected by mining in Madagascar • `ECCR does a wonderful job because it gets incontrovertible evidence and uses this to work on the companies in a helpful and unfussy way’ – individual member • `I find ECCR’s e-newsletter really valuable and use it to disseminate information within my organisation’ - major pension fund manager • `Thank you for your interest in the genuine concerns of the people of this area and your work in trying to resolve the issue’ – Co. Mayo resident

17. What people say about ECCR’s work (2) • `This type of information is key for our investment research analysts’ – responsible investment manager • Your guide is a wonderful resource’ - chief exec, campaigning NGO • `We now understand why Hima here is experiencing that heat!’ – Uganda partner NGO • `Your role in tar sands campaigning is helping to raise this issue … beyond the "mainstream" ‘ – senior ethical investment adviser • `This is the first and only work that I have ever read that addressed this issue properly, fairly and professionally’ – migrant workers support organisation

18. ECCR people • Members and partners • Patron - Lord Harries • Board – representing members & partners • Secretariat team: • Helen Boothroyd - Church & membership relations officer • Suzanne Ismail – Senior Researcher • Miles Litvinoff – Co-ordinator • Binia Scherrer – Administrator • Sunniva Taylor – Researcher www.eccr.org.uk