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.uk1

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

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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

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and – where are we (going) now?• Worsening crisis?

• Towards sustainability?

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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

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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

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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:

o transparency leads to accountabilityo concern for reputation and bottom-line risko will respond to pressure from investors, moral voice of churches

and other faiths, reputational issues, media exposure

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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

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ECCR’s advocacy

• Shell• BP• Rio Tinto• Food & drinks companies re water• Mining companies and financial backers• Food producers & retailers re migrant workers

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 11

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

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Support for members

• Information & knowledge sharing• Advice & consultation• Resources & materials• Outreach – articles, presentations• Joint advocacy & dialogue with

companies• Action suggestions, model letters• ECCR Guide

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Impacts – the hardest test

• Madagascar• Nigeria• Philippines• Tar sands• Water sustainability

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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’

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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 16

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

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ECCR people

• Members and partners• Patron - Lord Harries• Board – representing members & partners• Secretariat team:

o Helen Boothroyd - Church & membership relations officero Suzanne Ismail – Senior Researchero Miles Litvinoff – Co-ordinatoro Binia Scherrer – Administratoro Sunniva Taylor – Researcher

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