Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
mechanisms suggest that there may be some scope for consolidation and ratcheting up
to give them more coherence and more teeth. The Global Compact appears to be playing
a key role in seeking out collaboration with many of these various mechanisms, such as
the PRI and the GRI. The ISO is also currently developing a new series of standards on
social responsibility, to be launched in 2008, and is collaborating closely with the GC and
the GRI to ensure compatibility. At the same time, there is also evidence of some mea-
sures to ratchet up the monitoring and enforcement aspects of these existing mecha-
nisms. Responsible Care, for example, moved from being primarily self-monitored by
industry to incorporating third-party veri
orts to introduce integrity
measures, as well as the institutionalization of the GRI, can be interpreted as steps
toward strengthening the ability of these mechanisms to engender change in corporate
practice.
While these developments may signal a consolidation and ratcheting up of the existing
global mechanisms for corporate greening, the process thus far has been slow, and for
many still falls short of achieving corporate accountability. Although there are di
fi
cation. The GC's e
ff
erent
views on this question, it is possible to pursue both strategies simultaneously. Indeed, the
goal of achieving corporate accountability may well be brought closer by continuing to
push for corporate accountability measures such as a legally binding treaty at the same
time as strengthening and ratcheting up existing mechanisms. In other words, it may well
be that without the pressure for more corporate accountability, e
ff
orts to improve volun-
tary measures would be weak or non-existent. Further, it may be that the two ideas even-
tually merge. This may not be what either side of the debate is ideally hoping for, but it
could be a step further toward achieving corporate accountability.
ff
Note
1.
See, e.g, Gedicks (2001) on oil and mining; Dauvergne (2001) on logging; and Leighton et al. (2002) on
chemicals and electronics.
References
Bendell, Jem (2004), Barricades and Boardrooms: A Contemporary History of the Corporate Accountability
Movement ,Programme on Technology, Business and Society, Programme Paper No. 13, Geneva: UNRISD.
Broad, Robin and John Cavanagh(1999), 'The corporate accountability movement: lessons and opportunities',
The Fletcher Forum of World A
airs , 23 (2), 151-69.
Bruno, Kenny (with Joshua Karliner) (2002), Greenwash + 10: The UN's Global Compact, Corporate
Accountability and the Johannesburg Earth Summit , Corporate Watch, available online at www.corpwatch.
org/un.
Bunn, Isabella (2004), 'Global advocacy for corporate accountability: transatlantic perspectives from the NGO
community', American University International Law Review , 19 (6), 1265-306.
Cashore, Benjamin (2002), 'Legitimacy and the privatization of environmental governance: how non-state
market-driven (NSMD) governance systems gain rule-making authority', Governance , 15 (4), 503-29.
Clapp, Jennifer (1998), 'The privatization of global environmental governance: ISO 14000 and the developing
world', Global Governance , 4 (3), 295-316.
Clapp, Jennifer (2005), 'Global environmental governance for corporate responsibility and accountability',.
Global Environmental Politics , 5 (3) 23-34.
Clapp, Jennifer (forthcoming), 'Corporate accountability in the agro-food sector: the case of illegal GMO
releases', in P. Utting and J. Clapp (eds), Corporate Accountability and Sustainable Development , Delhi:
Oxford University Press.
Clapp, Jennifer and Peter Utting (forthcoming), 'Corporate responsibility, accountability and law: an introduc-
tion' in P. Utting and J. Clapp (eds), Corporate Accountability and Sustainable Development , Delhi: Oxford
University. Press.
Corporate Europe Observer (CEO) (2001), 'Industry's Rio+10 strategy: banking on feelgood PR', The CEO
Quarterly Newsletter , 10 , December.
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