Corporate Social Responsibility Report

The Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) has just released its latest report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  According to MSN's abstract on the report (which is available here)

Is CSR reporting measuring the right things? How can stakeholders assess whether a company's business practices bear any relation to its CSR principles and objectives?

In Codes Memo #22, The Next Generation of CSR Reporting: Will Better Reporting Result in Better Working Conditions?, the Maquila Solidarity Network offers a critical assessment of "next generation" CSR reporting in the apparel and footwear sector, with particular attention to recent reports of Nike, Wal-Mart, Gap Inc., and Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), as well as the Global Reporting Initiative's Draft Apparel and Footwear Sector Supplement.

We conclude with a series of recommendations for more complete and transparent reporting that would provide stakeholders with sufficient information to assess whether companies are integrating social responsibility into their business practices and making real progress on labour standards compliance in their global supply chains.

An interesting report, check it out.

-JH