Resource Desk

This site provides extensive information and resources on the business and human rights subject. It reports on company's human rights impacts worldwide, covering over 4000 companies in over 180 countries. Information is available by region/country, sector, individual company, or business organization. Other topics include issues, laws and lawsuits, principles, and the UN and other international organizations. Also available in French and Spanish.

BSR is an organization that promotes social responsibility for companies of all sizes. It provides its members with a wide array of tools to design and successfully implement policies that are in line with social, economic, and environmental responsibility. Additionally, BSR provides news and analysis of current issues as they pertain to sustainable development, and training and advisory services for member companies.

CSR Wires is a newswire service that focuses on the integration of business operations and values by sharing a holistic view of social responsibility that it hopes will translate into a company’s policies and actions. Its core content includes press releases, corporate reports and links, CSR Events Promotion, and CSR Resources.

The Corporate Responsibility Resource Guide is hosted by the Institute of Development Studies , at the University of Sussex, a leading center for research and teaching on international development. The section provides online resources pertaining to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Content includes summaries and links to online documents, a directory of websites, databases, library catalogues and email discussion lists. Its news services bring the latest research on sustainable responsibility.

This is a sub-website within the HBS Working Knowledge website. It provides featured research reports by HBS professors on the topic of the social responsibility of enterprises and non-profit organizations.

Provided by the International Labor Organization (ILO), ILOLEX is a trilingual database containing ILO Conventions and Recommendations, ratification information, comments of the Committee of Experts and the Committee on Freedom of Association, representations, complaints, interpretations, General Surveys, and numerous related documents. Available in English, French and Spanish.

The Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethics research group of INSEAD focuses on developing materials relevant to business and public sector social responsibility. The site provides events, research & publications in the field, and also links to the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre.

The "KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2005" is a project conducted by the University of Amsterdam and KPMG Global Sustainability Services. This survey documents the reporting trends, on an international level, of nearly 2000 companies.

A site devoted to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) news and resources, MallenBaker provides visitors with up-to-date news, archived content, and other web links. A free monthly mewsletter is offered to voluntary subscribers, which offers a fresh perspective on current topics regarding CSR in the workplace.

GRI is an official collaborating center of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with direct cooperation with the Secretary-General. Its mission is to develop guidelines by which companies can voluntarily report the dimensions of their social, economic, and environmental policies. It offers news, events, forums and reports.

This is a UK government website focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility. It provides UK government definition of corporate social responsibility, discussion on related cases, as well as UK and international policy and legislation that regulate and stimulate corporate social responsibility. It also presents the UK government's approach and activities in corporate social responsibility issues. In addition, it provides news and resource links on corporate social responsibility topics. This website is free and updated frequently.

The goal of BELL is to ensure that business leaders of tomorrow have the skills necessary for making companies more competitive by viewing social and environmental challenges as unmet market needs. BELL activities focus on the long-term growth aspects of sustainability in a business context related to innovation, repositioning, and shared visions. The site offers case studies, reports, and research on the topic of sustainability.

The website of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) Inc provides information on the different fair trade initiatives operating in both countries, as well as links and insight to the larger global fair trade movement.

The Fair Trade Federation directly links low-income producers with consumer markets and educates consumers about the importance of purchasing fairly traded products which support living wages and safe and healthy conditions for workers in the developing world. This site is also a source for fair trade information resources.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International is the leading Fairtrade standard setting and certification body. It regularly inspects and certifies about 508 producer organizations in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Global Exchange is a resource center working to empower members and constituents and connect globally to create a sustainable world. This page on fair trade, provided by the center, gives an overall description of fair trade as well as links to sites where on can become more involved with making a difference.

The mission of IFAT - the global network of Fair Trade Organizations, is to link and promote Fair Trade Organizations, and to speak out for greater justice in world trade. The web site provides information on fair trade, membership to the organization, events, and links to different regions where IFAT is present.

Oxfam was started over 40 years ago and has been working to find lasting solutions to poverty around the world. While the site does not have a strong business focus, users may find the "Oxfam in Action" section helpful for fair trade information on issues such as debt and aid, trade, and the private sector.

This is the entrance to an economics book entitled Fairness in International Trade, by Steven M. Suranovic.

The Fairtrade Foundation is the independent non-profit organization that licenses use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products in the UK in accordance with Fairtrade standards. The site provides information on products and producers as well as a number of resources in the area of fair trade.

Trade Aid is an organization dedicated to promoting fair trade around the world. Their goal is to move people from poverty to self-reliance by maximizing the sale of fair trade products.

Traidcraft is both a trading company and a development charity dedicated to fighting poverty through trade. The charity, Traidcraft Exchange, specializes in making trade work for the poor. The site links to news & events, international development, resources and a page on how to become involved.

This government site provides employment information for individuals searching for a job and organizations interested in hiring. Site includes a section on business assistance for organizations as well as several publications on employment and workplace relations.

Provided by the Canada Department of Justice, site includes the Canada Labour Code and related regulations and information. Act current to July 25, 2008.

The Federation of European Employers provides information on human resources, employment law, pay and job evaluation, and labor regulations in European countries. Membership to the site is optional and employment regulation information can be access without.

The Labour Department of Hong Kong focuses on employment services, labor relations, health & safety at work, and employee rights and benefits. The site provides useful resources including publications, research and legislation on labor issues.

The South African Department of Labour publishes legislation that regulates labor practices and activities. The site contains a wealth of employment information grouped by subject, interest group, and type.

APCEL researchers traveled to the 10 countries of ASEAN and conducted in-depth studies and investigations into the environmental laws and institutions of Southeast Asia. Some of the laws collected and the main reports prepared pursuant to the Research Project are reproduced on this site.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an international organization established by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to address environmental matters. The site provides information on environmental topics such as Environment, Economy, & Trade, Conservation of Biodiversity, Law & Policy, Pollutants & Health, and more. Site also available in Spanish and French.

ENTRI provides access to a database of environmental treaties worldwide. In addition to the treaty itself, one can find information on the status of the treaty. The site also provides country profiles, a treaty locator, and a country explorer, which allows access to national data on treaties signed, or treaties which a country, organization, or territory have ratified.

Provided by the European Union, this page includes information on the activities of the European legislation in regards to the environment. Users have the option of choosing different languages and the specific country in which they want to find data on environmental regulations and policy.

Adopted by the European Union, the European Environment Agency aims to help community and member countries make decisions about improving the environment and moving towards sustainability. Graphs, reports and upcoming events can be found on environmental themes such as air pollution, biodiversity, and environment & health.

The goal of the Hong Kong Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance is promoting urban development with closer attention to the environment. The site is used for large-scale development projects that are to be implemented, to research, forecast, and evaluate the impact of business operations on the environment, and for implementing measures to minimize this impact on the environment.

Site provides current news articles pertaining to environmental laws, regulations, and policies in India as well as links to earlier articles on a number of different issues.

Site includes links to environmental sustainability reports of Japanese companies disclosing policies, strategies and performance in environmental, social and/or sustainability management.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency draws up regulations, develops economic policy instruments, and distributes grants. This page on Legislation and Other Policy Instruments provides information such as research, standards, and the environmental code.

With global warming rapidly becoming a hot topic on the world stage, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change offers a broad range of resources to answer the many questions concerning issues surrounding this situation. In addition to daily updates and information about what kind of action is being taken, the site offers an extensive background about global warming, a detailed outline of the Kyoto Agreement, and national reports of emissions data. Also available in Spanish and French.

The World Resources Institute provides a wealth of interesting information related to the environment and business, and how to successfully manage the two of them. Their content covering such topics as climate, energy, and transport, governance and access, markets and enterprise, and people and ecosystems. There is also a link to their project, EarthTrends, which provides in-depth environmental, social, and economic statistical information.

Sponsored by the International Institution for Sustainable Development (IISD), practical tools are offered for companies to use in implementing strategies that will allow them to focus on sustainable development and sound economic practices. Among other things, one can find worldwide case studies, briefs about current issues, and various tools and strategies.

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) aims to promote sustainable societies and the protection of ecosystems by advancing the understanding, development and implementation of international sustainable development law. The organization's site provides research, publications, and projects for those interested in sustainable development.(Available in English, French, and Spanish)

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development provides news on topics pertaining to trade, sustainable development and the environment. Also available is information on series of special topics such as Agriculture, Intellectual Property, and Energy & Climate Change.

The main task of IISD is the integration of environmental policy, economic development, and the well-being of people. This site offers research, standards and guidelines, publications, and commentary on various sustainability issues.

The Sustainable Development section of the Organization for Economic and Co-Operation and Development site provides statistics on a variety of topics. Also, publications are available on issues like measuring sustainable protection and conducting sustainability assessments.

The SD Gateway is a sustainable development portal with over 1,200 documents grouped by topic. The site also provides services such as a calendar of events, job bank and roster of mailing lists and news sites.

Provided by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, this site offers general information on sustainable development as well as links to the UK government sustainable development initiatives and strategies.

Sustainable Development International exists to provide unique publishing services for business to raise awareness about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to influence effective sustainable development policy. Particularly useful is the SDI Issues section that includes news and events as well as feature articles and directory listings on 8 sustainable development areas.

Sustainable Development International Corporation (SDIC) was created to help governments, companies, and other organizations become more ecologically sustainable. The site provides research and publications on sustainable development as well as information on how to "green" your business, home or workplace.

The Global Development Research Center's Sustainable Business section outlines the program initiatives, provides documents and reports on a sustainable business world and lists groups and networks that promote sustainability in their activities.

SDN is a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting debate on the issues pertaining to social responsibility. This site contains conference announcements and recaps, briefing and analysis papers on a wide range of social responsibility topics, and press releases.

WBCSD is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and environmental stewardship through providing business leadership. This website contains speeches, news articles, case studies, book suggestions, and a newsletter that examines the topic of sustainable development. Its mission focuses on three major aspects with respect to social responsibility: economic growth, ecological balance, and social progress.