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 1

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 2

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 3

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

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 5

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 6

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: o transparency leads to accountability o concern for reputation and bottom-line risk o will respond to pressure from investors, moral voice of churches and other faiths, reputational issues, media exposure 7

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 8

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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 11

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 12

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 13

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

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’ 15

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 16

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 17

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