The Earth Charter Initiative - Values and Principles for a Sustainable Future

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Mission

The mission of the Earth Charter Initiative is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace.

Business

Recognizing the need for new collaborative forms of governance, the Earth Charter states: “A partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance” (The Way Forward).

In accord with this principle, ECI has adopted a strategy for engaging businesses in the Earth Charter Initiative.  A major part of this strategy involves working in partnership with business leaders and building alliances with business related initiatives, such as the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

In the context of these alliances, business leaders are invited to use the Earth Charter as a common ethical framework in their dialogue with civil society actors and other stakeholders.  Businesses that support the Earth Charter, but do not yet participate in GRI are encouraged to do so. The following document The Earth Charter, GRI and Global Compact was developed to help guide business groups.

After extensive research and dialogue, ECI, in cooperation with the Dutch National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO), has developed a Guidance Paper that responds to questions about how the Earth Charter relates to other leading global initiatives such as the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This paper is designed to help Earth Charter users and those using the GRI and Global Compact to understand the synergies and complementary strengths of these three initiatives. It endeavors to explain how businesses can integrate the Earth Charter into the reporting processes organized by GRI and other similar efforts. ECI places special emphasis in its work with businesses on the value of adopting GRI guidelines. An alliance with the GRI is developed along these lines.

The Earth Charter International encourages all businesses to use the Earth Charter in one or more of the following ways:

Engage employees with the Earth Charter for the purpose of learning, training, and inspiration.

Assess the activities of the business in the light of Earth Charter values and principles, using the Global Reporting Initiative's Guidelines.

Incorporate Earth Charter values and principles in the business mission statement and its core operations with the goal of developing a more socially and ecologically responsible business.

ECI will not attempt to create a special administrative staff for this focus area, nor will it monitor individual business participation. Instead, ECI will develop resources that will be made available via the website, and encourage businesses to participate in this focus area by endorsing the Earth Charter, making use of the resources, and taking actions of the kind described above.

A Task Force to help implement the Earth Charter strategy in the field of business is being put in place.

See the following resource materials also available in the EC Virtual Library

 

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The new book “Sustainable Economy: Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility” features the Earth Charter
Protectora Ambiental (Environmental Protector) in México, a company that deals with the recollection and treatment of waste, among other things, works with the Earth Charter as an ethical frame.
The 12th annual conference of Ethos Institute will take place in May 2010 with the Theme: The World Towards a New Direction.  Sustainability: The New Contract of Society with the Planet
“Come to know the Earth Charter” is the name of the play presented during the V Earth Charter International Congress recently celebrated in Madrid, Spain
The Earth Charter business task force from Holland and Brazil, Mutual Learning Journeys and LEAD Brazil have set up New Earth Leaders.
The Earth Charter has entered the You Tube/ CNN’s competition “Raise your voice: change climate change”.
The purpose of the event is to create a space where participants can debate about economic challenges, and its relationship with environmental and social concerns.
An essay on sustainability leadership and ethics, “Rethinking Leadership – The Role of the Earth Charter in fostering ethical leaders for the future” by Mikko Espestad, is launched by the Earth Charter International. ECI welcomes comments on it.

Thirty-four new Earth Charter Action Groups have been formed since May 2009.

The evaluation report of the learning opportunities organized during IUCN Congress, featured EC Assess workshop as was one of the top four best evaluated workshops.
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