Appendices V-VII
		Appendix V: A Guide to Socially Responsible Investment Ethical Financial: Founded on Principles of Caring The Ethical Philosophy Concerned individuals investing wisely, without abusing the world's natural resources or exploiting its people and animals--this is the Ethical Investment Philosophy. Broadly speaking the selection process follows two paths: The selection of companies which positively contribute to the environment. The avoidance of companies which have a negative effect on the environment. THE POSITIVE Investment is made in companies that support and actively encourage the following. Environmental protection Pollution control Conservation and recycling Safety and security Medicine and health care Concerned, caring management Equal opportunity provision for employees THE NEGATIVE Companies involved in the following activities, as far as is practicable, are excluded from the Ethical Fund portfolio: Armaments and nuclear weapons Animal exploitation and experimentation Oppressive regimes Alcohol and tobacco Environmentally damaging practices Poor employment practices Pornography Gambling What is Ethical Investment? Most of us at some point in our lives will purchase the following financial products: endowment policies, personal pension plans, regular savings plans, lump sum investment schemes, and life assurance. However, these legitimate plans, if they are linked to the stock market, may finance areas such as vivisection, armament production, environmental destruction, pornography, tobacco and alcohol production and so on. It is thought that as many as 75% of the top 100 shares have some unethical link in terms of the companies. products and practices which they support. Ethical investment is a viable and profitable alternative enabling you to invest in a socially responsible manner without damaging the world's natural resources or exploiting its people and animals. [italics in original] By investing in any one of the 30 ethical funds now available in the UK you can ensure that your investments are funding companies with a positive--and not negative--attitude to society. Source: Ethical Financial Ltd., undated Back to article Appendix VI: Excerpt from Info Center questionnaire 3. Commitments 3.1. Are you member of any national association for ecologically responsible management (e.g. BAUM (Germany), OEBU (Switzerland))? yes__ no__ which____ 3.2. Have you signed the Principles of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics (CERES-Principles)? yes__ no__ 3.3. Have you signed the Business Charter for Sustainable Development initiated by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC-Charter) ? yes__ no__ since___ 3.4. Do group companies participate in the "Responsible Care-Program"(chemical industries)? yes__ no__ 3.5. Have group companies signed the "Declaration from Banks to the Environment and the Development" (document for banks integrated in the United Nations Environmental Program)? yes__ no__ 3.6. What further codices, principles or agreements relevant to environmental protection have been signed by group companies? 4. Standard 4.1. What production standards do production plants in foreign countries follow ? Production standards dictated by local law__ Unified production standards based on the parent firm's standards___ Unified production standards based on the highest standard of all countries where the company is active___ 5. Management Systems 5.1. Do you use checklists to help you realize your ecologically weak points? yes__ no__ Source: Swiss Info Center Research Back to article Appendix VII: Example of an IRRC questionnaire Although we've put your company's name at the top of this page, your responses to the following questions will be incorporated into IRRC's research as anonymous. We would greatly appreciate your response as it will provide data for a study we are conduction on the status of affirmative action among multinational companies in South Africa. 1. What percentage of the managers at your company in South Africa are: Colored, Asian or African:__ % women: __ % (For the purposes of this question, "manager" is defined as: 'Individuals who set broad policies, exercise responsibility for executing policies or direct individual departments or components of a company's operation. They often, but not always, oversee the work of several supervisors or professionals.') 2. What percentage of your South African company's purchases from outside firms for goods and services are supplied by: Coloreds, Asians or Africans: __% women: __ % Does your company endorse the goals of the ANC/Cosatu Platform of Guiding Principles? __ Yes __ No __ Don't know 4. Does your company endorse the goals of the South African Council of Churches Code of Corporate Conduct? __ Yes __ No __ Don't know Source: Investor Responsibility, Research Center NB This questionnaire pre-dates political changes in South Africa. Back to article Appendix VIII: Sample of questionnaire question types The sheer length of the questionnaires sent to companies--and the work imposed on those who complete and legally vet them--should be understood. Companies may be involved overall in hundreds of questions requiring detailed answers. The length of the questionnaires means they have not been reproduced in full here. However the list below includes the sort of questions which might be asked in an environmental questionnaire. Add to this other questions on employment of women, ethnic minorities, Third World practices, unethical products, community and charitable donations, oppressive regimes and some idea of the scrupulosity emerges. Does your company have an environmental policy ? If so, please enclose. Is the company a member of an environmental programme? How was it drawn up? When was this policy first issued? Is the policy applicable to all the company's subsidiaries, and in all countries? If not, please specify any differences. Does the company use the following environmental guidelines? International Chamber of Commerce Confederation of British Industry British Standards Institute (BS 7750) Other (please specify) Have targets been set to minimize waste production? Have targets been set for recycling? Have targets been set to minimize energy use? Have any other environmental targets been set? Is there a member of the board responsible for environmental issues? (please name) What procedures are there to monitor compliance with environmental legislation and regulations? What measures are being taken to increase employees' awareness of company policy? Does the company offer environmental training or education? Has the company conducted an assessment of its environmental impact? Has the company conducted an energy audit? Has the company conducted a waste audit? Has the company conducted environmental management performance assessments? Has the company conducted compliance assessments? Are the results of these assessments available to the shareholders? the public? Is there employee or trade union consultation on environmental policy? Does your company assess the environmental performance of suppliers? How significant are environmental issues for your company's future performance? From which sources have you experienced concern about the company's environmental performance? customers shareholders employees senior management banks environmental organizations others Is shareholder support necessary to improve the environmental performance of your company'? If so, how might shareholders provide this? Will trends toward tighter environmental regulation affect your company's performance? In what area will effects be most apparent (e.g. investment requirements, changing consumer requirements, etc.)? Does the company provide a figure associated with spending on environmental improvement? If not, why not? If so, what is environmental expenditure as a percentage of annual turnover? Is environmental liability separated from other liabilities? If not, why not? If so, what provision has been made for environmental liabilities as a percentage of liabilities? Does the company publish details of its environmental performance? If so, in what way do you consider disclosure beneficial? If not, why not? Where is the information published? Does the company plan to expand its environmental reporting? If yes, how? Does the company make any donations or provide other support to environmental groups? If so, how much and to whom? Has the company taken any other relevant initiatives (please give details)? Does your company promote environmental awareness to its customers? Previous... Table of Contents || The Contributors About the Social Affairs Unit
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