Multinational companies are among the most powerful actors on the planet, affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Although they help provide goods, services, jobs and profits, multinationals can cause major problems for local communities and the environment.
Before ‘corporate responsibility’ became fashionable, ECCR’s founders [1] recognised that companies have major impacts on local communities, particularly in developing countries where legal frameworks and infrastructure are often weak.
Corporate and investor responsibility is a key issue for Christians, who evaluate companies by their impacts on human dignity, the human community and the integrity of creation. Companies carry moral responsibility for the consequences of their decisions and operations. As a major investor in companies, the Church shares in this responsibility.
Justice requires us to evaluate the use of Church and company income, wealth and power in light of their impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people and on the natural world.
The involvement of the Church and its members can deepen the values of corporate and investor responsibility, helping to bring about a transformed relationship between companies, communities and the environment.
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