sustainability
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate Responsibility is woven into the fabric of econscious. It informs and inspires our business model and our practices every day. We are part of a worldwide movement towards “responsible capitalism,” providing goods and services while embracing the “Three E’s” of sustainability, which are: Ecological Sustainability; Social Equity; and Economic Vitality.
The traditional corporate business model focuses on a single goal – “increasing shareholder value.” For some corporations, this means laying off thousands of workers to drive up stock prices. For others, it means polluting groundwater because the fines are cheaper than the costs of cleaner processes. Those practices are changing, as a new type of corporation rediscovers a very old idea – that commerce can exist as a force for social and cultural progress, where everyone affected by a transaction can benefit.
Ecological Sustainability
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development created a definition for sustainability. It reads: “To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Put another way, sustainability recognizes that the planet’s resources are finite, and that if we want to be responsible stewards of the earth, we have to use those resources wisely, so they last indefinitely.
To act responsibly in this regard, corporations have to look beyond the inflow of materials and the outflow of products. We have to examine the impacts of our business up and down the supply chain. We have to demonstrate leadership to our suppliers and partners, and embrace ecological sustainability as a continual process of improvement.
It takes one-third of a pound of fertilizers and pesticides to produce the average cotton t-shirt. By working exclusively with organic farmers, we can keep millions of pounds of chemicals out of the environment, which has a positive impact on watersheds, wildlife and humans. Organic farming also has a global warming correlation; chemicals are manufactured and transported using fossil fuels, and organic farmers use less water.
Ecological sustainability is perhaps most directly expressed in agriculture. We all have to be fed, clothed, and sheltered every day. Agricultural products – from our farms and forests – are all around us. By educating ourselves and making conscious choices about what we consume, we can join a worldwide movement towards a safer, cleaner, and healthier world.
Social Equity
Treating people fairly, honestly, and ethically is a cornerstone of corporate responsibility. It begins in our own backyard, paying employees a decent wage, offering a safe and healthy work environment, and encouraging employees to grow in their work and their lives.
Social equity also means that we work with our vendors, subcontractors, suppliers and business partners to make sure that workplace conditions are safe, that workers are not harassed or abused, that all workers are treated with respect, and that our products will never be made with forced labor or child labor. We require documentation of socially equitable practices, and we inspect our overseas partners to ensure they comply.
Being successful and having a social conscience are mutually supportive goals. Respecting human rights, and striving for fairness, respect, and justice are values that enrich our lives as well as the health of our company.
Economic Vitality
The tenets of Corporate Responsibility dictate that we look carefully at the economic impacts of our business. We provide high quality products and services at competitive prices, but we look beyond our financial success. We consider the ethical, legal, and cultural implications of what we do. If we contract with a farmer and pay him a fair price for his organic cotton, we make an impact on his entire community. If we act ethically and contribute to the economic success of our business partners, we improve the quality of life for those communities and for society as a whole.
Responsible corporations enjoy a myriad of economic benefits. Using renewable resources ensures more reliable access to materials, minimal costs for environmental compliance, and greater customer loyalty. In addition, most responsible corporations give back to their communities in a variety of ways. This can include support of international movements, such as “1% For the Planet,” and support for community efforts, by encouraging employees to volunteer and support good causes.
For us, it’s about, “doing well by doing good.”
Resources
If we agree that “what we’re making” is of equal importance with “how we make it” we accept that corporate responsibility is an ongoing process of testing, examining, and improving our practices. For more information about corporate responsibility, we offer these resources.
Business for Social Responsibility
www.bsr.org
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
www.ifoam.org
The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability
http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/standards.htm
Redefining Progress
http://www.redefiningprogress.org
The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College
http://www.bcccc.net
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