Voluntary CSR initiatives, like the Global Compact, are better than corporations having no CSR commitments; however Tim Brown, editor of Corpobligation.com ^[1], argues that “states, consumers, and corporations should realize that we have reached a point where we need universally binding standards and corporate obligations.”

Binding domestic and international regulations as well as de facto obligations arising from market structures such as ethical trading regimes and consumer or worker actions can lead to real corporate obligations. True “corpobligations” benefit consumers, workers and the environment because rights are protected. Strong corpobligations also benefit ethical and sustainable corporations, by creating a level playing field for all corporations. The big questions around CSR are: Which obligations will become mandatory and which will remain voluntary? What is the best strategy to undertake to improve corporate human rights and environmental practices?

To choose one example, pressure on governments and businesses to ban plastic shopping bags ^[2] has led to some changes in corporate practice and government regulation. Corpobligation.com has identified the factors that are leading to changes (consumer pressure, waste-management crises, and environmental destruction) and the factors that are blocking change (historic inertia, fear of upsetting consumers and corporations). Identifying these factors helps corporations, governments and consumers in their engagements with human rights and environmental challenges.

Corpobligation.com ^[1] is edited by Tim Brown and welcomes submissions of news and analysis from all perspectives on CSR issues. The site publishes brief articles on financial, green, human rights, labour, opinion, and university news and more in depth reports that identify CSR and corpobligation trends. The site is also currently supporting two campaigns ^[3]: Compost Everywhere Now and Responsible Consumer Practices.

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For further information, please contact Chanda Tannis (email: info AT corpobligation.com). Corpobligation is pronounced cor-pob-li-ga-tion and is a term created from corporate + obligation. Learn more about corporate obligation ^[1]. Please visit the site to register and submit articles. Please include a brief biography at the end of any article and state, which information you wish to display publicly.