CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY

Oil flares in Ecuador

KAIROS is concerned about the growing pattern of Canadian mining, oil and gas companies whose overseas activities are having a negative impact on the environment and human rights, including the rights of Indigenous peoples. Canadian mining companies are operating worldwide and their presence is expanding.

KAIROS advocates for binding legislation to hold corporations accountable in Canada for abuses committed internationally. KAIROS participates is part of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability which unites over 20 Canadian faith-based, human rights, environmental, labour and other civil society groups calling for greater government oversight of Canadian extractive sector activity abroad. KAIROS and our CNCA partners are calling on the Canadian government to implement the recommendations from the “National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Sector in Developing Countries,” which would establish an ombudsman to investigate complaints and sanction companies that fail to operate in compliance with minimum social and environmental standards.

Key Resources on Corporate Accountability

Get on the list for our Corporate Social Responsibility Update. This free e-newsletter will give you the latest on CSR and shareholder action concerns for KAIROS, the Canadian churches, and global partners. Check out these archives for background information.
Fall 2007 CSR newsletter (PDF format)

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March 2007 shareholder alert (PDF format)

Links to other CSR-related sites

(KAIROS does not link to commercial groups and does not necessarily endorse external content.)

Amnesty International Canada

Bench Marks Foundation of South Africa

Canadian Business for Social Responsibility

Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy

Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability (resource extraction-focussed)

Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility

EthicScan Canada

Forest Stewardship Council of Canada

Global Reporting Initiative

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Maquila Solidarity Network

Michael Jantzi Research Associates

Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Regroupement pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (Québec)

Shareholder Association for Research and Education

Social Investment Forum (US)

Social Investment Organization

TransFair Canada (Fair trade certification body)

Transparency International Canada (corruption and CSR monitoring)

UK Social Investment Forum

United Nations Global Compact

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY NEWS

The Struggle for Mining Accountability Continues in the Wake of Bill C-300

October 28, 2010 By KAIROS

KAIROS is deeply disappointed by the defeat of Bill C-300 at its third reading in the House of Commons. The private member’s bill, which would have created new mechanisms to hold Canadian mining, oil and gas companies accountable when they are found to be complicit in human rights and environmental violations abroad, was narrowly defeated by a vote of 140 to 134. KAIROS supported the bill since its introduction by the Hon. John McKay in February 2009. Widespread support for the bill from Canadian civil society organizations like KAIROS was matched by an equally strong outpouring of support from NGOs and mining-affected communities in developing countries. KAIROS thanks everyone who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colombia, Congo (DR), Corporate Accountability, Philippines, Resource Extraction, Trade & Rights

Quel sort attend le projet de loi sur la responsabilité des compagnies minières canadiennes?

July 14, 2010 By KAIROS

Lorsque la Chambre des communes reprendra ses travaux en septembre, l’un des premiers sujets à aborder sera le projet de loi C-300, un projet de loi privé visant à établir des normes de conduite minimales pour les compagnies minières, pétrolières et gazières canadiennes menant des opérations dans les pays en voie de développement. Mais quel sort attend ce projet de loi? On se souviendra qu’il a à peine réussi à passer le stade de la deuxième lecture en avril 2009 par un vote de 137 à 133. KAIROS appuie fortement ce projet de loi et a encouragé les membres de son réseau à exprimer leur soutien en écrivant à leurs députés. À la suite de témoignages accablants en … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability, Resource Extraction, Sustainability, Sustainability Archive

KAIROS commends new Amnesty International report revealing extent of oil and gas development on Lubicon Cree traditional territory

June 18, 2010 By KAIROS

For decades, eleven churches and religious organizations have joined together in KAIROS to support the Lubicon Lake Cree in their struggle for recognition and justice. In 2003, then-federal negotiator professor Bradford Morse said it was his intention to be the last person to represent the federal government in Lubicon land rights negotiations. While history to that point had not given the Lubicon anything to be optimistic about, they remained hopeful that Mr. Morse was correct. The Lubicon certainly did not envision a scenario where their land rights would remain in limbo for almost a decade. In the meantime, licenses continue to be granted to allow resource extraction on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability, Dignity & Rights, Indigenous Rights, Lubicon Cree, Resource Extraction, Sustainability

LES DÉPUTÉS REPORTENT LE DÉBAT SUR LE PROJET DE LOI SUR LES MINES

May 21, 2010 By KAIROS

Le député libéral John McKay continue de faire face à un barrage de critiques de la part du lobby minier au sujet de son modeste projet de loi pour interdire au gouvernement de financer les opérations minières irresponsables. Son projet de loi C-300, proposition d’initiative parlementaire, reviendra sous peu devant le Comité parlementaire des Affaires étrangères. Les audiences ont été reportées, ces dernières semaines, parce que le comité devait étudier d’autres questions urgentes, comme la crise survenue récemment à Droits et Démocratie, l’agence fédérale des droits de la personne. McKay continue de recevoir beaucoup d’appuis pour sa proposition de groupes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability, Media Room, Resource Extraction, Sustainability, Sustainability Archive

The Robin Hood Tax: KAIROS Calls for a Global Financial Transactions Tax

April 21, 2010 By KAIROS

A Tiny Tax That Will Do A World of Good A Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) –a small levy on financial market transactions including equity, bond, derivative and foreign exchange trades– is one of the best ways to fund programs to fight climate change and world poverty, and make financial institutions pay their fair share of the costs of the global economic crisis. During the week of April 19th KAIROS joined with partners from across Canada to launch a campaign to persuade leaders from the G20 to endorse an FTT –also known as the Robin Hood Tax– at their Summit in Toronto in June. Check out KAIROS' online campaign for the Robin Hood Tax! >> _____________________ For … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Briefing Papers, Corporate Accountability, Global Finance

An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Adopt a Financial Transactions Tax

April 15, 2010 By KAIROS

"A growing number of politicians, civil society organizations, economists and some financiers have become strong advocates of a global Financial Transactions Tax (FTT). An FTT is a tiny tax on financial market transactions such as equity, bond, de-rivative or foreign exchange trades. Political leaders, including the presidents of France and Germany and the prime minister of Britain, back an FTT as one of the best ways to fund programs to fight world poverty, pay for climate mitigation and adaptation costs and make financial institutions pay their fair share of the costs of the global crisis which, in large part, was created by their practices. Prominent economists advo-cate a Financial … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability, Global Finance

Take Action to Support Corporate Accountability Legislation in Canada

November 18, 2009 By KAIROS

On November 19, two KAIROS representatives will appear before the Parliamentary foreign affairs committee to express the churches’ support for Bill C-300, a groundbreaking private member’s bill on corporate accountability. Bill C-300 (An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries) would require mining, oil and gas companies to respect human rights and environmental standards in order to access financing through Export Development Canada and the Canada Pension Plan. If enacted, it would address some of the shortcoming of the federal government’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy that was launched in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability

Bill C-300: Letter of Support from KAIROS

November 17, 2009 By KAIROS

November 16, 2009 Dear Member of Parliament, On behalf of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, I urge you to support Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries. KAIROS unites 11 Canadian churches and church-related organizations from eight denominations in work for justice with partners in Canada and internationally. This legislative initiative is strongly supported by our religious member institutions, as well as our global partners who are working to promote human rights and environmental protection in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our global partners remind us daily … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Corporate Accountability, Resource Extraction

KAIROS Briefing Paper #19: Financial Crisis An Opportunity for a New Global Order

November 1, 2009 By KAIROS

The current financial crisis has created an exceptional opportunity for transforming the global economic order. In this report we shall first explore the proximate causes of the crisis that began with excessive speculation in the US housing and financial markets. In Part II we shall examine how global imbalances and the absence of a cooperative financial order set the stage for the crisis and continue to make the system crisis prone. Thirdly we shall discuss how viable proposals for a new international monetary system have emerged from the crisis. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Briefing Papers, Corporate Accountability, Global Finance