Responsible business is not the responsibility of business alone. It requires active involvement of workers, communities, consumers, shareholders, governments, NGOs, trades unions and others. It requires action around the world so that the voices of the South are as important as those of the North.

However, at present different stakeholders have different degrees of influence. Whether it be because of money, human resources, access to policy-makers or just access to a fax machine, some stakeholders are more equal than others.

NRET Work

NRET works with non-business stakeholders to help them participate in the development of responsible business. In practice, this means building these stakeholders’ awareness of responsible business means, and what it can offer them to improve their lives and livelihoods. Our work includes:

• Helping African farm workers and smallholders to understand and use labour and health & safety codes of practice
• Assisting forest communities to use forest certification schemes to strengthen their rights to land and natural resources
• Building the capacity of non-business stakeholders to implement ethical supply chain management