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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in developing and implementing (a) the United Nations Secretary-General's Global Compact Initiative, (b) the UNEP Global reporting Initiative and (c) the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. [46562] Mr. Meacher: (a) The Global Compact was a special initiative by the Secretary-General which is implemented directly with companies. However, officials from my Department remain in touch with the Compact Secretariat in New York. (b) The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was launched by the Coalition of Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES). It is now affiliated to the Global Compact. The GRI is a welcome initiative but is most suited to larger companies already experienced in environmental reporting. My Department has, therefore, developed and published jointly with the Department for Trade and Industry simpler guidance which is very similar to the environmental elements of the GRI. These guidelines should help any business to report on their environmental impacts, and have been endorsed by the CBI, which has sent copies to all of its members including all of the FTSE 350 leading companies. (c) The Department played a full role in formulating the UK position during negotiations on the revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which were concluded in June 2000. Since then officials from my Department have worked with the UK National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines, based in the Department of Trade and Industry, to help ensure that the Guidelines are taken into account in relevant parts of my Department's work, for example the promotion of the Guidelines to the UK water industry and in preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

46562; 383 c600-1W;383 c598-9W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Environment protection International organisations UN Global Compact

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk