Guidelines for multinational enterprises

OECD Roundtable on Corporate Responsibility: Consumer empowerment and responsible business conduct

Send

15 June 2009 - OECD Conference Centre, Paris, France

Every year, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting for National Contact Points , the OECD holds a roundtable on corporate responsibility addressing emerging issues and new developments. This year’s event took place in the midst of a global reflection on the foundations of the international economic system and the role that enterprises and other actors could play in restoring the world economy and gearing it towards a sustainable path.

The OECD Guidelines are the sole public corporate responsibility instrument to define, in its Chapter VII, what constitutes responsible business conduct towards consumers. But it is also one of its less known or utilised chapters. It is common knowledge that the interests of corporations and consumers are closely linked and that they are both important actors in international markets. They have also in recent years become more conscious of the challenge of achieving sustainable development.

The 2009 roundtable thus focused on the responsibilities of multinational companies toward consumers and how consumers can encourage multinational enterprises to live up to the recommendations of the OECD Guidelines. Its main objectives were to:

Tom Ewart, Managing Director, Research Network on Business Sustainability, Canada	What sustainability attributes drive consumer behaviour?
Michael Kuhndt, Head, UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Germany	Sustainable Consumption and Production: What is the evidence of a growing demand for more sustainable products?
Nguyen Dinh Tai, Director, Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), Vietnam	Consumer Protection in Vietnam
Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, CUTS International, India	Consumers’ interest in developed & developing markets: implications for responsible business

Cheryl Hicks, Manager, World Business Council for Sustainable Development	Sustainable consumption facts and trends - From a business perspective
Colin Hensley, General Manager, Corporate Affairs & Planning Division, Toyota Motor Europe	Challenges multinational corporations face in protecting consumers along the supply chain
Alison Smith, Associate Director, Procter & Gamble Company	Delivering consumer delight…
Uwe Bergmann, Head, CSR and Sustainability Steering, Henkel	Offering Consumer-Relevant Solutions and Influencing Consumer Choices

Marcello Manca, Vice President and General Manager, Underwriters Laboratories Environment Inc.	The European product safety system and the supply chain
Dirk Meijer, Chief Executive of Prosafe, the European Coordination Point on Market Surveillance on Consumer Product Safety	International Cooperation in Market Surveillance

Stephen Hine, Head of Responsible Investment Development, (EIRIS)	The role of consumers and corporates in tackling climate change
Céline Kauffmann, Economist, OECD Investment Division	Business and climate change – An MNE Guidelines perspective
Bjarne Pedersen, Director of Operations, Consumers International	Consumers and climate change
Jürgen Sturm, Secretary-General, European Lamp Companies Federation	The Supporting Role of Business
Michèle Pappalardo, General Commissioner, Grenelle de l’Environnement	Consommation d’énergie et changement climatique : Comment les consommateurpeuvent-ils faire la différence ? Le rôle de soutien du gouvernement Comment les consommateurs peuvent-ils faire la différence ?

Follow us

Guidelines for multinational enterprises

OECD Roundtable on Corporate Responsibility: Consumer empowerment and responsible business conduct

Countries list

Topics list