October 29, 2007—A new guide to help company directors implement their environmental and social obligations under The Companies Act has been launched by The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition. CORE is an active voice in the UK on corporate accountability.
The Companies Act 2006: Directors Duties Guidanceis designed to help company directors comply with the new rules set out in The Companies Act, which came in to effect in early October 2007. This act requires for the first time that company directors consider how their business impacts people and the environment. It also requires some of the largest businesses to make public these impacts in annual reports.
CORE’s Guidance highlights that good corporate governance, particularly the importance of independent thinking and challenging questioning by company directors, can substantially advance the ability of companies to improve their social and environmental performance. The guidance aims to complement a recent guide for activists published by CORE and The Trade Justice Movement on how to use The Companies Act in campaigns.
The new guidance will be sent to all FTSE 100 companies and many AIM listed companies, and is available for download at www.corporate-responsibility.org/module_images/directors_guidance_final.pdf.
