Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES)

The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) is a group of environmental, investor, and advocacy groups coordinating efforts to promote sustainable development practices. Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies is most known for its 10 principles, a 10-point code of environmental conduct. Companies that commit to these principles agree to “an ongoing process of continuous improvement, dialogue and comprehensive, systematic public reporting.” Following are CERES’ 10 principles.
Protection of the Biosphere We will reduce and make continual progress toward eliminating the release of any substance that may cause environmental damage to the air, water, or the earth or its inhabitants. We will safeguard all habitats affected by our operations and will protect open spaces and wilderness, while preserving biodiversity.
Sustainable Use of Natural Resources We will make sustainable use of renewable natural resources, such as water, soils and forests. We will conserve non-renewable natural resources through efficient use and careful planning.
Reduction and Disposal of Wastes We will reduce and where possible eliminate waste through source reduction and recycling. All waste will be handled and disposed of through safe and responsible methods.
Energy Conservation We will conserve energy and improve the energy efficiency of our internal operations and of the goods and services we sell. We will make every effort to use environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources.
Risk Reduction We will strive to minimize the environmental, health and safety risks to our employees and the communities in which we operate through safe technologies, facilities and operating procedures, and by being prepared for emergencies.
Safe Products and Services We will reduce and where possible eliminate the use, manufacture or sale of products and services that cause environmental damage or health or safety hazards. We will inform our customers of the environmental impacts of our products or services and try to correct unsafe use.
Environmental Restoration We will promptly and responsibly correct conditions we have caused that endanger health, safety or the environment. To the extent feasible, we will redress injuries we have caused to persons or damage we have caused to the environment and will restore the environment.
Informing the Public We will inform in a timely manner everyone who may be affected by conditions caused by our company that might endanger health, safety or the environment. We will regularly seek advice and counsel through dialogue with persons in communities near our facilities. We will not take any action against employees for reporting dangerous incidents or conditions to management or to appropriate authorities.
Management Commitment We will implement these Principles and sustain a process that ensures that the board of directors and chief executive officer are fully informed about pertinent environmental issues and are fully responsible for environmental policy. In selecting our Board of Directors, we will consider demonstrated environmental commitment as a factor.
Audits and Reports We will conduct an annual selfevaluation of our progress in implementing these Principles. We will support the timely creation of generally accepted environmental audit procedures. We will annually complete the CERES Report, which will be made available to the public.
Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies was established in 1988 when the Board of the Social Investment Forum, an association of investment firms and pension funds supporting socially responsible investing, formed an alliance with environmental organizations. A year later the group created the 10 principles and began asking corporations to endorse them.
Initially only environmentally friendly companies adopted the principles, but in 1993 Sonoco became the first Fortune 500 company to endorse them. By 2002 over 80 organizations and 70 companies have endorsed the principles, including 13 Fortune 500 companies, all of whom have benefited from endorsement of their companies. The coalition monitors the practices of participating companies to ensure compliance with the principles. As reported in a Wall Street Journal article, the relationship between Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies and major companies is not always harmonious.
The unlikely relationship between General Motors Corp. and the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies ... resulted in GM decreasing pollution at some of its factories—a step that the company says is saving money by cutting energy bills and precluding expensive government-mandated cleanups. The tie also sheltered the auto giant from some criticism of its environmental record. Along the way, the collaboration became a high-profile example of a growing trend within the environmental movement: using quiet negotiation rather than noisy protest to change boardroom behavior.
Further reading
Ball, Jeffrey. “Rocky Road: After Long Détente, GM, Green Group Are at Odds Again,” Wall Street Journal, 30 July 2002; Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies website. Available on-line. URL: www.ceres.org.