ABSTRACT
In October 2001, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives took its own initiative, announcing a social labelling scheme for products from less-industrialised countries. A similar initiative was launched in the European Union by the Belgian Presidency's Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Brussels. In December 2001, Mallen Baker organisation, the UK-based Business in the Community, launched a new online corporate social responsibility reporting channel' with the aim of providing a common framework of indicators to report against. Most coverage of business and economics was limited to discussing issues such as whether the 'war on terrorism' justified fast-tracking trade negotiations, or whether it had become a 'patriotic duty' to go and shop. Simon Zadek's argues that corporate responsibility 'will remain distrusted and inadequate' unless government creates the conditions under which it can be more effective for both business and society. Combined with the issues of 'third-world' debt and currency speculation, there is an emerging business case for so-called 'anti-globalisation'.
