ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a thematic framework for understanding the recurring issues at stake, supported by a range of case studies, and presents a number of recommendations for promoting sustainable business practice in less developed countries. It also presents the exchanges between non-governmental organisations and multinational corporations (MNCs). The MNCs facing greatest pressure are high-profile companies involved in extractive industries, often operating in pristine environments and potentially inhabited by indigenous populations. MNCs involved in more downstream activities, such as chemical manufacturers, have also faced criticism over their impact on the broader environment. Critics of MNCs contend that local communities are typically excluded by their own governments from any meaningful participation in projects in their own territories, citing cases. The chapter concludes with a number of possible solutions, external and internal to the MNC, in an effort to advance the debate and support the objective of more sustainable business practices in the developing world.
