IN QUESTION The Lifeworth Annual Review of Corporate Responsibility in 2009 By Jem Bendell, with Ian Doyle, Jonathan Cohen, Emma Irwin LIFEWORTH 2010 and Nicky Black. 0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Capitalism in Question: The Lifeworth Annual Review of Corporate Responsibility in 2009. Jem Bendell thanks Ian Doyle for working with him throughout 2009 on a variety of projects and in particular the quarterly world reviews, Written by Jem Bendell, with Ian Doyle, Jonathan Cohen, and my other co-authors. Also to my father Emma Irwin and Nicky Black. Peter, for use of his house in Spain, and Olivier Hertzel and Benny at 'La Ferme Cheese' and Matthew Slater at CommunityForge, who helped provide a suitably cheap writing Copyright Jem Bendell. environment in Auroville, in India. Thanks to Malcolm McIntosh for supporting this final edition of the Lifeworth Annual Review, and Michael Powell for the previous support from Griffith University to bring it this far. Thanks also to Dean Bargh and John Stuart at Greenleaf Publishing who have worked with Published February 1st 2010 by Lifeworth, as a free pdf me on these reviews for almost a decade. download from http://www.lifeworth.com/consult Thank you to Lifeworth Associate Janna Greve for proof reading the Introduction, Roger Burke for further proofreading and to Hanniah Tariq for the beautiful layout and further editing. Ian Doyle thanks each of his co-authors for their meticulous attention to detail in their writing and their adaptability in working as a team. He also thanks Jem Bendell for his This annual review incorporates the quarterly world reviews guidance and practical insights when writing these articles, of the leading academic Journal of Corporate Citizenship, and his extra-ordinary ability to think systemically. A big from Greenleaf Publishing. Http://www.greenleaf- thank you also goes to Alain Bedecarrats for his publishing.com This is the final annual review, so to see encouragement throughout the research process and last future world reviews, you can subscribe to this journal. but not least, he also thanks his wife who has tirelessly supported him financially and emotionally, living with his idiosyncrasies and the uncertainty of his journey, not only throughout the writing process but as he tries to put into practice what he writes. This review is sponsored by the Asia Pacific Centre for It is impossible for a writer to know the impact of their work. Sustainable Enterprise, at Griffith Business School, in We hope these reviews have been of some use, in Brisbane Australia. See encouraging you to pursue meaningful change through your http://www.asiapacificsustainableenterprise.com for more research or practice in the responsible enterprise field. If you information. have followed this work over the years, then thank you. Please stay with us until the end of 2010, through the Sponsors of Lifeworth annual reviews have no input into Journal of Corporate Citizenship, or in 2011, when a 2nd the content, which remains the sole responsibility of period of five years of world reviews will be put into a new Lifeworth. book (following up the book “The Corporate Responsibility Front cover image adapted from design by Movement” which came out in March 2009). In addition, http://bureaucrash.com/ Jem continues to provide analysis through a personal blog (via www.jembendell.com) and business blog (www.lifeworth.com/consult) Thanks, Jem and Ian 1 AUTHORS programme development and performance The Introduction is by Jem Bendell, First reporting. Particular crafts in network management Quarter is by Jem Bendell and Jonathan and writing for different sectors. Washington, D.C. Cohen; Second Quarter is by Jem Bendell based. and Ian Doyle; Third Quarter is by Jem Bendell, Ian Doyle and Emma Irwin and Fourth Quarter is by Jem Bendell, Ian Doyle and Nicky Black, apart from the sections on Ian Doyle co-wrote the second, third climate change, written solely by Jem and fourth quarter of the annual Bendell. review, though not the sections on climate change. With 5 years experience in business process optimisation and project management, previously Jem Bendell is the director of Lifeworth with insurance and pension funds. An Associate Consulting, with 14 years experience in with Lifeworth Consulting, he has particular responsible enterprise research, strengths in project management, financial planning strategy advisory, education, and the inter-faith dimensions of responsible communications and entrepreneurship, enterprise and finance. A particular craft in working with UN agencies, international NGOs and responsible enterprise project management. business. He has particular strengths in the fields of Grenoble based. sustainable luxury, thought leadership on responsible enterprise, and cross-sectoral relations. His particular crafts are in research, writing, educating, public speaking and strategy advisory. Emma Irwin co-wrote the third quarter Dr Bendell co-wrote all sections of the annual of the annual review. With 15 years review. experience in sustainable development programmes, previously working with strategy consulting firms on corporate responsibility. A Senior Associate with Lifeworth Nicky Black co-wrote the fourth quarter Consulting, she has particular strengths in the fields of the annual review, though not the of responsible mining, responsible business sections on climate change. Dr Black is programme development, and stakeholder an Associate with Lifeworth Consulting, engagement. Particular crafts in stakeholder with 5 years experience in responsible engagement and languages. London based. enterprise research, education and cross-sector partnerships. Working with INGOs, companies and investors, and most recently the United Nations Global Compact, she has particular strengths in the Hanniah Tariq did the layout and further fields of human rights and humanitarian action, editing. With 3 years experience in government relations, and corporate activity in cross-sectoral partnering for social conflict-affected areas, especially related to the development, previously with the Prince extractive sector. Her particular crafts are in of Wales Business Leaders Forum (now research, writing, and education. IBLF). An Associate with Lifeworth Consulting, she has Particular strengths in the fields of gender, human rights, and Islamic culture, as they relate to business and investment. Particular crafts Jonathan Cohen co-wrote the first in cross-sector partnership brokering, and CSR quarter of the annual review. With 15 programme evaluation. years experience in responsible business and sustainability with NGOs, Any of these Lifeworth Associates can be businesses, government, and contacted via the contact form on international agencies, previously with http://www.lifeworth.com/consult AccountAbility, where he managed the launch of the first global standard to verify CSR reports. A Senior Associate with Lifeworth Consulting, he has particular strengths in the fields of internal CSR 2 FOREWORD BY MALCOLM MCINTOSH The costly action by governments around the world in the face of a financial crisis contrasts with the current stalemate on climate policy. In that context more people, in all walks of life, are discussing the big questions – what kind of world we live in and what kind of world we want. A silver lining to the dual financial and climate crises is the vibrancy of that debate. One aspect is the growing conversation about the future of our economic systems – the future of capitalism – that is highlighted in this Annual Review from Lifeworth. Deep changes will be required in economic governance if we are to achieve a sustainable society. Perhaps it is not capitalism per se that is in question but the model of capitalism that currently drives the world economy that is now coming into question. Capitalism will change, there is no doubt, and it must change so that it delivers both private wealth and public good. The lead author of this annual review, Jem Bendell, is an important commentator on the world stage when it comes to corporate responsibility and after more than a decade working together in various ways he and I are now connected through our work at the Asia Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at Griffith Business School in Brisbane, Australia. We do have choices and the result of our work over the last few years through the lenses of human security and sustainable enterprise reinforces the view that almost all human tragedies are preventable. We can do something about this, and here is a brief outline of what is necessary. This taken from our latest book, Perspectives on Human Security edited by Malcolm McIntosh and Alan Hunter (Greenleaf Publishing: Sheffield UK, out later in 2010): The challenge, and the opportunity, for business, and society as whole, is to rewire our brains: Paradigm shift: we are at a moment where, according to Thomas Kuhn’s definition of a paradigm shift “one conceptual world view is replaced by another”. Kuhn argued that scientific advancement is not evolutionary, but rather is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions”. We are at such a moment. Think flows: instead of thinking of static relations start seeing all relations and all materials as in a state of change, flux and movement. This leads to expecting difference, to spotting turbulence, to navigating as in a fast moving river and to being able to understand and absorb random events. Decarbonisation & dematerialisation: this new language will become the language of private