To help businesses shape their agendas to include, and benefit from, socially responsible principles, BS ISO 26000 is an international standard that provides guidelines for social responsibility. It covers issues such as organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development.

This means businesses across the globe can share the universal criteria of social responsibility and ethical business transactions.

This standard intended to be useful to all types of organisations in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, whether they are large or small, and whether they operate in developed or developing countries. Not all parts of the standard will be relevant to every business, but its core subjects are useful for all organisations, and the standard emphasises the importance of results and improvements in performance on social responsibility. BS ISO 26000 will also help in engaging your supply chain in social responsibility issues.

BS ISO 26000:2010 - 'Guidance on social responsibility' costs £100 (£50 for BSI members) and is available from the BSI website.