The Advisory Group Report (National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries - Advisory Group Report)presents two possible courses for the future of CSR and Extractive industries: a high road of responsibility or a low road of the status quo, which will lead to disaster. If the reports recommendations are accepted, and implemented by Parliament, then there will be better oversight, more monitoring, changes in enforcement of Canada's domestic laws overseas, and changes in how the government values CSR. All of these changes have the potential to improve the reputations and practices of Canadian companies abroad. This is a big "if". The Report was commissioned by the previous Liberal government (2005) and the Conservative government may be less enthusiastic about adopting the recommendations. There are also questions about Canadian businesses competitiveness with less regulated corporations from other countries. We would argue that Canada cannot compete with countries like China or Sudan by lowering our human rights or environmental standards. A decision to not adopt the recommendations will be a significant and damaging policy choice because we will continue to fall behind the practices of the UK, EU and USA and the government will be turning away from the recommendations of not only civil society but the leaders of Canada’s extractive industry.

Originally published (March 2007) at TCBCO.ca