Dave Rapaport, Director of Corporate Consciousness

We report because we believe in transparency.

We have followed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines since 2004 because we support this standard and want to show leadership in social responsibility by using it. And while telling our stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we have done in our journey has helped us be more vigilant in measuring our progress, it has probably not helped us to value environmental and social factors more highly in our business strategy.

The truth is that we’d be doing all of the things we’re doing regardless of whether we were reporting, because they are woven into the fabric of our business. We are the first to admit that we are nowhere near close to our aspirations, but attempting to find ways to serve the needs of society and our world is just a part of what we do. These things do not sit alongside our financial goals; they are the way we go about achieving them. They do not arise from a separate Corporate Consciousness strategy, but are foundational to our purpose. We believe that, along with our investors and our customers, the earth is a stakeholder too.

In the face of multiple global crises becoming ever more obvious by the day, we’re evaluating what we can do differently to go further faster and to lead the change that is needed so urgently. Our real goal is a transformation of our understanding of the purpose and possibility of business. Like all of us, Seventh Generation has a long way to go, and we know that this will be a never-ending journey. We have been engaged in a process of articulating a new set of global imperatives and a new company vision statement to guide our way forward. These will serve as the structure for the sustainability goals we are currently developing. Departmental plans will then be aligned around these pursuits. Central to this effort is a consideration of how we can best serve each of our stakeholder’s needs.

We know that the greatest impact from our products comes from deep within the supply chain where we obtain our raw materials. Our decision to purchase sustainable palm oil credits and to support a global market for this oil through membership in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is one result of our decision to be more mindful about our raw material sourcing. Product use (such as laundering in hot versus cold water) is another key point at which impacts occur. We need to engage our consumers more effectively in reducing that impact. Our goal is to foster “conscious” consumers who can see and understand the whole system and the part they play within it. The product scorecards we are currently developing will provide us with a valuable tool to help us convey our products’ earth to earth impacts.

But even the greatest successes in these areas will still put us woefully short of where we need to be. We realize we have to engage others to create positive change within our company, our industry, our supply chain, our consumer’s homes, and in the world. We’re going to be looking at opportunities to play an increasingly active role in the policy arena — particularly on climate change. Given the historic changes in Washington, we’re anxious to see how much a small company like ours can move the political agenda forward. I think we all feel a sense of hope that now, finally, our nation may be ready to act.

We’re ready to play our role.

Livia Frossard And also great to see that they are really opened to integrate stakeholders not only in the beginning of the reporting process, but also in the publication, showing that it's a true ongoing process. And the best practices book is a great idea. Two-thumbs up! 18 August 2009

Kevin Long Glad to see a leader of Jeffrey's stature willing to be critical of an industry that needs to evolve dramatically to address the challenge's we face today. 12 August 2009