By Paul Scicchitano

Work is almost complete on the world’s first global standard on social responsibility — a much debated document that key experts predict will forever alter the way corporations and other organizations address complex issues like climate change, child labor and sustainability.

“The standard is about ethical behavior and it defines it,” declares Bob White, Canada’s industry expert on the SR Working Group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), who is excited by the potential of the document. “It’s scaring the hell out of some people. It defines transparent and ethical behavior for the first time.”

The Working Group — comprised of industry, labor, government and other experts — recently achieved consensus to elevate the draft of the future ISO 26000 on social responsibility to the level of a Draft International Standard (DIS), one of the final steps in the process of creating an international standard. The document remains on target for final publication as an international standard in 2010.

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