The ISO 26000 guidelines adopted about five years ago describe the social responsibility of an organisation and its relevant fields of action. The guidelines, unlike a certifiable standard, contain only recommendations. In spring 2015, BHP employed the guidelines in two client projects. In one case, the 36 fields of action contained in the guidelines served as a basis for comparing the internal and external view of the client’s CSR performance. In the other case, we used the guidelines together with the client to determine and discuss the specific CSR targets and actions required.

As a normative frame of reference and aid for integrating CSR into the management system, the ISO 26000 guidelines can be incorporated without difficulties into our CSR consulting, given that they reflect the understanding of CSR we have developed over many years. We go beyond what is merely normative with our clients, however, and develop strategic approaches that create financial added value as well as added value for the social and natural environment.