Corporate Knights
Encyclopedia
Corporate Knights is a quarterly Canadian
magazine dedicated to the promotion of responsible business practices within Canada and the advancement of social and environmental sustainability
worldwide.
Launched in 2002, the magazine’s mission is “to humanize the marketplace
by informing people of the impacts of their decisions, showcasing leaders and innovators, and connecting the dots – bringing together all sectors to identify ways to make the market work better for the environment, society, and the economy”. To this end, the publication champions positive corporate practices and highlights responsible consumer products.
Corporate Knights is best known for its annual rankings, particularly the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada and Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations.
Corporate Knights Research Group has formally adopted the Principles for Responsible Investment.
Launched in the wake of the accounting scandals at Enron and WorldCom, the magazine started because “power is where the money is, and if you want to make social change, it’s through business.” Heaps also stated that "every one of the corporate citizens has black underwear, and we're not going to pretend that they're saints. There are no Mother Teresas here. But these are the best we've got.”
Beyond holding companies accountable, Heaps found that "85% of Canadians want to know more about the socially responsible things that companies are doing." As such, one of the magazine's major goals has been to publicize positive business practices.
Heaps remains the Editor-in-Chief, while Fengler is now Editor Emeritus. Karen Kun became Publisher in 2005. Since 2002, the magazine has expanded its coverage internationally, reporting from Mongolia, the Congo, Sudan, and India.
The publication has undergone three major redesigns to reflect its evolving content and scope.
Knight School rankings, established in 2004, evaluate the social and environmental characteristics of university degree programs including law, engineering, business, public policy, journalism, urban planning, and architecture.
Other rankings include: The Most Sustainable Cities in Canada; Cleantech 10 and Next 10; Responsible Investing Guide; and Carbon 50.
, Maude Barlow
, Sheila Copps
and Monte Hummel, to rank the environmental impact of Canadian Prime Ministers.
Selected as having accomplished the most to improve Canada's environment, Brian Mulroney
was honoured at an Earth Week Gala dinner in Ottawa
as the 'Greenest PM in Canadian History'. The event brought together current Prime Minister Stephen Harper
, Quebec Premier Jean Charest
, television host Ben Mulroney
, US Ambassador David Wilkins
and other dignitaries to recognize Mulroney's positive environmental impact. His government established the Acid Rain
Accord, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
, the Great Lakes
Action Plan, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and ratified the Montreal Protocol
.
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer
provided commentary throughout the evening, which was broadcast live on national television.
Notable contributors
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
magazine dedicated to the promotion of responsible business practices within Canada and the advancement of social and environmental sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
worldwide.
Launched in 2002, the magazine’s mission is “to humanize the marketplace
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
by informing people of the impacts of their decisions, showcasing leaders and innovators, and connecting the dots – bringing together all sectors to identify ways to make the market work better for the environment, society, and the economy”. To this end, the publication champions positive corporate practices and highlights responsible consumer products.
Corporate Knights is best known for its annual rankings, particularly the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada and Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations.
Corporate Knights Research Group has formally adopted the Principles for Responsible Investment.
History
Corporate Knights Inc. was co-founded in 2002 by Toby A. A. Heaps and Paul Fengler. Fengler was an International Relations and Russian Language graduate, and Heaps majored in Economics and International Development. The pair were friends at McGill University and envisaged the magazine as a “halfway house between Adbusters and Forbes," according to Heaps.Launched in the wake of the accounting scandals at Enron and WorldCom, the magazine started because “power is where the money is, and if you want to make social change, it’s through business.” Heaps also stated that "every one of the corporate citizens has black underwear, and we're not going to pretend that they're saints. There are no Mother Teresas here. But these are the best we've got.”
Beyond holding companies accountable, Heaps found that "85% of Canadians want to know more about the socially responsible things that companies are doing." As such, one of the magazine's major goals has been to publicize positive business practices.
Heaps remains the Editor-in-Chief, while Fengler is now Editor Emeritus. Karen Kun became Publisher in 2005. Since 2002, the magazine has expanded its coverage internationally, reporting from Mongolia, the Congo, Sudan, and India.
The publication has undergone three major redesigns to reflect its evolving content and scope.
Reports and rankings
Corporate Knights evaluates corporate citizenship and the performance of particular sectors each issue. Annual rankings of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada and the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, announced each year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, are trademarks of the publication.Knight School rankings, established in 2004, evaluate the social and environmental characteristics of university degree programs including law, engineering, business, public policy, journalism, urban planning, and architecture.
Other rankings include: The Most Sustainable Cities in Canada; Cleantech 10 and Next 10; Responsible Investing Guide; and Carbon 50.
Public policy
Corporate Knights also undertakes initiatives to influence public policy, including a 2006 $100 billion carbon pricing plan for Canada to reach its Kyoto target, convening the first Energy Ministers' meeting on building a transcanadian grid for transporting green electricity from where it generated to where it is needed, and the Option 13 initiative to make trade implications a central consideration of the Copenhagen meeting in November–December 2009.Greenest Prime Minister
In 2006, Corporate Knights solicited the input of prominent Canadians, including Elizabeth MayElizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May, OC, MP is an American-born Canadian Member of Parliament, environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She was the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006. She became a Canadian citizen in 1978.May's...
, Maude Barlow
Maude Barlow
Maude Victoria Barlow is a Canadian author and activist. She is the National Chairperson of The Council of Canadians, a citizens’ advocacy organization with members and chapters across Canada. She is also the co-founder of the , which works internationally for the human right to water...
, Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
and Monte Hummel, to rank the environmental impact of Canadian Prime Ministers.
Selected as having accomplished the most to improve Canada's environment, Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
was honoured at an Earth Week Gala dinner in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
as the 'Greenest PM in Canadian History'. The event brought together current Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, Quebec Premier Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
, television host Ben Mulroney
Ben Mulroney
Benedict Martin Paul "Ben" Mulroney is a Canadian television host, and is the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.-Early life:...
, US Ambassador David Wilkins
David Wilkins
David Horton Wilkins is an American attorney and a former U. S. Ambassador to Canada during the administration of President George W. Bush. Prior to the appointment, he practiced law for 30 years while serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives for 25 of those years. He was speaker of...
and other dignitaries to recognize Mulroney's positive environmental impact. His government established the Acid Rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
Accord, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
Canadian Environmental Protection Act
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999 is "An Act respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development."...
, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, S.C. 1992, c. 37 is an Act of Parliament that was passed by the Government of Canada in 1992...
, the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
Action Plan, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and ratified the Montreal Protocol
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...
.
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
provided commentary throughout the evening, which was broadcast live on national television.
Key people
Current editorial staff- Toby Heaps, editor-in-chief
- Karen Kun, publisher
- Jon-Erik Lappano, managing editor
Notable contributors
- Steven GuilbeaultSteven GuilbeaultSteven Guilbeault is a Canadian science reporter, environmental reporter, environmental journalist, writer, consultant, venture capitalist, professional speaker, NGO founder and environmental activist...
- Craig KielburgerCraig KielburgerCraig Kielburger, CM, MSM, OMC is a Canadian activist for the rights of children. He is the founder of Free The Children and co-founder of Me to We. On February 20, 2007, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General of Canada.-Early life:Kielburger was born in Thornhill,...
- Eric RegulyEric RegulyEric Reguly is a Canadian newspaper columnist. His articles appear almost daily in Report on Business, the financial section of Toronto-based The Globe and Mail. Reguly is also a writer for Report on Business Magazine, and occasionally contributes to Globe Auto, the automotive section of the...
- David SuzukiDavid SuzukiDavid Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
- Shelley Willson-Cross
- Ken WiwaKen WiwaKen Wiwa , also known as Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., is a Nigerian journalist and author. His book In the Shadow of a Saint is a memoir of his father, executed activist and political prisoner Ken Saro-Wiwa....
- Konrad Yakabuski http://www.konradyakabuski.com/