This report is the fifth in a series exploring the link between corporate responsibility and international competitiveness. It addresses question such as the importance of trade and investment policy for sustainable development, the difference between public policy and corporate responsibility and the role of voluntarism in civil regulations. The report looks beneath the headlines to the 'plumbing' that underpins everyday trade and investment decisions and provides a far more practical basis for determining how approaches to trade and investment policy can support sustainable development within competitive international markets.
This paper assesses a range of different types of policy intervention and voluntary initiatives that affect trade and investment against these criteria. These include:

  • Formal policy measures, including trade policy instruments, investment policy instruments including those affecting inward investment and access to credit.
  • Voluntary initiatives characterised by cluster type, including examples of sector specific initiatives, labelling initiatives, and non-mandatory government initiatives seeking to create a policy space for stakeholder dialogue and consultation.