Terms of Membership

Upon accepting an invitation to become a member of the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), members are required to abide by the Rules of the SBC, which, inter alia, provide for the following terms of membership:

1. Business leadership in sustainability

A member must seek to provide business leadership in sustainability, and share a commitment to the balanced pursuit of economic growth, ecological integrity and social progress.

2. Commitment to support the SBC

A member will actively commit to support the work of the SBC through making available in-house competence and appropriate human resources.

3. Membership fees

Annual membership fees are payable in advance for each financial year by a specified date, and are based on the annual turnover of the company (refer to the separate Schedule of Fees).

Any member whose membership fee remains unpaid 3 months after the due date may be removed from membership by the Executive Committee, but that member will still be liable to pay the current year’s membership fee

Although a member may resign during a financial year, the annual membership fee for that year is not refundable (in full or in part).

New members are required to pay an annual membership fee on a pro-rata basis, calculated according to the proportion of the financial year they will be a member.

4. Member Commitments

Various member commitments are set out in the Rules:

  1. to produce a sustainable development report demonstrating that member’s progress on environmental, social and economic performance within 3 years of becoming a member;
  2. to participate in at least one SBC initiative every two years;
  3. the chief executive of that member is to attend at least one SBC meeting in each calendar year;
  4. to provide the SBC with an annual report on that member’s progress and plans in implementing sustainable development, including the areas covered by SBC projects;
  5. to respond to any request for information from the Executive Committee that is not commercially sensitive;
  6. to adhere to the SBC’s Statement on Principles for Sustainable Development (separately attached);
  7. to measure and report to the SBC on that member’s carbon footprint, within one year of becoming a member;
  8. to report to the SBC on that member’s plan to reduce its carbon intensity within two years of becoming a member;
  9. to report to the SBC on that member’s process for procuring sustainably with no less than 6 of its top 10 suppliers, ranked by value, within three years of becoming a member.

A member may be invited by the Executive Committee to resign its membership if, in the Executive Committee’s view, and after due consultation with the member concerned, the Executive Committee considers in its sole discretion that this is warranted. The member is then obliged to resign. The failure by a member to comply with a commitment specified in 4 above may be a reason for the Executive Committee to invite a member to resign.

Please note that this document outlines in general terms only various terms of membership laid out in the Rules of the SBC. Companies intending to formally express interest in membership of the SBC are advised to consult the Rules if there is any doubt or concern relating to these terms of membership. A copy of the Rules will be made available on request.

A copy of the Rules is provided to each company following approval for membership by the Executive Committee, and prior to the company accepting an invitation to become a member.