Climate & Environment
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC)
Definition
Responsible business conduct is the OECD's overarching expectation that enterprises make a positive contribution to economic, environmental and social progress while avoiding and addressing adverse impacts of their activities, including in supply chains. It is anchored in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and operationalised through risk-based due diligence across human rights, employment, environment, bribery, consumer interests, disclosure and taxation.
References
Source imported for editorial provenance.
This reference provides supporting context for how “Responsible Business Conduct (RBC)” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
Adhering governments promote RBC through the Guidelines, NCPs and policy; companies reference it in codes, due diligence systems and reporting; it is the conceptual bridge between voluntary standards and binding rules.
Why it matters
RBC is the most institutionally developed articulation of what responsible business means in practice — the reference system from which much sustainability regulation now descends.