Membership Commitments Consultation – Now Open

Consultation for 30 days: New ResponsibleSteel Membership Commitments By-Law and Associated Membership Application

We are holding a 30-day consultation period for proposed new Membership Commitments. Please find the proposal here and please submit comments to info@responsiblesteel.org.

All comments should be received by 11th November 2021.

Membership Commitments are of fundamental importance for members and ResponsibleSteel alike. There is a close relationship between the commitments that members make, individually and collectively, on joining ResponsibleSteel, and the value that members can subsequently derive from their membership of ResponsibleSteel.

Membership commitments are fundamental to the achievement of ResponsibleSteel’s vision and mission for the following reasons:

• The membership requirements and commitments define what it means to be a member of ResponsibleSteel.
• Members have the right to stand for election to become Directors, to vote to elect Directors, to change the Constitution and to approve ResponsibleSteel Standards: if ResponsibleSteel is to achieve its vision and mission it is essential that its members are committed to that vision and mission.
• The achievement of ResponsibleSteel’s vision and mission depends on its ability to create value for all ResponsibleSteel members.
  For civil society members, value is ultimately defined through ResponsibleSteel’s social and environmental impact. For business members, value means the business value that is generated through ResponsibleSteel membership and certification.
• For both business and civil society members value comes from the practicability as well as the credibility of the ResponsibleSteel Standards. This is based on the participation of both business and civil society members in the development and approval of those standards.
• Credible and practicable Standards are necessary to the achievement of the ResponsibleSteel vision and mission but are insufficient alone. Impact is only achieved through implementation. Implementation, in turn, depends on the creation of business value

Please also find here an overview of previous discussions on membership commitments.