Correspondence: Yoshihiro Okada, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tenno-dai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan. Tel: +81 29 853 4663; Fax: +81 29 853 7723; E-mail: okapie@ams.odn.ne.jp

¹is enrolled in the doctoral programme at the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. He has an MSc specialising in bioethics from the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, and previously worked for a multinational pharmaceutical company.

²is a professor in biodiplomacy, emphasising a multidisciplinary approach for the use of biotechnology and genetic resources, at the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Received 17 December 2007; Revised 17 December 2007; Published online 5 February 2008.

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is discussed, targeting a broad range of industries. As yet, little work on CSR has focused on the specific situation of each industry. The biotechnology industry is unique in that companies use the genes and genomes of plants, animals, and humans, as well as biotechnology in their business. Public concern about genes and genomes centres on their inappropriate use or application in either research or business. This paper proposes a new CSR component for biotechnology companies: taking responsibility for the use of genes, genomes, and biotechnology (GGB) by adopting environmental ethics and bioethics. Environmental ethics is proposed as the ethical root of the environmental responsibility that companies take. The principles of environmental ethics are inductively reasoned from actual business activities, and towards the achievement of environmental responsibility. CSR for the use of GGB is deductively derived from the principles of bioethics and genetic ethics.