Page - 582 - in Menschenrechte und Gerechtigkeit als bleibende Aufgaben - Beiträge aus Religion, Theologie, Ethik, Recht und Wirtschaft

© 2020, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783847111658 – ISBN E-Lib: 9783737011655 4. TheChurch’sSocialPrinciples(CSP)andtheApplicationofan ESGFramework Ourquestionnow isnot about investmentbusiness ingeneral andsociety ina general andabstract sense.Thequestionnow is about actual decisionsby real leaders in economics, investment andpolitics, andhow theCSPhelppromote ESGbusinessand investing. AsPopeFrancis explainsanobservation,wemadeearlier, “We can no longer trust in the unseen forces and the invisible hand of themarket. Growth in justice requires more than economic growth. While presupposing such growth, it requires decisions, programmes, mechanisms and processes specifically gearedtoabetterdistributionofincome,thecreationofsourcesofemploymentandan integralpromotionof thepoorwhichgoesbeyondasimplewelfarementality.”19 Accordingly, business leaders and investors need to develop good habits of discernment,aprocessofdiscoveringthegoodintheconcretehereandnow,by employingthegreatprinciplesofhumandignity,thecommongood,subsidiarity andsolidarityasbeaconstoshedlightontherealitybeforethem,and,as lenses, to focus on it properly. Within the complex reality of business, these same beaconsor lenseswillhelpmakesoundjudgmentsandactproperlyabout their investments. Iwant to touchbrieflyonthree investmentobjectives thatconnect discernmentwithoutcomes. 1.Thefirstobjectiveistoinvest intheproductionofGoodGoods.Businesses must attend to people’s needs by producing goods that are truly good and services that truly serve. Businesses have an ability or opportunity toprovide what everyoneneeds in thewayof food, shelter, and so on. But are they truly good?Theanswerdoesnot reduce topriceor to legalities.Rather it shouldbe asked:Howdo theseproducts and services contributedirectlyor indirectly to humanwell-being?Customers arenot just objects or consumers, but persons. Further,businessesmustbealertforopportunitiestoservedeprivedpopulations andpeopleinsignificantneed.Solidaritywiththepoorandcareofenvironment (creation)arefacetsoftheservicewhichbusinessprovidestothecommongood. 2. Second, businesses should invest in the provision of GoodWork. By or- ganizing good and productive work, businesses make a contribution to the community by fostering the special dignity of human work. Businesses are communities that require investment in their training, working environment etc., not mere commodities! Further, applying the principle of subsidiarity contributestothefullhumandevelopmentofemployees,byprovidingthemwith opportunitiestoexerciseappropriateauthorityastheycontributetothemission 19 EvangeliiGaudium,204. KardinalPeterK.A.Turkson582 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0