Foreward by Marcel Ospel of UBS At UBS, we take corporate responsibility very seriously and we always have. Thereby we help not only to improve the quality of life of people world-wide but also our bottom-line results. Corporate responsibility means different things to different people. At UBS, we take a pragmatic approach, emphasising issues that provide clear bottom-line benefits for our shareholders, clients and employees | Read Introduction Confronting mistrust Business leaders have struggled to get the better of the globalisation debate. Even those with laudable social responsibility records still find themselves condemned. The new political and economic uncertainties can only increase pressure on global businesses to protect their reputations Protests The message gets muddied Non-governmental organisations are becoming frustrated by the actions of a violent minority of anti-globalisation protesters who make the voice of peaceful, legitimate protest difficult to hear Corporate social responsibility Power of the individual Companies have increasingly responded to the wishes of employees, customers and shareholders to be more socially responsible in the way they conduct their business Assurance mechanisms A need for one voice More and more companies are recognising the importance of sustainable development, but different approaches abound