| 3.11.2010 |
Green Biz |
How to Embed Sustainability into Your Company’s DNA
The nonprofit sustainability experts at Ceres Group have released a study outlining how organizations can embed social responsibility in their DNA in four key areas: governance, stakeholder engagement, disclosure and performance. "If businesses deepen their efforts to solve social and environmental threats, it will position them to innovate and compete in the fast-changing, resource-constrained global economy. It is no longer enough for companies to have special projects or initiatives. Comprehensive sustainability strategies are expected."
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| 3.11.2010 |
Environmental Leader |
A Primer on Tracking ROI for CSR
Corporate social responsibility is not mere do-goodism, but a method of improving real corporate return on investment. “A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study documented ways in which companies that report their sustainability efforts get better returns on their assets than companies that do not” writes the president of Sanyo North America Corp.
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| 3.10.2010 |
Reuters |
Time to Track CSR Just Like Cash Flow
Corporate America should be tracking its use of energy and other precious non-renewable resources every bit as closely as it manages hiring policies and cash flow if it has any hopes of keeping pace with society’s concerns about climate change and other sustainability issues. At least, that’s the thrust of the message in a new report by an activist investor group, the Boston-based Ceres Group.
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| 3.8.2010 |
Benton Foundation Newsletter |
Coalition Report Points the Way to Reducing Carbon Emissions
A coalition of four progressive groups released a report that maintains individuals and businesses can reduce carbon emissions by 13-22 percent by 2020 simply by changing the way they use technology. The Progressive States Network, Communications Workers of America, Sierra Club and the Blue Green Alliance argued that would collectively save between $140-240 billion a year in energy costs.
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| 2.16.2010 |
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Redemtech Offers Free Regulatory Database
Online library helps companies navigate the ever-changing legislative landscape – and guard against liabilities for data privacy, electronics disposal and financial transparency.
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| 2.14.2010 |
Business Ethics |
It’s All About Integrating CSR Into Policies and Processes
Two new reports from the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship examine unique competency models for those who work in the corporate social responsibility field. A survey conducted by the center last year found that while 66 percent of U.S. executives say corporate citizenship is a priority for their company, only 33 percent report they have succeeded in integrating it into management policies and processes.
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| 2.12.2010 |
Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire |
World’s Largest Steelmaker Backs Liberian CSR Initiative
ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, is backing an ambitious public-private social responsibility initiative in Liberia. The African country has been devastated by years of civil war, leaving it with a current unemployment rate of about 85 percent and dependent on international aid. The company said the goal is to return the country to self-sufficiency and make it a model of the developing world.
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| 2.10.2010 |
Environmental Leader |
Sustainability Reporting Now the Global Norm
Sustainability reporting is now the norm among large companies globally, increasing from about 300 sustainability reports in 1996 to 3,100, according to a new report from the Global Reporting Initiative. The organization also reported that more than 1,000 organizations worldwide have registered sustainability reports in 2008, based on its guidelines. It notes that sustainability reporting has been slower to catch on in the U.S. than in Europe.
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| 2.6.2010 |
Fast Company |
Wall Street Excesses Seen Aiding CSR
The magazine asked an assortment of corporate leaders their predictions for 2010 on the corporate social responsibility front. One of the respondents observed that "the insensitivity shown by many of the financial firms on 'Wall Street' in 2009 and the anger it has engendered, should raise the profile and need for Corporate Social Responsibility even further in 2010."
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| 2.3.2010 |
Wall Street Journal |
CSR Being Cut Disproportionately
As corporate budgets have been squeezed by the great recession, a new survey shows that corporate social responsibility initiatives have suffered disproportionate cuts.” A survey of U.K. businesses by KPMG and Business In The Community found a third of companies cut their corporate social responsibility budgets in 2009,” the paper reports.
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| 2.1.2010 |
CSR News |
Hundreds of Companies Delisted for Failure to Report Progress on CSR
The Global Compact Office announced that 859 companies were removed from its database of participants between October 2009 and January 2010 for failing to meet its mandatory annual reporting requirements. At the same time, the Global Compact continues to experience strong growth. In January of this year, 127 companies joined the initiative, bringing the total to more than 5,300 active business participants from more than 135 countries.
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| 1.26.2010 |
Business Intelligence Middle East |
Dell Emphasizes IT’s Role in Enabling CSR
Dell’s Founder, chairman and CEO Michael Dell argued that the information technology industry has become a strategic enabler of sustainable competitiveness for businesses, communities and even entire nations. In a keynote speech at the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he praised the host country’s marked improvement in that area.
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| 1.12.2010 |
Financial Express |
Making CSR a Business Tool for Success
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the way companies integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into their values and operations in a transparent and accountable manner, is integral to long-term business growth and success, experts say. It also plays an important role in promoting values internationally and contributing to the sustainable development of communities, making CSR strategy an effective tool for business success. For taking a leap forward and attaining a larger share of the market, CSR should be at the heart of the business and integrated into all aspects of the company, ranging from human resources policies to business practices and marketing strategy.
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| 1.11.2010 |
CSRWire |
Boston College Survey Finds Businesses Staying the Course on Community Involvement
Despite the global economic crisis, businesses have forged ahead with community involvement efforts as part of a continued commitment to corporate citizenship, according to a new Boston College survey of more than 300 North American companies in a variety of industries. The survey’s findings offer encouraging evidence that community involvement remains the cornerstone of most companies' commitment to corporate social responsibility. The data collected through many years of conducting a Community Involvement Index survey show companies have made significant progress in staff, strategy and communications.
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| 12.30.2009 |
GreenBiz |
CSR Reporting Improved in 2009
An increase in companies issuing sustainability reports during 2009 demonstrates that opportunities associated with environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are extremely relevant to companies and their investors, according to experts associated with two reports from the Social Investment Forum (SIF) that provide important updates on the status of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, both among the S&P 100 companies headquartered in the U.S., and among the 100 largest companies in 10 emerging markets. A total of 66 S&P 100 companies produced a formal sustainability report with performance data, compared to 49 reports produced a year earlier, while 55 companies made reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in their sustainability reports, more than double the previous number of companies.
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| 11.15.2009 |
CNBC |
Sustainability Indices Sprouting Up
The concept of having a “do good” index has been around for decades, but the sustainable index marketplace is increasingly getting crowded, experts say, as more corporations recognize that investors and other stakeholders are evaluating sustainability factors and credentials. “Sustainability is larger than the environment,” says John Prestbo, executive director of the Dow Jones indices and chairman of their index oversight committee. “It can include it, but we give equal weight to [corporate social responsibility].” As new industry participants pop up in once-unheard-of sub-sectors like smart grid technologies or utility-scale energy storage, another approach includes growth-focused indices, like those launched during the past few years that focus on clean technology.
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| 11.13.2009 |
Supply Chain Management Review |
Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility
Both sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are geographically ubiquitous and politically potent, experts say, adding that companies will only be as “green” as they choose to be. Any company that is looking for future growth must rely on acquiring and keeping loyal customers with spending power, and customers are looking to align with companies that demonstrate vision and integrity. The immediate reaction of most companies is that movement toward green programs will cost money and have a negative impact on profitability. The reality is that independent research confirms a “green” supply chain can, and does, reduce costs.
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| 11.13.2009 |
Korea Times |
Corporate Social Responsibility Key to Successful Global Marketing
Georg Kell, executive director of the United Nations Global Compact, stresses that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is more than a glorified public relations tool; it is a crucial business strategy that enables companies to astutely manage risks and opportunities, and integrate further into the global market. The increasing attention to corporate responsibility is a product of globalization, said Kell during the U.N. Global Compact China-Japan-Korea Roundtable Conference in Seoul, South Korea, with CSR becoming critical for companies attempting to enter new markets and gain acceptability there, winning licenses and building brands.
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| 10.16.2009 |
Washington Times |
President Obama Urges People to Serve their Communities
Calling public service "the essence of our liberty," President Obama last week urged Americans to step up and volunteer in their communities. Speaking at a community service forum in Texas, Obama said there is a lot that the federal government cannot and should not do — and that's where active, engaged citizens have a role to play. "In the end, service binds us to each other and to our community and to our country in a way that nothing else can," Obama said. In April, the President signed the Serve America Act, which took effect this month as a measure to help "usher in a new era of service in America."
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| 10.14.2009 |
Guardian |
Companies fearful of embracing open online sustainability debate
A recent report co-produced with the Global Reporting Initiative indicates that few companies are using the Internet in a creative way to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR). Another new study that has carried out an in-depth study into CSR reporting concludes that "despite many slogans saying companies today are prepared to 'listen',” research reveals that this is rarely the case when it comes to the Internet. The Internet presents a real challenge to companies because the medium is all about taking down the barriers to dialogue and discussion and it's looking increasingly anachronous to try to hold the tide back. Companies have been able to promote the idea that they are engaging with stakeholders by publishing an annual CSR report or conducting surveys of customers, while more forward-thinking firms have sought to encourage debate through the use of stakeholder panels.
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| 9.23.2009 |
Environmental Leader |
CSR Investments Up Despite Economy
The global economic recession has not put an end to corporate citizenship, according to a new study from the Hitachi Foundation and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, which found 15% of companies are increasing their research and development for new sustainable products; 11% are increasing corporate citizenship marketing and communications; and 10% are increasing local or domestic sourcing or manufacturing. The study found that the majority of U.S. companies are not making major changes in their corporate citizenship practices, and about 54% of U.S. senior executives believe corporate citizenship is even more important in a recession. The study also indicates that environmental sustainability efforts continue to grow during the recession, with 29% of business leaders saying their companies support environmental issues through their community investment strategy, which is a 10% increase since 2007.
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| 9.10.2009 |
Time |
The Responsibility Revolution
The nation is entering a period of social change as Americans recalibrate their sense of what it means to be a citizen, not just through voting or volunteering, but also through commerce. There is a new dimension to civic duty that is growing in America — the idea that we can serve not only by spending time in our communities and classrooms, but by spending money more responsibly. According to a new Time magazine poll, nearly 40% of Americans surveyed said they purchased a product in 2009 because they liked the social values of the company that produced it. The most progressive companies are talking about a triple bottom line — profit, planet and people — that focuses on how to run a business while trying to improve environmental and worker conditions. That's evidence of a changing mind-set, a new kind of social contract among consumers, business and government. We are seeing the rise of the citizen consumer — and the beginnings of a responsibility revolution.
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| 9.9.2009 |
Freshbusinessthinking.com |
The Corporate Responsibility Commitment
Taken in achievable steps, every company can embark upon a corporate responsibility journey. Businesses that take up a corporate responsibility initiative in a bid to appear forward-thinking and progressive, only to then withdraw once the spotlight moves to the next business trend, will do themselves more harm than good. Any corporate responsibility policy must represent a long-term commitment - which takes planning, staff commitment and budget. Corporate responsibility adds a new dimension to the discussion about how businesses might strike a balance between short-term profitability and long-term growth.
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| 9.2.2009 |
Daily Tell |
Corporate Philanthropy Enters ‘New Age,’ Shifts from Cash Giving to Volunteerism
With many corporations cutting back on spending in response to the global recession, corporate philanthropic giving has been in danger of seeing significant declines. Though financial donations by corporations have taken a hit, many businesses are responding by shifting their focus away from cash donations and toward volunteerism and other kinds of donations, according to a recent survey from LBG Research Institute. The report found that corporate charitable budgets have declined in the face of the economic downturn – 52% of corporations and 47% of corporate foundations reported decreases in their charitable budgets in the past year. However, to compensate for the decline in cash giving, 84% of corporations said they are encouraging more employee volunteerism, 48% have increased the number of corporate volunteer events this year, and 45% report increased participation rates in employee volunteer programs.
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| 8.3.2009 |
New African |
Corporate Social Responsibility - People and Planet Alongside Profit
Corporate social responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate citizenship, corporate social investment, community outreach, and many other terms that are used interchangeably, emphasizes that all companies should consider the social and environmental impact of their policies alongside profit when determining investment strategy and management practices, experts say. Rather than considering support for community projects as a cost of doing business, some corporations seek to embody sound social and environmental practices within all aspects of their business with the intention of “doing good works,” but also because of the view that responsible investment policies actually generate greater profits in the long run.
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| 8.1.2009 |
Toronto Globe & Mail |
Sharpen the Focus Again on Corporate Social Responsibility
In tough times, businesses make decisions that emphasize short-term survival. Before the economy softened, companies were increasingly making corporate social responsibility (CSR) an integral part of their business strategies, but when money got tight, many companies cut back or shelved their plans. With positive news on the horizon, it's time to take the CSR strategy off the back burner and ensure your company is well-positioned for growth, CSR experts agree. A focused CSR strategy starts from a point of passion where adjustments to a corporate platform can lead change.
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| 7.28.2009 |
USA Today |
Economy Low, 'Generosity High'
More Americans became engaged in their communities last year as the economy weakened, exhibiting a quality of helping others, according to the Corporation for National & Community Service, a U.S. government agency which oversees AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and other service programs. The number of volunteers increased 2% from 60.8 million in 2007 to 61.8 million in 2008, according to the agency's 2009 Volunteering In America report. On average, 26% of Americans continued to donate their time. More non-profit groups rely on volunteers as 80% report significant economic stress, a Johns Hopkins University survey found.
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