Justmeans's blogshttp://www.justmeans.com/editorials/1/9.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 11:39:43 GMThttp://www.justmeans.com en hourly 1http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-at-the-Heart-of-London-2012-Olympics/48630.htmlFri, 22 Apr 2011 15:39:53 GMTSarah Brown Partnerships between the organisers of London's 2012 Olympics and its sponsors are resulting in a truly 'green Games'.Sustainability has been addressed in every aspect of the Olympics' organisation and development, says a new report. CSR partnerships have played a key role in this. The report, A Blueprint for Change, outlines how the London Olympics will break new ground in its green achievements.One element of which organisers are particularly proud is delivering a low-carbon Olympics. The Lond Read Full Article ]]> Partnerships between the organisers of London's 2012 Olympics and its sponsors are resulting in a truly 'green Games'.Sustainability has been addressed in every aspect of the Olympics' organisation and development, says a new report. CSR partnerships have played a key role in this. The report, A Blueprint for Change, outlines how the London Olympics will break new ground in its green achievements.One element of which organisers are particularly proud is delivering a low-carbon Olympics. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOGOC) has developed a new way of assessing carbon emissions, which it says is helping drive down its carbon footprint. Its report says it is on target to cut its footprint by 10,000 tonnes of CO2 due to how it has procured materials and built the venue.Importantly, from a CSR perspective, LOGOC credits BT, one of its partners, with adopting the new method of assessing emissions itself. As a result, there will be just one communications network during the Games. This will reduce energy consumption and waste, and should increase possibilities for reuse. Coca Cola is also planning to use the LOGOC model and minimise energy use during the Games. However, the report did not give details on how this would be achieved.The majority of ambitious CSR targets covering climate change, biodiversity, waste, inclusion and healthy living are 'on track'. These include a wide variety of detailed areas. For example, LOGOC committed to transport 50% of construction materials to the site by rail or water.Waste targets were particularly stretching, and 98.5% of demolition waste on site has been recycled, or reused. During the Games, 70% of waste will be reused, recycled or composted.McDonald's, another partner, whose presence as a sponsor has already been questioned, is examining how it will reduce waste. One option is sending waste to an energy recovery facility and trials are currently taking place.By making 'inclusion' a target, the Olympic organisers have highlighted an area which could easily have been overlooked. The impact of such a project on the local community is a test of its CSR value. Interestingly, it is in this area that targets have been exceeded. 75% of previously unemployed people placed into work in construction, were from the five London Boroughs hosting the Olympics.By the time the Games begin in 2012, the Olympics will also have seen 2,250 people in traineeships or apprenticeships. At least 82% of people working on the site are being paid the London Living Wage - an amount above the minimum, recognising the high costs of living in the capital.What has been achieved to date is impressive. This is the first of three reports to be published on sustainability. It will be a feather in the UK's cap if the targets currently on track are met by the time of the final report.Photo credit: Ben Sutherland]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-and-Bridging-the-Skills-Gap/48456.htmlFri, 15 Apr 2011 13:19:37 GMTSarah Brown Business leaders from the water, power and construction industries are facing a significant shortage of skilled workers.Introducing apprenticeships, and getting involved in CSR initiatives with young people, will help prevent this recruitment time bomb.Newly published data from CSR experts Business in the Community reveals that the UK is 15% less productive than France, Germany and the US because its working population is less skilled. The UK does not have workers with the necessary technical sk Read Full Article ]]> Business leaders from the water, power and construction industries are facing a significant shortage of skilled workers.Introducing apprenticeships, and getting involved in CSR initiatives with young people, will help prevent this recruitment time bomb.Newly published data from CSR experts Business in the Community reveals that the UK is 15% less productive than France, Germany and the US because its working population is less skilled. The UK does not have workers with the necessary technical skills to keep up with the pace of change. Figures also show that 80% of those who will make up the workforce in 2020 are already out of formal education.One of the major issues for firms is the lack of take up in schools of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is true across all socio-economic groups, but there are particular needs in deprived areas.Business in the Community recently took a group of business leaders from the water, power and construction industries on a visit to see how the skills gap could be bridged in practice.They visited a London school to see how an initiative called STEMNET was being used to create excitement about learning scientific subjects. It uses creativity and problem solving to demonstrate to students how science can be fun.As part of the visit, the business leaders also met young people already training in their sector. They had a chance to find out the challenges the young people faced in getting training and the value of CSR programmes, which addressed this.A recent initiative from the Construction Youth Trust also aims to bridge the skills gap, specifically in the construction industry. It has just launched a mobile classroom which it hopes will reach 1,200 young people a year. It will offer training and careers advice to young people, particularly those in most need.The mobile classroom is decked out like a workman's van - with tools and equipment to introduce youngsters to carpentry, tiling, plumbing, painting and decorating. The Youth Construction Trust said experience showed that travel was a real barrier to disadvantaged young people. The mobile classroom tackles that issue head on.Initiatives like this classroom, and, on a larger scale, the offering of apprenticeships are a win win from a CSR perspective.If businesses want to ensure continuity, and a skilled workforce, they will need to get involved themselves. One company which has realised this is British Gas, which has just launched a new two-year IT apprenticeship scheme for school leavers. It will recruit 30 school leavers from this September.This is an issue of which the UK Government is keenly aware. In this year's budget, the Chancellor promised 180m in funding for apprenticeships.With Government support, and the promise of a more skilled workforce, apprenticeships are an obvious solution.Photo credit: Citizen Schools Photos]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Is-Government-Trailing-Industry-on-CSR/48053.htmlFri, 01 Apr 2011 05:43:07 GMTSarah Brown Campaigners for sustainable fishing are waiting to see if the UK Government will change its mind on how it sources fish.Government buying standards, out any day now, have been criticised by activists for a lack of commitment to buying sustainable fish.The Good Food for our Money Campaign brings together 60 health, environmental and welfare organisations that want better sustainability standards in food bought by Government.From a CSR perspective, the government is trailing high-profile and house Read Full Article ]]> Campaigners for sustainable fishing are waiting to see if the UK Government will change its mind on how it sources fish.Government buying standards, out any day now, have been criticised by activists for a lack of commitment to buying sustainable fish.The Good Food for our Money Campaign brings together 60 health, environmental and welfare organisations that want better sustainability standards in food bought by Government.From a CSR perspective, the government is trailing high-profile and household name brands including Marks & Spencer and Sodexo - which have much higher sustainability standards. The Coalition Government's preferred option for fish buying is that 60% of seafood bought for Central Government will have to meet sustainability standards.The standards cover around a third of public sector catering - including prisons, the armed forces and government departments. However, campaigners point out that with only a 60% sustainability requirement on a third of public sector food that adds up to a paltry 19% of all Government sourced foodstuffs.Campaigners want to see 100% sustainable seafood standards and point out that in addition to lagging behind household retailers' CSR standards Government is even trailing pet food manufacturers.Earlier this month Mars Petcare launched Marine Stewardship Council certified pet food covering its Whiskas and Sheba brands. The company has promised that it will use only sustainably sourced fish by 2020. This is an important element of the company's CSR programme.And CSR leadership on this issue is also being demonstrated by other high profile organisations. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) for the 2012 Olympics has included sustainability within its standards for food served at the games. It has included a commitment to serve 100% demonstrably sustainable seafood.Campaigners are angry that public money is being spent without a better commitment to sustainability.Alex Jackson from the Good Food for our Money Campaign said: "The Government must make it compulsory for all seafood which is bought by the taxpayer and served in public sector institutions to be proven to be sustainable."In a recent stunt, workers from charity Sustain sent personal cheques for 83 pence each to the Prime Minister and each member of the cabinet. They say this represents the cost for Cabinet members to be served only fish from sustainable sources at meetings and functions.Campaigners said that they knew lots of caterers who have saved money by switching to less endangered fish species. They claim that even 83 pence a head is an overestimate.The strength of feeling around the issue of sustainable fishing and marine conservation is huge. The Government has an opportunity here to beef up its standards and commit to sourcing 100% of its fish from sustainable sources.Photo credit: Charlie Brewer]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Partnership-working-in-CSR/47928.htmlWed, 30 Mar 2011 09:51:04 GMTSarah Brown Social enterprise the Twist Partnership, joined forces with city law firm Simmons & Simmons to show the power of CSR joint working.Young people from inner city London boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge led a conference and consultation entitled 'Changing Behaviours'. Their aim: to show how partnership CSR had made a genuine difference to their lives.The young people at the conference were on the verge of being excluded from school. They were angry and disillusioned. One example of Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprise the Twist Partnership, joined forces with city law firm Simmons & Simmons to show the power of CSR joint working.Young people from inner city London boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge led a conference and consultation entitled 'Changing Behaviours'. Their aim: to show how partnership CSR had made a genuine difference to their lives.The young people at the conference were on the verge of being excluded from school. They were angry and disillusioned. One example of a CSR programme that Twist developed paired a group of boys with mentors from Simmons & Simmons.All aged 15 or 16, the boys lived on an estate in Tower Hamlets, where gang rivalry was a problem. The CSR programme wanted to encourage these boys to develop aims and aspirations.The programme took their anger and channelled it towards finding solutions to the problems they saw at their school. They were asked how they would run a school themselves.The result of this was a two-day interactive workshop for 15 primary school pupils. Developed with the help of volunteers from Simmons & Simmons, it was designed to help children manage the transition between primary and secondary school.The young people discovered that they had skills and talents and something to offer other people.Following the workshop sessions, all seven boys then completed two weeks' work experience at different departments in the law firm. They were given the opportunity to work in IT, finance and marketing.Whilst working in the marketing department they were given a creative brief to work through. This gave them some real life insight into what it might be like to work in marketing. They also said they were pleasantly surprised to find that finance was not as boring as they had anticipated.Encouragingly, the boys involved in the programme named medicine, law, accountancy and teaching as possible careers they were considering. This was a big step on from when they started.They said it had taught them that there was more to life than fighting. Their experience also demonstrated the importance of young people in their situation knowing that there was a goal and a way of getting there.Having completed the programme, the boys went on to become leadership trainers, helping other school children across London. This is the ultimate aim of a programme of this nature, that it can become self-sustaining - gaining a momentum of its own.Firms are clearly seeing the value of getting involved in this kind of CSR partnership. Twist now has funding to help more young people and is seeking community organisations that can benefit.Even in a recession, businesses can see the benefit to staff and the firm of investing resources in programmes of this nature.Photo credit: Keng Susumpow]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-and-Sustainable-Water-Use/47734.htmlFri, 25 Mar 2011 14:35:42 GMTSarah Brown World Water Day took place this week, a focal point for a CSR issue which is growing in importance and prominence. Sustainable water use is becoming a major topic for business as it is critical to so many production processes.An industry for which water is particularly important is brewing. Depending on where you live, and where the hops for your beer are grown, it can take as much as 155 litres of water to produce one litre of beer.Consequently, brewing companies are making reducing their water Read Full Article ]]> World Water Day took place this week, a focal point for a CSR issue which is growing in importance and prominence. Sustainable water use is becoming a major topic for business as it is critical to so many production processes.An industry for which water is particularly important is brewing. Depending on where you live, and where the hops for your beer are grown, it can take as much as 155 litres of water to produce one litre of beer.Consequently, brewing companies are making reducing their water footprints a key focus of their CSR strategies.At a conference in Brussels late last month, brewing companies pledged to significantly reduce their water use. Speaking at the conference, Stuart Orr, from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said: "The business world is waking up to water in a way it hasn't before. From now on, and into the future, our lives are going to be determined by increasing water scarcity."He said that companies were alive to the risks posed by water scarcity and were moved to co-operate on minimising that risk.From a CSR perspective, breweries and spirit manufacturers are at the frontline of the threat from water scarcity. As so many are global brands, they often operate in areas which are facing real problems of freshwater scarcity in decades to come.Companies outlined various targets and tactics, employed as part of CSR strategies, that they had set themselves to deal with the issue.Anheuser-Busch InBev, which produces brands such as Stella Artois and Budweiser, has 130 production plants worldwide. It plans to cut water use per bottle of beer from 5.5 litres to 3.5 litres by next year. SAB miller has said it will cut water use by 25% by 2015. Soft drinks manufacturers such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo have said they will use water reduction technologies as well as reusing water.Companies that implement these policies now, are not only acting responsibly, they will end up safeguarding their businesses. Water is not an infinite resource and with scarcity will come expense.Karl Falkenberg, Director-General of the European Commission's Environment Office told the conference that both business and consumer attitudes to water were unsustainable over the next 40 years.He said: "We should all think about this, particularly here in Europe, where we flush our toilets with drinking-quality water."Given that 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water according to the UN, our European carelessness with water is rather sobering.According to the UK-based NGO Waterwise, each person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day. The amount we use has been increasing by 1% since the 1930s and this is no longer sustainable.Reduction in company water use needs to be combined with individual responsibility to ensure that the taps do not run dry.Photo credit: uberphot]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Cynical-UK-Public-Disbelieve-Companies--CSR-Claims/47332.htmlTue, 22 Mar 2011 09:00:36 GMTSarah Brown New research shows a deep public cynicism about companies' claims of action on the important CSR issue of climate change.The research, from business and environment experts The Carbon Trust, found that only 7% of people believe companies' claims about actions they've taken to reduce their environmental impact. 66% are sceptical as to whether firms are genuinely cutting carbon emissions as part of their overall CSR strategies.The Carbon Trust asked people if they wanted firms to commit to a 3% em Read Full Article ]]> New research shows a deep public cynicism about companies' claims of action on the important CSR issue of climate change.The research, from business and environment experts The Carbon Trust, found that only 7% of people believe companies' claims about actions they've taken to reduce their environmental impact. 66% are sceptical as to whether firms are genuinely cutting carbon emissions as part of their overall CSR strategies.The Carbon Trust asked people if they wanted firms to commit to a 3% emissions reduction. This is what is required for the UK to meet its 2050 targets. Unsurprisingly, 90% did. Those questioned said that climate change was the greatest threat facing the environment - hence their desire for action.Transparency emerged as an important theme, with 70% of people wanting businesses to be forced to reveal their carbon emissions. 56% said they were more worried now about business action to reduce climate change than they were five years ago.A major public concern around the CSR issue of environment in general and climate change in particular is a lack of business authenticity. 53% of those questioned feared that firms just make one-off improvements for publicity reasons.It would appear that most consumers (60%) are looking for third party endorsement from bodies they respect before they are willing to believe corporate claims of CSR action on the environment. The first place they look for evidence about corporate climate change claims is search engines.However, companies which can demonstrate transparency - and verified action on tackling environmental issues - will definitely benefit. 56% of people said they were more loyal to brands that can show, at a glance, evidence of action. 53% said they want to work for companies which can clearly demonstrate commitment to reducing their impact on climate change.The Carbon Trust joined forces with BrandZ to conduct brand analysis on how members of the public are reacting to CSR claims about the environment. They found that, in analysing the most powerful brands, environmental responsibility is one of the top characteristics of leading companies. This is a powerful motivator for consumers. On average, 80% of sales are generated by the product brand, but a solid 20% of sales are directly linked to corporate reputation. In breaking down that category further, at least 2% of sales are attributable directly to environmental reputation.Harry Morrison, General Manager of the Carbon Trust Standard, an independent verification system of corporate action on climate change, said that green washing, over claiming and excessive jargon has created mistrust. However, it's not all doom and gloom.He said: "The good news is that by taking voluntary action now to measure, manage and reduce their impacts, there are huge opportunities for brands to stand out from the crowd."The research launches to coincide with the start of Climate Week, in which I personally am involved. This aims to raise awareness around climate change and to inspire businesses, communities and individuals to take action themselves.Photo credit: foldablebags.com]]>http://www.justmeans.com/How-Carbon-is-the-Name-of-the-Game-in-UK-CSR/47062.htmlTue, 15 Mar 2011 05:16:41 GMTSarah Brown A new finance package will provide help to businesses which want to focus their CSR on energy efficiency and low carbon solutions.The scheme has been launched by not-for -profit green business experts The Carbon Trust, in partnership with Siemens, and will be open to any UK business from 4 April this year.In total, firms wishing to boost their CSR credentials by greening their businesses will have access to finance for green equipment worth 550 million over the next three years. It will enable b Read Full Article ]]> A new finance package will provide help to businesses which want to focus their CSR on energy efficiency and low carbon solutions.The scheme has been launched by not-for -profit green business experts The Carbon Trust, in partnership with Siemens, and will be open to any UK business from 4 April this year.In total, firms wishing to boost their CSR credentials by greening their businesses will have access to finance for green equipment worth 550 million over the next three years. It will enable businesses to invest in cost effective energy efficiency measures or technology such as new lighting or biomass heating.Applications for funding will be judged based on their potential CO2 savings, reduction in energy usage and overall cost effectiveness.This development will be welcomed by the many businesses across the UK which want to green their businesses but are struggling to find financial backing. Initiatives such as the development of a Green Investment Bank, have been welcomed by the financial sector but many fear that the promised 1bn funding is not enough. Critics have also warned that it is taking too long to set up, and that the UK may miss the boat when it comes to creating a green economy.Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, said:"Driving green growth in the UK is key to our economic recovery. A missing ingredient at present is access to affordable finance to enable business to make green investments. This new major finance facility will improve business competitiveness, cut carbon and boost green growth."The partnership between Siemens Financial Services and the Carbon Trust hopes to capitalize on both partners' strengths. Siemens has expertise in lending, particularly to small businesses, and the Carbon Trust has longstanding experience in carbon saving from energy efficient technologies. This means it is well placed to work out the carbon, energy and cost savings of applications for funding. As a result, the financing of the scheme will pay for itself through energy savings.In a coup for the partnership, it has been formally welcomed by both the Institute of Directors and Greenpeace. It is impressive for a CSR venture of this nature to receive such widespread backing.John Sauven of Greenpeace said:This green finance deal is exactly the sort of initiative that we need to see happening more frequently in the future. A green growth strategy can only work if it is backed by green finance. Deals like this, alongside the development of a green infrastructure bank, could be a tipping point that the UK economy needs to get out of the current doldrums."In addition to this new scheme, the Carbon Trust and Siemens Financial Services will also be launching a venture to support businesses wanting to buy energy-efficient equipment on a larger scale, due to be launched later in the year. This is CSR at its most practical.Photo credit: Living Off Grid]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-and-Religion-in-the-Workplace/46914.htmlSun, 13 Mar 2011 12:03:15 GMTSarah Brown Policies dealing with diversity in the workplace are commonplace in UK CSR practice, but those relating to religious beliefs are not. Only one in three large organisations has explicit policies about religious beliefs at work.The Institute of Business Ethics has just published a new paper, Religious Practices in the Workplace, which argues that this is a neglected area of CSR. The author says it has implications for a wide variety of business areas, including corporate governance, risk managemen Read Full Article ]]> Policies dealing with diversity in the workplace are commonplace in UK CSR practice, but those relating to religious beliefs are not. Only one in three large organisations has explicit policies about religious beliefs at work.The Institute of Business Ethics has just published a new paper, Religious Practices in the Workplace, which argues that this is a neglected area of CSR. The author says it has implications for a wide variety of business areas, including corporate governance, risk management, and human resources.The IBE paper also says that this is an area of employee wellbeing which organisations should take seriously.There are a number of different trends which have made the issue of religious beliefs at work more pertinent. These include: the rise in immigration, the growing internationalisation of business, the diversity agenda, generational differences, employee well-being and new UK legal developments.The paper points out that the growth of immigration has changed the religious make-up of the UK population. There has been an increase in the number of people who follow non-Christian religions, and this is likely to be reflected in the workplace.The diversity of workplaces is increasingly important and considered ethically correct, as well as of economic benefit to the organisation.Management experts say that companies which plan to accommodate different religious beliefs at work as part of their CSR strategies will have happier employees and avoid potential headaches.The paper quotes Charles Mitchell of The Conference Board as saying: "How [companies] frame the issue can very well determine whether it becomes a source of employee irritation and litigation or a step on the road to becoming an employer of choice to a new generation of workers."Younger employees, says the IBE, are more likely to be open about their views and want to be able to express these at work. If they are prevented from doing so, they may become angry and frustrated.The Archbishop of York has said: "Asking someone to leave their belief in God at the door of their workplace is akin to asking them to remove their skin colour before coming into the office."With this in mind, developing policies around the issue of religious belief requires thought, planning and sensitivity.However, the paper is not just recommending accommodating religious beliefs for fear of being sued. It says that good CSR practice, including promoting morale and worker contentment translates into higher productivity.If employees feel that their religious beliefs are appreciated, rather than just being tolerated by their employer, they are more likely to feel loyal. One way of expressing this is through a written policy but this should be 'not a formula, but a frame of mind'.This IBE paper is an interesting examination of a potentially controversial subject. Rather than seeing religious belief at work as a potential problem, he demonstrates the value that recognising it can have for both employer and employee.www.ibe.org.uk/userfiles/op3_religious_practices.pdfPhoto credit: Brandon Baunach]]>http://www.justmeans.com/How-Complex-Green-Scheme-will-Impact-Firms--CSR-Efforts/46881.htmlSat, 12 Mar 2011 06:53:55 GMTSarah Brown UK businesses are angry that money they pay under a scheme to reduce energy use and pollution will now go to the Government.Originally, funds raised through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), would have gone to firms who managed to cut the energy bills the most. Many non-energy intensive companies had already made energy reduction a CSR priority.The mandatory scheme will apply to all large businesses and public sector organisations - with electricity bills of over 500,000 a year. In this yea Read Full Article ]]> UK businesses are angry that money they pay under a scheme to reduce energy use and pollution will now go to the Government.Originally, funds raised through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), would have gone to firms who managed to cut the energy bills the most. Many non-energy intensive companies had already made energy reduction a CSR priority.The mandatory scheme will apply to all large businesses and public sector organisations - with electricity bills of over 500,000 a year. In this year alone, it is expected to raise 715 million.A Government consultation is now underway so organisations can comment on the proposals.The CRC was devised for positive CSR reasons. The sectors targeted by the scheme generate over 10% of UK Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, around 55 MtCO2. It aims to reduce carbon emissions from these organisations by at least 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, by 2020.However, critics argue that the CRC will not, in fact, reduce pollution as 87% (over 90million tonnes) of the emissions saved through the CRC by 2020 will actually be emitted elsewhere, due to an overlap between the CRC and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.The organisation, Carbon Retirement, has produced a report based on data from the UK Government, and its independent Committee on Climate Change. It points out that this overlap could put paid to well-intentioned CSR efforts.The CRC will apply to companies that are not currently covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. (This applies to 'heavy' industry - which is the most polluting). In its current form it will oblige firms to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions (which will mostly come from gas and electricity use). They will then pay 12 per tonne of CO2 they produce.However, companies buy electricity from power providers which are covered under the EU scheme and hold permits for the CO2 they produce. There are a limited number of these permits - and all firms covered under the scheme are entitled to them. If they use less they can simply sell on their permits to someone else. This will not reduce the amount of pollution.Firms which are putting time, effort and money into reducing their own emissions, are rightly angry at the thought that this will simply give others a licence to pollute.Firms which are focusing their CSR efforts on green solutions for their business are also annoyed that the CRC gives no credit for sourcing renewable energy.The consultancy KPMG has pointed out that the CRC meant businesses were paying several times for their emissions.Ben Wielgus of the firm's climate change and sustainability practice told the BBC: "We find CRC participants in the difficult situation of paying for carbon emissions three times - once through the CRC, once through the climate change levy (CCL) and once through the cost of carbon charged by their electricity companies through energy bills."The UK government consultation is open until 11th March.Photo credit: Peter Grima]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Building-CSR-s-New-Generation/46825.htmlFri, 11 Mar 2011 06:12:17 GMTSarah Brown CSR can only grow and develop if the next generation can build on the success of this one and learn from their mistakes.However, those wishing to raise up a new generation of CSR professionals and social entrepreneurs have been frustrated by the lack of global examples. A new book, to be published in May, believes it may help to plug some of those gaps.Case studies in Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability outlines real stories of social entrepreneurs and the problems they've solved from acr Read Full Article ]]> CSR can only grow and develop if the next generation can build on the success of this one and learn from their mistakes.However, those wishing to raise up a new generation of CSR professionals and social entrepreneurs have been frustrated by the lack of global examples. A new book, to be published in May, believes it may help to plug some of those gaps.Case studies in Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability outlines real stories of social entrepreneurs and the problems they've solved from across the world.By identifying the different examples, the authors hope to help social entrepreneurs develop necessary skills and problem solving abilities. These people remain a core part of how CSR will develop and change.The aim is to share how to identify root causes of problems and then find and use a solution that tackles that.In a foreword to the book, Marina Kim of Ashoka, the social entrepreneur organisation, emphasises that research has shown that simply putting a sticking plaster on something does not work. She says: "To effectively address a social problem, the solution must continually adapt and evolve based on market feedback about what works and what needs to change in the model."Sustainability is a separate strand from social entrepreneurship, although they do often overlap. Knowing about how others have acted to create a more sustainable environment is key, particularly when it comes to consulting and working with stakeholders.This is valuable knowledge for learning about how CSR works, and what can prevent it from working. Sustainability can provide opportunities for new business. This does not have to happen apart from CSR goals. Instead economic success can co-exist alongside social capital and preservation of the natural environment - if the right systems and processes are developed.One of the lessons that the book attempts to teach through its different case study examples is how values impact on business strategies. This is happening more and more frequently, as businessmen and women with a social conscience are helping to shape the markets and society as a whole.One of the gaps that the book was attempting to plug, was the seeming lack of any formal examples of social entrepreneurship in the field of sustainability outside the United States of America. Although the book does cover examples from the USA - it also casts the net wider.Consequently, students can learn about really inspiring social entrepreneurs. These include Fabio Rosa, who has provided Brazil's poor with solar powered electricity, Swiss-based company Dr Reddy's which develops affordable medicines for poor people across the world, and Altis, which provides microfinance in the very rural agricultural areas of Nepal.By reading about how these people have overcome real barriers, the way is paved for the next generation to come up with new and powerful solutions.Photo credit: Luis Argerich]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-Irony---How-a-Positive-Measure-Could-Lead-to-a-Negative-One/45854.htmlSat, 26 Feb 2011 11:08:20 GMTSarah Brown Utility companies trying to reduce water use could inadvertently hurt the UK's poorest groups. The laudable CSR aim of encouraging households to waste less water could result in 'water poverty'.This is the claim by social research experts the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in a new report Vulnerability to heatwaves and drought: adaptation to climate change.The authors argue that climate change will bring increased risk from heatwaves and drought and threaten the security of affordable water su Read Full Article ]]> Utility companies trying to reduce water use could inadvertently hurt the UK's poorest groups. The laudable CSR aim of encouraging households to waste less water could result in 'water poverty'.This is the claim by social research experts the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in a new report Vulnerability to heatwaves and drought: adaptation to climate change.The authors argue that climate change will bring increased risk from heatwaves and drought and threaten the security of affordable water supplies in the UK.They use the example of the South West of England to demonstrate the potential risks for vulnerable groups. Water companies, seeking to reduce water wastage as part of well-meaning CSR efforts will need to tread carefully.The South West is a particular issue as water bills there are 43% higher than anywhere else in England. A trial measure being introduced there aims to encourage greater efficiency by charging people for the amount of water they use. The report's authors use this as an example of an 'adaptation' to climate change as reducing water use will also reduce drought risk.The new trial measure is a different pricing structure called a rising block tariff (RBT) starting at 'essential use' of water and rising to 'premium block' for customers using more than they are believed to need.South West Water, which has introduced the scheme, is sensitive to the CSR issues involved. Support is available for those on benefits, families with more than three children, and those with medical conditions requiring high water use.The JRF acknowledges that CSR measures are being taken but warns that the complexity of the issues could lead to people falling through the net.Not all vulnerable households are eligible for help. For example, single people living alone on low incomes (such as the elderly) or those in homes without a water meter. Even vulnerable families who are eligible drop out because the renewal processes for the support schemes can be complex.The report argues that this could be replicated in other areas across the country, with people left in 'water poverty'. This is where households spend 3% or more of their income on water bills.The JRF estimates that an estimated 4 million households are already 'water poor' in the UK.Poorer households are also more likely to be tenants, rather than own their homes, and so will be less able to alter housing to make it more efficient. This is not just important in the case of water efficiency, but also for adaptation to high temperatures as a result of climate change.The JRF is using this report to call on government and other decision makers to aim for 'affordable water efficiency'. It would be a true irony to solve an important CSR issue on one hand, whilst creating a new one with the other.www.jrf.org.uk/publications/vulnerability-heatwaves-and-drought-adaptation-climate-changePhoto credit: Greg Riegler Photography]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-and-the-Value-of-Ecosystems/45276.htmlSun, 20 Feb 2011 06:48:26 GMTSarah Brown Businesses need to gain a better understanding and appreciation of how they impact local ecosystems. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) says corporations that include this analysis in their CSR programmes will gain competitive advantages.James Griffiths, from the Swiss-based WBCSD, said the natural benefits offered by ecosystems included fresh water, food and protection from hazards afforded by forests and wetlands. He argued that these were an integral part of a comp Read Full Article ]]> Businesses need to gain a better understanding and appreciation of how they impact local ecosystems. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) says corporations that include this analysis in their CSR programmes will gain competitive advantages.James Griffiths, from the Swiss-based WBCSD, said the natural benefits offered by ecosystems included fresh water, food and protection from hazards afforded by forests and wetlands. He argued that these were an integral part of a company's assets.He told an international symposium on biodiversity earlier this week: "Understanding the risks and opportunities that ecosystems provide for a business will be key to their success in a more carbon- and resource-constrained world and will significantly contribute to future public policy decisions to combat biodiversity loss."The WBCSD is developing a Corporate Ecosystem Valuation Guide, which it is planning to release in spring this year. The aim of this is to help companies put a value on their own impact on the ecosystem. This is an interesting concept which merits attention from CSR professionals.Although the WBCSD is cleverly encouraging companies to take action to get one step ahead of the competition, the CSR imperative is essentially a moral one.A study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) launched by G8 Environment Ministers analysed the global economic benefits of biodiversity. It also looked at the costs of policy inaction. Initial results, based on deforestation alone, show that the world loses natural capital of between 1.35 trillion and 3.10 trillion (US$ 1.9 trillion and US$ 4.5 trillion) every year.Once the ecosystem is gone, it can't be replaced. And with it, goes our quality of life, whether or not we are particularly concerned about the environment.The WBCSD's argument, which makes logical sense, is that there are limits to natural resources. Businesses, consequently need to expect governments and regulatory frameworks to address the issue of ecosystem degradation.Consequently, analysing one's own company impacts on the ecosystem, before such regulation comes in, makes business sense. From a CSR perspective, it is also an ethical obligation not to exhaust the natural resources on which one relies.The examples given cover: fresh water (which is critical for most industrial processes), pollination (on which the agribusiness and food sector depend), and tourism (which often relies on the beauty of the ecosystem). Extractive industries obviously cause disturbance to the ecosystem and the forestry industry and packaging sector need continued supplies of wood.If we do not protect these resources, they will disappear, as will the businesses that rely on them. Hence the incentive for companies to manage their own impact on the ecosystem and come up with new business solutions.As the Cree Indian Proverb says, only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money.Photo credit: US Army Environmental Command]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Helping-the-Homeless-Should-be-CSR-Focus--Says-Prince-Charles/45125.htmlSat, 19 Feb 2011 11:00:35 GMTSarah Brown Prince Charles has called on companies to make job opportunities for the homeless a focus for their CSR.The Prince made the appeal at a meeting of business leaders to mark 10 years of Business in the Community's Ready for Work Programme. The programme has put 2,000 homeless people back into work over that time.He said: "In the last six months the number of homeless people has begun to rise and I fear this trend will continue"The Prince also added: "It is estimated that there are some 20,000 peop Read Full Article ]]> Prince Charles has called on companies to make job opportunities for the homeless a focus for their CSR.The Prince made the appeal at a meeting of business leaders to mark 10 years of Business in the Community's Ready for Work Programme. The programme has put 2,000 homeless people back into work over that time.He said: "In the last six months the number of homeless people has begun to rise and I fear this trend will continue"The Prince also added: "It is estimated that there are some 20,000 people in this country who are either homeless, or who have experienced homelessness, who could be back at work but are not."The Ready for Work programme will now double its target and aim to get another 2,000 people back into work by 2015. However, in order to do this, it needs more firms to include supporting homeless people as part of their CSR programmes.John Varley, chair of BITC's Business Action on Homelessness and Senior Advisor to the board of Barclays, said: "We believe that employment is one of the most effective routes out of homelessness. Businesses should be part of the solution - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it offers great business benefits."In a comment piece written for BITC, Mr Varley warned that, historically, companies were out of step with public opinion by not prioritising homelessness as part of their CSR strategies. He said that ten years ago a survey showed that homeless was the second most important issue to child abuse. However, companies ranked it as only 14th in their priorities for CSR funding. Mr Varley said that a decade later, homelessness trends were again giving cause for concern. Estimates of the UK's hidden homeless are as high as 400,000 people.Mr Varley said that business need to 'step up in larger numbers' to help tackle the issue of homelessness in coming years.BITC's Business Action on Homelessness, which runs the Ready for Work Programme, is supported by eight high profile British businesses. These have all made helping homeless people back into work a priority. They are: Accenture, Barclays, Bain & Company, Carillion, KPMG, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Marks & Spencer and Royal Mail.One person helped by this programme was Matt Dye, who became homeless after his business went under and he got heavily into debt. He was offered a work placement with Carillion across a number of their departments. Once this was over, he worked with a job coach from Carillion who helped Matt with his CV and supported him to apply for a job within the construction arm of the business.The combination of the experience, with this support, gave Matt confidence. He so impressed the interviewers that they offered him the job as a Site Manager.As the recession continues to bite in the UK, helping homeless people back into work will become increasingly urgent. This kind of programme should become a CSR priority for many more businesses.Photo credit: Amplified2010 (Kate Arkless Gray)]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Can-CSR-Overcome-Barriers-Facing-Women-at-Work/43654.htmlMon, 07 Feb 2011 12:00:34 GMTSarah Brown We live in enlightened times, or so we believe. The UK has rigorous equality legislation to ensure that women get a fair deal at work.CSR strategies address issues of a diverse workplace.However, despite all this, a new report from Business in the Community (BITC) has found that little progress has been made in overcoming barriers facing women at work since they last conducted research in 2005. This is clearly a CSR issue that needs to be addressed.The report, What Holds Women Back? found that m Read Full Article ]]> We live in enlightened times, or so we believe. The UK has rigorous equality legislation to ensure that women get a fair deal at work.CSR strategies address issues of a diverse workplace.However, despite all this, a new report from Business in the Community (BITC) has found that little progress has been made in overcoming barriers facing women at work since they last conducted research in 2005. This is clearly a CSR issue that needs to be addressed.The report, What Holds Women Back? found that male managers are much less likely than women to recognise that barriers exist.Unsurprisingly, the biggest barrier to women getting senior jobs was said to be the need to balance work and family responsibilities. 82% of female managers and 54% of male managers saw this as the main obstacle. The second also related to family life. 57% of female managers and 20% of male managers believe that women are seen as less committed to work because of their family responsibilities.Research from Cranfield University in the UK, shows that the percentage of women on FTSE100 boards is 12.5% and that this figure has remained the same for three years. (Since 2007). The same research revealed that 21% of FTSE 100 boards have no women at all.Why is it that more than ten years into the 21st century we still have this situation?A glimpse of the answer came in a response from a female manager quoted anonymously as part of the report. She said: "The world of work has been built by men for men and therefore even women may subconsciously have a more positive attitude to males and/or male behaviour."This is an interesting insight as it highlights how alien some working practices can still seem for many women. Long hours working cultures, and aggressive competitiveness or 'playing the game' are unappealing.Part of the answer must then lie in CSR and its ability to change the culture of organizations. Fostering a culture of success does not necessarily mean one in which everyone is expected to stay until 10 o'clock at night.CSR also has a role to play in allowing parents to share parenting responsibilities. This requires a social shift as well as a shift in working patterns. How often have you heard a male colleague ask for permission to dash off early to deal with a sick child? Probably not very often. The caring role still lies firmly with the mother, whatever the age of the child. In this, women too have a responsibility to challenge their partners to share the load.Another option for enlightened companies would be to work with other firms, particularly if they share a building, to provide subsidised on site crche facilities. Imagine how much more productive employees would be if they knew their children were nearby and there was no rush to dash out and collect them?Employers and parents have a responsibility to ensure that it is possible to be effective in both roles.www.opportunitynow.org.uk/barriersPhoto credit: Marcy Kellar]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-s-Role-in-Protecting-the-Planet/43650.htmlFri, 04 Feb 2011 06:28:20 GMTSarah Brown This week saw good news for the UK. Our greenhouse gas emissions have gone through the floor. So is this the result of a mass movement to save the planet? Have businesses so invested in their CSR strategies that the problem is near to being solved?Sadly, the reason for our environmental success story is our economic failures. The fall in emissions matches the dip in industrial output - as construction projects stalled and transport demand dropped.On the positive side, emissions feel by 8.7% from Read Full Article ]]> This week saw good news for the UK. Our greenhouse gas emissions have gone through the floor. So is this the result of a mass movement to save the planet? Have businesses so invested in their CSR strategies that the problem is near to being solved?Sadly, the reason for our environmental success story is our economic failures. The fall in emissions matches the dip in industrial output - as construction projects stalled and transport demand dropped.On the positive side, emissions feel by 8.7% from 2008 to 2009. This means that UK Government targets are now within reach (which, frankly, they looked impossible to meet before).So, job done? Absolutely not and this is where CSR comes into play. There is a risk that businesses could now stop investing in energy efficiency and renewables as the target is 'met'. We are still not out of the woods when it comes to cutting emissions and steeper targets are yet to come. We need to take a long-term view.If companies fail to invest now, it will become much more expensive in the future. For companies which focus on renewables and environmental impact as part of their CSR policies, now is the time to ramp up activity.Currently, we are still in the grip of the recession. If economic activity picks up swiftly, and we fail to make the necessary investment now, greenhouse gas emissions could easily return to their former heights.Environmental campaigners, such as Friends of the Earth, claim that although reporting for 2008-9 told a positive story, data for 2009 is not so good. Quoted in The Guardian newspaper, Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth's Head of Climate said that although the recession had made a dent in emissions 'our economy remains heavily addicted to fossil fuels'. Mr Childs was optimistic about the Energy Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, saying it needed to include measures to, among other things, tackle the way British homes 'leak' heat.British housing stock is among the least energy efficient in Europe. As a result, the CO2 leaking from our homes is almost the same as 20 years ago. This is despite attempts by the previous government, such as Warm Front, which provided grants for people to invest in double glazing and insulation.CSR initiatives by energy companies have helped reduce emissions by 28%, but much of this is due to investment in gas, rather than renewables, as I covered in a previous blog.The coalition government's Green Deal aims to get people to invest in insulation and double glazing as well as renewable energy alternatives. They will not have to pay up front but instead will pay back the money over the long-term, seeing reductions in their energy bills as a result.Despite the recent fall in emissions, we'll need initiatives like the Green Deal to be adopted enthusiastically. Our targets depend on it.Photo credit: Peter Grima]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Can-CSR-make-a-difference-to-the-litter-menace/41995.htmlSun, 02 Jan 2011 15:09:51 GMTSarah Brown A new CSR partnership of government and business has been launched to tackle littering. Will it make any difference?It's important to remain optimistic that 2011 will see a cleaner Britain than 2010. However, cuts by the coalition Government mean less money for local councils, and hence, for street cleaning, so the dice are already loaded against it.The annual survey from Keep Britain Tidy, somewhat boringly named the 'Local Environment Quality Survey for England' reveals that we Brits remain as Read Full Article ]]> A new CSR partnership of government and business has been launched to tackle littering. Will it make any difference?It's important to remain optimistic that 2011 will see a cleaner Britain than 2010. However, cuts by the coalition Government mean less money for local councils, and hence, for street cleaning, so the dice are already loaded against it.The annual survey from Keep Britain Tidy, somewhat boringly named the 'Local Environment Quality Survey for England' reveals that we Brits remain as slovenly as ever when it comes to littering.Last year, we chucked away more sweet wrappers, soft drinks cans, cigarette butts and fast-food boxes than ever before.Now a CSR taskforce to tackle the problem has been convened - the Litter Challenge Group. And come Spring 2011 a new anti-littering brand will be launched - 'Love where you Live'. (The implication being that if you really did love where you lived you wouldn't strew Mars bar wrappers all over it.)So where does the CSR activity come in? Well, corporate members of the Litter Challenge Group have stumped up the cash for this marketing campaign. Who are these paragons of generosity? Well, they include Wrigley, McDonald's and Coca Cola, among others. Yes, that's right, the major sources of the littering problem.It may seem churlish to point this out when these companies are not obliged to get involved but perhaps membership of the Litter Challenge Group is ultimately less costly than Government regulation. Chewing gum is a particular menace. It was found to stain the pavements in 69% of sites visited (of a total 10,645). After all this time can no scientists really come up with a way of causing gum to break down and disappear?And Coca-Cola has previously launched, with much fanfare, 'recycling on the go' for its cans. These were in a small number of places and don't seem to have been extended since launch. Government could oblige all drinks companies to pool resources and pay for recycling points for their cans and bottles. After all, recycled aluminium in particular is worth a lot of money.Launching a joint anti-litter campaign does have value but it needs to be combined with concrete solutions to the problem. Government should consider harsher penalties for those who drop litter, as well as legislation covering companies whose products are the worst offenders.The formula by which money that is currently paid by drinks manufacturers towards local authority recycling is so horrendously complicated that few understand it. And it doesn't seem to result in much cash for local authorities either.CSR could have a really positive impact in tackling litter and a consumer-awareness campaign can play an important part. However, it is not the whole solution and government shouldn't shy away from tougher penalties if our litter problem continues as it is.Photo credit: Smabs Sputzer]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR-and-ethical-food-shopping/41912.htmlFri, 31 Dec 2010 13:07:53 GMTSarah Brown Marks & Spencer and The Co-op are the UK's greenest supermarkets according to a survey by Ethical Consumer magazine.Ethical Consumer compared the environmental and ethical performance of 19 of the UK's leading supermarkets and convenience shops. It found a clear gap between M&S and the Co-op and the other 19 companies.In order to reach its conclusion the magazine carried out research into the companies' policies and performance including analysis of their CSR reports.It found that the three wors Read Full Article ]]> Marks & Spencer and The Co-op are the UK's greenest supermarkets according to a survey by Ethical Consumer magazine.Ethical Consumer compared the environmental and ethical performance of 19 of the UK's leading supermarkets and convenience shops. It found a clear gap between M&S and the Co-op and the other 19 companies.In order to reach its conclusion the magazine carried out research into the companies' policies and performance including analysis of their CSR reports.It found that the three worst performing companies in terms of ethics and environment were Tesco, ASDA and Netto, which came bottom.Ethical Consumer commended the Co-op for its sourcing policy for fish, which is based on the aims and objectives of the Marine Stewardship Council. The Co-op also won points for its goal of 98% renewable electricity at its 5,500 sites across the UK.M&S won plaudits for its policies regarding palm oil and its partnership with WWF on this issue. In addition, M&S gained top marks for the climate change element of its CSR strategy. This includes using non crop-derived bio fuels in its fleet.Both companies have impressive long-term track records in CSR.M&S recently announced a major shift in its transport system to cut its carbon emissions. M&S will now move 300,000 clothing and home products from road to rail distribution saving 800 tonnes of CO2 a year. This forms part of its Plan A to combat climate change, a key element of M&S's CSR strategy.It is the first time that M&S will transport clothing on hangers by rail, following a trial earlier this year. The system to allow the transport of clothing in this way was funded by a six-figure grant from the Plan A Innovation Fund. This fund was set up by M&S to finance business ideas that have an environmental or ethical benefit.Earlier this year, members of the Co-operative Group gave more than 1m of their interim dividend to charities and community groups.The 4.8m members of the group who used their dividend card earned 16.9m. Half of those receiving a payment have chosen to give all or part of their profits to charity - a massive 1.2m.The members were eligible to receive a cash payment based on points earned when shopping at any of the Group's businesses.Rob Harrison from Ethical Consumer and co-author of the buyers' guide said:"If you're lucky enough to live close to a local independent shop that has an ethical stocking policy then this is where we would recommend people to shop. However the reality is that the vast majority of us now shop in supermarkets and we would therefore urge shoppers to choose either the Co-op or M&S.""These two companies have made genuine efforts to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of their operations and have demonstrated that they are setting the environmental agenda for supermarkets."Photo credit: Kamshots]]>http://www.justmeans.com/New-Year-CSR-resolutions/41309.htmlSun, 26 Dec 2010 08:47:50 GMTSarah Brown A UK-based technology company is hoping to persuade the British public to go on low-carbon diet from January 2011.Onzo, which works with utility companies, produces technology to help improve energy efficiency. The company kicked off a partnership with Scottish & Southern Energy earlier this year - providing a Smart Energy Kit to SSE customers.The kit gives householders information about how much power they are using and how much it is costing them - and aims to help cut electricity bills. It wa Read Full Article ]]> A UK-based technology company is hoping to persuade the British public to go on low-carbon diet from January 2011.Onzo, which works with utility companies, produces technology to help improve energy efficiency. The company kicked off a partnership with Scottish & Southern Energy earlier this year - providing a Smart Energy Kit to SSE customers.The kit gives householders information about how much power they are using and how much it is costing them - and aims to help cut electricity bills. It was designed to combine its own technology with online measurement, so householders can track energy consumption over 30 days and compare their usage with other households of a similar size.With energy prices set to skyrocket in the coming years, any technology which can help hard-pressed householders keep bills down will be popular.Energy companies themselves, realising that bad press will ensue from price hikes, have adopted advice to customers on cutting energy costs as part of their CSR strategies.At a summit of the Green Investment Bank recently (November 2010) Jon Kimber, MD of British Gas New Energy said as much in his address to the group. Centrica, British Gas's parent company, has invested a large amount of money, transforming itself from a pure utility provider. It will now provide 'solutions' - and part of this is linked to energy efficiency - the CSR buzzword for utility providers.This is not necessarily a bad thing. The resulting innovation from such CSR-focussed programmes should result in lower costs for consumers and less stress on the planet's resources.As well as targeting utility companies and their customers, Onzo also wants to encourage businesses to go green via the power of competition.The company has developed a version of its software which can be used as a corporate challenge. 'People Power' (a phrase also used for the UK Government's environmental campaign Act on CO2) encourages employees to reduce household electricity use as part of an internal competition between colleagues.Onzo is billing this software as a CSR tool for organisations and says that through staff becoming more aware of energy use at home, office use will also be reduced. The company also recommends identifying 'energy champions' in the workforce.This has certainly worked for Hallmark Cards which has made its employees responsible for helping to cut its environmental impact and is reaping the benefits. It gave responsibility for environmental activities to procurement and sales teams. In addition, the company made site managers at its distribution centres 'Champions of Energy' and gave them the task of running day-to-day energy management practices. This led to a 286 tonne reduction in carbon emissions in 2009. The 'Champions' also organise all staff engagement and annual cross-site waste competitions led to a 500 tonne waste reduction between 2006 and 2010.When it comes to CSR, 'People Power' would appear to be the way forward.Photo credit: Onzo]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Will-CSR-be-the-cause-of-its-own-extinction/41151.htmlThu, 23 Dec 2010 11:36:36 GMTSarah Brown New research into CSR shows that the more successful it becomes, the less likely it is to exist in its current form.The report, A World in Trust: Leaders and Corporate Responsibility, was released this month by Echo Research and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF).It found that 96% of the business leaders it survey believed that sustainability needed to be integrated into strategies and operations. Consequently, CSR departments are in 'steady decline'.This is a far cry from research Read Full Article ]]> New research into CSR shows that the more successful it becomes, the less likely it is to exist in its current form.The report, A World in Trust: Leaders and Corporate Responsibility, was released this month by Echo Research and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF).It found that 96% of the business leaders it survey believed that sustainability needed to be integrated into strategies and operations. Consequently, CSR departments are in 'steady decline'.This is a far cry from research carried out by the Echo in 2000, in which only 11% of CEOs believed CSR was integral to commercial success.The research report quotes The Economist, saying: "In a growing number of companies CSR comes close to being embedded in the business, influencing decisions on everything from sourcing to strategy. These may also be the places where talented people will most want to work. The more this happens, ironically, the more the days of CSR may start to seem numbered."In time it will simply be the way business is done in the 21st century. 'My job is to design myself out of a job,' says onecompany's head of corporate responsibility."In this way, CSR has something in common with campaigning or charitable causes. The ultimate aim of both of these is to put themselves out of business. If this is what happens to corporate responsibility then it will have succeeded. The more that CSR activities are adopted as part of mainstream business practice the more effective they will be.This report shows how business leaders have embraced CSR over the last decade, believing it to inspire trust and spark innovation.Driven by the benefits of CSR, CEOs are now taking much more responsibility in tackling the difficult issues it throws up. One said:"We used to have a perhaps nave approach that said, if you look at our environmental impact, we were not necessarily sure how much we could influence it or change it, because we are not a manufacturer. I think that that has changed significantly; I think that there is a much stronger consciousness of what is the role of our business as it relates to climate change and what kind of impact can we actually have on the issue."In this recession-battered world, CSR provides a source of optimism, with business leaders believing that it will ultimately give rise to a more responsible economy. There is also, seemingly an understanding that improved financial results due to sustainability are a long-term aspiration.A long as CEOs don't take their eye off the ball, and remember the long-term goal, the shape of CSR could end up changing for the better. In 20 years' time we may no longer need to talk of CSR strategies as they will be at the heart of every business.Photo credit: [F]oxymoron]]>http://www.justmeans.com/CSR--Could-the-Green-Deal-be-opened-to-UK-businesses/36316.htmlWed, 03 Nov 2010 09:00:00 GMTSarah Brown The UK Government's Green Deal - which will advance cash to homeowners to make energy efficient alterations - has just been extended to the rental sector. From 2015, landlords will have to make any 'reasonable' alterations to property.However, there are increasing calls for the Deal to be extended to commercial property. This would make it easier for small businesses in particular to implement energy efficiency as part of their CSR strategies.The UK Government hopes that the Green Deal will help Read Full Article ]]> The UK Government's Green Deal - which will advance cash to homeowners to make energy efficient alterations - has just been extended to the rental sector. From 2015, landlords will have to make any 'reasonable' alterations to property.However, there are increasing calls for the Deal to be extended to commercial property. This would make it easier for small businesses in particular to implement energy efficiency as part of their CSR strategies.The UK Government hopes that the Green Deal will help to contribute to Britain's economic recovery. It will lead to 100,000 'green' jobs.Under current proposals, households could get up to 6,500 to for eco-friendly home improvement which they would then repay over time via savings on their energy bills. However, construction experts, such as the Green Building Council, have pointed out the large contribution to CO2 emissions made by commercial premises. For this reason many businesses, not just construction firms, are concerned to include 'green' refurbishment in their CSR policies.Commercial property is responsible for 17% of UK emissions. Small businesses in particular, however much they may want to address this in their CSR activities, simply cannot afford the capital costs. Retrofitting property is an expensive business and in a recession, fewer businesses are prepared to take the risk.Obviously this will increase the expense of the Green Deal, as 6,500 is a drop in the ocean for the cost of business refurbishment.The Green Building Council, which runs its own 'Campaign for Real Data', has already pointed out the lack of readily available data for the whole life cycle of the built environment. The Council argues that buildings in use always use more energy than models at the design stage and that adding that data to the design model is important to gain an accurate picture of how much energy buildings are actually using.It is keen for a fast rollout of the new Energy Performance Certificates - which are one way that businesses serious about CSR can demonstrate their commitment.However, campaigners for 'green' commercial building have their work cut out. Where the UK Government gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has just withdrawn funding from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), campaigners on this very issue. CABE's 'Grey to Green' campaign argued strongly for investment in networks of green spaces to help cut carbon emissions.Small businesses wishing to refurbish their buildings as part of their CSR commitment to cutting carbon should probably not get too excited yet. So far, the Green Deal is outside their grasp and likely to remain so for some time to come.Photo credit: Steve Cadman]]>