Accounting for Nature: Opening Bells are Ringing

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Cornis van der Lugt

Cornis pic hiresLast week the TEEB for Business coalition published “Natural Capital at Risk – The Top 100 Externalities of Business”, a report that among others identified coal-powered energy and cattle ranching as the most environmentally costly businesses. Its findings have clear implications for sustainable sourcing and integrated business planning, food for thought as many start to explore the content of the Consultation Draft of the Integrated Reporting (IR) Framework released by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) last week. Continue reading →

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Thatcher’s inadvertent corporate responsibility legacy

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Paul Hohnen

paul hohnen_DSC9163hr[Originally published on Ethical Corporation.]

The explosion in the private sector’s importance since the 1980s is why companies now need to take the lead on sustainability.

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Why sector-based initiatives will take sustainability into the future

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Paul Hohnen

paul hohnen_DSC9163hr[Originally published in The Guardian Sustainable Business Blog.]

CSR and sustainability departments of emerging market and mature market multinational companies face very similar and familiar challenges. Internally, these include difficulties convincing CEOs and CFOs of the business relevance of CSR. Externally, there is mounting frustration with the ever changing landscape of CSR tools and the usefulness of such tools in responding to real business needs, especially in the current hyper-competitive market context. Continue reading →

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My biggest mistake: What we all can learn from the Ford Pinto Case

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Sara Bice

Sara Bice“Your daddy drives a pinto” was a classic schoolyard put-down in my semi-rural, American hometown. Never then, would I have imagined that years later I would be enjoying a collegial and informative dinner with Dennis Gioia, Mr Pinto himself.

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Can super investors really bank on ethical investment?

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Sara Bice

Sara Bice[Article originally published on The Conversation.]

One quarter of Australians would be willing to switch superannuation funds to avoid investing in coal or coal seam gas, according to a recent survey. Not only does this research raise important questions about the coal/coal seam gas industry’s social licence to operate, it poses new questions about the level of demand for ethical superannuation.

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The retreat of CSG: the power of social licence in action?

Posted on March 19, 2013 by admin

Richard Parsons[Post originally published on the CSRConnect.ed LinkedIn Group]

Last week, Metgasco announced that it was suspending its coal seam gas (CSG) exploration activities in northern New South Wales. While this news disappointed some who were anticipating economic benefits, it has delighted the many activists who have been campaigning against CSG in the region. Indeed, they may see it as vindication of their sustained efforts. So, is this outcome an example of the power of social licence in action? Continue reading →

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Transforming business from the inside

Posted on March 12, 2013 by admin

NikkiWrightVery few significant New Zealand businesses need to be convinced that adopting a strategy that ensures they have a positive operating impact for consumers, employees and other stakeholders, as well as the environment, is good business.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept embraced in theory, even if its implementation can mean many and varied things from small acts of corporate philanthropy to an all encompassing CSR strategy. Continue reading →

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Aled Hoggett: Social licence needed for mining in towns

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Leeora Black

[Originally published in The Newcastle Herald.]

Aled HoggettThe dialogue around mining and coal seam gas is distressing.

I live in a community looking down the barrel of a massive expansion of mining.

Holes will be bored and dug on the doorstep of our town, and in our farmers’ backyards.

Yet we are told by the state and by mining companies  the resources that could destroy our town are the property of NSW.

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Responsible leadership: The biggest challenge is buy-in

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Miguel Oyarbide

Since 2007, the biggest challenge for CSR practitioners has remained getting support from their senior managers.

Yet, for many years now, CSR has become part of everyday corporate lingo. (Who else is sick of hearing that it is in the DNA?) As Professor David Allen questioned last week at the ACCSR Annual Conference, if we are all doing CSR, why are we doing so badly?

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The ACCSR Conference on Responsible leadership – the summary

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Leeora Black

accsr-2443 Leeora BlackThe ACCSR Conference on Responsible leadership – summarised on twitter.

This year our 6th Annual Conference ‘The State of CSR’ explored the issue of leadership in an age of  responsibility. Our speakers inspired and challenged us with endless ideas and hints we all are still thinking about.

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