First-ever CSR week from 7-12 November 2012 in Colombo

For the first time, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Week will be held in Sri Lanka from 7-12 November 2012. The event is jointly organised by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), CSR Asia Center at AIT and the Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Program.

The program of the CSR week will include a number of fora and training opportunities, such as a  day-long session on responsible production, sourcing and employment creation in coastal areas, a training workshop on how companies can conduct a Corporate Ecosystem Services Review giving guidance  for identifying Business Risks and Opportunities Arising from Ecosystem change conducted by IUCN, a training workshop on Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Reporting conducted by CSR Asia and a field excursion to Muthurajawela, Negombo Lagoon Coastal Wetland conducted by MFF and IUCN.

The week will culminate in the Best Corporate Citizen Award 2012 ceremony and banquet which will be held at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo on 12 November 2012. The awards ceremony will recognise the best companies in Sri Lanka for the contribution they make to the community through their diverse CSR activities.

The ‘CSR Week’ will provide the Sri Lankan business community with learning and sharing opportunities on strategic approaches to CSR that effectively create value for businesses as well as the communities that depend on them. The CSR week is of great relevance to the current times.

At present, sustaining high economic growth rates and improving the lives of people whilst not compromising on environmental conservation and restoration is one of the biggest challenges facing the country as a whole.

Some large multinational and national companies operating in the country have included environmental dimensions into their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda. Yet, an even larger section of the companies at field level implement measures enforced on them by Government rules and regulations. Nevertheless, some worthy exceptions have displayed sustained commitment and certainly auger well for social and environmental change, in addition to being an inspiration to others.

It is only when market forces make CSR a crucial component of shareholder value that new competitive forces will emerge in favour of responsible corporate action. It will result in CSR assuming a new dimension – one that is determined by market forces, and not inspired by corporate consciousness alone.

Participation at each program is limited and will be on ‘first-come-first-served basis.  Members of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce interested in participating are invited to do so on or before Thursday November 1, 2012. To register, please contact Sriyani on +94115588870 or [email protected].

Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is an innovative partnership-based initiative promoting investments in coastal ecosystems that support sustainable development. MFF has a presence in eight Indian Ocean countries (Thailand, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Seychelles) and builds on a history of coastal management efforts before and after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, especially the call to sustain the momentum and partnerships generated by the immediate post-tsunami response.

MFF provides a collaborative platform for the many countries, sectors and agencies tackling the challenges to coastal ecosystem conservation and livelihood sustainability and is helping them to work towards a common goal.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has been in a process of transformation over the past several years. Global and national changes have made it imperative that it positions itself strategically and begins to play a new role in a rapidly changing society. Through its efforts to sustain development opportunities, the CCC assists private sector organisations to implement environmentally-friendly business processes and systems. This has assisted the private sector to reduce their environmental foot print and to become more efficient and prudent in its use of resources.

In 2007/08, CCC for the first time produced an annual sustainability report titled ‘Corporate Responsibility Report’. Over the past few years the CCC has set up a steering committee to facilitate C(E)SR and focus on contributing towards the country achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Within this context the CCC is well positioned to host focused sustainability initiatives contributing towards greater efforts in triple bottom line accounting, strengthening the market position of Sri Lankan businesses. One of CCC’s benchmark events is the annual Best Corporate Citizen Award which is scheduled to be held on 12 November 2012.

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-governmental organisations, United Nations Agencies, Companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, law and best practice.  IUCN Sri Lanka was established in 1986 and is guided by the Union’s mission and national environmental priorities.

IUCN’s Asia Business and Biodiversity program mobilises the private sector and the environmental community to collaborate in mainstreaming conservation in business. The program is premised on the need and urgency to catalyse private sector and IUCN networks to reduce the business footprint on biodiversity and to enhance the private sector’s contribution to biodiversity conservation.

The CSR Asia Center at AIT is a joint venture partnership between the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), an international institution that promotes technological change and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region through higher education, research and outreach, and CSR Asia. CSR Asia (www.csr-asia.com) is the leading provider of information, training, research and consultancy services on sustainable business practices in Asia.

CSR Asia provides independent and cutting edge services and expert insight into the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues facing companies in Asia. Through its presence and partnerships across the region CSR Asia build capacity and promotes awareness of CSR in order to advance sustainable development through innovative and effective business solutions to global challenges. In partnership with AIT, CSR Asia offers an executive style Professional Masters Program (http://www.csrcenter.ait.asia/node/10) that is delivered in a modular format and attracts professionals from across Asia.