Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability

Reviews of Corporate Social Responsibility Reports

Hi all, I invite you to take a look at the new feature on Corporate Social Reponsibility reports from Corporate Register .com.

http://www.corporateregister.com/reviews/

These are expert reviews which assess the content, communication and credibility of reports across a range of sectors. Many references are made to the use of the GRI framework and adherence to reporting levels.

The first batch of reviews have been written by me (!), and i would welcome your comments and feedback, and suggestions for future reviews. Included are Danske Bank, Westpac Banking Corp, LexisNexis, Kellog Corporation, Deutsche Telekom, Novo Nordisk and others.

And if there is a report that you would particularly like to see reviewed... dont hesitate to ask!

elaine
www.b-yond.biz

Tags: GRI, bank, banking, corp, corporate social responsibility, csr, danske, deutsche, green marketing, greenwash, More…

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Permalink Reply by Brad Ewing on March 19, 2009 at 12:51pm

I would be interested in learning about Petrobras, they are profiled in the most recent HBR review as being a great turnaround story. How accurate is the assessment and have their reports, or what they report, changed in that transformation?

http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/03/the-greening-of-petrobras/ar/1

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Permalink Reply by elaine cohen on March 19, 2009 at 4:48pm

Thanks for the feedback, Marcus. Glad to know there is at least one person out there who finds the reviews useful. I love reporting and it is great fun for me to review the different ways businesses approach this important process.

Brad, thanks for your question. I have been aware that Petrobras have done some very serious work and made great efforts in advancing sustainability issues and reporting. I havent tracked them very closely so i cant really comment in a qualified way. I will take a look at their most recent report and see what shows up there. However, it does seem that Petrobras embarked on an entirely new strategic approach which includes sustainability drivers and i am sure this has made a positive contribution. Pollution and safety are core business issues as well as CSR issues, which is the ultimate win-win in a TBL strategy. I have no doubt that sound business strategy coupled with concern for all stakeholder interests have been factors in their improved results.
warm regards, elaine, www.b-yond.biz

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Permalink Reply by Carrie on April 6, 2009 at 10:44pm

Reports are such a difficult thing to compare, from industry to industry and so on. I'm wondering if you put any additional weight on the larger companies - assuming they have a greater impact or potential for greater reach - and how well-articulated and well-defined their progress is?

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Permalink Reply by elaine cohen on April 7, 2009 at 5:39pm

hello carrie, this is a good point. I do not attempt to compare between companies, this is why we decided not to do a rating system. I review reports primarily against the level of transparency they reflect, and how well and comprehensively they have articulated their csr progress. I try to look at how their reporting has progressed since their last report(s). Often first reports are limited, whilst i do expect a seasoned reporter to be more transparent and more complete - material issues for instance. There are some large corporations who have very defined csr programs and report well, whilst there are some who leave out large chunks of what i would consider relevant to their business or their sector. So i dont really give more weight to larger companies or make allowances for the smaller companies. I try to relate to each report on its own merits.
thanks
elaine
www.b-oynd.biz