CSR management

European companies lead way in assurance

Recent research conducted by CorporateRegister.com has revealed that only 7.5% of CSR reports in North America are independently assured, whilst in Europe, 30% of CSR reports have external assurance statements. The study concludes that there is a higher demand for assurance in Europe than in North America due to a higher importance of CSR reporting on the continent.

Contact
CorporateRegister.com
020 7014 33 66
www.corporateregister.com

CSR claims are “greenwash” says consultancy

“Sustainable Performance – a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes?” is the title of a report released by Arthur D. Little, a global management consultancy. The report claims that companies are failing to live up to their own publicly stated standards on corporate social responsibility, with behaviour only ‘superficially’ influenced by stakeholders and consumers. Annette Berkhahn, a senior manager at Arthur D. Little said: “Companies do not have an adequate incentive to be good corporate citizens per se – their prime objective remains to satisfy the economic interests of shareholders.’ However “investors were waking up to the fact that there was a link between CSR performance and long-term success” Berkhahn added.

Contact
Arthur D. Little
+46 8503 06525
www.adlittle.com

IBM report names six megatrends reshaping societies worldwide

IBM released research revealing that governments and the communities they serve around the world are being reshaped by six simultaneous and inescapable forces. The authors state that those forces present both opportunities and threats that will require individualized strategies to effectively manage. The study titled "Government 2020 and the Perpetual Collaboration Mandate," calls attention to the growing global impact of rapid changes in demographics, globalization, environmental concerns, societal relationships, social stability and the expanding impact of technology. The influence of these six trends will vary in each country, though the report finds that a government' response to the positive and negative effects of each will greatly influence the prosperity of its citizens. The findings also suggest that virtual organizations, in which geographically dispersed constituents can collaborate seamlessly, will play a key role.

Contact
IBM
020 7021 9760
www.ibm.com

BT announces high CO2 reduction target

BT announced that it will cut its carbon emissions intensity by 80% across the world by 2020. The company also published a new model for measuring and tracking carbon emissions – the Climate Stabilisation Intensity backed by the Carbon Disclosure Project. The model has been created by BT’s Director of Sustainable Development, Dr Chris Tuppen. BT wants to meet its new reduction target through a continued combination of energy efficiency, on-site renewable generation and purchased low-carbon electricity.

Contact
BT
020 7356 5000
www.btplc.com

3i launches dedicated Corporate Responsibility website

3i, a leading private equity company, has launched a dedicated corporate responsibility website. The aim of the website is to provide an interesting and innovative approach to the company’s corporate social responsibility transparency and reporting. The website explains the way 3i makes socially responsible investments and presents the company’s CR reports and policies.

Contact
3i
020 7928 3131
www.3icr.com

Facial equality campaign recruits Barclays

Barclays has become the first company to join the “Face Equality at Work” campaign. The campaign was launched by Changing Faces, a charity which deals with facial discrimination issues. The charity wants companies to sign a Commitment to Face Equality and embed policies on treating people with facial disfigurements in their recruitment and retention procedures and their customer service strategies. Barclays will alter existing programmes for recruiting disabled people to ensure they actively target people with facial disfigurements. John Varley, chief executive of the Barclays Group, said he wanted to "create an inclusive work environment where all candidates, including those with facial disfigurements, view Barclays as a good employer".

Contact
Changing Faces
084 5450 0275
www.changingfaces.org.uk

Lafarge rated for website accessibility

Lafarge, the cement company, has become the first CAC 40 company to earn a silver rating for making its company website accessible for disabled people. The rating has been issued as part of the French Accessiweb label and is complemented by an A grade from the European label Euracert. The company’s website is compatible with special equipment used by disabled people and has high colour contrast. It also features audio descriptions and subtitles in videos.

Contact
Lafarge
+33 1443 41947
www.lafarge.com