Developing an environmental focussed CSR Programme

“As competition increases, how we present our businesses in the current environmental landscape is quite a challenge”, says Sally Taylor, Founder of www.environmental-population.com, a web based resource which offers environmental information and support through membership, “how we make use of CSR within a business growth strategy can provide positive awareness for our business.”

The EU’s Green Paper identifies that companies are reacting to social, economic and environmental pressures, signalling to their stakeholders the expectation that voluntary commitment helps increase profitability. In March 2000, the European Council made a special appeal to companies to engage CSR going beyond legal and regulatory requirements, raising standards in social development, environmental protection and sustainability. This approach leads to new partnerships, enhanced skills, provides opportunities, eases change and supports environmental protection.

Being viewed as an environmentally proactive can have far reaching benefits; get it right and our eco-credentials will generate long term market-share. We only need to consider the positive attitudes to companies which have already engaged with a CSR programme. For example ExxonMobile [1] have more than 14,000 scientists researching alternative energy sources, Starbucks [2] support a number of environmental organisations focusing on issues such as health and education. Orange [3] Communications were able to refurbish and reuse 93% of the 586,478 mobiles received in 2006, with the remainder being recycled.

CSR strategies have the potential to offset any negative views and show businesses in a positive light. Socially responsible practices exist in all types of enterprises. Suggestions you could adopt include:

• Open your doors to site visits, employee open days, hosting educational programmes for schools and colleges or supporting fledgling businesses.

• Develop a trust, research project or bursary focussing on an area of your business which would benefit from public exposure.
  

• Sponsor community or small business activity which helps others, from volunteering to decorate someone’s home, to providing funding to an environmental initiative.
  

The governments CSR [4] paper requires UK businesses take account of their economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing key sustainable development challenges wherever they operate – locally, regionally and internationally.

“The business case for CSR is clear. Stakeholders and customers are increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impacts of the products they buy. It follows that businesses can maximise their long term returns by minimising their negative impacts. Through responsible action business can become more competitive, not less. It is our role in government to show leadership, through both our own behaviour and by providing the frameworks which enable responsible business activity.” Elliott Morley, Minister for the Environment.

In the marketplace, we will have priced our business to reflect the quality and service we provide, we will have considered how we get to market and developed a promotional strategy to raise awareness; CSR envelopes all of this. Be a business which cares about the environment by developing your own CSR program.