On Corporate Social Responsibility

Have been looking into my bookmark folders and rediscovering links…

The New York Times covers the rise of "philanthropreneurs" - the new breed of successful businessmen who turn to profit-driven philanthropy:

""More and more people are asking who else is going to finance doing good if government isn’t," said Alan Abramson, director of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy program at the Aspen Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington. “These guys have firsthand knowledge of the market’s power, and they’re asking themselves why they can’t make money and tackle some of the problems once addressed primarily by government at the same time.”

It sounds simple, but the idea of such hybrid philanthropy is upsetting long-held conventions. These new philanthropists view the current foundation model, built on the fortunes of earlier industrial titans like Carnegie and Rockefeller, as hidebound and often ineffective. They have an urge to change the world, and argue that in some cases only the speed of capitalism is fast enough."

 Not all are impressed by Philanthrophy 2.0:

 "“I come at this from at least a wonderment of what are the advantages the melded or hybrid model brings,” said Mark Rosenman, a professor at the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati and an expert on nonprofit matters. “Though I have no problem with philanthropy and socially responsible business being joined, I do have one with a for-profit enterprise being called philanthropy.”

“I see no clear reasons to begin to develop corporate structures that need to consider themselves more closely aligned with philanthropic purposes,” Mr. Rosenman added."

Ethical consumption, this time of food.

How fair is your cup of Fairtrade coffee brew? The Economist doesn’t quite think highly of it:

"…the most cogent objection to Fairtrade is that it is an inefficient way to get money to poor producers. Retailers add their own enormous mark-ups to Fairtrade products and mislead consumers into thinking that all of the premium they are paying is passed on."

 The same article lays out some criticism of the growing organic movement:

"…the idea that organic farming is better for the environment is “ridiculous” because organic farming produces lower yields and therefore requires more land under cultivation to produce the same amount of food."

This increasing mainstreaming of the organic food industry may not be all that good, as Businessweek revealed in its Oct 16 issue:

 "As food companies scramble to find enough organically grown ingredients, they are inevitably forsaking the pastoral ethos that has defined the organic lifestyle. For some companies, it means keeping thousands of organic cows on industrial-scale feedlots. For others, the scarcity of organic ingredients mans looking as far afield as China, Sierra Leone, and Brazil — places where standards may be hard to enforce, workers’ wages and living conditions are a worry, and, say critics, increased farmland sometimes comes at a cost to the environment."

It’s the holidays! Now’s the time to spend that Christmas bonus and make travel plans, yes?

If you’re jetting off for the holidays, do spare some time to read up on the airline company’s environmental policies. It may be hard to avoid chalking up carbon emissions from air travel altogether, but some companies are at least concerned enough to minimise such negative externalities. Singapore Airlines, for example, has made tremendous efforts towards reducing its carbon footprint. It releases comprehensive reports on its environmental, governance and community support programmes, all of which are worth reading about.

Similarly, select hotels with responsible practices. Does your hotel have a corporate responsibility pledge? How green is the building and its choice of location? What are the water, electricity, waste and ecological management practices like? How well are the employees treated? What is the relationship between the hotel and the community it operates in? Here at the CSR Student Movement, we all love the Banyan Tree, not just for the splendid resort experience it provides, but also for the strong focus on corporate social responsibility. The commitment to local environment and community development is evident from the design, construction, operations and management of each resort location. It clearly respects the importance of reporting and dialogue too, as all information on its CSR policies and practices are a mere one click away from its main website.

Let this not put you off travel, of course. There’s nothing quite like travelling that brings different cultures together, allowing people to appreciates the diversity and richness of the world. Tourism is also a main source of income for many developing countries. It has the ability to create jobs, generate wealth, and increase quality of life for the many involved in tourism-driven economies.

But let’s all do it in a responsible manner :) 

Apologies for the absence - the examinations have been sucking away all available time and spirit.

We’re on our way back to providing more news, articles and commentaries. Stay tuned.