On Corporate Social Responsibility

This comes a little late, but at least it’s here now. Our Annual Report can be found here. It is downloadable as a PDF file.

I think we made some headway last year in introducing CSR into NUS. Not much headway, but still some. At least now there is wider awareness of the acronym "CSR". The way I see it, there are a number of problems why it is so difficult to ppopularize this and other ideas.

1. Students are extremely busy with studies, work and what little personal lives they have left.

2. After so much studying and working, they want to relax, not read about more ideas.

3. There is not enough free time in the NUS calendar to allow students to explore things other than what’s in their modules.

4. There are too many activity groups in NUS vying for the tiny community’s attention.

5. Many students are materialistic, so unless they stand to gain from an idea, they’ll not want to waste time on it.

How do we go about solving these problems? I’m thinking of getting internships for the Movement’s members, asking companies, certain government agencies and NGO’s to let us try implementing CSR and business strategies for them (helps them and gives us practice), and also getting us into a position to organise sharing and networking sessions for companies. These will allow our members to have practical experience and expand the individual’s network, which I think are what students nowadays want.

Another idea is to make things more fun, but I can’t think how CSR can be made fun. 

I am also in the process of getting as many groups in NUS as possible to come together to make an on-line calendar of events wherein we project all our events for the year and so be able to see where there is too much competition or chances for collaboration. That would lessen rivalry, hopefully.

Maybe one day, we can get credits in our modules for doing such CSR activities. That would be great. But that’s kind of a far-off wish at the moment.

Well, if there are any ideas floating around out there, do tell us about them. We are always seeking to overcome our challenges and improve. 

From Channelnewsasia:

41 Singapore companies have pledged their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

They inked the United Nation Global Compact (UNGC) letter, promising to support values like human rights and fair labour standards in the workplace.

The event is part of the Business for the Environment Global Summit, which ended on Friday.

According to the UN, companies have to pay attention to ethical values in the environmental and social spheres as investors place more premium on those that embrace fair practices.

George Kell, Executive Director, UN Global Compact, said: "For companies operating increasingly on a global and regional level, the importance of an ethical compass is obvious.

"Failure to do so would mean not being able to manage risk and running the potential threat of doing things wrong and causing a huge damage to the brand."

So UN Global Compact started an initiative to encourage businesses to support socially responsible values.

The UN Global Compact Letter hopes to give the companies a more "human face" and empower them to make a difference in their workplace.

Mr Kell said: "The UNGC promotes 10 universal principles covering areas of human rights, workplace, environment and anti-corruption. It’s voluntary and it calls upon business leaders to embrace the principles to make a commitment and to translate this commitment into practical actions, strategies and operations."

Some 3,000 businesses in 80 countries have pledged support to this cause.

In Singapore, 41 companies have also joined the initiative.

They include names like NTUC FairPrice, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Citibank Singapore and MediaCorp.

Alice Tan, Chief Marketing Officer, MediaCorp, said: "CSR reminds us that there’s another world out there. All the things we’re doing as CSR are purely voluntary."

Companies which have committed their support will have to share, on an annual basis, how their corporate social responsibility actions are implemented.

I just had to post this. From the Business Times today:

SIA chief blasts emissions taxes, carbon offset schemes for airlines

Emissions taxes, carbon offset programmes and emissions trading schemes imposed on the aviation industry are misguided, unrealistic, offensive and morally objectionable, Singapore Airline’s chief executive said in a hard-hitting speech delivered at a Hong Kong aviation conference yesterday.

Citing various expert studies, Chew Choon Seng noted that while there was no denying that the fast-growing global aviation had an impact on the environment, its responsibility for global warning was disproportionately small, at just 1.6 per cent of global emissions.

‘The aviation industry accounts for 8 per cent of the world economy, and has a multiplier effect on business, travel, trade and tourism,’ Mr Chew said at the Greener Skies 2007 conference yesterday.

Mr Chew was critical about the effectiveness of the carbon offset schemes, where industries invest in environmentally friendly initiatives to offset the emissions they produce.

‘Sounds neat in theory, but in practice, offsetting is neither transparent nor effective. Because it uses the voluntary market for trading, which is largely unregulated, and there’s no guarantee that the intended projects are undertaken successfully.’

But he saved his harshest criticism for the proponents of emissions trading schemes.

‘They are simply revenue-raising ploys dressed up to be in aid of the environment, but with collections disappearing into government treasury coffers, and no visibility on how much is actually spent on improving the environment. Carbon taxes, specific to airline passengers, are unfair and discriminatory to airlines, and unless we are more vocal in our opposition to them, politicians will see us as easy pickings to fund all sorts of government spending - like the French President’s bizarre proposal last year for a tax on passengers to fund foreign aid programmes.’

He said the winners from trading were brokers.

‘And I find it morally objectionable and offensive when trading houses openly advertise that they are targeting emissions trading as their next big profit generator.’

And if a global trading scheme was to be devised, one with universal acceptance should be devised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, he said.

Mr Chew added that with fuel accounting for between 25 and 40 per cent of operating expenditure, airlines already had enough incentive to lessen fuel consumption, and to improve operational efficiency, without the need for externally dictated punitive and discriminatory measures.

In fact, the best approach would be via partnerships with aviation industry partners, he added. A large part of the International Air Transport Association’s US$1.8 billion fuel-saving campaign in 2006 resulted from shorter, more direct, tracks for 350 air routes.

‘That was possible only with the understanding and cooperation of government agencies and air navigation service providers,’ Mr Chew noted. ‘More can be done, and not just with air routes, but also to improve inefficient air traffic management systems, such as fragmented territorial air traffic control, notoriously over Europe, and overly conservative flight separation standards, noticeably over China skies, where flight separations are more than double what it is in America and Europe.’

He added that at least some 10 per cent of all flying time - corresponding to the emission of 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year - was created by needless waiting for clearance to ascend or to descend or to cross traffic control zones.

Aircraft technology was also reducing fuel burn.

‘Each new generation of aircraft has improved fuel efficiency significantly, through improved engine designs, better aerodynamics and lighter airframes. The evolutionary progress and incremental improvements will continue to serve us well.’

But he ruled out substitutes for jet kerosene in the foreseeable future, as cleaner and consistent alternatives, like biofuel and liquid hydrogen, would take time to research and develop.

Any thoughts? I’ve got to run off now. Be back soon!

The Association of Banks in Singapore announced last month that 9 of its member banks had come together to fight the spread of child pornography on the internet.

What do banks have to do with kiddy porn? When all that separates a wacko from his stash is a credit card purchase… why, everything.

Banks and credit card companies in Singapore already implement certain procedures to identify and shut off the flow of funds to commercial sources of pornography. In addition, the new initiative by ABS will establish a public hotline (62342210) for anyone to report child pornography websites. I assume this will facilitate the maintenance of a blacklist against which payments can be checked against. Useful for those who accidentally stumble upon what they should not be seeing.. I wonder if such bounty hunting will be a valid defence against offences under the Undesirable Publications Act.

The 9 participating banks in Singapore are:

•  Standard Chartered
• ABN Amro
• Bank of China
• Citibank
• DBS Bank
• HSBC
• Maybank
• OCBC
• UOB

Such efforts only apply to commercial sources of pornography, though. That leaves out P2P distribution methods and the amateur productions posted on online forums — both of which appear to be increasing as growing regulation pushes purveyors to more informal networks. Yet, stamping down on commercial child pornography will at least remove the monetary incentive to produce and distribute such content, and, with the eradication of a ready market, hopefully reduce the value of a child to a buyer or intermediary.

As for non credit-card purchases? PayPal has already put a stop to the use of its services on adult content websites (yes, child porn is adult content).

Also see:

+  Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography

+ ECPAT

+ Tourist Industry Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Most packaging for our goods such as food, drinks and toiletries end up as trash. Packaging makes up about one-third of household waste. Packaging waste can be recycled. There is also scope to minimise packaging waste by redesign or changing to another material.

Some countries have implemented laws to make producers bear responsibility for the environmental impact of their packaging (e.g. they have to bear the costs for recovery and recycling of the packaging waste).

In Singapore, instead of moving straight away to introducing legislation to curb packaging waste, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has decided to work together with industry to develop a voluntary programme in which industry would have more flexibility to adopt cost-effective solutions for reducing packaging waste. The programme also facilitates and fosters closer collaboration among industry members, the community and the government.

To help businesses better understand this new programme and how you can play a part to reduce packaging waste, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be organising a briefing session on "Voluntary Packaging Agreement 2007".

+ Source

+ Also see the Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries (NEA) 

+ Also see the Principle of Extended Producer Responsibility

31 Oct - 2 Nov: Eco-Products International Fair

Event dedicated to environmentally-friendly products and services. Flex that consumer muscle of yours and learn how to spend with a conscience. Free.

31 Oct - 2 Nov:  "Growing the Eco-nomy" – Learning from the Best Eco-practices

Featuring international speakers, the programme includes topics on corporate environmental planning and management, green procurement, eco-design and product development, consumer labelling schemes, alternative fuels, water and climate change management. Registration required.

2 Nov: Singapore Compact for CSR - Inaugural Distinguished Lecture

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairperson of the UN Global Compact Foundation delivers his personal sharing and insight on "Why am I a Social Responsibility Champion". This inspiring lecture is presented by the Singapore Compact for CSR, the national society driving the CSR movement. Registration required.

3 Nov: People, Planet and Profits

Join the CSR Student Movement for an informal dialogue on the ideas and workings behind corporate social responsibility! This intimate session encourages sharing, active discussion and peer learning. If you know nothing about CSR, this will be a splendid introduction for you. 5pm, Committee Room 2 (Yusof Ishak House). Free.

6 Nov: People, Planet and Profits

 Join the CSR Student Movement for an informal dialogue on the ideas and workings behind corporate social responsibility! This intimate session encourages sharing, active discussion and peer learning. If you know nothing about CSR, this will be a splendid introduction for you. 5pm, CR 3-4, Bukit Timah Campus. Free.