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Filed under: — Karen Ko @ 09:18 am |
Click here to read the Week 5 issue of CSR Asia Weekly.
This issue includes the articles on:
- Japanese SMEs and CSR: Part V (read more)
- Reducing workload to increase productivity (read more)
- Malaysian corporate involvement in education (read more)
- CSR weighs heavily on image-driven Apple (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday |
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Filed under: — Karen Ko @ 10:07 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Global risks and opportunities 2012 (read more)
- Behavioural Economics and CSR: ‘Greening’ the Consumer (read more)
- The role of business in scaling up sustainable consumption (read more)
- How price volatility and supply risk threaten Chinese supply chains (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday |
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Filed under: — Karen Ko @ 16:55 pm |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Mengniu, the social media, and CSR awards (read more)
- Where is social entrepreneurship heading in 2012? (read more)
- Myanmar: Challenges for Sustainable Change (read more)
- Pressure grows for business responsibility in Singapore (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:45 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- A New Year reality check: Is your CSR strategy on track? (read more)
- Flooding hero: social media innovation (read more)
- Do Chinese consumers care about CSR (read more)
- The world is an absurd place (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 09:49 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Is CSR a fad? (read more)
- Assurance needs a sporting chance (read more)
- Making green claims without ‘greenwashing’ (read more)
- Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:07 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- HKEx consults on ESG Reporting Guide (read more)
- Climate change is now in the hands of Asia (read more)
- Successful sustainability initiatives need right people (read more)
- How to put CSR into practice – ISO 26000 forum in Hong Kong (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:14 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Inclusive Business (read more)
- Japanese SMEs and CSR: Part IV (read more)
- COP17: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done’ (read more)
- Reviewing board composition: More women next year? (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:32 am |
Click here to read the Week 48 issue of CSR Asia Weekly.
This issue includes the articles on:
- Will sustainable palm oil transform the market? (read more)
- Behavioural Economics and CSR: Human Resource Management (read more)
- An interpretation on the operation cost of Chinese foundations (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 09:30 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Climategate 2.0 (read more)
- Are there any reliable foundations left in China? (read more)
- Will corporate Malaysia really make a stand on corruption? (read more)
- Keys to successful sustainability reporting according to ISO 26000 (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:09 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Comparing CSR? Two new databases (read more)
- Take the “Garden” out of the Garden City (read more)
- Unmarried women in Asia: A business issue? (read more)
- The business case for improving environmental performance (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:28 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- What does CSR look like in a disaster? (read more)
- Questions over BoP: Time for some research? (read more)
- The status of collective bargaining in China (read more)
- The China price: sustainability as an answer to rising costs (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:13 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Do you speak CSR? (read more)
- Luxury and Sustainability (read more)
- Community Investment – A story to make you smile (read more)
- Floods in Thailand and business continuity – in Thailand and around the globe (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 09:50 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Food for thought (read more)
- Climate change? Not my problem! (read more)
- Food traceability – an inefficient luxury? (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 09:40 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Just because you can wash the money doesn’t make it clean (read more)
- Taking the next step in sustainability reporting in Malaysia (read more)
- Using the GHG Protocol as a first step towards integrated reporting (read more)
- CSR as a national competitiveness: What can Asia learn from Sweden? (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: CSR Asia Weekly — Karen Ko @ 10:40 am |
This issue includes the articles on:
- Asia as the engine of global sustainable growth – CSR Asia Summit 2011 most diverse ever (read more)
- 2011 Asian Sustainability Rating™ (read more)
- Challenges and Opportunities for Corporate Foundations (read more)
- Effective business tools in addressing biodiversity decline (read more)
If you'd like to be included in our e-mailout list, click here to subscribe. We upload and email CSR Asia Weekly out every Wednesday. |
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Filed under: About CSR Asia — CSR Asia @ 15:01 pm |
By Oscar Feliu, UBS Student Scholar. Speaker Thomas Tang of AECOM said, “Green buildings have to be designed for modern challenges like climate change, indoor comfort and, importantly, human factors…There are some standards that have been launched and adopted in the last 10 years. The most relevant ones being: BREEAM (UK); LEED (US and the most shared internationally); HK-BEAM (Hong Kong); CASBEE (Japan); CABERS (Australia); GREEN MARK (Singapore); and, CHINA GREEN BUILDING LABEL (since 2006).” Tang went on to highlight the commonalities between these standards, which are the de facto features of a green building: Optimization of solar orientation; Green Roofs; Rainwater harvesting; Greywater recycling; Sun shading fins; Green facades; Solar energy; and, heating water systems.
Thomas Tang asserted that the way forward is to look for more support from the Government and Public Authorities (promote, regulate and be the example with all the public building premises available or to be built); enhance the user friendliness (i.e. ageing population); improve market appeal (not just via image, more via proven data); clear process and costs (go beyond the design orientation in order to achieve the certifications, and check the correct implementation and performance of the green buildings construction and maintenance).
Mr. Tang’s point of view, it is key, in order to improve green building standards, that Governments and Industry have to support these schemes either by examples or by making them mandatory.
The other speaker on this topic was Matthias Gelber of Maleki GmbH. His motto is to mobilize people in order to embrace and going green in any aspect of life and in any place in the world. In his opinion green certifications are driving and shaping the construction industry nowadays. However, the cost to implement the green features (around 20% increase in budget) are blocking the real implementation.
He said, “We live in “concrete” cities that are not eco-friendly designed that affecting and harming the climate change (the real case of the unpredictable weather and seasons in many parts of the World).”
Mr Gelber continued to describe the need for more communication, motivation, inspiration, examples and data to be shown and broadcasted in order to prove and show the benefits of the green building in the daily life of human beings.
According to Gelber, simple solutions can be implements in existing buildings that can help to improve the living conditions. He provided the example of an initiative he launched in Malaysia, where he and his team redesigned some of the existing premises of the buildings for recycling goods and helping the cleaners to “earn extra money”.
The audience asked for some examples of green buildings in Asia. Mr. Tang answered that a lot is going on in China, with now designed and built eco-friendly cities. He also highlighted India as a place where this new trend is in place, especially on regard natural temperature regulators. |
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Filed under: About CSR Asia — CSR Asia @ 14:57 pm |
Speaker: Keiichi Ushijima, CSR Head, Hitachi Ltd.
I have great admiration for K (as he introduces himself), for his company and country. Interestingly, the birthplace of Hitachi was in the disaster zone so they are playing an integral role in the rebuilding. This was an early session for Day 2 so people were a little quiet but the questions started to flow quite quickly. My favorite question was this....
Q: "Japan is no stranger to disaster recovery. Why is Japan so successful in recovery; is it because of the Japanese culture, or a superior recovery systems?"
A: "Both. I was very proud of my country. People would not steal any food or water, but instead waited to pay. We also had the right priorities to business involvement in disaster recovery. At the time of need business (including Hitachi) prioritized the community over customers in time of need.
I'm looking forward to a great Day 2 at the summit.
By Nigel Hembrow, Head (New Business & Sustainability), GreenPost
GreenPost loves e-bill (electronic bills) and has the tools to partner with billers across Asia to solve their problem of low adoption of electronic bills. Only by partnership can millions of trees and dollars can be saved. www.gogreenpost.com |
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Filed under: About CSR Asia — CSR Asia @ 14:54 pm |
By Carolyn Lim, Project Manager from CSR Asia. "You cannot make CSR strategic without active stakeholder engagement," said Richard Welford, the Chairman of CSR Asia, during his session on 'Making CSR Strategic.' Companies have to first identify the appropriate stakeholders, prioritise the target ones, and engage them to make CSR relevant to the organisation.
Communication with the stakeholders can help identify the potential issues that have yet been addressed by the companies but are deemed as important to stakeholders. The converse is also true.
Strategic CSR is measured. The adage that you can only manage what you can measure means that companies need to find ways to measure their inputs, outputs and outcomes, in order to improve their CSR strategy continuously.
Companies can consider using the ISO26000 framework for implementing the internal processes, for strategic CSR to be successful. As with other ISO standards, ISO26000 adopts the "Plan, Do, Check, Act" framework, with a slight difference.
Lastly, strategic CSR is also a willingness to admit to your mistakes. The glossy, well-designed, 50-page report will remain a marketing document, rather than a CSR report. Open communication of mistakes help create room for improvement, which is at the heart of a good CSR strategy. |
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Filed under: About CSR Asia — CSR Asia @ 13:57 pm |
By Zheng Ying Chong, Project Manager at CSR Asia. Giving back to the community is no longer simply about doling out wads of cash. The reality of investing (in kind or in cash) in community projects, be it as part of a socially responsible CSR operation or programmes from one’s foundation arm, has to be justified through its sustainability. Speakers Nenny Soemawinata, Managing Director of the Putera Sampoerna Foundation (PSF) and Michelle Brown, Director of CSR Asia Europe brought in their expertise on approaching and measuring of sustainability.
Nenny kicked off the session reviewing PSF’s road to sustainability, emphasising the importance of building on existing initiatives in the areas of education, women empowerment and entrepreneurship. She expounded on numerous ways in which PSF have made their programmes sustainable. These fresh, inspiring strategies include a revolving student loan fund that would see past students loan repayments partially finance future students educations.
Michelle addressed a practical concern of many companies with her presentation on the sustainable livelihoods approach. The framework prompts companies to look at give areas of potential positive and negative impact – physical, financial, human, natural and social. Based on this framework, companies are encouraged to utilise Community Investment Scorecards to benchmark, evaluate and track business impact. Although both audience and speaker agreed that the scorecards would ideally be used to identify indicator benchmarks prior to the programme’s commencement, the inclusion of qualitative data in the scorecards makes it possible to work on estimating benchmarks based on reflective evaluation by stakeholders. Finally, sustainable livelihoods require companies to plan for exit strategies for a more holistic approach to sustainability. |
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Filed under: About CSR Asia — CSR Asia @ 12:39 pm |
There was a great turnout for this session - clearly a strong interest in hearing stories from people that don’t wait for other people to solve problems, and would rather take the initiative.
Andy Schroeter, from Sunlabob Renewable Energy, focuses on rural electrification in Laos. Sunlabob rents out solar home systems, but also sells kWh to village hybrid grids. Recently they have also started selling clean drinking water.
Seeing that micro-financing would not work they focused on private-public partnerships and created micro-organisations at the local level.
Interestingly, the impact is hugely social. For example, they do amazing work helping the re-integration of female victims of human trafficking that are returning home. If I wasn’t building our company, GreenPost, I would love to work with Andy.
One good tip from Andy: PwC does their audits every year, which is hugely important when they seek funding!
“Global Social Innovation at HP” was the focus for Juan Chen’s presentation. She shared that HP is proud to have moved away from donations-based CSR model to a more strategic approach.
HP’s approach now leverages the huge human capital and technology resources that are part of the HP family.
Once again, a great session with lots of learnings about how organization both small and huge can make a huge difference by thinking about using what is their core strengths to solve real world problems.
[ Note: I needed to run to have a quick side-meeting so sadly could not stay to hear from Qualcomm. ]
Nigel Hembrow, Head (New Business & Sustainability), GreenPost
GreenPost loves e-bill (electronic bills) and has the tools to partner with billers across Asia to solve their problem of low adoption of electronic bills. Only by partnership can millions of trees and dollars can be saved. www.gogreenpost.com |
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