The Sustainability Learning Forum

Responsible Lobbying

Dr Stephanos Anastasiadis, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Sigrun M. Wagner, Royal Holloway, University of London

Lobbyists paying elected representatives to place questions in the UK parliament. Arms manufacturers giving South African officials BMWs in exchange for armaments contracts. Smoke-filled back rooms featuring stuffed brown envelopes. No wonder lobbying has a bad name. But these are not images of lobbying: They depict corruption, albeit in a policymaking setting. These actions are morally suspect and usually illegal. They also contravene the UN Global Compact: Principle 10 requires the combating of corruption. In fact, lobbying is far more often about committee meetings, reports, and other unspectacular activities. Lobbying can be understood as the focused provision of relevant information, with the intention of influencing public policy or process. Corporate lobbying is not just important for companies; it helps create better public policies, and can therefore have real societal value, despite its bad press. more[...]

The Author

CSR in South Africa

Editorial Team

Professor Ralph Hamann is Research Director for the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town. His areas of expertise include Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility. In 2006 he was involved as a researcher at the UN Global Compact Learning Forum, which took place in Ghana. For the UN Global Compact International Yearbook, Hamann highlights the “paradox for CSR in South Africa” and beyond. more[...]

The Author

Responsible Lobbying

Dr Stephanos Anastasiadis, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Sigrun M. Wagner, Royal Holloway, University of London

Lobbyists paying elected representatives to place questions in the UK parliament. Arms manufacturers giving South African officials BMWs in exchange for armaments contracts. Smoke-filled back rooms featuring stuffed brown envelopes. No wonder lobbying has a bad name. But these are not images of lobbying: They depict corruption, albeit in a policymaking setting. These actions are morally suspect and usually illegal. They also contravene the UN Global Compact: Principle 10 requires the combating of corruption. more[...]

The Author

Managing CSR Across Boundaries

Andrew Lofts, Ricoh Europe
Ricoh Europe PLC

From the very beginning, Ricoh has been energized by combining innovative products and services with a sustainable approach to business. The company’s founder, Kiyoshi Ichimura, nurtured a unique pool of thinkers who envisioned a world where business, society, and the planet are interconnected. For Ricoh, which is present in more than 200 countries and employs more than 100,000 people, it is a major challenge to share a consistent theme and to ensure a clear message that is understood everywhere. As a group, we have a regional framework whereby we connect to the collective imagination and creativity of all our people. To support Ricoh’s goals and meet social expectations, accurately and promptly, the Ricoh Group actively introduces internationally established CSR frameworks throughout its supply chain. more[...]

The Author

Managing CSR Across Boundaries

Andrew Lofts, Ricoh Europe
Ricoh Europe PLC

From the very beginning, Ricoh has been energized by combining innovative products and services with a sustainable approach to business. The company’s founder, Kiyoshi Ichimura, nurtured a unique pool of thinkers who envisioned a world where business, society, and the planet are interconnected. For Ricoh, which is present in more than 200 countries and employs more than 100,000 people, it is a major challenge to share a consistent theme and to ensure a clear message that is understood everywhere. As a group, we have a regional framework whereby we connect to the collective imagination and creativity of all our people. To support Ricoh’s goals and meet social expectations, accurately and promptly, the Ricoh Group actively introduces internationally established CSR frameworks throughout its supply chain. more[...]

The Author

RBS Inspiring Enterprise

Royal Bank of Scotland Group

At the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, we are encouraging a more entrepreneurial culture. From the classroom to the boardroom, we are inspiring and enabling enterprise at every stage of the journey. more[...]

The Author

RBS Inspiring Enterprise

Royal Bank of Scotland Group

At the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, we are encouraging a more entrepreneurial culture. From the classroom to the boardroom, we are inspiring and enabling enterprise at every stage of the journey. more[...]

The Author

The Global Social Enterprise Action Hub

SK Telecom

As social and environmental issues change and become more complex, a new approach is required beyond the existing efforts of governments, NGOs, and corporations to tackle global challenges. In this regard, social enterprises are becoming significant players in bolstering global sustainability and addressing social challenges in innovative and sustainable ways. With the objectives of creating both economic and social value, social enterprises adopt managerial efficiency and market mechanisms in their social operations to offer more customized and efficient solutions that deliver larger and more sustainable impacts. more[...]

The Author

Changing The Lives of 10,000 Children

Scott Dille, Novo Nordisk
Camilla Crone Jensen, Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk

Living with type 1 diabetes is challenging – even more so for children in developing countries, where having diabetes puts their lives at even greater risk. more[...]

The Author

Crone Jensen, Camilla

Editorial Team

more[...]

The Author

Top-flight Compensation Projects: The Climate, People, and Animals All Benefit

Thomas Compagno, COOP
Coop

Offsetting CO2 emissions is a good thing – but there is still a hint of a “sale of indulgences.” Coop has found a solution: The Swiss retailer only invests in development projects that are either developed by the WWF according to the Gold Standard or which are supported by the WWF. They stand for maximum quality. more[...]

The Author

Buildings Need Effective Air Filters

Myriam Tryjefaczka, Camfil Farr Group
Camfil Farr Group

Air is free and necessary for life. The quality of air also has a direct impact on quality of life: The cleaner the air we breathe, the healthier we are, and the better we feel and perform. Unfortunately, healthy air is becoming a scarce commodity, especially in the larger and more densely populated cities of the world. The most common air pollutants, such as airborne particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides, are known to cause respiratory problems, heart diseases, and other illnesses. A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that long-term exposure to this air pollution can also affect brain development, reproductive health, circulation, and diabetes. more[...]

The Author

Comprehensive Ways of Communication on Anti-Corruption Measures and Compliance

Jenice Hartmann, Business Keeper
Business Keeper AG

Nowadays, there is agreement within companies and the public that neither corruption nor other contraventions of national and international regulations are acceptable. Corruption causes an estimated economic harm of up to $4 trillion per year; the number of unreported cases and not quantifiable social harm through the erosion of trust and the economic systems is much higher. As is publically known, companies such as Wal-Mart, Monsanto, and General Electric were strongly sanctioned by government and society for their corrupt business activities. In times of financial crisis, a sustainable business model is more important than ever to ensure the necessary social acceptance and “license to operate.” more[...]

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