The EPA’S annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)report lists the toxics released by every U.S. company that employs 10 or more people. A study shows, says Heal, that upon the release of this report, companies with a bad TRI rating find that their share price falls. Thus pollution is a real cost to companies.
Duration : 3:16
In an article for the Environmental Leader, Eric Riddleberger for IBM, argues that the issues of a company’s impact on the environment, socioeconomic issues of the local community within which the company resides, and a organizations CSR reputation are all top issues forCEOs in today’s business world. All of which revolve around the company’s corporate social responsibility policy, and all of which information technology can help address.
Therefore CIOs have a big part to play in contributing to a corporations CSR efforts. Eric argues that not only can IT help CSR directly by addressing environmental impacts, but also help support all CSR initiatives by providing metrics and reporting facilities.
The article can be found by going here -> Corporate Social Responsibility – An Emerging CIO Mandate
Like to point out a nice article in Canadian paper The Globe and Mail on corporate social responsibility measurement and reporting. It talks about the need for companies to have “a social license to operate” these days. It discusses the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines that 70% of companies on a global basis use for reporting CSR related information. The article also mentions companies finding a “sweet spot” for their corporate social responsibility initiatives. That is, instead of just giving money to charities etc, a company should focus on what it does as part of its normal day-to-day business, and figure out how it can donate this product or service to the community to provide the greatest benefit it can.
The Globe and Mail article can be found here: Measuring the good global citizen
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a not-for-profit organization that works on a sustainability reporting framework. Organizations are able to use the principles and indicators provided by the framework to both measure and report on their economic, environmental, and social performance. You can find out more about the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the measurement and reporting framework by going to their website: http://www.globalreporting.org/
Nice short video with some interesting thoughts on measurement of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
Duration : 0:2:37
