BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday, August 7, 2010
BRUNEI businesses must go beyond just handing out “mock cheques” if they want to get serious about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) drive.
Rikke Netterstrom, director of CSR Asia, yesterday said Malaysia and Brunei were still hampered by a conservative mindset, and preferred to hand out “mock cheques” to good causes rather than rethinking business strategy and investing in CSR.
She said that good CSR practices are fast gaining importance as a means for companies to gain market access and customer loyalty and to attract and retain top talent globally, thus resulting in long-term business sustainability.
She was delivering a presentation to more than 100 individuals from the public and private sector during a CSR seminar organised by HSBC Brunei yesterday.
Held at Radisson Hotel in the capital, participants were taken through the fundamentals of CSR and the development of CSR specifically in the context of the Asia-Pacific region.
“Too many companies see CSR as something external, like ‘let’s go and give some money to charity and we’re done with it’. But have we really looked at whether, for instance, you’re taking away from the community on one hand by polluting the rivers and then on the other hand giving money to another community?” she said.
“So CSR has to start in your backyard. You’ve got to start with what your impacts are in your business, are you polluting yourself? Are you treating your employees well? Are you selling your products in a way that’s responsible to your community?
“We can start by looking at what we are doing everyday to go to work. Are we actually trying to reduce our environmental impact by reducing the air conditioning for instance? And you can do that in your home and you can do that in your office. Are we taking four cars to go to a meeting across the street rather than maybe walking across the street instead? It’s the little things,” she added.
“I think the most important thing everyone must understand is that corporate social responsibility is for every businesses, whether you’re a big business or a small business, but it is also important to remember that it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot of money.
“CSR can actually be something that’s really beneficial for your businesses and enhance your competitiveness, whether you’re a small IT company or giant oil and gas company. It is something that every business will have to deal with,” she said in an interview with The Brunei Times.
Netterstrom shared what sort of practices there are in the market, and discussed with the audience how to implement environment and socially responsible business practices as well as receive guidance on how to build a sustainable business while improving operating efficiency.
The seminar addressed the current challenging economic conditions due to an increase in attention to social obligations, economic and environment aspect of business activity and performance from key decision makers such as investors, suppliers, customers, employees, pressure groups and the community.
“CSR is more than just about maintaining the natural environment or helping the needy, but also about capacity development, such as building the education level in a way so that Brunei can continue to be competitive in the international marketplace. Local companies can operate in a more professional manner so that they can attract the best brains as well as develop the best brains here. Every part of the community is included in that development,” she said.
“CSR has to be done in a way so that it helps the company become a better business, to be more profitable and competitive. Ultimately, if you run a profitable, responsible and effective business, you’re going to get the best employees, you’re gonna get lower cost down the line, and easier access to finance and contracts,” she said.
She noted during her presentation that companies around the world have been increasingly recognising the value of CSR in driving efficient use of resources, branding and attracting and retaining employees.
“The marketplace is changing. There are supply chain pressures, particularly from international partners who are pushing companies to incorporate CSR as part of their business,” she said.
Netterstrom was impressed with the huge turnout of participants for the seminar yesterday.
“It’s absolutely incredible to see the amount of interest that we have today, and from the few people I’ve talked with earlier, they are actually really passionate about being more responsible businesses,” she added.
Netterstrom said that she believed that businesses have the power to really change things.
“We as individuals can do something, government can do something, but businesses are very good at making things happen and changing things.
“If you’re gonna try and change the world, doing it through business is probably one of the most efficient ways of doing it,” she added.
Netterstrom is country director for Malaysia of CSR Asia. She has over 10 years experience in corporate responsibility strategy, stakeholder engagement and communications. She was responsible for environmental and social issues for two of the world’s sustainability firms: The Body Shop International Plc and Novozymes A/S, preparing strategies for over 50 markets globally.
“To continue to do business in the long term, sustainability has to be integral to what we do and, needless to say, more and more businesses around the world are beginning to realise this,” said Irene Tse, Head of Corporate Banking, HSBC Brunei in her welcoming remarks. The Brunei Times
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