The Economist's Corporate Citizenship 2010 Conference in New York

The Economist is organizing its annual CSR conference next week in New York: Corporate Citizenship 2010 Doing Well by Doing Good . As one of the top CSR blogs according to a Fast Company ranking, Corporate and Responsible Blog received press credentials for this event. I attended last year's conference and covered it here and here and am now looking forward to next week's event.

In addition to blogging and tweeting from the conference which will feature an array of distinguished speakers, I will interview Dominique Conseil, Aveda's president. He will speak as part of the Sustainability: The Current Climate panel. I will talk with Dominique about Aveda's social and environmental leadership. Aveda has been a leader in sustainability for more than 30 years and I am eager to learn about their story.

In anticipation of an interesting interview, here is some information on Dominique and his contribution to Aveda.

As President of Aveda since July 2000, Dominique Nils Conseil is responsible for leading the company in developing its professional beauty business worldwide while ensuring Aveda lives its Mission through all activities. Under Dominique Conseil’s leadership, Aveda has aggressively grown top and bottom lines while upholding its dedication to environmental and social responsibility. Conseil’s work ethic is built upon a business “ecosystem” in which economic and environmental goals are synergistic. Aveda’s spectacular improvement of corporate social performance since 2000, alongside impressive growth in sales and profit, proves his point.

Conseil focuses Aveda on anticipating the needs of salon/spa professionals and their guests. Aveda brings a sustainable business model to the salon/spa industry based on guest retention, selective distribution, and high sales productivity helping salons grow while enhancing creative individuality. For Conseil, Aveda stakeholders form a network where “the success of one is the success of all.” Under Conseil’s leadership, Aveda has developed its direct salon service capacity, bringing the company closer to its customers. Aveda’s experiential company-owned retail stores introduce new guests to “the Aveda experience” and refer them for services to concept salons/spas. Together, salons, spas, schools, stores and lifestyle salons/spas constitute the Aveda business ecosystem. As the Aveda leader, Conseil encourages colleagues and network members to volunteer for non-profit causes: “At Aveda, Beauty is as Beauty Does.” Earth Month fundraising grew from $300,000 in 1999 to $3,200,000 in 2009.

Conseil also enhanced Aveda’s commitment to the CERES principles (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) by taking its sustainability reporting to a new level. Under his leadership, Aveda factors socio-environmental goals into the earliest stages of design and project development, leading the company to be the first in beauty and third across global industries to receive a Cradle to Cradle® sustainability endorsement in 2009.

A native of Sweden, Conseil holds a Masters Degree in Management and a degree in Oriental Languages and Civilizations both from French faculties. He speaks several European and Asian languages.

March CSR Social with Adam Greene of USCIB: International Supply Chains

The New York Corporate Social Responsibility Group cordially invites you to attend the March CSR Social

Corporate Responsibility and International Supply Chains

WHEN: Monday, March 22, 6:30 pm

WHERE:
The Vig Bar - Backroom
12 Spring Street
corner of Elisabeth
New York, NY

SCHEDULE:
6:30 - 7:00 Open Networking
7:00 - 7:15 Presentation by Adam Greene, Vice President for Labor Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, US Council for International Business
7:15 - 7:30 Q&A
7:30 - 8:30+ Open Networking

COST: Suggested donation $5

RSVP: lcandu at yahoo dot com

ABOUT: Adam Greene is responsible for USCIB’s activities on labor policy and corporate responsibility. He manages U.S. business participation in the development of international labor standards and advises companies on international and regional trends in labor and employment policy. He also coordinates USCIB involvement in the governing and standard setting bodies of the International Labor Organization and promotes the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. He is vice chairman of the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Affairs to the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor.

Mr. Greene advises USCIB members on international codes and initiatives, internal management systems, strategic alliances and corporate reporting. He is a member of the ISO Strategic Advisory Group on CSR and the U.S. Advisory Committee for the FTSE4Good social investment index. Mr. Greene is actively involved in the ongoing implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and a wide array of other international initiatives. He is a frequent speaker on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

Prior to joining USCIB, Mr. Greene served as associate director of the Global Environment Program at the Stern School of Business at New York University, and prior to that as manager of fixed income securities for Dean Witter Financial Services. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and an MBA from New York University.

ABOUT: NY CSR Meetup Group is an increasingly popular New-York-based group of corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals and enthusiasts. We meet for various sustainability-related events as well as for montly informal networking and discussion events - CSR Socials. To join and for more information please visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-New-York-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Meetup-Group/ or http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1917952&trk=hb_side_g or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44036267423

Christine Bader presents on business & human rights at February CSR Social in New York

The February CSR Social - part of a series of monthly events organized by The New York Corporate Social Responsibility Group - gathered quite a crowd at the Vig Bar in New York. The New York CSR community was eager to hear Christine Bader, former Manager of Policy Development for BP, now an Advisor to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for business and human rights.

Christine gave the crowd an overview of how business and human rights relate to each other. The modern international human rights framework was created as a government-based system, but clearly companies can impact all rights, so have a responsibility to at least not infringe on those rights.

The SRSG has put forth a conceptual framework, unanimously accepted by the Human Rights Council in 2008, to help all stakeholders manage business and human rights challenges. The U.N. "Protect, Respect, Remedy" framework is made up of three pillars: the state duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including business; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, which means to avoid infringing on the rights of others; and greater access to remedy for victims of corporate-related abuse.

The SRSG’s mandate was extended by the Human Rights Council until 2011 to operationalize the framework. Christine is managing an online forum to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders on the corporate responsibility to respect pillar: SRSG Consultation. All are encouraged to register and contribute!

Thank you, Christine, for a great presentation and for your work in the CSR field!

February CSR Social: Business and Human Rights with Christine Bader

The New York Corporate Social Responsibility Group cordially invites you to attend the February CSR Social

Business and Human Rights

WHEN: Monday, February 22, 6:30 pm

WHERE:
The VIG Bar - Backroom
12 Spring St
corner of Elisabeth
New York, NY

SCHEDULE:
6:30 - 7:00 Open Networking
7:00 - 7:15 Presentation by Christine Bader, Advisor to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for business and human rights
7:15 - 7:30 Q&A
7:30 - 8:30+ Open Networking

COST: Suggested donation $5

RSVP: lcandu at yahoo dot com

ABOUT: Christine Bader, an Advisor to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for business and human rights, Harvard professor John Ruggie. From 1999–2008, she was with BP plc, during which she worked in Indonesia, China, and the United Kingdom. With stints in corporate planning and investor relations, she spent most of her time with the company improving management of its social impacts. She has also served as a corps member with City Year; the first Teaching Fellow in Community Service at Phillips Academy in Andover; and a Special Assistant to the New York City Mayor's Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Community Development and Business Services.

Christine has published articles in BusinessWeek.com ("Change Big Business From The Inside", 16 Nov 09), Stanford Social Innovation Review, Ethical Corporation, and China Rights Forum, and presented at numerous venues including Business for Social Responsibility's annual conference. She has a B.A. magna cum laude in American Studies from Amherst College and an M.B.A. from Yale University. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University and a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can follow Christine's updates on twitter @christinebader.

ABOUT: NY CSR Meetup Group is an increasingly popular New-York-based group of corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals and enthusiasts. We meet for various sustainability-related events as well as for montly informal networking and discussion events - CSR Socials. To join and for more information please visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-New-York-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Meetup-Group/ or http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1917952&trk=hb_side_g or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44036267423.

The Changing Role of the CSR Professional with Kevin Martinez

The New York Corporate Social Responsibility Group cordially invites you to attend the January CSR Social

The Changing Role of the CSR Professional

WHEN: Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 pm

WHERE:
Honey Bar & Lounge - Backroom
243 W 14th St
bet 7th & 8th Ave
New York, NY 10001
(212) 620-0222

SCHEDULE:
6:30 - 7:00 Open Networking
7:00 - 7:15 Presentation by Kevin Martinez, Corporate Citizenship Expert
7:15 - 7:30 Q&A
7:30 - 8:30+ Open Networking

COST: Suggested donation $5

RSVP: lcandu at yahoo dot com

ABOUT: Kevin Martinez has made a successful career of developing and executing corporate social responsibility programming for Fortune 500 companies. He has provided leadership and direction to large teams responsible for environmental affairs, brand development, issues management, cause marketing, volunteer programs, sponsorship, public affairs and corporate giving. His extensive background also includes work with, government and non-profit organizations.

Most recently in his role as Executive Director of Corporate Citizenship at KPMG LLP, Kevin chaired the Firm's CSR Council whose role was to establish and develop a national strategy and plan for Corporate Responsibility that will integrate philanthropy, the KPMG Foundation, volunteerism and pro bono, sustainability and global development initiatives.

ABOUT: New York CSR Group is an increasingly popular New-York-based group of corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals and enthusiasts. We meet for various sustainability-related events as well as for montly informal networking and discussion events - CSR Socials. To join and for more information please follow these links on meetup.com , LinkedIn or Facebook

Copenhagen Climate Conference: New York City is among the Future Cities

All eyes and ears are tuned for the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen (December 7-18). Many small and large organizations are undertaking actions to encourage, support, and persuade their countries' representatives to make important decision and right commitments. The type and number of side events is impressive!

The FUTURE CITY Exhibition is one such event. New York is one of 10 cities to have been selected to participate in this interactive event which aims to highlight local sustainability initiatives. And New York has plenty to show for this. Mayor Bloomberg's administration's ambitious PLANYC 2030 aims to reduce the City's emissions by over 30%. The City set out to achieve this target by undertaking a whole range of initiatives such as reducing the number of cars and building more efficient power plants to reduce the inefficiencies of the main sourse of emissions in the NYC, the buildings. The mayor, known for his dedication to sustainability, will present the city's plans, challenges, and results at this exhibition in Copenhagen.

Besides New York and Copenhagen, the other cities to present their sustainability solutions are Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Sao Paolo, and Toronto.

Climate change in the US: Mallen Baker's response to Al Gore's critics

I just read the latest blog by Mallen Baker, a UK-based CSR expert, Is the human race dumb enough to deserve extinction? and wanted to share it with you. I subscribe to his straight-to-the-point response to existing criticism directed toward Al Gore, former American Vice-President, who has taken on the cause of climate change. I couldn't have said it better.

I've just watched footage on the BBC website showing Jeremy Paxman asking pretty stupid questions of Al Gore. It's not Paxman's fault per se - he's just asking the same dumb questions others have been throwing around in the last few days.

Most remarkable is whether there is something to criticise in that Gore, as a businessman, has invested in renewable energy technologies. Is his 30 year campaign on climate change really just an extended commercial break?

It beggars belief that such nonsense gets airtime. As Gore himself says, if he invested in old style technologies he would be called a hypocrite. This is just about putting your money where your mouth is. Why wouldn't you?

It follows on from the "how much energy does Al Gore use" (his energy is provided by renewable sources) and "shouldn't Al Gore be vegetarian" (not if you don't believe in worldwide vegetarianism as a policy - as previously discussed here).

The point here is - the attacks are not the point.

It is a great diversion to use against anyone who argues for change to challenge them on their own behaviour. Why? Because it is a no-win scenario.

Almost nobody will meet the ideal in every aspect of how they live their life. So, on some pretty tiny aspect, they can be challenged - which then effectively undermines them and more importantly their message. And rather than debating the issue, you have a defensive conversation about personal behaviour.

And suppose they do meet every single aspect in every part of their life? At that point, they look so extreme, so unlike the rest of us, that they can be discounted as a bit of a nutter.

So why, in the run-up to Copenhagen, are we debating nuances of Al Gore's life rather than focusing on the issues?

It is because we have already lost a key aspect of the struggle on climate change. In the US - one of the most important countries in the world with regard to emissions, it has solidified into a partisan issue.

In the UK and many other countries, the fact of climate change has become the basis for political consensus. The parties can always squabble around the best policies to meet the targets without unnecessary cost. But the fact that the targets have to be met - that is a point of common agreement.

In the US. things are very different. And because it has become a partisan issue, the debate has got very little to do with science, and more to do with tribalism.

Al Gore has argued the case consistently, eloquently, and powerfully for many years. In retrospect, however, it may not prove to have been a good thing to have a former Vice President playing this role.

Because he belongs to one tribe. The other tribe will attack him, ridicule him, misrepresent him. Because he wears the other team's colours. And any stick is good enough to beat a dog.

A wholly non-partisan figure that could carry the respect on both sides of the political debate might have made more progress.

All very well to say - but where is such a non-partisan figure?

This is why businesses have such an important role to play. As we have seen with the mini-walkout from the US Chamber over its critical voice on climate, businesses can take a lead. And they are a force that carries real weight with all sides of the political divide.

They are the constituency that is pragmatic. They will seek to influence either tribe to get the right policies. They are not tribal - and they are important to both tribes.

There is a real imperative to building political leadership and consensus amongst American businesses. Their voice in the ongoing debate is key to future success.

If they can see the enlightened case for change - as many businesses in different parts of the world have done - there may just be a chance. If they focus on the short term because that's where the current honey pot is located - then they will have just been another face of the dumb human race that once walked the earth.

October CSR Social: Ryan Fix and PUREPROJECTS

The New York Corporate Social Responsibility Meetup got together for the October CSR Social last night, October 20. The theme of this increasingly popular monthly event in New York - Social Enterprise - A New Way Forward - was inspired by Ryan Fix, a New York-based social entrepreneur.

Ryan described his path towards social entrepreneurship and the result of his efforts, PURE, a unique organization dedicated to supporting a creative sustainable economy via the transformation of ideas into value based enterprises that are sustainable on all levels, or PUREPROJECTS.

You can find the website, description and other information on each of these initiative on the main site. One project that opens today is the BoHo Bodega, the world's first pop-up shop that reintroduces the quintessential New York City corner store experience as a gateway to green foods, drinks, and household products with every sale being donated to charity. It will bring environmentally-sound products to New Yorkers for five days starting today, October 21. This temporary bodega-style store offers products with an eco-focus at a greatly reduced price to encourage shoppers who believe green is beyond their budget to try healthier, eco-friendly alternatives to regular purchases. Goods are donated by eco-conscious brands including Vita Coco, Green Forest, Organic India, Kiss My Face and Simply Organic and proceeds will benefit a leading nonprofit, the Council on the Environment of New York City. I will check it out and hope you will, too!

Curious facts about the water bottle you just bought

People continue buying lots of bottled water. Worth billions of dollars annually. It turns out - as this video shows - mostly because they LIKE to believe it's better. In reality, it's the tap water that is much better for you. It costs lest, is stricter regulated and more sustainable.

Recycling: a responsible way of Waste Management

One way companies can score high in the sustainability department is by minding their waste. For instance, sustainable waste management is a major category in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) - a set of green building standards that many companies strive to achieve.

So it's good news when an innovative waste management company is there to support such efforts. The Waste Management company provides Healthcare Solutions, a sustainability-focused service for healthcare facilities. The following stories illustrate the way this service works, the types of partnership it creates, and the kind of outcomes it brings about.

Officials at Washington County Healthcare System in Hagerstown, MD asked Waste Management to clear out a 50,000-square-foot warehouse of what they considered to be junk, as the 341-bed hospital prepares to move next year. Instead, the company's staff worked together to recycle, donate or shred what the hospital was going to throw out: floor tiles, lighting, carpet, sinks, shelving, office equipment, confidential documents, and hundreds of stainless steel bedpans.

After one day of clean out in August, four tons of metal had been trucked to a scrap yard and five box trucks of donations had been given to ReStore, one of Habitat for Humanity’s 600 retail building supply stores. The donations are expected to help build a house for a needy family in the Hagerstown area. Another clean out day is scheduled for the third week in October to donate and recycle even more materials.

WH Healthcare Solutions built a similar partnership with New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. The hospital intended to throw away 210 microwave ovens used in break rooms and pantries; instead, the company suggested they be donated to a local charity. The microwaves were given to Goodwill Industries of Greater NY/Northern NJ. As a result, approximately three tons of waste was diverted from the waste stream, the hospital saved $1,000 in avoided disposal costs, and Goodwill gained $5,250 for selling the ovens at $25 each in their retail store.

2009 Corporate Citizenship Survey: corporate responsibility is important despite recession

The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and the Hitachi Foundation launched their 4th biennial Corporate Citizenship in the US Survey All findings are interesting, but I'll highlight these:

The majority (54%) of executives surveyed said corporate citizenship is even more important in a recession.

As many 52% said they offer sustainable products/services and 72% said they are reducing costs through improved materials efficiency.

Although most companies said they are not reducing their corporate citizenship budgets, those that did preferred to cut philanthropy/giving (38%), increase layoffs(27%), and reduce R&D for sustainable products (19%).

This latter type of cost is what I'm mostly interested in. Companies have the potential of influencing and changing current lifestyles and consumption habits especially by developing and marketing sustainable products and services. It is therefore very important that companies continue and expand their sustainable R&D as 15% of companies surveyed are already doing.

Countdown to Copenhagen 2009

As governments are preparing for the upcoming world conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which will start on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, lots of people are looking forward to and have high expectations of this event.

In New York City, Oxfam's Human Countdown: Climate Wake Up Call kicks off the NYC Climate Change week. Check out the schedule and participate in events to increase awareness about the urgency of smart climate change policy, and importance of the US commitment.

Another NYC-based group, Sustainability Practice Network, held a panel on the issues and challenges facing this meeting. Pai Gee-Janssens, member of the New York Corporate Social Responsibility Meetup, offers a thorough overview of the event plus a brief history of climate change talks on Alternative Energy IP In spite the existent hurdles in reaching an effective global consensus in fighting climate change, it is the anticipated participation and commitment of the US that feeds the biggest hope.

There is a high level of hope from the world at large, that the new U.S. government administration, circa 2009, will propel the potential of the UNFCCC to the next necessary levels and inspire all countries worldwide to proactively participate with fewer conditions and objections for the sake of humanity and all inhabitant of our only collective home.

The materialization of this hope - US Congress passing the climate bill - is threatened by the recession and other competing domestic issues, such as the health care reform. That's why it's important to raise awareness among both the politicians and public at large. The distance between hope and gloom is very short - merely 2 degrees Celsius.