The European Commission would like to hear your views on some suggested broad policy considerations for the future EU2020 strategy.
The consultation document on the future EU 2020 Strategy focuses on the key priorities necessary to achieve a sustainable social market economy, a smarter and greener economy.
According to the Commission, the key priorities are:
Creating value by basing growth on knowledge.
Empowering people in inclusive societies.
Creating a competitive, connected and greener economy.
The Commission intends to present a formal proposal for the EU 2020 strategy early next year, with a view to the EU’s Heads of State and government adopting the strategy at their spring 2010 meeting.
Introduction: The Intellectual Crisis of CSR; P.Utting & J.C.Marques
CSR and Changing Modes of Governance: Towards Corporate Noblesse Oblige?; C.Crouch
Wal-Martization and CSR-ization in Developing Countries; N-L.Sum
Corporate Social Responsibility in a Neoliberal Age; P.Ireland & R.G.Pillay
Linking Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Policy in Zambia; N.Noyoo
Business, Corporate Responsibility and Poverty Reduction; M.Blowfield
Transnational Corporations and Poverty Reduction: Strategic and Regional Variations; R.van Tulder
Cross-sector Partnership as an Approach to Inclusive Development; R.Findlay-Brooks,W.Visser & T.Wright
Growing Sustainable Business in East Africa: The Potential and Limits of Partnerships for Development; C.Gregoratti
Private Food Governance: Implications for Social Sustainability and Democratic Legitimacy; D.Fuchs & A.Kalfagianni
Spaces of Contestation: The Governance of Industry’s Environmental Performance in Durban, South Africa; J.Van Alstine
Challenging Governance in Global Commodity Chains: The Case of Transnational Activist Campaigns for Better Work Conditions; F.Palpacuer
YOUR WORLD, YOUR BUSINESS initiative aims to inspire young people “to become the kind of entrepreneurs our society increasingly needs: creative, dynamic, and determined to make the world a better place.”
The main audience are young people aged 16-19, and their teachers, too.
The teacher’s guide and the accompanying videos are available in 24 different languages and can be downloaded from the site.
In the 21 chapters of the book, the authors try to answer questions like: Which issues fall under the umbrella of CSR in each of these countries? How are corporate entities practicing CSR in each country? Who are the players in the field of CSR in each country?etc.
2.Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility edited by Nina Boeger, Rachel Murray and Charlotte Villiers and published by Edward Elgar. Other contributors are: Colin Scott, Janet Dine, D.M. Ong.
The book focuses on the role of law, legal systems and lawyers to the debate on CSR. The main issues analysed are: the regulatory approach to CSR and “the dilemma of opting for a self-regulatory approach or a greater level of external regulatory control”, the role of state and markets, the role of citizens and non-governmental organizations.
Dot Earth has asked its readers to recommend questions which will be submitted to Barack Obama’s Science Team.
Top 10 looks like this:
1. Green education?
2.A Fusion Push?
3.Can Science Get Respect?
4.What Price Carbon?
5.Why Not Tax Instead of Cap?
6.Will Population Be a Priority?
7.Will You Make Science Cool?
8.Will You Bridge Economics and Science?
9.Boosting U.S. Brainpower?
10.Will Obama Respect Science?
11. Are Ethanol Mandates Defensible?
You can also read all questions selected by the editor here as the readers point out to many other interesting and relevant issues.
The question regarding the importance of green education was submitted by James Elder who argues that “to move towards a green economy will require a level of expertise, innovation, and cooperative effort” from all actors of the American society.”American workers, managers, and professionals at all levels and in all sectors must understand the fundamental dynamics and principles underpinning a green economy” said Elder.
Since 2000 the German Committee of UNICEF awards every year the “UNICEF Photo of the Year” to photo series that “best depicts the emotions of a situation or event in a child’s life anywhere in the world.”
The young Belgian photographer Alice Smeets is the winner of the 2008 international photo competition “UNICEF-Photo of the Year”. Her winning picture shows a girl in the largest slum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Although she has to live between dirt and rubbish, the girl is wearing a clean white dress with matching ribbons in her hair whilst walking barefoot through the mud.
“The photo shows us the courage and energy of a little girl who is growing up in the face of adversity. Children from the poorest backgrounds often demonstrate great strength” said UNICEF patroness Eva Luise Köhler at the award ceremony on Thursday in Berlin.
I came across a new initiative aimed at sharing information on CSR issues.
CSR TUBE is an initiative of the Dutch MVO Platform (CSR Platform) and lokaalmondiaal. CSRtube is inspired by The Hub, created by Witness, which reports on human rights abuses worldwide.
“The aim of CSRtube is to increase the impact of the work of civil society organizations, research institutions, governments, and companies dealing with CSR issues. CSRtube intends to contribute to the debate around CSR, and to inform people about its developments. Citizens and civil society organizations from all over the world are invited to upload and share their video material on CSRtube”(www.csrtube.net)
Have a look!
P.S. You can also join CSR TUBE, enter the competition and win 1000 $!
I have presented in a previous post the recent initiatives co-financed by the European Commission aimed at investigating the relationship between CSR and competitiveness. On November, 28, the European Commission has published a Communication on the European Competitiveness Report 2008.
The European Commission analyses in chapter 4.2. the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on firms’ competitiveness. This issue is developed in the “Commission Working Staff Document” which accompanies the European Commission’s Communication.
The European Commission has analysed the effects of CSR on 6 determinants and indicators of firm-level competitiveness: cost structure, human resource performance, customer perspective, innovation, risk and reputation management and financial performance. Moreover, the European Commission has analysed the relationship between CSR and firms’competitiveness at macro and sectoral level.
Some of the main findings of the research undertaken are summarised below.
1.The strongest evidence of a positive impact of CSR on competitiveness at micro level appears to be in the cases of human resources, risk and reputation management and innovation.
2. Business interest in CSR is increasingly based on opportunities for new value creation and not just on value protection through risk and reputation management.
3.The strength of the business case of CSR in any given enterprise is still dependent on its competitive positioning. For some companies, exceeding social and environmental legal requirements might generate costs that undermine competitiveness. However, for an increasing number of enterprises in a growing number of industries, CSR is becoming a competitive necessity.
4. To be a competitive differentiator, CSR needs to be part of a core business strategy. Enterprises in which CSR remains a peripheral concern, mainly confined to public relations functions, are likely to miss opportunities for competitiveness gains.
EarthSayers.tv, is a project of RED Direct, LLC. It brings forward audio and video programs addressing sustainability-related topics from across the Internet.
Dr. Joanne Levin-O’Brien developed the Content Map after researching both print and online content.It is specific to the subject of sustainability and unique to EarthSayers.tv. Four main categories have been developed: the emerging landscape of sustainability, our relationship with ecosystems and the natural resources that sustain us, human well-being and the way we live, our economic foundation.
Here is one of the videos featured on their site: “Teach a man to fish”
