It’s been a big year for corporate responsibility. A huge oil spill, continued ructions in the financial sector, landmark decisions in the courts, and a new dawn for online companies around human rights issues are among the top CSR stories of 2010.
A very comprehensive report on how sustainable companies are communicating their green convictions and deeds through social media was published last week. The Social Media Sustainability Index, commissioned by SMI,and authored by Matthew Yeomans of Custom Communications, is a useful series of tips on the Do’s and Don’ts of CSR in Social Media for optimum reputation management.
After six years for development, ISO 26000, the global guidance on social responsibility has finally been launched. Will it be relevant to all activities, in all locations, and of all sizes? After six years for development, ISO 26000, the global guidance on social responsibility has finally been launched. Will it be relevant to all activities, in all locations, and of all sizes?
There are many and significant responsibility overlaps between the private sector and government. They include: how to assess whether a potential vendor is green; responding to the people or how the need for society to go green changes the marketplace;and understanding how an organization’s communications can have an impact on its image as a green organization.
Often green washing is not an outright attempt to be deceptive, but rather stems from failing to consider environmental impact measures with the same robust attention as is usually given to more established and familiar measures of business performance.
Meet Nancy Shaw, Social Responsibility Manager for Blue Shield of California. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of Business Council on Climate Change and was recently a speaker at the Women in Green Forum. She also recently served on the Executive Committee of 2009 Hazon Sustainable Food Conference.
Prior to transitioning to a career is corporate social responsibility, Nancy had a successful career in marketing and the non-profit sector. In the roll of Grants & Program Manager for the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Nancy analyzed grant proposals that led to nearly $9 million in funding. As Nonprofit Director for Craigslist, she managed Strategic planning, board development and fundraising, as well as produced venture events connecting nonprofits with potential funders. Before going into the non-profit sector, she was a marketing strategy analyst for both HBO and RR Donnelley. She also directed Fortune 500 companies market research studies for Wetfeet. Read about how Nancy changed her career path to a green one with an MBA in sustainability.
As corporate social responsibility and social media collide, David Connor examines the outcome – and provides tips on getting the most from CSR via social media.
There has been an increase in senior-level corporate positions—those with VP and Director titles in the CSR and sustainability sector. Companies are placing an increased value on CSR as a component of corporate strategy, which elevates the importance of positions overseeing CSR. The emergence of the CSO title is indicative of the growing trend of sustainability as a core business strategy.“CSO” is a title that senior-most CSR executives will increasingly carry.
