| |
In This Issue
Editor's Note
CSR in Saudi Arabia
As is the case in many emerging markets, CSR in Saudi Arabia started with a strong focus on community engagement and philanthropic giving, but over the past few years, there has been growing recognition that developing a holistic sustainability strategy—one that includes action on key environmental and social issues—makes strategic business sense for companies operating in the country and throughout the Middle East.
This week, we hear more about those developments from Saudi businesswoman Nailah Attar, with whom BSR has partnered to help introduce CSR strategies to companies in her country. Attar, whose ECO Consulting business was the first woman-owned consulting firm in Jeddah, spoke with us about what it means to be a responsible business in Saudi Arabia, how the Arab Spring was also a “Company Spring,” and how she would like to see Saudi companies make progress in CSR.
We also highlight a new UN report that expands upon the seminal Brundtland report of 1987 with recommendations on how government can encourage sustainable development worldwide.
And we share some updates on a five-year partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Dow Chemical to help Dow and other companies incorporate the value of nature into business goals.
 |
In Depth
CSR in Saudi Arabia: Q&A With BSR Partner Nailah Attar
By Cammie Erickson, Manager, Global Partnership Development, BSR
BSR partnered with Saudi Arabian businesswoman Nailah Attar to help introduce CSR strategies to companies in her country. Here, she discusses the difficulty of addressing CSR issues in Saudi Arabia and how she hopes business there will advance the sustainability agenda.
Read more →
|
Toolbox
UN Report: Government Must Help Align Sustainability
The UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability’s new “Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing” report—which builds on the seminal 1987 Brundtland Report—contains a host of recommendations to put sustainable development into practice worldwide. Recommendations for governments include:
-
Consider establishing a global fund for education.
-
Advance “green jobs” as a budget priority.
-
Scale up integrated water resource management schemes, and commit to the establishment of regional oceans and coastal-management frameworks.
-
Ensure universal access to affordable, sustainable energy by 2030.
-
Establish sustainability-focused price signals to guide consumption and investment decisions for all levels of society.
-
Strengthen the connections between policymaking and science to encourage informed decision-making on sustainability issues.
Spotlight
Incorporating the Value of Nature
By
In January 2011, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Dow Chemical launched a five-year collaboration that aims to help Dow and other companies implement models that incorporate the value of nature into business goals. Last week, TNC released the first annual update on this partnership, outlining the activities undertaken to date. Some of the highlights:
-
Site selection criteria were developed to select the first site for pilot application. The same criteria will be used for selection of future locations.
-
Three priority ecosystem services were determined to have high value for further analysis.
-
A biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) assessment tool is being developed to provide managers with information on potential risks and opportunities related to BES.
Focusing on similar activities, in 2012, BSR’s Ecosystem Services Working Group will continue its emphasis on the integration of ecosystem services into corporate decision-making. For more information, contact Linda Hwang.
|
|
|
