On 14 November, IBLF hosted ‘New Approaches to CSR’, an exclusive, interactive event for Chinese delegates at its headquarters in London.
Comprising government officials from several ministries and leaders from business associations, the visit was aimed at learning more about British and multinational companies’ experiences in promoting corporate social responsibility. Their visit was organised by the
German development agency GIZ as part of their Sino-German Corporate Responsibility Project.
The event started with an introduction of IBLF from CEO
Clare Melford and an overview of IBLF in China from
Jun Cao, Head of China programmes. After brief presentations from KPMG, Marshalls and Control Risks on each company’s best practices and experience around responsible business practices, the first discussion (facilitated by company representatives) focused on how to create incentives for business to operate in a way that is more responsible, sustainable and beneficial to society.
During the discussion, it became clear that only those companies that regard CSR as more than just a method to control risks and increase publicity and take a holistic approach to the sustainability of business will gain competitive advantage and grasp new opportunities.
In the second session,
Darian Stibbe, Director of Partnering, IBLF shared with participants how cross-sector partnerships can change traditional business-government-civil society relations and bring larger impact to development efforts. The discussion then touched on several topics including stakeholder engagement, business standards, cultural contexts and most crucially, how to drive collective action from companies and facilitate broader collaboration to change the overall business environment.
The discussion continued into an informal lunch which marked the close of the event. Delegates from China found the event “very informative and enlightening” and expressed a strong desire to be involved in similar future events.