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Sustainability Assessment - Summary I > Sustainability as Companies > Flashcards

Sustainability as Companies Flashcards

1
Q

Corporate Social Responsibility CSR

A

It encourages organizations to consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of its operations.

–> it goes beyond the obligation to comply with legislation.

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2
Q

Types of CSR

A
  1. Corporations providing funding and resources for social causes.
  2. Taking out a plan to produce products or services that are in the best interest of society.
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3
Q

Business for Social Responsibility BSR

A

Achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities and the natural environment.

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4
Q

Types of Social Responsibility Strategies

A
  • Reactive strategy: deny or ignore responsibility.
  • Defensive strategy: put up a fight.
  • Accommodation strategy: accept social responsibility in response to pressure.
  • Proactive strategy: take the initiative, establish a positive model for the industry.
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5
Q

Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR

A

Top:
- Philanthropic responsibilities: be a good corporate citizen, contribute resources to the community.

  • Ethical responsibilities: be ethical, obligation to do what is right and just.
  • Legal responsibilities: obey the law,.
    Bottom:
  • Economic responsibilities: be profitable, the foundation on which all the others are built.
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6
Q

Benefits of social responsibility for an organization

A
  • Encouraging more informed decision making processes.
  • Improving risk management practices.
  • Supporting an organization’s social licence to operate.
  • Achieving savings associated with increased productivity and resource efficiency.
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7
Q

Definition of Social Responsibility as a measure of performance

A

How much an organization contributes to sustainable development and its impacts on society and the environment.

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8
Q

UN Global Compact

A

It describes itself as the largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

–> 10 principles on human rights, labor standards, environment and corruption.

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9
Q

Principles of the UN Global Compact

Human Rights

A
  • Support and respect the protection of human rights within the sphere of influence.
  • No complicity in human rights abuses.
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10
Q

Principles of the UN Global Compact

Labor Relations

A
  • Defend freedom of association and recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
  • Elimination of forced and compulsory labor.
  • Elimination of child labor.
  • Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
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11
Q

Principles of the UN Global Compact

Environment

A
  • Precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
  • Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibilities.
  • Encourage development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
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12
Q

Principles of the UN Global Compact

Corruption

A
  • Work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.
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13
Q

What is the UN Global Compact not?

A
  • It’s neither a legal instrument nor a code of conduct.

- It’s not a prescriptive instrument linked with external monitoring or auditing of company efforts.

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14
Q

Commitments of the Global Compact Signatories

A
  • Make the 10 principles part of their business strategies.
  • Issue an annual Communication on Progress (COP), a public disclosure to stakeholders on progress made in implementing the principles and in supporting the UN development goals.
  • Advocate for the Global Contact.
  • Contribute to the financing of the Global Compact.
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15
Q

Global Compact Issues

A
  • Loss of focus
  • Stronger formalization
  • Lack of Governance
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16
Q

Characteristics of Standards

A
  • Creation of compatibility
  • Guides and tools to achieve practical goals
  • Creation of level playing fields, enlarge markets and extend influence.
17
Q

Global Reporting Initiative GRI

A

Reporting standard.

Public report of an organization on its economic, environmental and/or social impacts and its contributions towards the goals of sustainable development.

GRI enhances the global comparability and quality of information on these impacts –> greater transparency and accountability of organizations.

18
Q

Reporting Principles of GRI

A

They have to be applied if the organization wants to claim that its sustainability report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards.

They’re divided in two groups:

  • Reporting Principles for defining report content
  • Reporting Principles for defining report quality
19
Q

Reporting Principles for defining report content

A
  • Stakeholder Inclusiveness: identification of stakeholders and how the company has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.
  • Sustainability Context: organization’s performance in context of sustainability.
  • Materiality: the report shall cover topics that reflect the organization’s significant economic, environmental and social impacts and that influence the assessment and decisions of stakeholders.
  • Completeness: coverage of material topics and their boundaries, sufficient to reflect significant impacts and to enable stakeholders to assess the organization’s performance.
20
Q

Reporting Principles for defining report quality

A
  • Accuracy
  • Balance: the report shall reflect positive and negative aspects of the organization’s performance.
  • Clarity: the report shall be understandable and accessible to stakeholders.
  • Compatibility: information shall be selected, compiled and reported consistently.
  • Reliability: the organization shall gather, record, compile, analyze and report information and processes used in the report in a way that they can be subject to examination and that establishes the quality and materiality of the information.
  • Timeliness: reports should be made in a regular schedule.
21
Q

ISO 26000

A

Standard at corporate level.

International standard that gives guidance/recommendations about how organizations can improve their social responsibility and contribute to sustainable development.

  • -> it’s not certifiable, doesn’t contain requirements.
  • -> it’s made for those who seek to improve their operating processes and impacts through a socially responsible behavior.
22
Q

Social Responsibility according to ISO 26000

A

Responsibility of an organization for the impacts (positive or negative change to society, economy or the environment) of its decisions and activities on society and the environment through transparent and ethical behavior that:

  • contributes to sustainable development
  • takes into account the expectations of stakeholders
  • is in compliance with the law and consistent with international norms
  • is integrated throughout the organization and practiced in its relationships
23
Q

How to apply ISO 26000 in an organization?

A
  • Building Social Responsibility into governance and procedures.
  • Determining relevance and significance; establishing priorities: matrix, mapping, gap analysis.
  • Assessing company’s responsibilities in their sphere of influence.
  • Performing “due diligence”
  • Reporting and other communications with stakeholders
24
Q

Sphere of Influence according UN Guiding Principles and ISO 26000

A

UN Guiding Principles:
an organization is responsible for the impacts of decisions and activities over which it has formal and/or de facto control. Also an organization may in some situations have the ability to affect the behavior of an organization with which it has a relationship.

ISO 26000:
Range/extent of political, contractual, economic or other relationships through which an organization has the ability to affect the decisions or activities of individuals or organizations.

25
Q

Due Diligence

A

Process to identify the actual and potential negative social, environmental and economic impacts of an organization’s decisions and activities, with the aim of avoiding and mitigating those impacts.

26
Q

Identification of SR Issues 1/2

A
  • Recognizing relevant issues of SR
  • Identifying relevant issues of SR
  • Determining significance
  • Setting priorities
27
Q

Identification of SR Issues 2/2

Seven Core Subjects according 26000

A
  • Organizational governance
  • Human rights
  • Labor practices
  • Environment
  • Fair operating practices
  • Consumer issues
  • Community involvement and development
28
Q

Principles of Social Responsibility

A
  • Accountability: an organization should be accountable for its impacts on society, economy and environment.
  • Transparency: an organization should be transparent in its decisions and activities that impact on society and the environment.
  • Ethical behavior: an organization should behave ethically and its behavior should be based on the values of honesty, equity and integrity.
  • Respect for stakeholder interest: an organization should respect, consider and respond to the interests of its stakeholders.
  • Respect for the rule of law: an organization should accept that the respect for the rule of law is mandatory.
  • Respect for international norms of behavior: an organization should respect international norms of behavior, while adhering to the principle of respect for the rule of law.
  • Respect for human rights: an organization should respect human rights and recognize their importance and their universality.
29
Q

SR Core Subjects 1/7

Organizational Governance

A

System by which an organization makes and implements decisions in pursuit of its objectives.

–> Crucial factor in enabling an organization to take responsibility for the impacts of its decisions and activities and to integrate SR through the organization.

30
Q

SR Core Subjects 2/7

Human Rights

A

Basic rights to which all human beings are entitled.

There are two categories:

  • Civil and political rights
  • Economic, social and cultural rights
31
Q

SR Core Subjects 3/7

Labour Practices

A

Policies and practices relating to work performed within, by or on behalf of the organisation, including subcontracted work.

32
Q

SR Core Subjects 4/7

Environment / Environmental responsibility

A

An organisation should assume responsibility for the environmental impacts caused by its activities in rural and urban areas and the broader environment.

The company should act to improve its own performance and the performance of others within its sphere of influence.

33
Q

SR Core Subjects 5/7

Fair Operating Practices

A

Fair operating practices concern ethical conduct in an organization’s dealings with other organizations.

They also concern a way an organization uses its relationships with other organizations to promote positive outcomes.

34
Q

SR Core Subjects 6/7

Consumer issues

A

They’re related to marketing practices, protection of health and safety, sustainable consumption, dispute resolution and redress, data and privacy protection, access to essential products and services, addressing the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers and education.

35
Q

SR Core Subjects 7/7

Community Involvement and Development

A

Community involvement helps to strengthen civil society. Organizations that engage in a respectful manner with the community and its institutions reflect and reinforce democratic and civil values.

36
Q

Which methods of sustainability assessment in companies are there?

A
  • GRI
  • ISO 26000
  • Ecological footprint
37
Q

Dashboard of sustainability

A

Tool to analyze sustainability aspects (environmental, social and economic) in a country.

38
Q

Structure of GRI

A
  • GRI 101: Foundation
  • GRI 102: General disclosures, what needs to be reported
  • GRI 103: Management approach
  • GRI 200, 300, 400: specifications on which indicators have to be reported for each sustainability dimension

Sustainability Assessment - Summary I (5 decks)

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