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Missing Voices: Green Business Leaders Discuss Representation at Rio+20

07 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in Capitalism 2.0, CSR, CSRwire, ESG

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asbc, b lab, Capitalism 2.0, CEO Network, Chantal Line Carpentier, CSR, CSRwire, ESG, green business, indigenous people, joe sibilia, peter strugatz, rio20, social entrepreneurship, Sustainability, sustainability, united nations


Co-written with Martha Shaw 

Nearly 100 sustainable business leaders crowded onto the 10th floor of the UN Church Center in New York City on
May 1st to join a conversation with Chantal Line Carpentier, Sustainable Development Officer and Major Groups Program Coordinator of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and other UN representatives.

The topic: To hear from the “missing voices” of over 200,000 entrepreneurs from organizations including the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), Social Venture Network, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), B Lab, CSRwire, Green America and ‘buy local’ green business networks.

The meeting was hosted by The Temple of Understanding, and organized by Martha Shaw, to explore ways that founders of socially and environmentally responsible ‘triple bottom line” businesses might bring their voices to Rio+20, and beyond.

“We Must Raise Our Voice Now”

David_Lavine_Missing_VoicesASBC’s David Levine started the conversation by stressing that the gathered entrepreneurs are conscious of their global counterparts who are also running businesses that presuppose green practices and help serve social needs while making money.

“Whether they are social enterprises, micro enterprises, women’s groups or development groups, they all carry the same sensibilities of a triple bottom line. They are finding a balance between profits, social and environmental goals,” he said. “This voice is missing in our country today because a monolithic voice led by multinationals dominates all dialogues.”

Levine ended by emphasizing that this is the opportunity for the entrepreneurs to market their leadership and present their pioneering work on a global stage as a way of creating shared value. “This voice is new and we must raise it,” he ended.

“Define Sustainable and Green Business”

Green Maps SystemGreen Map System‘s Wendy Brawer picked up where Levine left by adding that until we define what “sustainable business” means, creating this coherent voice will be hard.

Jumping into the dialogue, CSRwire CEO Joe Sibilia made it clear that “any business that integrates the human condition into its operations, whether you call it humanity or spirituality, is sustainable. These entrepreneurs are using business to create a values-driven and sustainable world,” he said. “Financial gains cannot be the only objective. It’s that simple.”

Eco-preneurs at Rio+20

Temple of Understanding’s Grove Harris interjected by adding that it is “practices like the ones Joe is highlighting that need to be voiced at Rio+20. It is important to bring these issues to the table by showing business practices that manifest in social value.” She also added that traditionally, non-governmental organizations have not proven sophisticated enough to support our future and voices. “We need business to be there.”

Joe_Sibilia_Missing_VoicesMore examples of mission-driven business enterprises solving many social and environmental problems, including the eradication of poverty, were offered, as was a comparison to the restraints of multinational corporations who are bound by law to act in the best interest of stockholder profits.

Though Sibilia, Harris, Brawer and B Lab’s Peter Strugatz offered several examples of supply chain relationships among green businesses and corporations going green, they also pointed out that many other models exist for ways the world can do business outside the restrictions of a corporation.

United Nations: Collaborate & Lead The Conversation

After hearing everyone out, Chantal Line Carpentier, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Officer and Major Groups Program Coordinator, took the floor to urge the attendees to work with the UN in representing their issues at Rio+20.

She also emphasized clarifying ambiguous language about sustainability and suggested that the sector come to an agreement on what “private public partnerships mean” and “how you can help influence policy and regulatory frameworks.”

“Consider this as a strong call for leadership. There is a lot of talk about business doing more but how? Show us, offer best practices, define CSR, and align practices with the United Nations Global Compact guidelines,” she said.

Carpentier also recommended that the entrepreneurs make an effort to demystify the language around lifecycles, supply chain analysis and sustainability.

Finally, Tess Mateo, an advisor to the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), pointed out that the Women, and Indigenous People Major Groups would be good allies and recommended that we remain cognizant of working together with the other enterprises in promoting our voice on the global stage.

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary sectionTalkback on May 2, 2012.

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Weaving Ethics & Accountability into Free Enterprise: Leadership in Crisis

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in Capitalism 2.0, CSRwire

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b lab, bcccc, Brand Management, Business Ethics, Capitalism 2.0, caux roundtable, common cause, corporate governance, Corporate Governance, CSR, CSRwire, Events, fiduciary responsibility, georgetown university, hershey, james nevels, Leadership, leadership, lucy marcus, Management, Sustainability, sustainability


“An entrepreneur is the engine of change. The dilemma: The glue that connects entrepreneurs, capital and the legal system.”

The real problem with companies today?

“A lack of purpose, intent and transparency.”

That’s how Erik Trojian, director of policy for nonprofit B Lab, opened his presentation at the recent seminar held jointly by Georgetown University, the Caux Round Table and the Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SBNOW).

The theme of the two-day seminar was weighty: Ethics, Leadership and Sustainability – to explore how the capitalist spirit of free enterprise and social entrepreneurship can help transform economic systems and promote social justice, basic rights, and human freedom around the world.

Common among the presentations of the day was a repeated emphasis on corporate governance, beginning with Trojian.

Modern Capitalism & Benefit Corporations

Trojian and his team are on a mission: To get all 50 states of the United States of America to sign the benefit corporation legislation into law. So far, they have succeeded in seven states.

He explained their goal:

“Modern capitalism began at a particular point of time in a certain type of culture. Somewhere in the 1960s, values began to shift and outcomes began to change. We want corporations to have an alternative form of operation that predicates protecting a business’ social and environmental communities.”

After a powerful presentation on the what, how and why(s) of the benefit corporation – a subject that has been covered quite comprehensively by CSRwire in recent weeks – Roderick M. Hills, Sr., former chair of the SEC and cofounder and chair of the Hills Program on Governance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies took the podium.

“Fixing” Bad Corporate Governance

“The Securities Exchange Commission [SEC] was set up to have more finite control of corporations’ governance. Auditors were expected to act on all suspicions. We convinced the New York Stock Exchange to address disclosure and transparency,” he started.

The next antidote according to Hill: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

“The Act’s real problem was its uncertainty. They don’t want to deal with figuring out what is a crime and what isn’t resulting in people doing whatever they want to do. Plus the Act was not valid outside the geographic boundaries of the U.S. The rest of the world has no incentive to use this,” he said.

Aligning Board Service with Governance: A Conversation with Lucy Marcus

What’s really wrong with most corporation’ boards set up and governance standards according to him? His concerns were multifold so I turned to Lucy Marcus, renowned corporate governance expert, CEO of Marcus Consulting Ventures and Reuters columnist for some answers:

1. Too Much Agreement in the Boardroom

“There are too many directors today who would rather quit than disagree.”

Lucy: Asking the hard questions in the board room is essential, and also being willing to be persistent in the pursuit of the best outcome for the company and stakeholders is essential. Those are the kind of independent directors we want in the boardroom.

Anyone who is not willing to operate in this new reality doesn’t belong in the boardroom, and as we develop & educate new directors they need to know that this is what shall be expected of them.

2. The Fiduciary Responsibility of Directors

“There is a paradox in the country. Independent director doesn’t equal independence today. Every director has a preset job description regardless of who he represents/brings to the board.”

As directors it is vital that we understand going into the post what our job is inside and outside of the boardroom, what skills and knowledge we bring to the table, and also that we also operate beyond those strict skills we bring to also be able to synthesize data quickly and to make decisions in a well-informed and responsible manner.

3. Mandatory Retirement

“The mandatory rotational retirement is a terrible idea. There is no auditory protocol built-in and it gives directors too short a time to compel change, set standards, make a difference.”

I believe strongly in term limits. Best practice, as set out in the U.K., is several terms that add up to 9 years, and I think this is correct.

There is no way that someone can maintain their independence for much longer than that, and if the board room is to remain a place for dynamic discussion, it is incumbent upon boards to continually refresh themselves so that the people around the table bring a balance of continuity and change and the company is able to keep its finger on the pulse of changing agenda items, be it corporate social responsibility, technology, or anything else that is relevant to continued strength, growth and wellbeing of the organization.

If Capitalism Isn’t Bad, Are Capitalists?

Despite the somber notes, Bob Edgar, president and CEO of Common Cause, perhaps encapsulated the day – and our present crises – most succinctly with one question:

“Is it appropriate for [a form of] capitalism to exist that leads to unemployment, slavery and excess profits above all else?”

Readers: It’s your turn to participate in this dialogue and become the change makers you seek from our leaders. How are you solving ethical dilemmas between personal values and professional responsibilities?

As Chairman of the Hershey Company James Nevels put it recently at the BCCCC conference, “CSR above all begins and ends with personal responsibility.”

How do you define personal responsibility – and extend that to corporate responsibility?

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary sectionTalkback on April 4, 2012.

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