FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

 

COMMUNITY BUSINESS AND CSR - 2005 & 2006

Community Business would like to wish our Corporate Citizens, subscribers and friends all the very best for Year of the Dog - Kung Hei Fat Choi!

We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Community Business events taking place over the next few weeks.  In this issue we cover:

1. COMMUNITY BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS 2005

2. COMMUNITY BUSINESS UPCOMING EVENTS

3. OTHER CSR EVENTS AND NEWS

COMMUNITY BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS 2005

2005 marked a year of significant growth for Community Business.   Our membership base grew by over 50% (see full list of members) and demand for our advisory and training services in our areas of work: CSR strategy, Corporate Community Investment and Diversity increased.

• Community Business Leadership Team
  The Community Business Leadership Team (CBLT) was established to provide corporate leadership with a platform to engage with one another, in confidence, on issues of CSR of mutual interest and concern.  The CBLT comprises of leadership from member organisations of Community Business that meet regularly to discuss CSR, its impact on their business and the need for joint action.
  
  The CBLT saw the resignation of the Chair, Phil Gaffney, Managing Director -  Operations & Business Development, MTR - as Phil retired from his post at the MTR to take up early retirement in Ireland .   The new Chair of the CBLT is Benjamin Hung, Chief Operating Officer of Standard Chartered Bank ( Hong Kong ) and the Deputy Chair, a position newly created, is held by Catherine Husted, Partner at Allen & Overy.  The Community Business Leadership Team currently comprises over twenty CEO's, COO's and MD's in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific.
  
  The CBLT developed the Hong Kong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Charter, with assistance from Community Business, which was launched in September 2005.  By signing this Charter, the signatories have publicly declared a shared commitment to corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong .  Hong Kong CSR Charter is open to all companies in Hong Kong , including non members of Community Business (see details).
  
  
• Major Community Business Projects
  2005 saw the launch of two Community Business publications Employee Volunteering: The Guide (in English and Chinese), sponsored by Allen & Overy and Women Leaders in Hong Kong: Insights into their workplace experiences, sponsored by BP.  Once again, with sponsorship and support from Credit Suisse, Community Business developed and managed the Race for Mentors project, where corporate volunteers mentor minority youth from Hong Kong .  The project has demonstrated that if undertaken strategically, volunteering can yield significant benefits to all parties. Credit Suisse has kindly agreed to sponsor the project for 2006 - for the third year running.
  
  This first Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Conference was hosted by Community Business and held in November 2005.  Over 250 delegates registered for this inaugural conference and the feedback from speakers and delegates alike was overwhelmingly positive with 100% of delegates rating the content of the conference as relevant and useful.  Community Business is grateful to its sponsors for their support, especially Platinum Sponsors BP and UBS.  Other sponsors included: Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, Shell, Unilever, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, St George's Harvey Nash, APCO Asia, Financial Times and Hewlett Packard.  Stay tuned for the Diversity & Inclusion in Asia 2007 Conference date!
  
  Community Business hosted a number of events as part of a CSR Seminar Series 2005 and spoke at over 20 other seminars, workshops and conferences in Hong Kong and the region including the United Nations Asia-Pacific Business Forum 2005.   We continued to be a supporting organisation for local and regional CSR initiatives including AIESEC - Winter National Conference 2005, ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards, Hong Kong Caring Company Awards, Asian CSR Awards and Forum, Women in Power 2005 and many others. In 2005, we were also delighted to jointly develop and run the Richard Ivey Business School MBA course on CSR.
  
  
• Community Business Expansion
  The Community Business team grew in 2005 with the addition of Katharine de Vaal, Development Manager and Kate Vernon, Projects Manager.   We are currently in recruiting mode and over the next few months hope to further increase our team size.  As such, we have had to move offices - the new Community Business office address is: 701 Cheungs Building, Wing Lok Street , Sheung Wan. A huge thank you to  Chris Lenz and the IGORS GROUP for providing us with rent free space for two years and to Civic Exchange for housing our registered offices address and providing us with assistance.

As we embark on the year of the Dog, we look forward to working with our Corporate Citizens, friends and supporters.  Ma y the New Year bring you much peace, prosperity and happiness.  Kung Hei Fat Choi!

With kind regards,
THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS TEAM

COMMUNITY BUSINESS UPCOMING EVENTS

• Launch of "Workplace Diversity in Asia : Pressing Issues and Barriers"
  Breakfast Seminar, 2 March, 08:00am to 09:30am, Main Dining Room, FCC, 
  Hong Kong
  Research based on a facilitated dialogue with over 120 individuals, this new report reveals the most pressing workplace diversity issues in Asia , the greatest barriers to addressing workplace diversity and steps companies can take to tackle these issues and barriers.  Target audience: Diversity and HR specialists. Deadline to register: 24 February 2006.  For more details and to register click here.
  
  
• Major Community Business Projects
  Evening Workshop, 3 April, 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Allen & Overy Office, 
  Three Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong
  Evening Workshop, 26 April, 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Allen & Overy Office,
  Three Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong
  Following the success of the Employee Volunteering Workshops in 2005, Community Business will host two workshops in April 2006.  These three hour workshops will teach participants how to develop an EV programme that meets the business priorities, reflects employees' interests and skills, and addresses community needs.  Participants will learn how to engage all levels of staff in volunteering, use EV to benefit the business and its staff, apply a simple seven step EV framework, and how to manage, organise and measure the impact of volunteer projects.  Target audience: HR, Corporate Communications and other executives. Deadline to register: 27 March and 19 April respectively. For more details and to register click here.

OTHER CSR EVENTS & NEWS

Community Business is a supporting organisation of the following events:  

• Sign up to the Hong Kong Corporate Social Responsibility Charter!
  NOW!
  Demonstrate your company's commitment to CSR in Hong Kong by signing up to the Hong Kong CSR Charter.  For more details visit http://www.communitybusiness.org.hk/CSR%20Charter.html or contact katharine@communitybusiness.org.hk.
  
  
• Caring Company Recognition Ceremony 2006
  13 February, 2:00pm to 5:30pm, Grand Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
  Learn which companies will be awarded with the Caring Company Logo 2006.  This event is by invitation only – please refer to the Hong Kong Council of Social Services for more details.
  
  
• Ethical Corporation's Asia CSR Conference: How to Manage Corporate Responsibility in Asia 2006
  2 day conference, 22-23 February, Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong
  This conference offers a unique opportunity to hear from Asia’s leading companies why corporate responsibility is essential to your business.  Topics to be covered include how to tackle bribery and corruption in the workplace, the business/NGO/government partnerships that succeed, best practice to tackle labour issues, what are effective measures of ROI, and much more.  For further details click here or visit www.ethicalcorp.com/asia2006.
  
  
• HSBC Living Business Awards -  "Sustainable growth through ethical sourcing: from China to the world"
  Seminar, 28 February, 3:00pm to 5:00pm, 13/F, Auditorium, HSBC Building,
  673 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Hong Kong
  Organised by HSBC, specialists at this seminar will provide participants with the latest information on the common standard for global ethical sourcing and the standard in mainland China.  Successful will companies will also share their experiences on ethical trade.  For more details and to register click here.
  
  
• ACCA Hong Kong Awards for Sustainability Reporting 2005
  Early May 2006, Hong Kong
  ACCA Awards around the world reward companies for excellence in environmental, social, and sustainability reporting.  The aims of these Awards are to give recognition to those organisations which report  and disclose environmental, social or full sustainability information, to encourage the uptake of environmental, social and sustainability reporting and to raise awareness of corporate transparency issues.  Closing date for applications is 10 February 2006.  For further details please contact Sulia Sin on 852 2524 4988 or email: sulia.sin@hk.accaglobal.com.
  
  
• Hong Kong Eco-Products Award 2006
  Award Ceremony tentatively scheduled for 4 July 2006, Hong Kong
  The Hong Kong Eco-Products Award is the only products-based programme of its kind in Hong Kong to promote environmental responsibility and to recognise visionary organisations that design and manufacture groundbreaking products that contribute to the environmental health and significant environmental improvements over comparable products in the market.  Deadline for Application: 13 April 2006.  For additional information please click here.
  
  
• The HSBC Living Business Awards 2006
  Award presentation scheduled for July 2006, Hong Kong
  The HSBC Living Business Awards is an annual scheme that recognises socially responsible SMEs in Hong Kong .  Participating in the HSBC Living Business Awards will demonstrate that your company is committed to the pursuit of excellence.  The awards will recognise your business as a leader among its peers, and your customers will be confident that they are dealing with a responsible business that is sensitive to the impact it has on people, the community and the environment.  Application deadline is 24 March 2006 and enquiries should be sent to the Business Environment Council: Tel: (852) 2784 3936 or email: livingbusiness@bec.org.hk
  
  
• Asian CSR Forum 2006 – save the date!
  26-27 September 2006, Manila
  The 2006 Asian CSR Forum aims to be the biggest and best ever.  Stay tuned for more details…