CSR begins to take solid shape
By Ding Qingfen and Selina Lo (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-27 10:44 Corporate social
responsibility, or CSR, is creating a buzz in China's business world like never
before. From NGOs to government institutions to the private sector, everyone's
talking about it.
At the 27th China Daily CEO Roundtable luncheon "Corporate social
responsibility and innovation," held at the InterContinental Financial Street
Beijing Hotel on Wednesday, over 40 CEOs and senior executives from Fortune 500
companies explored its most effective applications for businesses and its
implications for China.
Creating a harmonious society was recognized by delegates as a driving force
behind the growth of CSR. First put forward during the Fourth Plenary Session of
the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in September
2004, it was not until last month during the sixth plenary session that the
authorities put "creating a harmonious society" in a more prominent position by
providing specific principles, rules and regulations of what a harmonious
society should be.
"Just two years ago, no one was talking about CSR, but now government and
business leaders are seriously looking at it," said William Valentino, general
manager of Corporate Communications, Greater China,Bayer (China) Ltd and
honorary chairman of the CEO Roundtable. "The concept of a harmonious society is
really China's rephrasing of the concept of CSR, sustainable development and
human rights in China."
As outlined in the draft of the Resolutions of the CPC Central Committee on
Major Issues Regarding the Building of a Harmonious Socialist Society, there are
still many problems in China that are detrimental to social harmony. These
problems were acknowledged by the roundtable delegates, including the widening
gap between urban and rural areas, public healthcare, employment and education
systems, environmental pollution, immature laws and regulations, and corruption.
"Look at China. Its social and environmental burdens outweigh its rapid economic
growth in the last 25 years," said Valentino. "The burden is so great that
economic development will stop somewhere if we do not try to do something about
it," he added.
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