RIT Symposium Conclusions
May 28, 2008 by Brian Butler | Filed under: 1-In the host community, Overview
The general findings at the conclusion of the symposium workshops included the idea that CSR is a necessary pre-cursor to Corporate Citizenship. There was a consensus of opinon that sustainability creates a moral and ethical imperative in relation to the host community. Also discussed was the notion that in addition to the needs of future generations, there must be a concern for other group’s/company’s/individual’s needs in the present. Also, knowing the community and understanding how the community feels about your company is vital component to idea of Corporate Citizenship. Environmental managers must encourage their companies to go beyond compliance to help create a better community response.
It was agreed that in building trust between the company and the community, often times the environmental manager is the face of the company in the community; in this regard, the environmental manager’s role encompasses the fostering of trust by the community in the company. Transparency is important in this regard; reporting performance helps to strengthen trust with the community.
There was a common understanding that as the global reach expands, there is no “one-size-fits-all” for a company’s social behavior; companies and their environmental manager must get to know their communities!
As is the case with most of what we do, it is essential to ensure that internal controls are established to provide continuity in relations with the community for future environmental managers. Also, there needs to be good communications with employees concerning the company’s relationship with the community
