RIT 2009 Symposium Workshop Summary: EM Role in the Host Community
May 20, 2009 by Brian Butler | Filed under: In the host community [1, 4]
The role of the environmental manager in the host community initiated a discussion about business. Everyone agreed that MNC’s have an obligation to work to the highest regulatory standard regardless of where they operate. A company’s financial stability is tied into social stability and environmental stability and therefore the business of business in no longer just about business! Corporate citizenship is legally recognized and global corporations have many communities to which they are responsible to. The use of community advisory panels has proven to be a very useful tool for chemical companies. This forum allows open communication with the host community and must be authentic. This can even serve as a buffer at countering inaccurate information or slander since the local community will already be informed and not easily provoked by scare tactics. Still, there are several companies that resist such engagement with their host community. Some of the reasons discussed included legacy problems, a perception that the community will not be able to understand the complexity of the situation and over react and a general feeling that what they don’t know won’t hurt them. This non-disclosure has typically resulted in undermining the community’s trust in the company. Honesty is still the best policy.
Other factors to be considered with the host community include the size of the company relative to the size of the host community, Government officials wearing multiple hats in the community, and local infrastructure. Foreign government corruption can be an obstacle towards achieving corporate sustainability goals and the environmental manager will need to have support from their leadership to be effective. Government political agendas can drive wide swings in programs and initiatives. The EM can be the mediating factor here. But how much more can the EM role take on beyond regulatory compliance, consolidation and volunteer activities?