Calls to boost sustainable environment

Calls to boost sustainable environment

By PAMELA CHEW


MULTINATIONAL corporations (MNCs) are stepping up a campaign to promote environmental sustainability. Representatives of about 100 organisations attended a forum yesterday that showcased what companies in Singapore are doing to become more environmentally responsible.

Ms Chiang: Mitigate climate change by adopting integrated measures to provide a global public good
The Shell-SIIA forum - initiated by the Singapore Institute for International Affairs (SIIA) and co-organised with Shell Singapore and Singapore Compact for corporate social responsibility (CSR) - showcased firms that have developed and adopted CSR policies and practices to help the environment.

The Singapore Compact is a national society that supports the CSR movement, with over 150 members ranging from unions to non-governmental organisations.

Addressing the forum, Singapore Compact president Claire Chiang urged companies to commit to CSR, saying: 'Climate change mitigation is about adopting integrated measures to provide a global public good.'

It is important for Singapore businesses to get involved directly as 'we cannot outsource responsibility', she said. The onus is on businesses to start the ball rolling as 'businesses thrive when society thrives and hence they have to do it first'.

Shell Singapore chairman Lee Tzu Yang outlined the oil company's CSR approach for sustainable development at the forum.

'Shell has long been committed to strong corporate social responsibility' resulting in 'reduced business risks, greater value for its shareholders and a stronger framework for sustainable business success', he said.

ABN-Amro managing director and South-east Asia CEO David Wong said banks 'need to stay relevant and deliver what clients want'.

Sustainable banking for ABN-Amro includes 'respecting our planet' as 'green' concerns become a top priority for MNCs, he said. The bank's CSR approach includes providing responsible financial services and supporting local communities. 'We have said 'no' to clients we deemed unacceptable (in terms of environmental, social and ethical risk),' Mr Wong said.

Shell's Mr Lee said that achieving sustainability through CSR does not mean compromising economic development: 'It is about managing human impact and not about avoiding human impact.'

During a Q&A session, Ms Chiang said she is aware of companies that use CSR as a convenient marketing tool.

And for cynics who feel CSR is nothing more than an opportunity for public relations, she quipped: 'No company can survive on just looking good.'

Mr Lee said: 'The objective should be embedding CSR in businesses - not seeing it as a separate entity.'