In China CSR on China Success Stories we feature news on Chinese Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility in China. The headlines and introductions to the posts are aggregated from feeds broadcast by quality China CSR sites, which you can visit directly through the respective authors.
Texas Instruments issues its 2007 Corporate Citizenship Report PR Newswire (press release), NY - TI provided more than $9.4 million in grants to education research and programs in 2007 and expanded our university program with new partnerships in China ... |
New issue of Journal of Business Ethics (volume 82, number 1) csr-news.net (Pressemitteilung), Germany - A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Deliberative Reasoning of Canadian and Chinese Accounting Students, by Ge, L. and Thomas, S., in: Journal of Business ... |
Factory and labor conditions have been a hot topic in China for a while. It peaked last summer when product safety recalls focused the spotlight on China, and the recent implementation of the labor law has looked to push reforms into the system that protect industry.
Labor conditions and code of conduct have traditionally been a black hole for CSR reporting. Companies rarely highlight the fact that they have problems proactively, and if these issues are reported on it is because someone was caught doing something wrong.
So, when I was passed a link to the Project Kaleidescope report, I was intrigued as it was a chance to learn about these issues as the ongoing process they are, rather than as a moment in crisis. A partnership between McDonald’s, Disney, and Domini Social Investments, it follows a topic that has received a lot of attention over the last year in China:
Project Kaleidoscope was a collaborative effort initiated and guided by a multi-stakeholder Working Group consisting of representatives of the McDonald’s Corporation and The Walt Disney Company and other organizations that work on international labor issues. We, the Working Group, sought to improve working conditions in facilities that produce products for corporate supply chains. We believe this is not only a worthwhile objective in and of itself, but also a way to help protect against reputational risk and to enhance long-term shareholder value.
At 56 pages, this report offers a very comprehensive look into a process where real collaboration can occur. It is the best document I have seen to date on the issues, and how to proactively address them through a collaborative process.
So, if you are CSR manager, a purchasing manager, a risk analyst, HR specialist, etc I suggest you read this. These problems are not the problems or the responsibilities of a single department, so make sure that oyu read this and review it together.
A new study at IDS is looking at China’s private sector investment in Africa and assessing its significance. Questions looked at include the extent to which this investment is based on business logic and how far is it promoted by the Chinese Government as part of its broader relationship with Africa? And, as Chinese firms are positive about prospects in Africa and willing to make investments, what does this tell us about their perceptions of the investment climate in particular Africa countries?
The study’s objective is to contribute to development in Africa - it will contribute to the capacity of African governments to enable more effective promotion and management of investment inflows from China, particularly with respect to local capacity building and technology transfers.
Collaboration with Chinese partners
In a collaborative effort with researchers from the China-Africa Business Council (CABC) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), an extensive survey of senior corporate attitudes was undertaken with in-depth interviews conducted with Chinese business, Chinese Embassy officials in Africa and UNDP representatives in Ghana, Nigeria and Madagascar. In these interviews, a range of issues were discussed such as China and development policy, the implementation of the Chinese government’s ‘Going Global’ policy, the motivation to invest in Africa and the pull and push factors affecting Chinese business decisions to invest.
Read some more here, though the research is not complete yet. There are plenty of other studies being undertaken right now about China in Africa..some looking at economic impacts, some social impacts, some political impacts…and more besides; all make for interesting reading for those trying to work out whether the title of this post is good or bad for Africa.
Illustration via Beijing Olympic Games Web site
Read the original press release here.
The Beijing Olympic Village is the first Olympic Village to achieve certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system. The 42 buildings that housed 17,000 athletes from around the world earned a Gold rating, one step below the highest Platinum rating. The residential complex is one of only eight developments like it worldwide, and being in Beijing, it’s the first international project of its kind.
The residential area comprises 22 six-storey buildings and 20 nine-storey buildings of the same style, covering an area of 370,000 square meters. It is the latest example of USGBC’s commitment to engaging the people of China in its vision of buildings and communities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.
The LEED for Neighborhood Development is in its initial pilot phase and integrates the principles of smart growth, New Urbanism, and green building into a comprehensive system for neighborhood design.
“The world’s most pressing issues – including climate change, habitat destruction, water and energy shortages, human health, and social inequities – require global cooperation to solve,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, and founding chair of USGBC. “The Olympic Games represent the exciting possibilities that emerge when the world comes together. The commitment of the Olympic Village, demonstrated through its success in the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program, is an important part of that effort. It sets an inspiring example while the world is watching, and the real, measurable environmental and health effects will be a real benefit to the people of Beijing for years to come.”
The effort started four years ago in 2004, when the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology developed a “Protocol for Cooperation in Clean Energy Technologies for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.” The Protocol resulted in plans to seek LEED certification for the Olympic Village.
“China’s growing population, its emerging economy and the opportunities and challenges it represents ensure that China will play a key role in the future of our planet,” Fedrizzi said. “The fact that one of the world’s first LEED for Neighborhood Development-certified plans is a cause for great optimism that China’s growth in the coming years can be a model of sustainable development.”
Official details of the village were very…detailed. “To ensure the athletes’ sweet sleep, each bed has been designed to be 2.2 meters long, and a special stool will be added to the end of the bed for giants like Yao Ming, whose body length is 2.26 meters.”
Image via Beijiing Olympic Games Web site
I’m very shocked that the world’s first green Olympic Village hasn’t been reported more. Here in Beijing, I’ve had the TV on constantly for the past 16 days and haven’t heard a peep about it.
Anybody hear about this in the rest of the world?
It’s another example of a country that has paid attention to all the important details needed for a successful Games.
