CSR National Summit

The UK has recently legislated for compulsory non-financial reporting. Will Australia be next? With two parliamentary inquiries into CSR currently being conducted at present, experts says there’s never been a better time to learn from the UK what CSR is and how to benefit from it!

Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer something business can safely put on the backburner according to Heather Ridout the CEO of the Australian Industry Group and supporter of Australia’s inaugural CSR Summit in November.

She says it is becoming recognised as an important driver of innovation, a new way to get into fresh markets, a means for companies to differentiate themselves and can be significant in attracting investment.

The 2005 CSR Summit is Australia’s first international major forum that brings media, government, business and community together to explore and showcase the World Economic Forum and Business in the Community (UK) compelling arguments for Corporate Social Responsibility.

These arguments include:

– Ability to attract, motivate and retain talented employees

– Effectiveness at learning and innovation in complex and dynamic Environments

– Investor relations and access to capital (especially the growing socially responsible investment community)

– Competitiveness, customer loyalty and market positioning

– Operational efficiency and improved product development

– Ability to influence regulation, public opinion and confidence

– Reputation and brand equity

– Risk profile and risk management

50 specialist speakers from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia will demonstrate how and why CSR is the new business driver for success through 3 days of presentations, case studies and workshops November 30 – December 2 at the new Hilton Sydney.

Ridout says that in Australia today, more than 40 or so companies have seriously begun the journey to integrate CSR and sustainability strategies into their core business practices. They report into a range of benchmarks including the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), Corporate Responsibility Index or the Dow Jones Sustainability Index to obtain a view on how they can improve their triple bottom line.

British Telecom believes that the reputation it has gained as a result of its CSR activities is maintaining and building market share in a competitive market. It estimates that CSR accounts for over 25 per cent of image and reputation impact on consumer satisfaction.

Helen Ridout says that with the joint parliamentary inquiry on CSR and non-financial reporting presenting to Parliament on Tuesday November 29 (the day prior to the Summit), there’s never been a better time to understand CSR, how to report and the many benefits a CSR framework can bring.

Attend in person, join in the webcast or buy the Summit DVD. Ref: http://www.csrsummit.com for the full program of events and registration details.

Alternatively email mailto:info@csrsummit.com or call 03 9876 7073 / 0419 798 104 for more information.

Multiple registration rates apply. Early bird closes Friday September 30.