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Australian corporate social responsibility over 20 years: A timeline

24 June 2020 at 6:30 pm
Maggie Coggan

Corporate social responsibility has come a long way in the last 20 years. We take a look back through the Pro Bono News archives to re-examine some of the major moments that have defined the sector.

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Maggie Coggan | 24 June 2020 at 6:30 pm

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Corporate social responsibility has come a long way in the last 20 years. We take a look back through the Pro Bono News archives to re-examine some of the major moments that have defined the sector.

Cool Timeline

FTSE4Good launches a corporate ‘naughty and nice’ list.

Oct,2001

The global list ranks companies meeting its strict corporate social responsibility criteria.

Telstra releases its first corporate social responsibility report, analysing its impact, performance and future commitments to the community, environment, economy and industry.

Nov,2003

Australia’s first CSR index names Westpac most responsible company.

Sep,2004

The bank is ranked ahead of BP, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Toyota.

Nike becomes the first in its industry to voluntarily disclose the names and locations of its 700 factories around the world.

Apr,2005

The first survey on Australian corporate volunteering is released

Mar,2006

Corporate volunteering is regarded as “positive and worthwhile” for a company and its staff.

A newly-elected Labor government calls on corporates to try harder to meet sustainability targets.

Apr,2008

A federal senator says that CSR can no longer just be about philanthropy or charity, but has to become integral to the way that the corporate sector “does business”.

Results from the largest ever CSR survey predicts the sector will see a 20 per cent jump.

May,2009

Australia Cares, an organisation set up to boost corporate volunteering, closes its doors after five years.

Aug,2009

A new global CSR standard, ISO26000, is approved.

Sep,2010

The voluntary standard provides public and private organisations with a new paradigm to help them operate in a socially responsible way.

Westpac launches a mentoring program described as the next evolution of CSR in Australia.

Oct,2010

Research finds investors, employees and community organisations are concerned by over-positive sustainability reports from Australian companies.

Mar,2012

Shared Value grows in Australia

Nov,2012

The business strategy designed to solve social issues profitably gains traction with a number of Australian corporates.

A forum in Melbourne is told that CSR practitioners should be valued the same as those “bringing in the money”.

Feb,2013

Two Australian companies are among 99 organisations expelled by the UN Global Compact.

Jul,2013

Colorpak and Swan Services are among organisations shed by the worldwide CSR reporting program for failing to communicate on progress for at least two consecutive years.

The Governance Principles and Recommendations for ASX companies acknowledge social and environmental factors for the first time.

Sep,2013

Five Australian companies are named among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World at the World Economic Forum.

Jan,2014

Westpac, ANZ Banking Group, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Stockland and Wesfarmers all make the top 100.

Workplace giving increases seven-fold

Jul,2014

Businesses have reported dramatic participation increases in workplace giving as a result of engagement programs run as part of Workplace Giving Month.

Nestlé offers up a $500,000 prize for organisations addressing challenges in nutrition, water, or rural development using shared value.

Jan,2015

The Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility launches a legal challenge around the rights of shareholders to put resolutions to the AGMs of Australian companies.

Aug,2015

The Commonwealth Bank Australia is pushed into the spotlight over a shareholder resolution on climate risk.

A federal cabinet reshuffle is labelled a “new dawn” for CSR under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Sep,2015

Experts say there is potential for the new cabinet to further CSR objectives for the first time.

Inaugural Shared Value awards launch

Jul,2016

The awards recognise and highlight the growing number of corporations, NFPs and governments using the business strategy to solve social issues profitably.

The ninth annual review of the State of CSR in Australia and New Zealand is published.

May,2017

The study finds that over half of the respondents support mandatory sustainability reporting. Meanwhile, for the first time Australian banks have fallen off the list of top 10 CSR companies.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals positioned as the future of CSR.

Jun,2017

Experts say the goals provide a powerful framework for business to engage in corporate social responsibility.

Australia’s first federal Modern Slavery Act becomes law

Dec,2018

Under the new law, businesses with turnovers of more than $100 million must report action taken to stamp out modern slavery in their supply chains.

BHP calls for Aussie corporates to do more on climate change.

Jul,2019

BHP commits US$400 million (A$580 million) to develop technologies to cut emissions from its own operations and from the companies using its products such as coal, iron ore and gas.

Some of Australia’s largest companies are making community engagement a top priority in a bid to remain competitive, new data shows.

Aug,2019

A record breaking number of Woodside Petroleum’s shareholders vote in favour of the company setting new climate targets.

May,2020

Corporate activists say it’s an indication that Australian investors are waking up to the gas industry’s lack of action on climate change.

Shared value and CSR sector call on business to use COVID crises to create change.

Jun,2020

Experts say the current crisis is an opportunity for businesses and the whole of society to shift their thinking and demonstrate what change is possible.

For a deeper look at these key changes, you can check out our article examining how far corporate social responsibility has come since 2000 here.