Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility CSR

• What do "sustainability" and "corporate social responsibility CSR" mean for your company?
• What are the opportunities and risks for your company today and in the future?
• Which measures, methods and instruments bring you concrete benefits?
• Which "first steps" suit you and your organization?

My offers, if necessary in cooperation with network partners:

Sustainability consulting, CSR programs, conception, workshops, coaching, trainings, interactive lectures - also online.

Perhaps sustainability has almost become a "buzzword" today that we can't really hear anymore? Another trend that comes and goes again?

As an entrepreneur, company management, executive, it is important to take a close look: How does the issue of sustainability affect you and your organization?

In concrete terms, the following challenges are becoming increasingly apparent today

• environmental impact and climate change (costs, disruption to business, etc.),
• corresponding legal requirements, reporting obligations and personal liability risks (CSR-RUG, Supply Chain Act, EU regulations, etc.)
• Increasing inequalities with social tensions (internal to organizations, but also at the societal level, exemplified by the "yellow vest" protests in France)
• Digitalization and very dynamic market changes, not only due to the Corona crisis (new competitors, high investment costs, etc., new customer requirements).

The question of the sustainability of your business model, is ultimately how sustainable and resilient your company is in the face of these challenges and resistances.

The origin of the concept of sustainability from the forestry sector (Hans Carl von Carlowitz recommended a respectful and sustainable use of wood resources) should not limit your view too much as a company management or executive:

• Sustainability has not only a temporal dimension (future generations).
• Rather, sustainability means taking responsibility for as many impacts of your own actions as possible: economic, environmental, and social.

That is why I recommend that companies and organizations combine the concepts of sustainability with the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR and view them in an integrated way.

• How do you, as a company manager, executive or employee, live responsibility and fairness on a personal level in your everyday actions?
• What concrete measures do you take to ensure responsible and fair conduct throughout the entire company?
• How do you document and communicate your sustainable and responsible actions internally and externally?

The pressure to deal with these questions has increased significantly in recent years, both from employees and legislators as well as from customers or other so-called stakeholders. Yet these questions are not really new.

For example, the concept of the honorable businessman has been around for a long time. I recommend not being put off by the term, which may seem antiquated: The content of the statements and suggestions on the honorable businessman are more relevant today than ever before. As a company manager and executive, take advantage of the orientation and impact that you can develop as an honorable businessman or businesswoman!

It is becoming increasingly apparent today that responsibility and fairness are essential foundations of a sustainable business model and responsible corporate management. That is why the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR has been developed more and more maturely in recent years.

In Germany, the corresponding EU regulation was implemented by the CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG) of 2017.

Important: Even if your company or organization may not (yet) directly belong to the defined group of users, it is already becoming apparent that many (larger) customer companies are demanding a documented CSR strategy. As a company management, you should already prepare yourself professionally for this by taking appropriate measures.

I support you in the development of a sustainability strategy and the operative implementation in concrete CSR programs, if necessary also in cooperation with network partners.

Thereby we can fall back on a set of measures and methods.

As in other areas of management, it is advisable to start with a phase of strategic reflection in sustainability management, including an inventory of the current status quo. The following questions will help you here:

• What do you want to achieve as a company or organization with regard to sustainability and responsibility?
• What does your company already have in place?
• Which legal obligations are you already subject to today? What legal and market-related developments are foreseeable?

It is becoming apparent that in the topic area of sustainability and corporate social responsibility CSR, you will have an increasing area of legal requirements in addition to the free entrepreneurial scope. Sustainability reporting and the reporting obligations for more and more companies will become more extensive - whether this is desired by the company or not. This will create a need for action on the part of company management and executives.

Currently, this development - in addition to the CSR RUG - focuses particularly on the so-called "Due Diligence Act (Supply Chain Act)". Even if the exact content and the date of entry into force have not yet been conclusively clarified: As a company, you must be prepared to be able to show a strategy for responsible corporate governance in the future and guarantee careful implementation.

Development and subsequent operational implementation of your sustainability and CSR strategy

The development and subsequent operational implementation of your sustainability and CSR strategy can take place through the following measures and instruments, among others:

• e.g. the CheckN on the SDGs
• Values and meaning reflection   
• Business model reflection  
• ESD education for sustainable development
• Strengthening ethical competencies, e.g. fairness
• Common good accounting
• German Sustainability Code DNK

Please feel free to contact me. We will develop a sustainability strategy and an individual CSR program tailored to your needs.