New Corporate Social Responsibility website encouraging responsible business practices
Minister Bruton – CSR can help to improve competitiveness and support the wider community
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., this week launched a new website, www.csrhub.ie, which provides advice and support for businesses and other organisations who are interested in learning more about Corporate Social Responsibility and implementing sustainable and responsible business practices.
The website is an initiative of the CSR Stakeholder Forum which Minister Bruton established last year to help progress the Government’s National Plan on CSR, “Good for Business, Good for the Community”. The launch was attended by the Chair of the CSR Stakeholder Forum, Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner of Deloitte, and other representatives from the Forum.
Speaking at the launch of www.csrhub.ie, Minister Bruton said:
“Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved significantly over the last decade and has become a key element in the competitiveness agenda. Increasingly, the manner in which companies engage with their customers, their suppliers, their workers, their physical environment and their local communities is a distinguishing feature of successful companies in Ireland and elsewhere.
“When making choices, consumers and prospective employees are more aware than ever of the record, reputation and trustworthiness of companies. For companies seeking to retain customers or attract key workers, CSR is no longer an optional “add-on”, but is becoming a necessary part of their mainstream operations. I would encourage everyone to check out www.csrhub.ie to become more informed about Corporate Social Responsibility.
“I want to thank Brendan Jennings and the members of the CSR Stakeholder Forum for their commitment to highlighting the important role that CSR can play in supporting companies and the communities in which they operate.
“The launch of the CSRHub is a key output of the Forum and will help to increase awareness of CSR and provide a resource to assist companies, regardless of their size, who want to learn more about CSR policies and practices.”
Brendan Jennings, Chair of the CSR Stakeholder Forum, said:
“One of the key objectives of the National Plan on CSR is to increase awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility and its benefits to business and wider society. To help achieve this goal, the CSR Stakeholder Forum has set up the CSRHub website. It is a communications tool which explains the benefits of engaging in CSR and acts as a signpost to all of the key CSR resources available in Ireland and at international level. The CSRHub will be of interest to companies, both large and small, who have an interest in introducing or implementing CSR practices.
“Small and medium sized enterprises make up the largest share of Ireland’s enterprise base and many of them are actively implementing CSR practices and making a difference to their local communities. I hope that the CSRHub will prove to be a useful support to them, and to others who want to learn more about getting involved in CSR.”
What is CSR?
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby enterprises integrate social and environmental concerns into their mainstream business operations on a voluntary basis.
CSR goes beyond compliance with legislative requirements. It is a process which maximises the creation of shared value through collaboration with all stakeholders and ensures that the interests of enterprises and interests of wider society are mutually supportive.
Further details regarding the National Plan on CSR, the key objectives set out in the Plan and the CSR Stakeholder Forum can be found on Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
