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Corporate Social Responsibility in the spotlight at UEL/ICSA conference

Wednesday 23 April 2008

What will the new Mayor of London do to promote Corporate Social Responsibility in the City? What is the future direction for CSR and corporate governance, and how do CSR policies influence corporate reputations in the aftermath of the credit crunch?

The University of East London (UEL) Business School teamed up with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to run ‘CSR in London: getting it right’, a one-day conference for business leaders at the ICSA conference suite on Thursday 17 April.

Key speakers included Baroness Barker, Professor N. Craig Smith, Chair in Ethics and Social responsibility at INSEAD, Dr Richard Spencer, Sustainable Business Analyst at ICAEW,  Richard Vardy, Head of Corporate Social Investment at Investec plc; Professor Lizbeth Goodman, Director of the SMARTlab Digital media Institute at UEL, who works on CSR with Microsoft, Intel, HP and Lego, among others, and Naomi Kingsley, of London Rebuilding Society

Corporate Social Responsibility is now a legal duty for all companies in the UK. UEL, ICSA, ICAEW and RICS are running a series of events focusing on themes including innovation in CSR evaluation and reporting, how to get buy-in from boardroom level down, and quick wins for CSR beginners.

Mayoral candidates this week provided written responses to a survey on their plans for the future of CSR in London.

Conservative Boris Johnson said: “We need to make it easier for London's workforce to get involved in CSR by getting employers’ support.  We also need to make sure that those getting involved can see or are informed about the benefits of volunteering in this way. Once Londoners understand the impact they can make - whether it be reducing their companies CO2 emissions, or improving the literacy of local school children - they will be much more likely to get involved in CSR activities.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick said “We need to provide a framework through which those smaller companies who are willing and able to make a contribution to London's wider needs can more easily get involved, likely to be focused on skills and employment but also with more help for them to address broader issues such as climate change."

Green Party candidate Sian Berry said: "The Mayor's office should be at the forefront of promoting CSR, sustainability and social justice across the capital, and making London a leader in socially responsible practice."

Dr Hannah Simcoe-Read, programme and partnerships leader at UEL Business School, said: “The debate about CSR has shifted. It is no longer about whether to make substantial commitments to CSR, but how to achieve this. 

“Our series of one-day conferences aim to enable debate and knowledge exchange which can help participants develop and implement best practice. Industry experts will lead up-to-the-minute investigations of the ethical, social, environmental and financial aspects of CSR.”

For details, visit www.uel.ac.uk/csr.

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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