Responsibility to the Future｜The 17th International CSR Forum

source:goldencsr date:2022-07-29 11:40:55

2022 is a crucial year for the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and the year of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. 2022 is also an important year for China to embark on on a new journey towards the second centenary goal of fully building a modern socialist country.

Faced with the responsibilities, opportunities and challenges encountered on the new journey, how can enterprises respond to and realize sustainable development?

On July 21 and 22, 2022, the 17th International CSR Forum and Award Ceremony of 2022 GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll was held in Beijing. Representatives from all walks of life exchanged their thoughts and shared their actions on "Responsibility to the Future".

The forum was hosted by GoldenBee and China Sustainability Tribune, co-hosted by CSR Europe and Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC), and supported by CSR Center of Embassy of Sweden in Beijing, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, and the Awakening Future · Art for a Sustainable Future.

►The New Trend of Global CSR Reform Under the Great Changes

Due to the great changes unseen in a century and the challenges brought by global economic recovery, CSR is becoming an important contributor and path choice. Such a global consensus was conveyed in the forum.

Wang Yang, Deputy Director of Bureau of Social Responsibility pointed out in his opening address that at present, China has remained committed to the new development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, made steady efforts to implement China’s 30·60 Decarbonization Goal, and made continuous efforts to strengthen people-centered social governance, and played an emphasis on building a new development pattern, so as to accelerate the realization of high-quality development.

"In this era, it is imperative for enterprises to deeply practice social responsibility, which is an unavoidable historical responsibility," said Wang Yang.

Yin Gefei, Founder and Chief Expert of GoldenBee, Deputy Secretary-General of ISO 26000 Stakeholder Global Network (ISO 26000 SGN), believed that CSR has pointed out a new direction for enterprises to serve national strategies and social development, provided a new paradigm for enterprise management improvement, and also created three new mechanisms, namely, social responsibility supervision, ESG investment and financing, and sustainable consumption.

Mr. Lennart Nilsson, Counsellor of Economic and Trade Affairs, Embassy of Sweden in Beijing, put it that with the goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral OECD country by 2045, Sweden is committed to decoupling economic growth from its carbon footprint, and leveraging carbon tax policies to promote innovation and open up markets.

Jan Noterdaeme shares the "Fit for 55 by 2030" Initiative

Jan Noterdaeme, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of CSR Europe, shared the latest “Fit for 55 by 2030” Initiative adopted in Europe to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030, as well as a roadmap aimed at promoting a just transition.

One of the latest CSR actions in Japan introduced by Masao Seki

Masao Seki, Chairman of Steering Committee, Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC), introduced the latest actions such as sustainable financing carried out in Japan under the framework of Society 5.0 to promote SDGs.

Mark Gough, CEO of Capitals Coalition called to organize collaboration and integrate natural capital accounting into business decision-making to transform the economy.

The Capitals China Hub, announced at the forum, will strive to deepen Chinese enterprises and the society's understanding of capital methods, guide them to pay attention to the value of people and nature, and increase the application of capital methods in decision-making.

Launch of Capitals Coalition China Hub

►Chinese enterprises achieve steady and sustained development with SDGs

As China is the world's second largest economy and the largest consumer market, Chinese enterprises play an important role in promoting global sustainable development.

The forum showcased the innovative actions of a number of Chinese enterprises contributing to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Progress Report of GoldenBee Global CSR 2030 Initiative released by Han Bin, Executive Secretary General of Global Compact Network China, shows that since 2016, as an important action for China to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, GoldenBee Global CSR 2030 Initiative takes "common vision, responsibility competition, precise practice, cross-border cooperation, and shared value" as key words to fulfill social responsibility at a higher, broader and deeper level. Meanwhile, 38 initiative partners have made commitments to sustainable development and set a series of action goals.

Representatives of pioneering enterprises such as China National Nuclear Power CO., Ltd., State Grid, and Delta China shared their pioneering practices in biodiversity conservation, the integration of SDGs into corporate management practices, and ESG leadership building. China National Nuclear Power CO., Ltd., Zhonghe Group, and Perfect World Investment & Holding Group released the latest responsibility performance report, demonstrating their commitment and actions in social responsibility.

This forum also discussed the latest solutions to the challenges of sustainable development on topics such as building ESG leadership and corporate responsibility competitiveness under the guidance of the UN 2030 SDGs.

►52 companies are listed on 2022 GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll

This forum released the 2022 GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll.

52 enterprises stood out from more than 200 participating ones that fully displayed their demonstrating and leading role in fulfilling social responsibilities in terms of impact, ESG competitiveness and innovation. They were awarded such titles as Leading Enterprise, Pioneering Enterprise, and Carbon Peak & Neutrality Pioneer, and such praises as Sustainable Product & Service, Customer Focus, Innovative Public Benefit, Responsible Procurement, Responsible Finance, Employee Care, CSR Management, and New Nature Economy Exploration. At the same time, there were five enterprises newly shortlisted.

Since the release of GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll in 2008, over the past ten years, this activity has attracted more than 4,000 enterprises and organizations in total to seek enterprises like bee that operate responsibly and pursue sustainable development in China. So far, 441 bee-type enterprises, as representatives and symbols of the concept of sustainable development, have contributed their wisdom and solutions to sustainable development, and have also formed a collective image of responsible enterprises.

This forum was supported by the strategic cooperative media CRI Online and JRJ.com, and the sustainable companion gifts were provided by Yihai Kerry and China Shengmu Organic Milk Limited.

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