The private sector is often accused of not giving back to the society with respect to their corporate social responsibility. There is often a business interest that is attached to the same.
The 2017 edition of ‘India Sustainability Standards: International Dialogues and Conference’ started on a high note with experts coming together to deliberate on the case of Sustainability and the private sector.
S Sandilya, Chairman, Eicher Group defended the community, citing his own company’s example of running the schools build during the time of tractor business, which closed down years back. Despite the business shutting down, the company understands its responsibility towards the children.
“To assume that corporates have not done there a bit of responsibility, would be unfair. Corporates are responsible, but I will not say all. When the 2% mandate of CSR came in, a lot of corporates were unhappy. We need to realize that the responsibility task is huge for government to cater alone. There needs to be a joint effort,” said Sandilya.
He further elaborated on the four priority areas that corporates must focus on- Education, health and nutrition, skill development and environment.The three-day conference was opened on a high note by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu.
“The basic standards are something which in India needs to be promoted, in context to my ministry. But the idea of sustainability to be integrated into these standards will be welcomed. CRB has been doing excellent work for so many years and I look forward to suggestions,” said the minister.
The theme of the 2017 edition of the conference is ‘From Tragedies of the Commons to the Strategies for the Common’. It is imperative to appreciate the nature of the commons and the implications for sustainable and inclusive development.
Prof Dirk Matten, Director, Centre for Excellence in Responsible Business, Schulich School of Business, mentioned how the problem of sustainability cannot be solved by a single individual’s effort or rationality. He also cited how in the context of climate change, the failure of consensus takes place when one actor is more powerful than the other.
The inaugural session also saw the audience and experts deliberating on the participation of the young millennial force, especially for the environment. The buck is often passed by the corporates to the consumers for not demanding sustainability.
Speaking on the 2017 edition of the annual flagship conference, Dr Bimal Arora, Chairperson, CRB and Faculty, Aston Business School said how the challenges of achieving sustainability, both voluntary sustainability standards and collaborative sustainability initiatives has been increasing and it is important to have a collaborative dialogue between the countries.
“We have been meaning to mobilize the support of international standard setters towards broadening their focus from merely value and supply chains of international business in India to India as a whole. Also, as a consumer-driven nation, it is important to have international expertise in standard setting and collaborative initiatives for sustainability,” said Dr Arora. (Business World News)
