International CSR organisations meet in Poland to discuss the future of responsible business

7 listopada 2018

Dotyczy firmy: Grupa VIVE,

On 18-19 October 2018, representatives of CSR Europe member organisations met in Warsaw to discuss the development of responsible business practices, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as its action plan and cooperation strategy. This was the second meeting in Poland co-hosted by the Responsible Business Forum.

The National Partners Organisations’ meetings are typically held once every six months. Each meeting of CSR Europe, the leading European Business Network for Corporate Social Responsibility, is hosted by one of its national partners. This year, Poland was chosen as the host country, for the second time in the history of CSR Europe’s meetings (the first time was in 2011). The event was co-hosted by the Responsible Business Forum and partnered with VIVE Textile Recycling.

– We had the pleasure to host representatives of CSR organisations from across Europe. For the Responsible Business Forum, this is a unique event and an expression of our commitment to continued efforts to support corporate social responsibility, not only at national level but on a European scale – says Marzena Strzelczak, General Director of the Responsible Business Forum.A recurring conclusion during the national CSR Europe partners’ meeting was that sustainability and CSR require leadership, cooperation, engagement and knowledge – she adds.

The CSR Europe Meeting was held at the Warsaw Trade Tower in Warsaw, Poland on 18-19 October 2018. The two-day session included a review of and a consultation on CSR Europe’s strategy. Designed to run until 2030, the action plan largely focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). CSR Europe and the members of the National Partner Organisations support the implementation of the goals described in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. One of the aims of the Warsaw meeting was to define key activities to help this process along.

– CSR Europe is delighted to bring together 24 of its National Partners from all over Europe to agree on concrete next steps for designing impactful SDG Leadership Platforms, with a focus on quality education and decent work, circular economy and sustainable supply chains, and reduced inequalities. As part of CSR Europe’s future direction, the focus will be on working together to build capacity of the National Partners to increase impact on the Sustainable Development Goals – says Hans Daems, Group Public Affairs Officer Hitachi Europe Chair of the Board, CSR Europe.

In addition to representatives of the CSR Europe member organisations, partners of the Responsible Business Forum were also invited to participate in the event. The SDG Masterclass was an opportunity for them to share practices and experiences. Orange Polska and VIVE Textile Recycling presented their CSR practices as a case study.

VIVE Textile Recycling came onboard as a partner of the CSR Europe’s meeting. Its business model is based on the circular economy concept. The company’s objective is to maximise the use of recycled textiles to give them a new life.

– It was with great pleasure that we accepted the invitation of the Responsible Business Forum to participate in CSR Europe’s NPO Meeting. The meeting’s partner, VIVE Textile Recycling, is especially committed to sharing the best practices. Recycling textiles is part of our corporate DNA. Our ambition is to ensure that all textiles are reused or repurposed. One of our key activities is informing the general public about the ways of handling textiles in the circular economy. This is a critical topic in Europe and was also discussed at the NPO Meeting. Clearly, it’s a very important part of the debate on corporate social responsibility. We became a partner of the CSR Europe meeting in Poland to share the best practices and to learn from the best – says Ewelina Rozpara, Spokesperson at the VIVE Group.

Accompanying event

The event was accompanied by the CSR Report Competition award ceremony. This was already the 12th edition of the Competition that seeks to reward the best reports on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. It is organised by the Responsible Business Forum in Poland and Deloitte.

The awards and recognitions were given in eight categories. The main category winners were Orange Polska and Cyfrowy Polsat. Other awards and honourable mentions were given to Kompania Piwowarska, LPP, Fabryka Farb i Lakierów Śnieżka, ING Bank Śląski, MPWiK S.A. in Wrocław, The Dr Piotr Janaszek PODAJ DALEJ Foundation, and Fundacja Hospicjum Onkologiczne św. Krzysztofa (The Saint Christopher Cancer Hospice Foundation).

For more information about the competition, please visit raportyspoleczne.pl.

About RBF in Poland

The Responsible Business Forum is the largest NGO in Poland addressing the concept of corporate social responsibility in a comprehensive manner, with the longest tradition in Poland, operating since 2000. The Forum is a think-and-do-tank that initiates and partners in key activities for the Polish CSR. We inspire business that changes the world and we connect people who change the business. We are committed to sustainable development. www.responsiblebusiness.pl

About CSR Europe

CSR Europe is the leading European business network for Corporate Social Responsibility. Through our network of 46 corporate members and 41 National CSR organisations, we gather over 10,000 companies, and act as a united platform for those businesses looking to enhance sustainable growth and positively contribute to society. In our mission to bring the sustainability agenda forward, we at CSR Europe go beyond European borders and cooperate with CSR organisations in other regions across the world. CSR Europe is the European hub incubating multi-stakeholder initiatives that tackle the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. www.csreurope.org.