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The “Responsible Business in Poland. Good practices”, an annual report published by the Responsible Business Forum, is Poland’s largest overview of CSR & sustainability initiatives. The 20th edition presents 1,677 actions taken by 283 organisations. Among other insights, the analysis of the initiatives shows that there are growing social expectations concerning corporate responsibility for impact on the community and environment.
The publication premiered on May 25, at the 9th CSR Marketplace – Poland’s largest cyclical CSR event. A video recording of the launch is available here »
The activities presented in the publication are also accessible online at odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/dobre-praktyki/
A number of changes were introduced by the Responsible Business Forum in the anniversary edition of the report. A decision was made not to include any strictly action-related initiatives without underlying strategic activities, or any practice lacking the feature of innovation. In addition, like in the previous year’s report, the RBF set a limit of ten new practices which may be notified by each organisation. This time, the limit was also applied to long-term practices. The purpose of these changes was to encourage businesses to focus on notifying CSR activities which bring a new quality.
The publication presented 1,677 good practices notified by nearly 300 companies. This marks an increase by nearly 25 percent in relation to the previous year and a record in the history of the publication. The growth rate is even larger for the SME sector. Here, good practices were notified by more than 80 micro-, small and medium enterprises. This represents a 40 percent increase compared to 2020.
– We are happy to see that there is more and more interest in the report and readiness among companies to share their good practices in the area of sustainability. This means more inspiration for everyone to act and cooperate, and a better insight about responsible business in Poland – says Marzena Strzelczak, President & General Director of the Responsible Business Forum.
Traditionally, the publication is centered on ISO 26000 standard, which provides a basis for the classification of CSR initiatives. The activities presented in the RBF’s report are grouped on the basis of this standard. The summary below provides figures for practices in the respective areas with brief comments.
Community involvement and development (544 good practices)
The most popular category in this area was “Charity & philanthropy”. There has been a significant growth in the “Sustainable cities” category, which had the highest representation of good practices of all editions of the report.
Labour practices (420)
Nearly one-fifth of all practices notified for this area concerned the mental and physical health of employees and their families. Practices notified in the well-being area included webinars, training events and presentations, e.g. on healthy lifestyle.
Environment (395)
Traditionally, environmental education practices represented the most voluminous group in this category. Many of those involved field activities, such as clean-ups in the neighborhood or national parks, whereby theory was combined with practice. It should also be emphasized that, in spite of the limits introduced in this area by the publisher in relation to the last year’s edition, the total number of good practices grew by one-fourth. There are a number of interesting trends, notably, the measures which resulted from companies’ commitments under their long-term strategies, such as carbon neutrality. It is also clear from the reading of the report that the need to address the biodiversity crisis is one of the major challenges faced by the business.
Human rights (102)
For this area, the highest number of practices were notified in the “Women in business” category. The purpose of such practices is to support women in their career decisions, inspire their development and support gender equality in the workplace. The “Policies & procedures” category shows that diversity management and the creation of an inclusive workplace become more and more important. Many organisations decided to formalize their diversity & inclusion principles and emphasize their commitment, e.g. by signing the Diversity Charter.
Organisational governance (80)
In this area, most practices were management-oriented; the companies’ main focus was on developing strategies in fields such as climate, CSR, ESG or responsible business. These topics also evolve towards the creation of new functions and teams responsible for the implementation of objectives laid down in strategic documents. Certification-related aspects in the sustainable development area were also important.
Consumer issues (71)
“Health and safety” was the most represented category in this area, with similar figures for “Educational measures”, which might be further sub-divided into: savings and home budget management, proper nutrition and meal planning, safe and responsible use of modern technologies, proper handling of waste electrical and electronic equipment, and responsible consumption.
Fair operating practices (65)
Most practices in this area focused on market education. The second most-represented category were practices addressing supplier and stakeholder relations. Only one entity notified an abuse-prevention project, which shows that this area has a significant growth potential.
For the sixth time in a row, the RBF’s report groups good practices in terms of the implementation of the respective UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Just like in the last year’s edition, most initiatives address Goal 3. – Good health and well-being (519 practices) and Goal 4. – Quality education (410 practices). Again, the least-represented were Goal 14. – Life below water (20 practices) and Goal 2. – Zero hunger (25 practices). For an overview of all measures, sub-divided into the respective SDGs, you may also visit the online database: https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/dobre-praktyki/
As in the previous years, the report included an overview compiled by the RBF team, showing all major CSR events in Poland and listing important Polish and international CSR publications, research and press articles.
As an integral part of each edition, the report also features experts’ articles on key CSR trends. This year’s report includes the following contributions:
The latest “Responsible Business in Poland. Good practices” report had its premiere on May 25 during the 9th CSR Marketplace at EXPO XXI center in Warsaw. The CSR Marketplace is Poland’s largest CSR event, hosted every two years by the Responsible Business Forum. The purpose of the event is to present activities and practices of socially responsible organizations, and to provide a platform for discussion on major social and economic trends and challenges.
The “Responsible Business in Poland. Good practices” report is the most important cyclical publication by the Responsible Business Forum, published since 2002. The report features an overview of measures taken by companies which reported their CSR activities and summarises key aspects of responsible business in Poland in a specific year. The introductory section presents experts’ articles and comments. An overview of a selection of press articles and a timetable of CSR events are also a permanent feature of the publication. Previous editions are available here »
All practices from the respective editions of the report are available here »