Responsible Business Forum

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.

The Forum’s mission: We inspire business that changes the world and provide a meeting place for people who change business. We promote sustainable development.

To achieve these goals, we focus our activity on:

• helping businesses develop their social responsibility,
• building businesses coalition that focuses on solving social problems,
• creating a forum where managers, the state administration and nongovernmental organizations can exchange information on CSR,
• promotes corporate social responsibility solutions adequete to the needs and capabilities of companies in Poland,

Responsible business means:

1. Strategy of management that helps to reduce the risk and maximise the chance of company’s prosperity in long term.
2. Competency of managing the company in a way that enlarges its positive impact on the society and lower the negative aspect of business activities.
3. The way in which company treats its stakeholders: clients and business partners, employees and local community.

Forum co-operates with international organizations: CSR Europe, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Global Reporting Initiative, Business in the Community, and CSR 360 Global Partner Network.

Main Initiatives

Partnership Programme

Complex programme of cooperation with companies which, through their commitment and actions, contribute to the popularisation of the idea of CSR in Poland. The programme has been running for over 15 years and has included over 100 companies.

Strategic Partners – companies which have considerable achievements in terms of responsible business, want to share their experiences as well as to support the development of the idea of CSR in the long term as well as to develop their activities related to this domain.

In order to apply for participation in the programme, a company has to complete a form in which describes its actions related to CSR. On this basis, the Board of FOB decides whether to accept the company as a partner. Finally, consultations are conducted with current Strategic Partners. They have the right to object to the Board’s decision.

Through the Partnership Program, RBF cooperates with companies – business leaders in Poland, committed to the promotion of responsible business through their policies and activities.

Strategic Partners have the opportunity to participate in the following events: meetings (with an expert, thematic meetings), invitations to participate in debates as experts, CSR Leaders Club, CSR in practice, business breakfast, training courses and webinars, reports, surveys, newsletters.

Diversity Charter in Poland

By signing the Diversity Charter (Karta Różnorodności), a company commits to non-discrimination in the workplace and to introducing policies that create and promote diversity.In Poland, the Charter is coordinated exclusively by RBF and held under the auspices of the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment, the Human Rights Defender and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy The Charter is promoted by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Justice) at the pan-EU level

7 thousand signatories in 14 countries so far, over 100 signatories in Poland www.diversitycharter.pl Diversity Unites Us – Guide to the Diversity Charter

Responsible Business League (Liga Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu)

League is an education program delivered by RBF in partnership with business; a network of student organizations promoting CSR in their local academic, business and government environments.  More: http://lob.org.pl/about-lob/

„Responsible business in Poland. Good Practices”

The report entitled ‘Responsible Business in Poland. Best Practices’ is a cyclical publication prepared by the Responsible Business Forum. It is a collection of companies’ CSR activities undertaken in a particular year. In this way, the RBF helps to create the largest overview of CSR activities in Poland (the most recent edition brings nearly 700 practices). The practices described in the Report represent a unique picture of CSR practices undertaken by companies operating in Poland. The Report also brings expert commentaries, media analysis and a calendar of events. The Report is a source of inspiration for those who start their activity and seek new solutions. The first edition of the Report was published in 2002. 13TH EDITION OF THE REPORT ENTITLED ‘RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS IN POLAND. BEST PRACTICES’ 

„People who changed business” Award

The first award in Poland for specific business actions undertaken to contribute to socio-economic and environmental change and to implement responsible business standards. Eligibility extends to anyone who manages CSR projects on a daily basis, to originators of particularly important initiatives, to representatives of state and local administration, market regulators and NGOs. The jury includes experts in various fields.

Panel on Corporate Social Responsibility operating at the Ministry of Economy

RBF is involved in the work of the Panel on Corporate Social Responsibility operating at the Ministry of Economy. RBF and a representative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education co-chair the Working Group for Education and CSR Promotion.

The Polish Vision 2050

RBF is among the main partners to the Polish Vision 2050 developed in response to the global initiative „Vision 2050. The new agenda for Sustainable Development” put forward by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The document sets out the key challenges and steps to achieve the objectives of sustainable development.

Working groups inlcude business representatives, coordinated jointly by the Ministry of Economy, Responsible Business Forum and Deloitte

Others initiatives

• Annual conference
• „CSR Managers” Research
• the CSR Reports Competition
• „Writing about Responsibility” competition for journalist
• Responsible Company ranking
• National Diversity Day
• Working with the media
• Maintaining the odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl website and creating RESPO (open) newsletters, as well as maintaining presence in social media
• Participation of RBF representatives in conferences and CSR events