Is your company a corporate citizen?

Our world is getting more and more complex and globally we face different challenges which need new ways of thinking and acting. Corporate citizenship describes an approach for companies to be a “good citizen”, if they engage and give back to society and the environment [1].

How is this approach connected to the SDGs? Let’s have a closer look at our society, because especially millennials put a lot of pressure on companies. 81% of the millennials have a high awareness about the SDGs and they expect the private sector to commit to them. [2]

But why should businesses care for the SDGs? ‘The Sustainable Development Goals are fundamental cornerstones to secure future economic and business growth… It is not possible to have a strong, functioning business in a world of increasing inequality, poverty and climate change’, said Paul Polman, Unilever CEO and a Commissioner in the Business and Sustainable Development Commission.[3] Millennials across the globe are an important workforce and businesses should consider them as current and future employees with high expectations towards companies to create new business models and innovations to tackle societal and environmental problems. [4]

We should take a closer look at companies which are committed to the SDGs.

Credit Suisse:

This global financial institute is committed to the SDGs 4, 8, 11 and 15. They are committed to support educational programs across the globe and to invest sustainably and to support women with financial education programs in developing countries. [5]

These actions rise more awareness about financial investments and support future clients to do smart investments, but they also meet the demand of sustainable assets.

You may think that only big players are engaged in corporate citizenship, but we shouldn’t forget smaller and local enterprises. One example is the

Kong Arthur Hotel in Copenhagen:

They are promoting the following SDGs: 1, 2, 6, 11, and 13.

Briefly summarized they donate to many local and charity projects and minimize food waste. They only buy local and organic food and provide ecological transportation like bicycles or electric cars [6] Saving food means that they save a lot of money, because they process it in a very efficient way. Offering local and biological food provides a higher quality and also supports other local companies and establishes a more sustainable supply chain.

Is your company a corporate citizen? What are you planning to do?

“Be the change you want to see in the world” and make things happen in your company!

Share your experiences!

[1] https://wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de/definition/corporate-citizenship-31191

https://ccc.bc.edu/content/ccc/research/corporate-citizenship-news-and-topics/corporate-citizenship.html

[2] https://corporate-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/Advancing-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Business-Action-and-Millennials-Views.pdf

[3] https://corporate-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/Advancing-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Business-Action-and-Millennials-Views.pdf

[4] https://corporate-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/Advancing-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Business-Action-and-Millennials-Views.pdf

[5] https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/our-company/corporate-responsibility/approach-reporting/sustainable-development-goals.html

[6] https://www.arthurhotels.dk/the-hotel-group/csr-strategy/

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