Page 5 - A dialogue for the future

FACTS AND FIGURES
A DIALOGUE FOR THE FUTURE
Organisations are re-thinking themselves to prepare for the challenges of a sustainable future. The aim is to drive societal change as never before, by transforming spaces, processes and the role of people inside and outside companies.
One of the most widely discussed sustainability principles around just now is that of the ‘planet-centric future.’ As opposed to the user- centred approach, which many suspect has taken us to the brink of an environmental catastrophe, a planet-centric approach offers a fundamentally new perspective on innovation, centred on the needs of the planet and both human and non-human life. The approach was given impetus when the United Nations adopted The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1, a blueprint for prosperity in which environmental and social sustainability go inextricably hand in hand. Even before the onset of the recent pandemic, the European Union had implemented a set of tools2 and initiatives such as The Green Deal3 to drive change and offer organisations the support they need to pursue these goals.
All of these initiatives have a shared vision of a sustainable future that relies on a redesign of every aspect of our lives. Because of this, governments, cultural institutions and businesses have a huge role to play. This means that it is no longer enough for organisations to follow increasingly stringent regulations passively, they must drive change, amplify the voices and needs of the planet and its inhabitants and (last, but not least) make the changes visible to stand out from the crowd.
To meet such goals, organisations are reformulating their products and services as well as their processes, simultaneously redefining their relationships with their communities and other stakeholders. These organisations may exist to ‘maximise returns for shareholder,’ but they do so predicated on the principle that they also “have to put the customers first and invest in their employees and communities.”4
It is not precisely the “Profit, People, Planet” framework for value creation proposed by John Elkington in 19945, but it reflects an intention to move away from a “profit only” perspective. Organisations do not simply exist to get the work done, but to promote values and recognise the importance of people, both those within the organisation and those with whom it comes into contact. This shows how organisations
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES SHIFT
FACTS AND FIGURES 5
BE A GOOD
CORPORATE CITIZEN improving quality of life in the community
Philanthropic dimension
BE ETHICAL doing what is right, fair and correct to avoid harm
Ethical dimension
OBEY THE LAW playing by the rules, laws and regulations for the industry
Legal dimension
BE PROFITABLE
to invest in the community by creating jobs and supporting local organisations
Economic dimension
Corporate Social Responsibility Shift
Source: based on “Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR” by Archie B. Carroll, 1979/1991.
REQUIRED EXPECTED DESIRED