In Cooperation with the Global Reporting Initiative
Dubai Chamber members and stakeholders had the chance to debate and discuss various issues on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting at a day long networking event which was yesterday organized by Dubai Chamber's Center for Responsible Business. The event featured exclusive discussions that were handed by a group of local, regional and international experts on CSR reporting.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting event was organized in partnership with the internationally renowned Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and sponsored by Aramex, Nakheel and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. It was attended by a number of Dubai Chamber's members, as well as the representatives of non government organizations (NGOs), public agencies, auditors, investors, HR professionals and others engaged in the local and regional CSR community.
The event highlighted the importance of sustainability reporting as a valuable tool to enhance business performance. It provided attendees with useful and practical information on how to incorporate CSR reporting within their organizations. Delegates had the chance to learn from experts about the business case of CSR reporting and to hear practical experiences from those active in the field in the regional market.
HE Hisham Abdullah Al Shirawi, Vice Treasurer and Board Member of Dubai Chamber, inaugurated the event by stressing its importance as one of the many services that Dubai Chamber and its Center for Responsible Business is providing to members and stakeholders. "Organizing this significant networking event reflects Dubai Chamber's commitment in underlining the significance of CSR reporting, as we invited major international players to share their best practices in CSR reporting in order to encourage others to take up the initiative. From this popular attendance we can clearly see that a number of companies in the country are increasingly considering the tangible benefits CSR has to offer," said Al Shirawi.
In his welcoming speech, Ralph Thurm, GRI's Associate Director for Business Engagement & Development, highlighted the importance of CSR reporting as a managerial tool which is still evolving and needs to be promoted in the UAE.
"More and more companies are recognizing the importance of CSR and the benefits sustainability reporting offers as a valuable management tool. I hope this networking event would help the attendees further develop their internal business case to take forward the CSR reporting process in line with the GRI guidelines," Thurm added.
CSR specialists from the Dubai Chamber's Center for Responsible Business discussed the context, value and trends of CSR reporting in the first session of the day. They presented the business case for sustainability reporting and the inherent value this process can create for an organization through improved stakeholder engagement, the identification of business opportunities and risks, and positive image creation. Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), added to the session sharing examples from local practices.
The second session featured two presentations delivered by Aramex, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and the WWF. Here the focus was on the local perspective, specifically the challenges and opportunities of CSR reporting in the region. Aramex, the first Arab-based organization to launch a sustainability report in line with the GRI G3 reporting guidelines, adopted corporate sustainability reporting as a way of communicating its initiatives and performance in the area of CSR with its stakeholders. Mr. Raji Hattar, Chief Projects Officer, Aramex, shared the companies' best practices and key learning from the process with the attendees of the seminar.
Commenting on their involvement at the event, Belinda Al Baluchi, CSR Officer for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), said "NBAD aspires to be a leader of CSR. By developing a formalized CSR report, NBAD will achieve enhanced reputation and performance. Following the publication of the first NBAD CSR Report in 2006, it is the bank's desire to work in line with the GRI framework for the 2008 report."
A detailed overview of the Global Reporting Initiative, and the application and relevance of the GRI G3 guidelines for local companies then followed by Ralph Thurm, Associate Director Business Engagement & Development, GRI.
Towards the end of the day, the audience was divided into groups where they undertook a CSR reporting exercise. These group discussions were facilitated by CSR professionals from Dubai Chamber's Center for Responsible Business and they provided delegates with hands on guidance to help them consider the practical application of CSR reporting for their organizations.
The event closed with open questions and answers for the audience facilitated by a panel of experts made up of CSR professionals from Dubai Chamber's Center for Responsible Business and key speakers from the day. The discussion summarized the reporting trends in the UAE and the identification of existing barriers and opportunities in CSR reporting.
-Ends-
© Press Release 2008
