Importance of CSR sustainability discussed

Panelist says matter no more optional due to climate emergency

KARACHI:

A webinar A webinar was held to educate the people about businesses, social enterprises, and how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sustainability is working in the market.

The webinar was meant to spread awareness about CSR and shed light on the relationship of businesses and CSR and what alternative solutions the market has.

The Express Media Group and Entrepreneurship and Youth Development Society have come together to increase knowledge on the subject and help people understand the issue.

The webinar, which went live on the Facebook and YouTube channels, was hosted by Sidra Iqbal.

It was the last in the series of four webinars that touched upon various aspects of CSR sustainability.

The panelists included SEED Ventures Founder and Director Faraz Khan, BoT Indus Earth Trust Chair Afia Salam, Purple Tuesday Head of Partnerships Charlene Overend.

Talking about corporate social responsibility and its impact, Iqbal asked what the connection between CSR sustainability and the impact on the larger picture is.

Khan said that it is not optional anymore, it is compulsory.

There was a time the CSR sustainability was an optional matter, "but now we are living in climate- induced disaster and no one has money to save the planet so the need of the time is for all the stakeholders to come together to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs)." Shedding some light on how things have changed, Salam added that things have moved ahead and intensity has changed while the system has also moved from CSR to CSV (Creating Shared Values).

The problem is not about getting into the role of the regulator where it is not mandatory but just given guidelines, which is why CSR doesn't become an integrated part of businesses.

Answering either disability inclusion or special needs people inclusion in CSR is enough done and said for the people or just pinkwashing the topic further, Overend added that organisations have been addressing disabilities for a while now, but still it is the least understood aspect.

At least 70 per cent of the global population has some kind of disability which adds to the social and commercial possibilities to work along.