Detailed information
Opening Speeches
Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs
CSR is an interplay between the business community, society and the political arena, and stands for updating the concept of the social market economy. "It is a matter of the responsibility of enterprises for society and for the environment in which and with which they do business." Those who shoulder responsibility provide a gain for society and enhance their own competitiveness. For this reason, Federal Minister of Labour Scholz would like to promote CSR and is announcing a CSR advisory council and an enterprise platform.
Federal Foreign Minister
How social cohesion is organised and safeguarded cannot be answered at national level only. It is a matter of the future shape of "Global Governance": "Enterprises which act in a socially-responsible manner take on a major role here: Not as a substitute for actions which policy-makers fail to take, but as a vanguard and as pioneers."
The order of the day is profit optimisation, not maximisation. CSR offers enterprises the chance to be successful in the long term. Living corporate values also help companies to be seen as attractive employers. This is indispensable in a world of work which has changed, which has become mobile, in which there is ever more intensive competition for the best brains against the background of demographic change.
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Corporate responsibility - global competition and local responsibility
Podium discussion
German enterprises have an excellent reputation worldwide in their commitment to society and the environment. However, globalisation entails new challenges: The increasing cost pressure makes sustainable conduct more difficult.
You can read more on the topic in the documentation for the discussion
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CSR strategies in Europe
Speeches
Member of the European Parliament
The CSR discussion has advanced considerably at European level. A more intensive German debate should build on the state of the discussion and use the instruments that have been established. Extensive CSR projects that have been carried out by enterprises may not distract us from critically examining compliance with statutory obligations in other corporate areas.
CSR Ambassador, Sweden
The commitment to a globalised economy goes hand in hand in Sweden with efforts to strengthen weaker partners in this process. This includes human rights and sustainable global development. CSR is in this context a tool to build and maintain trust in globalisation. It should not be viewed as a tool for protectionism.
Head of Cabinet of the EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Even if the CSR discussion is already well advanced at European level, there is still much to be done: Even greater visibility for EU-wide CSR measures, further intensification of the dialogue, greater efforts for equal treatment on the labour market. These are only a few of the fields of action. Furthermore, the European Commission and the Member States themselves must continue to offer a good example.
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Fields of action of CSR
Workshops
Prosperity, a self-determined life and prevention of social marginalisation - Good Work forms the central basis for all these achievements. Good work is however evidently at risk in Germany since one person in three complains of poor working conditions according to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). However, how should one measure Good Work? And how can good working conditions be ensured in the globalised business world? These questions were discussed in the workshop entitled "Fields of action of CSR - Perspective on Good Work".
Bio, Fairtrade, Prima Klima - consumers are looking for these seals in the shops more and more often. However, the market is not really transparent. The topic of the workshop entitled "Fields of action of CSR - Perspective on consumers" was to identify under what preconditions consumers can demand responsible action on the part of manufacturers.
A broad range of challenges was identified for the business community, society and the political arena in the workshop entitled "Fields of action of CSR - Perspective on the environment". CSR offers a promising approach to provide solutions to solve these challenges. However, CSR can only lead to success if players from the business community, society and the political arena coordinate their actions. It was hence demanded amongst other things that policy-makers should engage even more strongly in their support role for voluntary entrepreneurial activities.
How is it possible to produce goods in a socially-responsible manner in global added value chains? The workshop entitled "Fields of action of CSR - Perspective on Globalisation" dealt with this question. Standards appear to provide a promising answer to this question - however, their implementation can only be guaranteed if all stakeholders pull on the same rope.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises as a motor of social responsibility
Speeches
Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office
"Small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany were, are and will always be the motor of social responsibility." Against this background, the Federal Foreign Office supports German enterprises in assuming responsibility when trading abroad, and would like to win over even more small and medium-sized enterprises in particular as partners in giving globalisation a social face.
Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
German SMEs have been engaged in voluntary commitment in the field of social responsibility for decades. Small and medium-sized enterprises have a special tie with their region and are active at local level. Motivation, not pressure, is hence the motor for CSR.
CEO, Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce
A good enterprise creates competitive jobs. "The power of freedom" is the power for further commitment. In order to make commitment to CSR a success, enterprises and consumers must pull on the same rope.
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Social responsibility in small and medium-sized enterprises
Podium discussion
More and more small and medium-sized enterprises are discovering the value of CSR. Entrepreneurial commitment is worthwhile - both in marketing and when seeking skilled workers. However, under what conditions can small and medium-sized enterprises make optimum use of their opportunities in the CSR field?
You can read more on the topic in the documentation of the discussion
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International examples of CSR tools
Speeches
Deputy head of department European Union and International Social Policy at the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA)
The discussion on CSR at European level has revealed important insights since its inception in 2001. These should be taken into account in the German debate. How central is also the global dimension of CSR, over and above this, is shown by various examples of good CSR practices
Head of the Office and Member of the Board of econsense e.V.; voluntary Board Member, CSR Europe
The "European Alliance for CSR " was launched in the course of the European CSR process. It is a major, unconventional platform for the discussion process of corporate responsibility: Central topics of CSR are discussed in informal laboratories. Beyond the Alliance, there are a large number of good practical examples, for instance on the question of how CSR can be anchored in an enterprise's core business.
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Voluntary, engaged and measurable - Instruments to promote enterprises' social actions
Podium discussion
Many German enterprises are active in CSR. Others are still holding back. Anyone who sets themselves concrete standards is measured by them - many firms shy away from this public pressure. Can the political arena promote commitment through binding criteria?
You can read more on the topic in the records of the podium discussion
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German corporate responsibility in a globalised world
Speech
Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
More and more enterprises are taking up their social responsibility. The principles of the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines and the ILO¿s Core Labour Standards offer a good starting point for this. Entrepreneurial commitment should however go beyond a commitment to these fundamental principles. In the context of public-private partnerships, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development offers concrete possibilities for entrepreneurial commitment.
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CSR worldwide - German enterprises globally committed
Presentation
Project leader "Corporate Social Responsibility", Bertelsmann Foundation
The online portal with the working title "CSR worldwide: German enterprises globally committed" will be providing comprehensive information from autumn 2008 in order to support enterprises in their global CSR commitment. Enterprises, business associations and other civil society organisations are invited to take part in the initiative and to seek a dialogue.
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New interplay between the business community, society and the political arena
Summary of the conference
"CSR is the compact that links government, society, business and NGOs", Bob Geldof summarised the international discussion on CSR. Also Federal Minister Olaf Scholz stressed the significance of this connection: "We need a new partnership between the business community, society and the political arena. Enterprises¿ social responsibility stands for this partnership, and it is an update of the concept of the social market economy. It is a matter of the responsibility of enterprises for society and for the environment in which and with which they do business. It is about responsibility for the whole."
The summary of the conference can be found here.
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Olaf Scholz
Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Sir Bob Geldof
