Top multinationals' CSR projects honored

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholars, government officials, industry association representatives and executives from transnational companies came together on March 31 for the 2009 Multinational Corporations CSR Seminar in Beijing.

Feng Bing, executive vice chairman of China Enterprises Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association, said that amid the current economic slowdown, companies who actively join China's charity causes and better fulfill their social responsibilities will win the hearts of Chinese people.

He Manqing, director of the Research Center for Multinational Corporations under the Ministry of Commerce, said that in the context of economic globalization, CSR is an increasing concern for international organizations, governments, businesses and consumers, adding that it reflects the requirement of economically and socially sustainable development, and meets the objective requirements of China to build a harmonious society.

"It is an essential way for enterprises to enhance their brand image and exploit both international and domestic markets," she stressed.

Vice President of the China Consumer Association Liu Junhai pointed out that as the global financial crisis becomes more severe, entrepreneurs should realize that social responsibility is the most effective way to resist risk.

The "2008 Excellent Cases of Multinational Corporations Fulfilling Social Responsibility" were also released at the seminar. Twenty-three cases were selected after nearly a year of research and evaluation by China Enterprise News, the nation's only daily newspaper for policy guidance on enterprises, along with a group of domestic CSR research institutions.

Winners included the anti-desertification project of ABB, the post-earthquake systematic assistant project of AstraZeneca, the birds' paradise protection in Shanghai Dongtan project of 3M, the planting of eco-agriculture on potato farms of PepsiCo, as well as the Sunshine Plan - migrant children caring project - of Amway.

(China Daily 04/20/2009 page10)