New Zealand Business Council
for Sustainable Development
for Sustainable Development
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does the NZBCSD provide funding? From time-to-time the NZBCSD is approached for sponsorship or endorsement of various initiatives. While no general sponsorship is provided, the Council may sponsor individual speakers, chosen by the NZBCSD, or provided from our own membership, to take part in conferences or other events. Upon request, endorsement may be given to non-NZBCSD conferences or events that: What is the business case for sustainable development? Pursuing a mission of sustainable development can make our firms more competitive, more resilient to shocks, nimbler in a fast-changing world and more likely to attract and hold customers and the best employees. It can also make them more at ease with regulators, banks, insurers and financial markets. Sustainable development policies will be profitable, but our rationale is not based solely on financial returns. Companies comprise, are led by, and serve people with vision and values. In the long-term, companies that do not reflect these people's best vision and values in their actions will wither in the marketplace. How do companies join the organization? What are the criteria for membership? We do not have a set of fixed criteria for membership. We invite companies to join if we feel they have a significant contribution to make to the NZBCSD's aims and are committed to improving the long-term "sustainability" of their own operations.How does the WBCSD define "sustainable development"? We define sustainable development as forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Given the scale of world poverty today, the challenge of meeting present needs is urgent. But we must look ahead and do our utmost to ensure that what we do today for our ever-growing population does not compromise the environmental, social and human needs of our descendants. We hear about Corporate Social Responsibility. How do firms put it into practice? Business is not divorced from the rest of society. How companies behave affects many people, not just shareholders. A company should be a responsible member of the society in which it operates. That means contributing to sustainable development by working to improve quality of life with employees, their families, the local community and stakeholders up and down the supply chain. It can mean a new kindergarten, a new clinic, health insurance, playgrounds, football pitches, it can mean biodegradable packaging, cleaner fuel for trucks, sortable plastic bottles. It's a huge subject. What are the Business Council's Sustainable Development Principles? The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development is guided by the following statement of principles:Statement on Principles for Sustainable Development Fulfilling the corporate contribution to sustainable development through financial, environmental and social performance and reporting The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development believes that the pursuit of sustainable development – development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – is necessary for the future prosperity and well being of the world. The corporate contribution to sustainable development can be fulfilled through excellence in the management of the financial, environmental and social dimensions of all corporate activities, products and services. The following principles provide a framework for achieving this. 1. Public corporate policies Develop public corporate policies on the application of the principles of sustainable development to corporate activities, products and services. This will be achieved by: • preparing public corporate policies on corporate financial, environmental and social performance objectives, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders • adopting these policies at senior management and Board levels • including performance indicators for implementing these policies in the key performance indicators of senior management 2. Integrated decision making Integrate sustainable development considerations into all aspects of business planning and operations. This will be achieved by: • establishing appropriate sustainable development management systems • incorporating environmental and social considerations into business planning and decision making processes, along with conventional financial considerations • applying risk management techniques that recognise financial, environmental and social risks • working to maximise financial, environmental and social contributions while minimising impacts 3. Integrated decision making Strengthen relationships with stakeholders, including employees, the community and government. This will be achieved by: • being open and transparent in all dealings with stakeholders, specifically through fostering and encouraging constructive dialogue with internal and external stakeholders • being open and transparent in communicating corporate performance, including annual public environmental and social reports on corporate activities and performance • working to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of business perspectives, imperatives and contributions to sustainable development • recognising and respecting different cultural values in all relationships • anticipating, acknowledging and responding to community concerns, aspirations and values regarding corporate activities 4. Continuous Improvement Continuously improve corporate performance against the principles and objectives of sustainable development This will be achieved by: • setting and regularly reviewing environmental and social performance objectives and targets that build upon regulatory requirements and reinforce policy commitments • monitoring performance and verifying it against established criteria • benchmarking performance against industry best practice and changing external expectations • monitoring the performance of processes and products, and those of suppliers, to develop better practices and innovative technologies and services 5. Leadership Drive the adoption of sustainable development principles throughout the corporation and beyond This will be achieved by: • demonstrating management commitment to the principles of sustainable development • promoting financially, environmentally and socially responsible behaviour • allocating clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities within the corporation • providing the necessary information, performance targets, training, resources and management support for achieving corporate commitments What are the Business Council's terms of Membership? Terms of MembershipUpon accepting membership, members agree to the following terms: 1. Membership fees Annual membership fees are payable in advance for each financial year. Although a member may resign during a financial year, the annual membership fee for that year is not refundable (in full or in part). Any member whose membership fee remains unpaid for 3 months after the due date may be removed from membership by the Executive Committee (on approval by the Council), but will still be liable to pay that membership fee (and any other amounts owing to the Business Council). 2. Member Commitment A member may be invited by the Executive Committee to resign its membership if in the Executive Committee’s view, and after due consultation with the member concerned, the Executive Committee considers in its sole discretion that this is warranted. The member is then obliged to resign. Reasons for which the Executive Committee may invite a member to resign include failure: (a) to produce a sustainable development report demonstrating that member’s progress on environmental, social and economic performance within 3 years of joining; (b) to participate in at least one Business Council initiative every two years; (c) by the chief executive of that member to attend at least one Business Council meeting in each calendar year; (d) to provide the Business Council with an annual report on that member’s progress and plans in implementing sustainable development, including the areas covered by Business Council projects; (f) to respond to any request for information from the Executive Committee that is not commercially sensitive; or (g) to adhere to the Business Council’s Statement on Principles for Sustainable Development. At the Annual General Meeting in February 2008 it was agreed that two new member clauses relating to member commitment would be inserted into the Rules: 1. New members are required to measure and report to the Business Council on their carbon footprint within one year of becoming a member, and existing members within one year of the rule change, where this has not already been done. 2. New members are required to have a plan to reduce their carbon intensity within 2 years of becoming a member and report that to the Business Council and, in the case of an existing member, within 2 years of the rule change, where this has not already been done. |