Question1: As Head of CSR you have been asked to come upwith a detailed plan to sensitize your employees on water as a criticalresource and also initiate setting up of an innovation driven cell/campaign forsaving water. Design and develop a strategic plan/roadmap involvingsensitization of 100+ employees as well as setting up of the Water innovationcell/campaign with SMART goals/outcomes for M/s Fine Fabrics Ltd. Please bevery specific and relevant to the company.Answer: Corporate environment responsibility today hasexpanded to cover substantially more than legal compliance, waste minimization andpollution prevention. It is essential for companies to take corrective actionsto reduce their environmental impact. In this case the company needs to adoptcleaner production systems, construct individual or common treatment plants totreat and recycle water to fulfill their environmental responsibility.Every organization is different and willapproach CSR implementation in different ways.
The steps for implementing CSRfor long term sustainability are:· Develop an integrated CSR decision-makingstructure- Every organizationshould align its CSR goals and decision making with its overall goal andstrategies. It is important for the CSR decision-making structure to be anintegral component of the organization’s governance activities and be visible· Prepare and implement a CSR business plan- The business plan helps to ensure that hewords are transformed into effective action. An excellent way of doing this isto determine what human, financial and other resources and activities will berequired to carry out the CSR strategy and commitments· Set measurable targets and identifyperformance measures- Thesetargets are guideposts to reach the ultimate goals of developing sustainability.They can help build CSR momentum in the organization.
· Engage employees and others to whom CSRcommitments apply- Input ofemployees and other stakeholders has been solicited at every stage frompreliminary assessment, through strategy development and articulation ofcommitments. Employees play a central role in CSR implementation· Design and conduct CSR training- Organization need to train employees directlyinvolved in CSR activities · Establish mechanism for addressing problematicbehavior- It is important fororganization to put in place mechanisms and processes that will allow for earlydetection, reporting and resolution of problematic CSR activity· Create internal and external communicationplans- Information about CSRcommitments, activities and performance reporting must be communicate visiblyand frequently to all employees. Information can be percolated throughnewsletter, annual reports, internet communication, meetings, training orinformal mechanisms. Question2: Your companyis committed to protect, respect and remedy Framework of UN Principles onBusiness and Human Rights. The Head of manufacturing at M/s Fine fabrics Ltdwants to partner with the supply chain in generating similar Human Rightscommitments across their businesses, which are mostly midsized.
He wants yourguidance on how to convince these vendors to buy in into this voluntarily.Develop a business case and a broad plan that your Head Manufacturing can useto convince the vendor businesses to come on board and adopt UN Principles forBusinesses & Human Rights.Answer: United nation principles on Business and HumanRights includes aspects of non-discrimination, war crimes, workers’ rights,environmental protection and consumer protection as well as interpretingTrans-National Corporation’s responsibilities with regards to internationallaw.
The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, withintheir sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights,labor standards, the environment and anti corruptions. The principles that M/sFine Fabrics can adopt are:· HumanRights: Business should support and respect the protectionof internationally proclaimed human rights Make sure that they are not complicit in humanrights abuses· Labor: Business should uphold the freedom ofassociation and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining The elimination of all forms of forced andcompulsory labor The effective abolition of child labor The elimination of discrimination in respectof employment and occupation· Environment Business should support a precautionaryapproach to environmental challenges Undertaking initiatives to promote greaterenvironmental responsibility Encourage the development and diffusion ofenvironmentally friendly technologies Anti-Corruption Business should work against corruption in allits forms, including extortion and bribery Question3 (A): Carbon Offset isone mechanism used to reduce the carbon footprints of a business. Suggest toyour CEO at Fine Fabrics Ltd two concrete ways in which Fine Fabrics can reduceits carbon footprints, develop a convincing business benefit argument aroundeach of the suggestion.Answer:- Two ways of reducingcarbon footprints are: Putting a Cap on It: Carbon Capping- A policy needs to be designed that wouldessentially put a price on carbon dioxide emissions by auctioning off permitsto emit the gas. Each large-scale emitter, or company, will have a limit on theamount of greenhouse gas that it can emit. The firm must have an “emissionspermit” for every ton of carbon dioxide it releases into the atmosphere. Thesepermits set an enforceable limit, or cap, on the amount of greenhouse gaspollution that the company is allowed to emit. Over time, the limits becomestricter, allowing less and less pollution, until the ultimate reduction goalis met RewardingGreen Commutes- Encouragingemployees to switch to public transportation, carpooling, biking, telecommutingand other innovative ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions onthe way to and from work can add up and have tremendous effects.
Employers canoffer commuter benefits that address limited or expensive parking, reducetraffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention and minimize theenvironmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting. Conclusion: – Even relaxing comfort standards by turningdown the heat while at night and keeping temperatures moderate at alltimes. Setting the thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher insummer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emission eachyear. Question3 (B): An NGO hasapproached the CEO of M/s Fine Fabrics Ltd requesting funding for a project oncotton fabric based Traditional Crafts making workshop for girls & womenfrom weaker socio economic background. Your company falls under the criteria of2% spend on CSR as per Companies Act 2013.
Your CEO thinks this project can befunded but wants you to do the due diligence of the NGO. Prepare aquestionnaire with at least 5/five questions that you think your company shouldask and receive answers to before agreeing to fund the project/ partner in theproject. Answer: – Below are 5 questions that we should ask are:· To whatextent there is common understanding of organizational vision, mission, goaland objectives· What isthe organization’s purpose in society What are they trying to achieve What specific result are they seeking· What arethe reasons and circumstances for creating the NGO. · How hasthe NGO evolved in terms of scope and operational activity? · To whatextent is the organization able to address the real needs of target groups?
