What started in the back offices of public relations departments has made its way to the boardroom. Corporate responsibility and sustainability (CR&S) is now widely regarded as a competitive advantage, and many would say it has indeed become a business imperative. Yet many companies are still looking for answers about what kind of internal organization should support their CR&S efforts.
To truly reap the benefits of CR&S there is no “one size fits all” solution. However, companies that can find alignment between their unique design and culture and their sustainability strategy have the potential to realize substantial gains.
Consider this: In the first three months of 2009, the Dow Jones Sustainability U.S. Composite Index has performed better than the Dow Jones Industrial Average.1 An A.T. Kearney report also showed that in 16 out of 18 industries, companies with a commitment to sustainability were the “clear leaders in financial markets.”2 This implies that companies with CR&S strategies consistently outperform companies with less focus on sustainability.
The quotes are from the full report by Deloitte, which is availablein BDTI's data library (Global folder / Integrity and Ethics subfolder).
The Board Director Training Institute (BDTI) is a "public interest" nonprofit in Japan dedicated to training about directorship, corporate governance, and related management techniques. It is certified by the Japanese government to conduct these activities as a regulated nonprofit. Read a summary about BDTI here, and see a menu of its services for both corporations and investors here.