European Chamber Sustainable Business Awards 2021
The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Shanghai Chapter celebrated its fifth Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) Conference and Ceremony on 14th September 2021, in collaboration with consultancy SynTao as knowledge partner. The SBA stem from Shanghai Chapter’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum, with the purpose of rewarding excellence in sustainable and CSR company programmes, as well as raising awareness about sustainable business practices and responsible operating models.
Chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum Hui Zhang opened the SBA Conference, while Vice Chair Cindy Zhang acted as Master of Ceremony. Dr Ellen Touchstone, associate dean of Responsible and Sustainable Business Education at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, addressed the conference via video message, and keynote speeches were delivered by Helen Tu, executive director at Chic Investment Group; and David Ferreira, deputy chief executive officer (CEO), Ping An Health and general manager for China at Discovery-Vitality Group.
The conference also featured two panel sessions, which focussed on a) company best practices for building climate-resilient business models, and b) using diversity and inclusion as a part of corporate sustainability goals. Panel speakers came from a wide array of backgrounds including business, non-government organisations (NGOs), European Union (EU) Member States Diplomatic Service and academia.
Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, vice president of the European Chamber and chair of the Shanghai Chapter, opened the SBA Ceremony, and Tunde Laleye, general manager at BearingPoint, gave the keynote speech. European Chamber members, sponsors, partners, guests and EU Consuls General attended to celebrate this year’s award-winning companies among the following categories:
Advanced Performer in Decarbonisation – This award recognises a company’s overall strategic planning and pioneering role in practicing low-carbon transformation, and demonstrating ambitious goals and best practices in reducing carbon emissions, to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality and green development.
2021 Winners: Alfa Laval, Bosch, Société Générale China, Walmart
Navigating Diversity and Inclusion – This award recognises a company’s overall strategic planning and pioneering role in facilitating multi-stakeholders to realise the United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) in their China operations by promoting employee diversity, organisational diversity and even CSR activity diversity, in order to stimulate creativity and productivity, improve customer satisfaction and enhance market competitiveness.
2021 Winners: Ferrero, Inclusion Factory
Outstanding Environmental Performance – This award recognises a company’s overall strategic planning and pioneering role in facilitating multi-stakeholders to realise pollution prevention, waste reduction, biodiversity, green development and other environmental protection actions.
2021 Winners: BASF, Novo Nordisk
Pioneer in Advancing Rural Revitalisation – This award recognises a company’s overall strategic planning and pioneering role in facilitating multi-stakeholders to explore a feasible pathway to realise rural revitalisation, in which companies are indispensable: they provide substantial financial and technical support to ensure that vast amounts of rural areas are alleviated from, and do not return to, poverty. Meanwhile, companies are also essential in realising industrial prosperity, and building ecological living environments and civilised rural areas.
2021 Winners: Rabobank
Resilient Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Leader – This award recognises a company’s overall strategic planning and pioneering role in innovative contributions to urban and industrial construction through approaches that support communities and improve local resilience to achieve sustainable development.
2021 Winners: SUEZ, Waste2Wear
The European Chamber’s Shanghai Chapter Corporate Social Responsibility Forum understands the importance of sustainable and environmentally-friendly business practices for continued economic development around the globe. Focussing on sustainability as a strong driver for future development neatly aligns with the EU’s Horizon 2020 targets. China also has made strong sustainability and climate commitments within its 14th Five-year Plan, its 30/60 carbon neutrality targets, and its pledge to achieve the UN 2030 SDGs.
The Corporate Social Responsibility Forum believes these new dynamics generate both challenges and opportunities for enterprises to leverage CSR as strong business competitiveness in their long-term growth plan. People are the key to the vitality and future of CSR; therefore, academic institutions in China should lead the development and empowerment of future generations of responsible leaders and social entrepreneurs. Coordination of the leveraging of various stakeholders’ efforts and expertise to reach collective impacts, through an effective synchronisation mechanism or ‘eco-system’, needs to be further enhanced. The forum intends to continue providing an open platform to foster communication, collaboration and co-innovation among key stakeholders in Europe and China.
The European Chamber would furthermore like to thank our sponsors, partners, judging panel and all companies that applied for the 2021 Sustainable Business Awards.
If you wish to take part in the 2022 Sustainable Business Awards, please contact Tiantian Qi at tqi@europeanchamber.com.cn
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Since its establishment in 2005, the European Chamber Corporate Social Responsibility Forum has attracted more than 250 European companies, including both multinational companies and small and medium-sized enterprises from a wide range of industries and various business units. In line with the EU’s Strategy on Corporate Social Responsibility, the forum has gradually evolved into a mature mechanism and an effective platform where members can share best practices and seek potential collaborations. By hosting various forums, conferences and seminars with both industry-centred and topic-centred groups, the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum is well placed to pass on value and fill the trust gap. The forum helps members learn from their peers and advance their strategic skills in terms of project design and implementation.
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