Jim Brumm: Long-Term Thinking for a Short-Sighted World

Several weeks ago I was invited by the International Business Leadership Forum (IBLF) to give an interview about the importance of communications in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

I talked about the fact that a company’s lack of attention to responsible business and open communication can have a disastrous impact on sales, share value and competitiveness. Furthermore I pointed out the importance of transparency and accountability in the business sector and explained how I envisaged the CSR communications arena progressing a few years from now.

Expert Insight: Fabian Pattberg, sustainability, CSR and social media expert from Shivvy Jervis, IBLF on Vimeo.

Please let me know what you think and if you agree or disagree with any of the points raised.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?
2. The CSR Minister post disappears – On the devaluation of the UK leadership in responsible business practice
3. New Sustainability Jobs Added To The Forum – 27.11.2008

The topic of the week for me was the decision of the UK government to discontinue the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC).
This decision is a catastrophe for the Sustainability field here in the UK in my opinion.

The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has been a champion of responsible business and government practice since its inception. It has celebrated many successes and nothing will be gained in my opinion by its discontinuation.
So what happened to the aim of being the ‘greenest UK government ever”? I guess it will turn out to be another hollow statement.

We are left to see what effect this discontinuation of the SDC will be. But there is one thing that has been become clearer than ever for me over the past few days: Never trust a politician actually delivering change if we are not in good economic times. Especially if his/her background is in media business such as for David Cameron , the current UK prime minister.

Here are some other news articles about this topic for you to get a better overview of various the reactions:

• Time: British Government Cuts Green Group
• Reuters: Watchdog says green steps can help close budget gaps
• Dash24.com: Shortsighted government to axe watchdog

And not to forget James Delingpole’s blog post about the topic: Government decides Sustainable Development Commission is unsustainable. He is known to take topics such as this apart to a point where they only serve him and his publicity. Obviously I had to comment as I am very passionate about this topic. And I received the public backlash I expected!

So let me know what you think about this decision to scrap the SDC. Do think it is a good decision or do you disagree?

P.S.: I also wrote a news item about this on the SustainabilityForum.com News two days ago.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Top 5 Sustainability & CSR News Stories this week – 21.11.2008
2. Top 5 Sustainability & CSR News Stories Of The Past Week – 01.12.2008
3. My Top Sustainability News Stories of the Week – 23.01.2009

Let’s start today’s post with a quote that has stuck in my head for many years now (yes, I am a big Star Trek fan):
“The economics of the future is somewhat different. You see, money doesn’t exist in the 24th century… The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of Humanity.” (Star Trek: First Contact )

Is this the end goal of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or responsible business practice? Is this what we are aiming for in our campaign to continuously promote a more responsible business practice?

I believe that it is. Here is why:
A society which does not rely on a monetary system has totally different priorities and roles for its citizens and society as a whole. That is also part of the reason why I love the Star Trek series so much. It thrives on aspiration and ethics for humankind. The society of the future has figured out a way to fulfill the needs of each individual while at the same giving its citizens purpose in life and building a prosperous society as a whole.

Yes I know that Start Trek is pure fiction but isn’t it also fiction to think that we can achieve a more responsible business practice in the future? In a way are we all living in a world of hopes and dreams in order to create change within our businesses, when influencing/advising our clients or simply trying to argue with our friends that companies need to do more to fulfill their responsibility in society and that we simply can not go on doing business the way we are at the moment.

What do you think about this? I am I just barking up the wrong tree here or what do you think is the end goal for CSR and responsible business practice?

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Responsible Business Practice Terminology: The Normal Chaos or Total Confusion?
2. The CSR Minister post disappears – On the devaluation of the UK leadership in responsible business practice
3. Poll: What is the most Appropriate Term for Responsible Business Practice?

Today’s post has a very simple message: I have now set up a Facebook Page for this blog. The purpose of this page is to show who ‘likes’ my blog (obviously).

It is also a source of information on whom to add to your Facebook network with similar interests. Most bigger websites nowadays have this Facebook page element on their site and I usually use it as a tool to find new interesting Facebook connections.

So if you like this blog please join me on Facebook as well:

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Facebook Community Pages: Promoting CSR via Facebook
2. The new Blog Networks on Facebook
3. Facebook – A useful Sustainability and CSR platform?

I love podcasts and the way they enable you to have a great conversation, record it and share this with your network afterwards all at the same time.

That is why I immediately agreed to be interviewed by Paul Smith aka GreenSmith when he asked me several weeks ago if I was interested to be his guest in one of his sessions. Paul and I have known each for years now and I was really honored to be the second person he interviewed in his new series called GreenSmith Sessions.

During our around 20 minute long conversation we are talking about CSR / Sustainability and the BP oil spill disaster, what the US and EU can learn from each other with regards to CSR / Sustainability best practice, CSR / Sustainability reporting and other related topics.

This is the link to the post on Paul’s blog post: GreenSmith Session #2 You can also download it via this link ‘Download Postcast’ or listen to it by visiting Paul’s post here: Listen to GreenSmith Session #2

Please let me know whether you enjoyed the podcast conversation, have anything to add or any other feedback on the topics we discussed.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Sustainability blogging at its best
2. Two great podcasts: Sustainability & Business Trust
3. Sustainability and CSR people on Twitter you need to follow – Part III

There are thousands of sustainability related websites out there but as far as I am aware of there are only a few blog / websites networks that specifically run a number of Sustainability-related websites and have them connected into a single network (What is a blog/website network?  – Wikipedia) or run them as part of their website portfolio.

The purpose of today’s post is to introduce you to these blog / website networks that I am aware of. I am also dividing them up into medium and larger networks for better comparison.

Medium sized blog/website networks:

Simple Earth Media
About: Simple Earth Media is an industry-leading environmental new media and social media company whose brand mission is to create a compelling, organic, educational network of environmental online venues that engage an ever-growing audience concerned with sustainable lifestyle habits and business practices.
My opinion: Some really great looking sites with interesting content. One of my favorites together with Live Oak Media.

Important Media
About: Important Media is a decentralized, niche blog network, dedicated to covering those issues which are important to our collective and individual well-being, from humanity’s survival to human happiness.
My opinion: Important Media is a continuation of some sites of the former GreenOptions network. The site itself needs some improvement but the networked sites are really good and useful.

Live Oak Media
About: We are a new media company publishing websites that focus on energy, the environment and sustainable living. By leading the conversation about green issues, LiveOAK aims to advance the principals of sustainability by making them meaningful and accessible to a mainstream audience.
My opinion: This is personally my favorite blog/website network at the moment. Really useful.

Large scale blog/website networks:

Mother Nature Network
About: The mission of Mother Nature Network (MNN) can be found at the top of every page on our site:  “Improve Your World.”  But while many sites limit “your world” to only ”your planet,” MNN defines it in much broader terms. Just as your world encompasses many different aspects—your family, your health, your lifestyle, your business, your community……and your planet—so too does MNN.
My opinion: A really wide variety of topics that are usually always helpful.

Discovery Channel
About: Discovery Communications is the world’s number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 180 countries.  Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Planet Green and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com.
My opinion: By far the largest network for a reason. A lot of money is being spend to build this. The content is generally good but often very mainstream as well.

These are the blog / website networks I know of that either focus on Sustainability topics or have them as part of their portfolio. If I have missed any others please let me know.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. The new Blog Networks on Facebook
2. Do you like this blog? – Connect with me on Facebook
3. My Sustainability Communication Triangle

I have been taking a closer look at the latest Sustainability report from The Guardian News & Media Group yesterday. I must say that I really like the simplicity and directness but there are also some points I wanted to write about in todays post which I did not like that much and would change for the next report if I where in charge.

What I like about the Report:

• It seems that content, simplicity, accessibility and feedback options where key to the Guardian. Overall this has been achieved in a good way in my opinion. I like the layout of the Guardian website and this is no different. But there are some aspects on this topic as well addresses in the next section that i did not like so much.
• I also really liked the so called 15 minute digested read. A great idea simply realized.

  Guardian 2010 Sustainability Report

• The related column on the right hand side of each page is a great way of providing cross references to other interesting content. This is exactly what would need to taken to the next level to improve the user-friendliness and navigation through the content.

What I would do differently:

• Make the structure of the content is more dynamic in order to break up the text into more readable chunks. There is so much text on some pages that it makes my head hurt after reading through only a few sections. I really like the entry page of the Sustainability section. This clearly recognisable layout or at least some kind of graphics/symbols should be there to help guide the user within the structure of the report more.
• I would recommend to use a open access commenting system such as Disqus or Intense Debate to gather the feedback. Some other newspapers use this in their online editions and I am personally not inclined to register with every website to post a comment. This is a barrier of entry for feedback that can be fixed so easily for free or very little resources.

In Summary:
So is this the Sustainability reporting trend for companies involved in the news and media business? I am not so sure. This is one of many approaches a media company can take. The Guardian example is a good one but I don’t think the report is at the stage yet where it really engages its audience and make them want to comment and get in involved. This is what a media company should aim for. It needs to be different because its DNA is information and content management in my opinion.

I also want to clarify that this does not mean that I would recommend a microsite and present the content in a fancy flashy way. The content and messages just need to be broken up more so that the important aspects of the individual pages are communicated to us the readers right away. This is what I would like to see in a report from a media and news company such as the Guardian.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Review of the 2008 Procter & Gamble Sustainability Report
2. How To Read A Sustainability Report
3. Review of the AllianceBoots 2007/08 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report

Today’s video is another TED.com video on ground breaking sustainability ideas. This time: Sustainable architecture with a special twist.

Have you ever imagined that a normal residential house could be grown instead of being build in the traditional way. And yes we already can. This is no sci-fi fantasy. Watch the video if you do not believe me.

A really interesting and different idea about how architecture can make an enormous contribution to our sustainable future. You might not like to go as far as growing your own ‘meathouse’ but the idea in essence is pretty amazing and at the same time feasible. We just need to start……

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Video: Visionary Architecture for a Sustainable Future
2. Video: The geeky decisions of building a sustainable new house
3. Technology – The Important Role in our Sustainable Future

I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the first ever virtual CSR conference titled ‘ Engage CSR 2010’ this week.

The whole setup as a virtual conference is a new concept in this field. But in my opinion of  the conference was a huge success in bringing like-minded Sustainability / CSR people together and have them share information and experience at the same time. I believe I am not the only one looking at the feedback it got on Twitter and the coverage within the blogosphere so far.

Here are the links to reviews of the virtual conference that I have found as of today.

• Caroline Kawashima: Key Trends from Engage CSR 2010
• Leon Kaye: Engage 2010 Conference: A Virtual Immersion in CSR
• Julie Lloyd: The true benefits of reporting
• Elaine Cohen: Engage CSR at #CSRExpo: totally engaging
• Mags Shapiro: Virtual Conference Covers CSR and Social Media Best Practices
• Julie Urlaub: Did you Attend PRNewswire’s Engage CSR 2010 Virtual Event? Archive Available

Did I miss any reviews? If so please comment below or l let me know via Twitter or the contact forum on the About Fabian page.

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/narcosislabs/2225724305/

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Join me at the Engage CSR 2010 virtual conference next week
2. The New Age of Sustainability Conferences?
3. Two great podcasts: Sustainability & Business Trust

Last week was a great week for two main reasons: 1) It was our 8th wedding anniversary week. Anne and I had a lovely dinner and a great time. 2) I was finally able to purchase the domain CorporateSocialResponsibility.org for a very fair price.

I would like to develop this great domain name into a website that helps promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The purpose of this post is to ask you the readers what the main theme of this developed website in your opinion should be.

This is the poll I have started in order to enable you to have your input on the decision what the website will be about.

I will do another post with the results and further information on the next steps of creating this website once the poll is closed. So please vote.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Video: Visionary Architecture for a Sustainable Future
2. Have your say: Help me to determine the next version of my blog
3. Video: Bill Gates on the future of energy

The video interview below I believe represents a very interesting best practice example of how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Cause Marketing can be successfully linked in order to improve products, increase sales, build reputation and do good for the cause that is being supported. In this case, the quality of dog food and the support of dog shelters across North America.

Here Chris Jarvis of 3blMedia interviews  John J. Anton, Marketing Director at Mars Petcare about their integration of CSR and Cause Marketing.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. The 3bl TV CSR Web Video Channel – A new challenge for me
2. Video: What you need to find a job in CSR / Sustainability field
3. BP – a disaster for the Sustainability / CSR sector in general?

I have been watching parts of the first day of the UN Global Compact Leadership Summit via the webcast yesterday.

The key message from the speakers and sessions (especially UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon) I was able to follow was, that we are now at a tipping point of the Sustainability / CSR practice across the globe. We just need renewed commitment by all parties involved to make this world a better place with regards to Sustainability / CSR and responsible business practice.

But are we really? Or are we just fooling ourselves to make us feel better?

I am an optimist and promoter of Sustainability / CSR by heart but we need to see the current global political reality here. I agree that we are at crucial phase of the Sustainability / CSR field but are we actually at a tipping point towards a more responsible business practice? Or are we actually making steps back at the moment with the BP oil spill crisis, failure of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, etc?

Here is why I think we are actually making one step forward and three steps back at the moment: We are being told by our political leaders that we need to consider the current situation of our economies first of all. Governments are not really looking to invest in supporting a more responsible business practice and a more sustainable energy future with the financial austerity measures nearly every economy is now looking to implement. It is now about keeping the global economic growth going as they will tell us (an argument which I do not agree with, but this is a topic for a different post).

I bet that this will also be the main message of the upcoming G8 and following G20 summits in Canada. It will be about financial austerity and not the promotion of a more responsible business practice and investment in a more sustainable energy future.

Taking this all into account, is it then really fair to say that we at a tipping point towards a more sustainable future and responsible business practice?

I am not so sure. I certainly hope we are but looking at the current global political developments I doubt that Sustainability / CSR is at the top of the agenda of global leaders.

This is what I think. But what do you think?

Picture Credit as per creative commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddography/12034661/

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. The CSR Minister post disappears – On the devaluation of the UK leadership in responsible business practice
2. BP – a disaster for the Sustainability / CSR sector in general?
3. On the Possibility that Copenhagen Fails

Next Wednesday I will be moderating a very interesting panel on the topic of Social Media and CSR at the PR Newswire’s first Virtual Conference and Expo.

The panel will specifically discuss the role of content in this busy and noisy world of Sustainability/CSR. Sustainability/CSR content nowadays is available at a click of a button but how do you actually find the most interesting content? Our aim with the panel is to provide as much practical advice and tips and tricks for you and your organization on how to find, analyze and use the right content in a way that fits your needs.

We will have examples from Suzanne Fallander representing Intel, Chris Jarvis from 3blMedia and Julie Urlaub from Taiga Company.

Here are the details for the panel:
Panel 2 – Social Media and CSR, 1:30-2:15 ET
Topic: Social Media and CSR – Exploring the use of content to accelerate business as a change agent for progress. What roles do each play in content delivery, and what places do they have in advancing business as a change agent?

Participants:

• Julie Urlaub, The Taiga Company
• Suzanne Fallender – Intel
• Chris Jarvis – 3BLMedia
• Moderator – Fabian Pattberg – SustainabilityForum.com

The Twitter hashtag for this virtual conference  will be: #CSRExpo

I really hope you will be able to join us. Registration is free. So what more can you ask for.

See you there!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. We want more virtual Sustainability / CSR conferences like this one please!
2. Day 2 and 3 of the GRI conference 2010
3. People on Twitter that also attend the GRI conference next week

Every now and then I also writing about the latest social media sites and applications I like. Today’s post is another social media post in this category. A post about one of the newest trends in the smart phone world: Location-based social networking services.

If you have an iPhone or a smart phone that runs the Android software you are able to use the applications that enable you to check in and share information about these places you are visiting with your friends and wider social network.

This sharing of interesting places and events with my social network via these location-based social networking services is quickly becoming one of my favorite applications on my iPhone.

These are the applications I am using at the moment:

Foursquare
Foursquare is a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices, and also a game. Users “check-in” at venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application. They are then awarded points and sometimes “badges.” More about Foursquare: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foursquare_(service)

Gowalla
Gowalla is another location-based social networking website. Users ‘check-in’ at Spots in their local vicinity, either through a dedicated mobile application or through the mobile website. As a reward users will sometimes receive items from check-ins. Items have developed to become a promotional tool for the game’s partners e.g. Incase. As of March 2010 there were approximately 150,000 active users. More about Gowalla: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gowalla

At the moment I am using both services because I really like the diversity of the two services. They are both currently really different from each other. It always seems to me that Foursquare has been programmed by mathematicians and Gowalla by graphic designers. But that is just my impression.

If you are interested in using either of these services my advice would be to sign up for both. Nwo you are asking: Two services? Why not stick to one and do twice the work? My answer would be: Why not? The future of these two services is not certain as this market is only just starting to emerge and I also found that my friends and my social network is split between these two services. They are free so why only go with one?

It is your choice of course but here is a the solution for you to not do check-ins twice when you want to share the same location with your friends on Foursquare and Gowalla.

Check.In

Use the new service called check.in. This is how Techcrunch, one of the largest tech blogs describe it:
‘Check.in is an application that lets you check-in with multiple services at the same time. Or, as they put it, it’s “on check-in to rule them all.’ I have used check.in for several weeks now and can not recommend it highly enough.

This service makes location-based social networking so easy and convenient. So if you into these location-based social networking applications, then you need to get check.in. It will make your life a lot easier.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Use Twitter – It Is Part Of The Future Of Networking
2. The Beauty of Networking – The 21st Century Way
3. Building a Business Network Using the Web

Everything in the CSR / Sustainability world at the moment seems to evolve around BP and its action/inactions to fix the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. I am not doing any BP bashing here today. I am only using the current BP oil spill disaster in todays post as an example that CSR needs to evolve beyond its environmental aspects and the attention for detail by its practitioners.

This is my main argument in this post: Best practice such as the latest trend of integrated report, use of social media, etc. are steps in the right direction in my opinion but we need to increase the speed of the adoption of a more responsible business practice across the board within business in your local area and region.

The BP example has shown that big business will not act responsibly if it can get away with it. We therefore need to start at the local level to convince businesses to demand a more responsible business practice from all their businesses they are involved with. Customers and suppliers. Sustainability / CSR starts at the micro level and with clear guidance and support from a governmental level as I argued in my previous post.

This might sound very general and broad but it seems to me that we as Sustainability / CSR professionals are being caught up in the nitty gritty details of working with CSR / Sustainability far to easily and are somehow loosing the view of the big picture and the main purpose of this practice: To champion Sustainability / CSR and to help organizations in the transition to adopt a more responsible business practice.

This is the short video I recently did in partnership with 3blmedia on exactly this topic. Please let me know what you think about my argumentation and whether you agree or disagree.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Are we really at the Sustainability / CSR tipping point Mr Ban Ki-moon?
2. Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?
3. Takeover of Cadbury by Kraft: The sector loses one of its leaders

A CSR minister has been part of the UK government for 10 years now right after Tony Blair’s government created the first minister responsible to promote CSR and responsible business practices in the UK. Since then there have been 7 CSR ministers doing this job.

This was always something very interesting to talk about when you are at events or conferences and it was a clear sign of the willingsness of the UK government to show leadership in this area. It always made me proud to be living in the UK for some reason.

But now the new UK coalition government has so far not appointed a new CSR minister. And I believe they will not do so in the foreseeable future.

Yes, I admit the results/impacts of a CSR minister have been a mix of of successes and failures over the years. But this position nevertheless showed the rest of the world that the UK championed responsible business practice from a governmental level. And this is unfortunately still something which not many other countries are doing.

The big questions for then are: Are they correct in doing so? Do we not need a CSR minister anymore? Here is what I think:

The role of a CSR minister is important but for it to be more relevant then it is at the moment. its responsibilities and governmental influence would also need to change. The role would need to be empowered to be a clear and distinctive voice for a change towards responsible business practice in the UK.

The purpose of the function also needs to evolve in a way to include responsibilities for the range of CSR topics companies need to deal with when they are expressing their willingness to be more responsible corporate citizen.

The person being the CSR minister would ideally be someone that has an equal amount of business and political experience. This would be crucial for this job, to be able to both perspectives, the business and political perspective. This obviously is only wishful thinking from my side and it seems that this post of a CSR Minister will never be reinstated in any case. All current developments are pointing towards this negative development.

As a consequence, is the current UK government (and the previous government has started to do that) reallocating the responsibilities of the CSR minister to a range of other ministries (one step forward three steps back!).

And this is a real shame as this clearly devalues the decisions/work already taken by the previous CSR ministers and the purpose of a person responsible to promote responsible business practice.

I believe that there is a dire need for more responsible business practice leadership in the current UK government. You might argue that this is the role of organizations such as the BITC, but having the BITC is simply not enough (But this is a topic for a complete separate post in my opinion).

The bottom line is that we need someone more senior in the UK government that knows what CSR is, champions responsible business practice and has the links to the businesses. Otherwise will the promotion of responsible business practice not be seen as important enough by the UK business sector.

I wonder what the future of CSR in the UK will bring if we continue to make 1 step forward and 3 steps back for much longer?

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Responsible Business Practice Terminology: The Normal Chaos or Total Confusion?
2. Poll: What is the most Appropriate Term for Responsible Business Practice?
3. BP – a disaster for the Sustainability / CSR sector in general?

It is Friday and I am really looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend with my family. The past few weeks/months have been pretty hectic, disruptive and different to say the least. The overall mood with people also does not seem to be the best at the moment. The global economy still seems to stall and mostly everyone you speak to is moaning about how hard the current times are.

I know that life can be hard sometimes but life is also too short. So why waste a single minute of it by moaning?

Todays post therefore features three videos which are meant to be motivational, inspiring and encouraging. These are three of my all time favorites. I hope they will mean as much to you as they do for me once you watched them!

Video 1: Where the Hell is Matt? – A gentle reminder what it means to be human, how great our world is and how important it is to have FUN!

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Video 2: The Robin Hood Tax campaign – A campaign to that forces us to think different. To make changes that are minimal in some areas but seem to be so hard to comprehend.

The Robin Hood Tax – A Good Idea (HD) from Robin Hood on Vimeo.

Video 3: Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull – May 1st and 2nd, 2010 – Just amazing pictures of the power of nature

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull – May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Have a good weekend everyone and remember to stay positive. Always, no matter what life throws at you!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Three different Sustainability Videos
2. Video: Time to Wake Up, Freak Out – then Get a Grip
3. A Video To Brighten Up Your Day

I am very passionate about what I do. I guess you will know that by now. That is why I have decided to do a long term experiment to see how much support/money I can raise using social media.

There are some interesting websites to do this through but I decided to start using SocialVibe now to raise money. SocialVibe is a social media utility connecting people with brands, empowering them to engage with sponsors and share branded content with their social graph to benefit a cause of their choice.

I was a little doubtful at the beginning but really warmed to the idea of using and reviewing the branded content to actually get something positive out of it.

For me this is another way I can try to give back to causes I am fully supporting. Sustainability and CSR in a personal way really.

My Cause
The cause I will be supporting is to raise as money ‘Invisible Children’ (IC) for the education of children in Uganda. IC’s goal is to end a 20 year war that has been raging in Northern Uganda, and the kidnapping of children who are then used as child soldiers. In light of the current situation nearing peace, Invisible Children is addressing the need for access to education and economic development.

Everyone can participate to raise money which will pay for hours of education of these Ugandan children.

Please join me on SocialVibe to team up and make a difference for these children. The more join in the better. No costs or commitments involved. Just good will and some of your minutes every now and then for a good cause.

My cause URL:
http://www.socialvibe.com/fabian

Related posts:

1. Social Media and Microblogging – What applications you can choose from
2. Social Media and Stakeholder Engagement: The times are changing
3. Video: The Social Media Revolution

Last week was a washout for me. I was either on the road travelling or sick in bed. This obviously wasn’t a good time to write a post on the reflection of integrated reporting discussion that went on at the GRI conference back at the end of May in Amsterdam. This week I am a lot better and did set some time aside for this post.

Current situation with integrated reporting
Integrated reporting is a very hot topic at the moment. Why? The GRI and some other organizations (here is the link to my post about this) have decided to put their full weight behind the adoption of integrated reporting (Integrated reporting = Consolidating financial and non financial reporting) in the foreseeable future. This is a very significant step for these global standard organizations to get behind integrated reporting as one single supporter.

About Integrated Reporting

• More information about integrated reporting can be found here on the wikipedia page.
• If you are interested in reading the GRI announcement in more details please follow this link.

Three points to consider within the current discussion about integrated reporting

• Having witnessed the promotion of the new integrated reporting push at the GRI conference I must say I am surprised. Surprised to see such a big push for this now. Why are looking at a promotion of this now? Have these large supporters given up on supporting the current bet practice in reporting?
• Another point is that the whole concept of integrated reporting heavily relies on the experience of the corporate reporter and the reporting organization. In my opinion is it absolutely vital for the current integrated reporting discussion to focus on bringing the know how and experience from current Sustainability reporting over to the integrated reporting teams. So far I have not heard anyone making this so crucial point.
• The scope of integrated reporting is not defined at the moment. We need to put more effort in developing this scope in order to have a clear guidance what and how to report financial and non-financial reporting in a way that is accessible and easy to read.

These are just three of the points I wanted to raise in this post. What do you about these points and whole concept of integrated reporting?

A little side note to end this post.
I have just registered the four domain names listed below to make sure they are not being snapped up by speculators as already happened with the integratedreporting.com domain name unfortunately.

The domain names I have registered today for further use:
IntegratedReporting.info
Integrated-Reporting.com
IntegratedReport.com
Integrated-Report.com

If you are interested in any of these domains and would like to develop a website with useful information about integrated reporting please feel free to get in touch. I am more then happy to help you in order to promote best practice in this field. My other domains can be found here. If you want to have a more extensive browse of my current portfolio. All of these domain are available for sale or rent or co-development.

Picture Credit: thetruthabout

Related posts:

1. Sustainability / CSR Reporting Update – May 2009
2. Poll: Should CSR reporting become mandatory for all public companies?
3. Day 2 and 3 of the GRI conference 2010

A very interesting and funny video from Catherine Mohr as she walks us through all the geeky decisions she made when building a sustainable new house — looking at real energy numbers, not hype. I can really see myself being caught in this sustainable vs. energy conundrum when the time comes to build my own house!

Really worth 6 minutes of your time.

Related posts:

1. Video: Visionary Architecture for a Sustainable Future
2. Video: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature
3. Video: Bill Gates on the future of energy