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The Social Sustainability Resource Guide
In the universe of corporate
responsibility, “sustainability”
has emerged as the new mantra.
Used most often in relation
to environmental stewardship,
sustainability is defined as the
preservation of the earth’s
resources for future generations.
But in CSR circles, more and
more we hear sustainability being
discussed in another dimension;
the social dimension… for
communities and the people who live in them
are by far the world’s most valuable resource.
Fully understanding the social impacts of
corporate practices and helping to promote
community participation in the development
of sustainability programs formed the basis
of an ICCR-led inquiry that would result in a
generous grant from the Alcoa Foundation.
Led by project coordinators David Schilling
and Nadira Narine from ICCR and reflecting
the work of nearly 20 contributors from the
disciplines of responsible investment,
including ICCR members, business, NGOs
and on the ground community groups, the
Social Sustainability Resource Guide (SSRG)
was launched in June of 2011.
Listen to the inaugural webinar here (Note: please open the webinar in Internet Explorer; webinar will not play in other web browsers like Firefox or Chrome).
The SSRG interprets sustainability more
broadly to include social, economic and environmental
practices that protect and enhance
not only the natural resources needed by
future generations, but the human resources
that will ensure a quality of life equal to or
greater than our own. This broader definition
includes but is not limited to the
right to development, the right
to health care, access to safe
water and food, education, the
rights of indigenous peoples,
free prior and informed consent,
the continuous improvement of
living conditions and importantly,
the right to actively participate
in the decisions that impact
community and individual
well-being.
Said David Schilling, “Our hope in publishing
the SSRG is to catalyze social change
by bringing the human and community impact
of doing business to the forefront of corporate
consciousness and to the core of business
planning. We are asking companies to measure
the long term impact of their operations
and sustainability initiatives on communities
because impact measures tell us what really
makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Because our faith-based members have
one foot in companies as shareholders and
one foot in communities as religious organizations,
ICCR is uniquely positioned to begin
the social sustainability discussion. Further,
ICCR’s relationships with global NGOs
working within communities and with local
governments facilitate the convening of key
stakeholders and promote the co-creation of
successful and enduring social sustainability
programs.
The SSRG proposes a multi-party, multisector,
values-based framework as a way to
begin the conversation. Further the guide includes
10 case studies all using slightly different
models for measuring social impact. Said
Nadira Narine, Project Coordinator, “Our
contributors recognize that social sustainability
initiatives require long-term commitments
and multi-stakeholder input. To measure the
effectiveness of their initiatives and their
social impact, they must take into account how
they have improved the lives of community
members as well as those of their workers.”
The Action Planning Cycle:
Said Laura Berry, ICCR’s Executive Director, “The motivation for this work is grounded in
the practical conviction that business leaders
who choose to serve the common good build
more profitable businesses over the long term.
ICCR is initiating an intentional conversation
and formalizing the analysis that moves us
beyond output measures to recognizing the
importance of positive community impact.”
Contributors to the SSRG all acknowledge
that it will take a while before the concept of
social sustainability is fully internalized by companies.
Says Schilling, “We hope that in laying
the groundwork we will spur further dialogue,
exploration and knowledge sharing between
companies and communities and encourage
initiatives that result in positive and sustainable
social change.”
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