Transformational CSRSimon Cooper

CSR Consultancy Ltd.

Sustainability• HE is recognised for its Environmental activity

– But there are 3 other pillars:– the workplace

• the way staff are employed, developed and rewarded– the marketplace

• the relationship with students and other ‘customers’, and the way the University’s suppliers are treated

– the community• the hinterland of the University and the economic, cultural and

social effects of students and university staff on their neighbours

Taken together, these are Corporate Responsibility

Transformational CSR• Environmental

– Reduce waste, increase resource efficiency, manage carbon

• Workplace– Train & develop employees to transform

their abilities & lives

Transformational CSR• Community

– Use the power of the university to transform neighbourhoods & bring economic success

• Marketplace– Education for Sustainable Development &

Global Citizenship – transform the way your graduates see their place in the world

Transformational CSR• Transformational change is possible

through a holistic approach to sustainability

• But only if you address all 4 pillars• Arguably, the 3 non-environment pillars

have more potential for transformation• But environmental sustainability is

essential to give us the life support for the other 3…

How do you do it?• Through measuring and

benchmarking your performance on each of the 4 pillars

• Revealing your strong points and areas for improvement

• Achieving the right balance between the 4 pillars

Continuous improvement“You don’t fatten a pig by weighing it”

• Benchmarking gives you an annual fix on how you are doing compared to peers

• Where you are leading, teach others• Where you lag, learn from others• Benchmark – improve – benchmark

again

• Management tool for integrating CR• Framework for a systematic approach to

managing, measuring and reporting social and environmental performance

• Benchmark for comparing an University’s management processes and performance with those of others in the sector/Index

• Method for engaging board members and raising awareness of CR risks and opportunities

• Communication tool with internal & external stakeholders

What is the CR Index?

UTC History• HEFCE LGM Pilot

Project 2005-07 25 HEIs involved

• HERDA-SW LGM Regional Project 2007 – 11 HEIs

• UTC approved in June 2008 for 3 year tapered funding

Who’s taking part?• 58 Universities & Colleges

– 50/50 Environment Index & Corporate Responsibility Index

– Including HEFCE– Largest sector in history of Index

• More than 100 practitioners attended workshops

• Online survey, deadline yesterday

The results• Detailed Feedback Report

– Fantastic improvement tool– Packed with comparative information– Individual ‘live’ feedback for HEIs

• Annual benchmarking process– To be shared with stakeholders– Improvements implemented– Report as basis for next Index

Student Expectations• Forum for the Future &

UCAS - 25,300 answers• 57% rate their HEI as

good or very good on social/environmental issues

• 42% would like more information from HEIs to help their choice

• 41% want carbon quotas• 86% say material

consumption must reduce

Funders’ context• Labour – Dept. of Energy & Climate

Change created• Conservatives – Green New Deal• Wales – Sustainability as a central plank

of public policyIt’s difficult to imagine a future where HE

funding won’t have some sort of sustainability element

Transforming through CR?“Doing things right”

“Institutions which are reducing their carbon footprint, introducing eco-efficiencies, greening their supply chains, collaborating with their communities and providing supportive as well as excellent places to work and study will be the institutions selected by staff and students wanting to align their futures with the organisations that share their values”

UTC Pilot Project Report, January 2007

Going higher & deeper“Doing the right thing”

"Education can help us only if it produces 'whole men'. The 'whole man' will not be in doubt about his basic convictions, about his view on the purpose of life. He may not be able to explain these matters in words, but the conduct of his life will show a certain sureness of touch which stems from inner clarity.”

E.F. Schumacher - Small is Beautiful (1973)

The higher purpose of HEDoing things right & Doing the right thingIf we can create teaching, learning and research

that produces people who think of themselves as truly global citizens, is that not the best contribution we can make to sustainable development, as well as the highest purpose we could aspire to?

Transformational CSR - for the planet

Transformational Change through Corporate

Responsibility Benchmarking