Business Leaders' Forum

Focus on a Partner - April 2009

In this month's national partner interview, Tomas Nejedlo from Business Leaders' Forum in the Czech Republic discusses some of the organisation's activities, presents current CSR trends and priorities for companies in the country and looks at the EU Czech Presidency speech during the European Multistakeholder Forum in February 2009.

Tomas Nejedlo

Business Leaders' Forum has been organizing an award scheme for the most improved companies in terms of their environment in the workplace. Could you tell us more about this initiative and its objectives?

The Award was established in 1989 at the initiative of the company ICI. In 1991, we took over the organisation of the competition. Over these eighteen years, the initiative has included 600 projects worth 500,000€ and representing savings of more than 50,000 tonnes of waste, which is equivalent to a train with a length of 70 km.

The projects are evaluated by an independent jury. The main evaluation criteria are that the projects are comprehensive, voluntary and original, as well as their benefits, scope, financial impact, public significance and measurability.

The Award is held under auspices Minister of the Environment. Since 2000, The Health, Safety and Environment Award has become a national round of competition The European Business Awards for the Environment and the Business Leaders' Forum has the right to nominate Czech projects to European competition.

Your organisation also assisted in the Czech translation of the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) G3 guidelines released in January 2009. What needs to be done in order to encourage Czech companies to adopt and follow this guideline?

As one weaknesses of the concept of CSR, we see the challenges of measuring and responsibly communicating companies' activities to stakeholders. As a possible solution, we decided to offer the Czech business public the GRI reporting methodology. The fact that we have it translated into the mother language allows small firms to become familiar with this methodology and, where appropriate, to work with it.

Czech firms issue annual reports or sustainability reports on their behaviour. These reports include few facts of their CSR approach and activities. Therefore, issuing a separate report on CSR can help to address pressures from the public.

What are the main CSR priorities and trends for companies in the Czech Republic?

The main priorities include care workers (e.g. healthcare, further education, culture, gender issue) and environmental protection. At the present time, challenges for companies also include supplier-customer relationships, cooperation with universities or outplacement.

At the European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR on 10 February 2009, Petr Simerka, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, mentioned in his speech that the Czech Presidency has set out as one of its priorities to promote all initiatives that will contribute to boosting the economic potential of Europe and member states. Do you think CSR can assist in achieving that goal?

I am fully convinced about it. I think the concept of CSR has not shown its full potential. I believe that the concept of CSR can offer interesting innovations in the involvement of various stakeholders, who can help to outline economic and social challenges from other perspectives.

More information

Read more about Business Leaders Forum at www.blf.cz.

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