According to a recent CSR news article, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated engagement on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) among forward-thinking companies and investors. As a result, companies are reconsidering every aspect of their businesses, including their ESG responsibilities. Along with the racial and social justice movements of 2020, the pandemic has raised expectations that business will take a stand on important social and environmental issues—not least among employees.
In fact, employee demand for corporate responsibility and sustainability is up among all generations, as people look for opportunities to help change companies from the inside out in the face of multiple global challenges. At Dimensions we believe that this change has to be from the inside out and has to begin on the inside.
Corporate Social Responsibility is not only about volunteering, community grants or raising money. It is about making your company more responsible at its core. Dimensions is a certified B Corporation and the B-Lab provides a great framework for responsible business practices by focussing on these five areas:
Governance: Ensuring that a company’s legal policies account for sustainability, equity, and a higher purpose – such as adding ESG (environmental, social and governance) metrics to board-level accountability.
Workers: Taking care of employees, including a living wage, healthcare, equity, tackling discrimination, and more – investing in more strategic community-building initiatives in all sites where employees are based.
Community: Fostering community involvement and partnership, moving beyond donations and sporadic volunteering to meaningful partnerships – and investing in more strategic community-building initiatives in all sites where employees are based.
Environment: Accounting for all emissions and environmental degradation and working towards net-zero carbon and water – including adding public reporting to consumers and investors.
Customers: Ensuring products and services actually make a meaningful and positive impact on people and other stakeholders, which adds more layers of transparency in everything that is in the product.
This embraces an ecological model of wellness and safety that broadens consideration of essential factors critical to enhancing safety, employee well-being and organizational well-being.