CSE Leads Discussion in Next Generation CSR Reporting at the 2009 Net Impact Conference


Advancing Sustainable Global Enterprise: Change makers, Innovators, and Problem Solvers


The 2009 Net Impact Conference attracted over 2,000 participants to the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It brought together the players behind the sustainable global enterprise movement, including sustainability and corporate responsibility practitioners, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders.

The motivating questions of the weekend included, “What inspires Net Impact to challenge the status quo? What obstacles do they face? And what approaches have led them to success in changing the rules of the game?”

The Managing Director of CSE in North America, Nick Andrews, lead the discussion on next generation CSR Reporting moderating the Net Impact Panel titled, “CSR Reporting: Moving Forward Meaningfully”. Panelist included Geoffrey Geist, Manager, Strategy and Communications, Dept. of Global Responsibility, Gap, Inc., Heidi Baschnagel, Director, Marketing Communications, National Instruments, and Brandon Tidwell, Program Officer, Social Responsibility and Ethnic Outreach, FedEx Services.

The panelists discussed the challenges and innovations experienced in building CSR Reporting mechanisms for their respective organizations. Challenges mentioned included identifying which stakeholder to reach out to and engage, as well as how to disseminate CSR information within the organization to attract employee buy-in and ownership. Innovative concepts to be introduced in the next reporting cycle include stakeholder first-party video testimony, dynamic CSR reporting using company blogs, and the use of more comprehensive, in-depth stakeholder engagement events.

CSE shared with panelist and audience members some insights from its CSR Practitioners’ Workshop, certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). The workshop, co-developed by both CSE and IEMA, trains professionals on the fundamentals of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Strategy, Stakeholder Engagement, and CSR Reporting mechanisms. Participants of the CSE workshop have the opportunity to be assessed after the workshop and become certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). CSE’s next workshop will be hosted on February 9 – 10, 2010 in Chicago.


Photo: The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) shared its expertise with the participants of this year’s Net Impact Conference.