Davos 2016: CSR Represents the Way Forward for Corporates and the World

Launch of a Robust Global Sustainability Index Will Promote Transparency

January 22, 2016. Davos. – Dr. Călin Georgescu, Executive Director of the new UN Global Sustainability Index Institute, said at the Media Tenor Reputation Lab at the World Economic Forum, that he believes that “the 21st century will be strongly distinguished by mankind's care for the world.” In launching the index, he reminded the audience that “we cannot last long if we cannot make a fundamental shift in how we treat our world,” adding that establishing “a sustainable society that thrives within its biophysical limits is now an emergency priority.”

That the time is right for a Global Sustainability Index is backed up the trend data. In a break with the past, financial analysts quoted by the media have shown a growing interest in corporate CSR/ESG over the last year, according to new research from Media Tenor International, presented as CSR Index 2016 at the World Economic Forum.

At the event, Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, noted that there is a pervasive lack of trust that is infusing our societies, but that "rebuilding trust through transparency in how we deal with the affairs of the planet."

Jevan Tan, founder of Metazone.org in Singapore, emphasized the need for youth education focusing on generosity, trust, and responsibility. The future “isn’t about being aggressive, super smart, arrogant, and selfish,” he said, “It's the opposite."

“For companies, CSR is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity,” says Roland Schatz, Media Tenor International’s founder and CEO.  “While not all companies and all industries have yet gotten the message, many are making great strides. We believe a collaborative global sustainability index will be a valuable tool for investors, consumers, and other stakeholders in evaluating how they invest and spend their money, improving our world in the process.”

“We have models that show the value-added impact of ESG/CSR,” says Matthias Vollbracht, Head of Corporate Analysis, at Media Tenor. “We need to utilize this research in the contexts specific to different industries. For banks right now the focus is governance. For chemical firms, environment is key.”

Dr. Francis Quinn, Director of Sustainability Technologies at Workiva underscored that we “can't make progress without being able to measure things." He went on to note that as a society we cannot just make small corrections, but must get to the root of the problem at all levels to truly build a sustainable future.

Prof. Francesco de Leo, founder and Executive Chairman of Kaufman and Partners in London, said that the new reality around CSR/ESG is that it’s not just about growth, but risk management in an increasingly fragile and volatile world.

The 2016 CSR Index, edited by Francis Quinn and Roland Schatz, looks at today’s problems and tomorrow’s potentials when it comes to CSR/ESG. In addition to contribution from the panelists at today’s event, the book also includes research from Arnfried Ossen and Steven Bacon, qualitative analysts in sustainability investment at RobecoSAM and Bruno Rebelle, General Manager of TRANSITIONS.

For over 20 years Media Tenor's mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse, and newsworthy media content by bringing together the diverse parties. Media Tenor's global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences.

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