Key speakers at the country’s flagship conference for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability have shared their views on the trends underpinning the changing CSR landscape in Qatar, while providing insights into the strategies and practices that business must adopt in order to push the country’s sustainability agenda forward.
The third edition of CSR Qatar 2015 will be held in Doha, under the patronage of HE the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, from November 23 to 25 under the theme “Transforming CSR to Support a Socially Responsible and Sustainable Economy in Qatar”.
Commenting on the shift in businesses’ approach to CSR, Rob Sherwin, general manager (corporate affairs) and deputy country chairman, Shell, who will speak at the opening panel discussion of the conference, said: “Companies in Qatar and the GCC region are increasingly making two shifts in their approach to corporate social responsibility: firstly – moving away from ad hoc philanthropy and sponsorships towards longer-term partnerships where the company is contributing and transferring capabilities and expertise in addition to just money; and secondly – reframing CSR not just as the way the company spends/gives away its money, but also how it makes its money, ie ethical business, good employer, environmentally
responsible etc.”
Saleh Ali al-Mohannadi, secretary-general of Qatar Red Crescent Society, stressed the need for more closely aligned public-private partnerships, saying: “Under Qatar National Vision 2030, there is an inherent link between the four pillars (economic, social, human, and environmental development). All of these pillars are obviously interrelated in that they require strong public-private
partnerships.”
The business community has the “ethical and pragmatic duty to adopt projects and strategies that are in line with the above pillars”, he added.
Identifying education, youth development and capacity building in science and technology as the key areas for Qatari corporates to invest back into the country, Dr Mohamed Ajmal Khan, Qatar Shell professorial chair of sustainable development and professor for food and water security at the Centre for Sustainable Development, Qatar University, said it was imperative for any nation to develop a vibrant science structure and ensure that economic growth was achieved in consonance with
environmental demands.
He will be speaking on the second day of the conference on “Developing the Future Workforce”, while al-Mohannadi will participate in a panel discussion titled “Shared Value Approach: Optimising NGO Relationships by Creating Measurable, Impactful Projects”, to be held on the same day.
A host of other speakers will participate in the
conference.