The report “Responsible Business in Poland. Good Practices”, prepared by the Responsible Business Forum, is the largest review of socially responsible business activities in Poland to date. The 2015 edition showcases a record-breaking number of 811 good practices in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR), based on input from 136 companies.
452 new examples of corporate activity have been reported, as well as 359 long-standing activities, understood as those already published in previous editions of the report. Business activities are categoried into seven areas according to the ISO 26000 standard: organizational governance, human rights, environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, labor practices, and community involvement and development – the latter two representing the areas with the highest numbers of reported good practices.
“Polish businesses are reporting more and more good CSR practices. These are both new and long-standing initiatives, and most of them are employee-oriented or benefit local communities in which the businesses operate. Sadly, the 136 leading companies contributing to the report are no more than just a drop in the ocean. We still have a lot to do when it comes to convincing other Polish businesses that it’s worth making integrity and responsibility an integral part of their business strategy. These days a company should bring real value, not just profits,” says Mirella Panek-Owsiańska, President of the Responsible Business Forum.
The positive development of CSR is also visible in the number of companies reporting new practices: 136 companies, of which 35 represent the SME sector.
“The number of practices reported reflects a strong increase in CSR activity in comparison to 2014. Importantly, not only did we record a high increase in the number of entries in general, but in addition the number of long-standing practices is catching up with the number of new, not yet reported practices. This confirms what we already communicated last year – CSR is becoming more and more professional in Poland, and the business sector is looking for long-term benefits in that concept, an attitude which is totally right,” says Marzena Strzelczak, General Director of the Responsible Business Forum.
For more information:
- Download the full publication: Responsible Business in Poland. Best Practices
- Download the English summary of the report
- Website of Responsible Business Forum
- Agnieszka Siarkiewicz, Media & Communication, Responsible Business Forum
- Karolina Södergren, Associate, WBCSD Global Network
