www.buildgreen.ae
SPECIAL FEATURE
May 2011
32
CSR initiatives today help build a business’ success.
innovative products that help our customers save time and reduce their environmental impacts. We also look carefully at our own environmental footprint from sales offices to manufacturing, and from employee travel to logistics.” Katrina Angeles, public relations coordinator at Dubai Marriott Hotels, explains that green initiatives are also part of the chain’s core principles. Angeles says: “We understand the role we play in protecting our environment. We work in partnership with our hotel owners and franchisees to implement sustainable environmental practices to reflect the environmental interests and concerns of our guests, associates, business partners and communities.” When executed successfully, these initiatives can achieve tangible results. PepsiCo’s Abdul-Latif says: “Since implementing our global CSR goals in 2006, we have conserved more than 12 billion litres of water through efficiency improvements within our operations globally, achieved a 16% reduction in per unit use of energy in our beverage plants and a 7% reduction in our snack plants, all in 2009 compared to the
Volunteers pose at the “Clean the Desert” campaign organised by PRZone and the Dubai Municipality.
In order to make CSR initiatives successful, we have to make them profitable and measurable”
2006 baseline.” But it’s not just the environment that can benefit from CSR. Integrating CSR into an organisation’s operations has a positive impact on how employees view their employer. It can also help enhance a company’s reputation and communicate its core brand and company values to a wider audience. Lina Husri, the founder of PRZone, the first PR agency dedicated to tackling CSR and community services in the region, adds: “Employees who work for organisations that promote CSR practices tend to be more loyal, positive and productive and have better team spirit.” The Dubai Chamber Centre for Responsible Business has seen many examples where good CSR practices not only helped improve morale but also employee retention and attraction of new talent. The Dubai Chamber’s Rahman says: “A great example is the ENGAGE Dubai program, the UAE’s leading corporate employee volunteering programme that has seen many organisations positively increase their reputation among local stakeholders.”