tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post9060048535759417144..comments2024-03-19T12:59:20.494+02:00Comments on csr-reporting: Dow Chemicals CSR Report 2009elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433863039389159395noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post-1419192525271983422010-09-01T22:01:06.615+03:002010-09-01T22:01:06.615+03:00hi lavinia and ben... actually, I confess to strug...hi lavinia and ben... actually, I confess to struggling with this a little. Dow bought UC 2 years after Bhopal. Does this mean they bought responsibility for Bhopal? Clearly, as a big player, exercise of precaution is critical and I agree, not everything will show up in CSR reports. However, there does appear to be a good degree of systematic approach to responsible practice in the Dow report.<br /><br />Thanks both for reading and comenting, elaineelainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07433863039389159395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post-27424492092501285452010-09-01T17:25:09.170+03:002010-09-01T17:25:09.170+03:00Ben,
Thank you for commenting here. I would lik...Ben, <br /><br />Thank you for commenting here. I would like to see a discussion ensue on measuring CEO and Director performance for exercising precaution.<br /><br />I have a much longer proposition and response to offer here, so I will set up my response at my blog and link it here.<br /><br />LaviniaLavinia Weissmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420432372656455313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post-25805862984916693242010-09-01T17:22:42.998+03:002010-09-01T17:22:42.998+03:00Ben,
Thank you for commenting here. I would lik...Ben, <br /><br />Thank you for commenting here. I would like to see a discussion ensue on measuring CEO and Director performance for exercising precaution.<br /><br />The new Deloitte UNGC framework asserts that Leadership methodology cannot be the only focus in sustainability. I agree on that.<br /><br />This is why I teach social network analysis as part of my coaching and organization methodology.<br /><br />I do believe at this time the greatest gap in CSR continues to be the inability of Executive Officers to lead initiatives with an understanding of how the social network integrates sustainability as a market (not organization) strategy.<br /><br />Yet CSR traditionally has viewed market skill from the perspective of PR and communications.<br /><br />The United States as a country is culpable in my opinion for not demanding the resignation of the Union Carbide CEO, which was very different from our response to BP asking for Hayward's resignation from BP. This time the US was harmed directly, but the US and Union Carbide protected its CEO, Warren Anderson by supporting his escape out of Bhopal. The harm was not US territory.<br /><br />And yes it was a different time and a different President.<br /><br />That said, any country is culpable for not building a bridge between industry, government and local regions to exercise precaution.<br /><br />You cannot exercise precaution for safe chemical practices without realigning conversations in the social network that are far more complex than how we now view "stakeholder engagement,"<br /><br />The UNGC has been inspiring to me for how communities of practice are emerging to make these changes.<br /><br />Personally, I see a high business benefit opportunity in forming safe chemical practices to exercise precaution that has to be addressed.<br /><br />The less than satisfying response of "sweeping problems under the rug" will continue and translate to cover ups of responsibility through mergers and acquisitions.<br /><br />Genzyme right now is preparing to deal with a possible hostile take over by Sanofi Aventis. Genzyme has been battling for years the gap of understanding of value of knowledge management as a practice of sustainability to build and invest in its human capital to broaden the success of their research and development agenda using strategies to track and share knowledge practices that they can easily harvest from documents they are required to complete for FDA, Sarbanes Oxley, and systems of compliance.<br /><br />This is in part reflected in the decrease of their stock value and the fact that BioPharma overall is losing 50% of its $260+Billion profit margins due to the changing world.<br /><br />In a triple bottom line scenario Genzyme could become the GE or the Walmart of Biopharm reorganizing itself into a sustainable economy by building initiatives core to its products, market and purpose that go beyond claiming "green" by building a new GREEN Building. The new agenda for sustainability for chemical and biopharm industry has to adopt a platform based on occupational, geography and patient health.<br /><br />In my opinion, Dow needs to look at itself closely as well and tear apart a sustainable agenda that is not obvious to the eyes of consumers related to what dust they hid with merger acquisitions.<br /><br />Elaine, again thanks for featuring this report. After reading the Danisco report that you consulted to, I have to say you and I are very aligned. <br /><br />Just as you look to the "ingredients" of what makes a good report, I look to the ingredients of the social network and hidden history to make sense of a new agenda for sustainability that reflects and clearly presents a need for that agenda to be led by the Directors and CEO and translated as investment into the social network from an economic view.Lavinia Weissmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420432372656455313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post-36774600920259045652010-09-01T13:20:16.794+03:002010-09-01T13:20:16.794+03:00I agree Lavinia, the key issue for me is Union Car...I agree Lavinia, the key issue for me is Union Carbide and Bhopal. It needs to be addressed, specifically and at length, and until this happens their CSR reporting will for me ring hollow.Benhttp://www.leapcr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008724049496903547.post-25299614188387756132010-09-01T03:06:36.828+03:002010-09-01T03:06:36.828+03:00I am going to dig into this report myself tomorrow...I am going to dig into this report myself tomorrow.<br /><br />A few questions appeared for me<br /><br />1. Where are they in finding substitutes for chemicals that are hazardous?<br /><br />2. Given they are in the chemical business, what are they doing for occupational health to protect their employees?<br /><br />3. More important for me right now, Dow acquired Union Carbide, which means they acquired a company that was responsible for the death of 15,000 people as a result of the Bhopal disaster. Given the BP Oil Spill and their acquisition of Union Carbide how are they approaching business to exercise precaution with regard for all stakeholders and the regions in which they manufacture?Lavinia Weissmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420432372656455313noreply@blogger.com