uk national csr policy 2006-9, some reflections
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A few reflections on being involved with UK CSR policy process 2006-9TRANSCRIPT
November 6th 2014, Riga www.innovation-forum.co.uk Tobiaswebb.blogspot.com
UK National CSR Policy 2006-9, some reflections
Tobias Webb, Founder & MD, Innovation Forum
Relevant experience to date• Founder, Ethical Corporation 2001-2014
• Founder, Innovation Forum 2014-today
• Lecturer, Corporate Responsibility, Birkbeck, University of London, Kings College London
• Co-chair, David Cameron’s Working Group on Responsible Business 2006-9
• ‘Advised’ Governments of Ghana, India and Iceland on CSR policy ideas since 2007
FINAL REPORT OF THECONSERVATIVE PARTY WORKING GROUPON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
A light but effective touch
MARCH 2008
UK CSR Policy, some background
• UK CSR Policy much over hyped for many years
• 10 or more CSR Ministers, none of whom did anything at all!
• Attempts at legal based frameworks have failed (CORE coalition)
• UK enforcement on business very light touch: Bribery, community, even climate change and social impact
CSR today = Sustainable business
• Much more complex than old fashioned CSR: This was community, philanthropy, basic risk management
• Sustainable business today covers much much more: From tax to working conditions to deforestation, biodiversity, climate change etc
• So national frameworks are notoriously hard to construct: Encouraging voluntarism is very hard to get right (UK Big Society)
• Economic recession 08/09/10 meant UK focus on jobs, taxes and now, immigration. Pressure on companies related to domestic issues (tax, labour conditions, loans, energy) alongside international issues (bribery, supply chain conditions, climate policy)
CSR Policy 2006-9: What we did• Realised the limitations of the
old approach to creating lists of things for business to do
• Understood that we were working with a future Conservative Government
• Found a high level champion for the issue (PM’s chief strategist)
• Raised interest and awareness at top levels of the party before we proposed a research-based report for policy development
The process we used
• Assembled a small working group of less than six individuals with great experience in the field. Two of us drove the process
• Had the Leader of the Party publicly endorse and support our work (David Cameron)
• Used his name and support to convene more than 140 meetings and consultations. Used a rigourous qualitative process
• Also asked and received written responses to letters from DC from business, NGOs, trade unions, academia
FINAL REPORT OF THECONSERVATIVE PARTY WORKING GROUPON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
A light but effective touch
MARCH 2008
What we came up with
• A policy report which we felt was based on “Real Politik” whilst being progressive
• Suggestions which asked Government to ‘nudge’ or ‘shove’ business and others in the right direction
• Created a mechanism to drive change which was non-regulatory
• Used the idea that the UK lead the world in responsible business to emphasise potential for competitive advantage
Also…• We had a ‘Big Idea’ to
capture headlines and imagination
• “Responsibility Deals” advocated change across many parties, not just business!
• They suggested a non regulatory mechanism by which a senior government leader (Cabinet level) would convene a multi-stakeholder group of companies, NGOs, academia and civil society representatives
• Idea was that Government would drive progress, not just regulate
• In a Responsibility Deal, Government takes the role of catalyst, as convenor, and as ultimate arbiter
• Regulation is not off the table if a deal cannot be done BUT parties are encouraged to collaborate
• Government uses its power to keep parties at the table and cut a deal
• For example on waste targets, on health or on corruption
How would it work?
So what happened?
• Our report laid out how Government could drive innovation, capitalise on UK CSR leadership and improve competitiveness
• We carefully structured how Responsibility Deals should work to keep key parties at the table, provide transparency and drive progress
• We published our report in March 2008 with the now UK Prime Minister, David Cameron. He endorsed the report as future UK policy at a press conference
• And then? The Conservative Party announced it would begin using RD’s in opposition
• Announced high level figures to lead the process on both waste and health
• Once in power from 2010 both Responsibility Deals were implemented and are in place today, at least technically
However….
And then?
Why?
• Because the Government didn’t take our advice and manage them from Cabinet Level
• They outsourced the management to lower levels of Government
• So the buy in from business, and particularly NGOs/Civil Society never really happened properly
• Today: NGOs are not engaged, business uses RD’s for PR for announcements when it suits them (Coca-Cola on sugar reductions)
Responsibility Deals haven’t really worked out
So, what are the lessons to be learned?
1. Policy should be focused on innovation as much as highlighting problems to be solved
2. Government must support actions at a senior political level, across elections. Mature politics is needed!
3. All parties must be kept engaged. Only Government can make this happen
4. The process cannot be hijacked by any of the parties
5. Finally, we must recognise and celebrate that some of the things that come out of it, would have happened anyway, so the role is to catalyse, rather than take all the credit politically
FINAL REPORT OF THECONSERVATIVE PARTY WORKING GROUPON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
A light but effective touch
MARCH 2008
Download the 2008 report
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Thanks, and contact details:Tobias Webb
Founder and Managing DirectorInnovation Forum