Vodafone Qatar recently hosted a group of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability experts to discuss trends, best practices and case studies in the field and shed light on the growing role of sustainability within an organisation’s business model and strategy.
The roundtable, coinciding with World CSR Day 2014, is one in a series of events Vodafone is planning to organise as part of its ongoing CSR Majlis programme, which aims to provide an open platform that facilitates dialogue and knowledge-sharing between peers representing both the
public and private sectors.
Vodafone named Ernst & Young as knowledge partner for the event.
Dinesh Aggarwal, senior manager, Ernst & Young, Clean Energy & Sustainability Services, gave a presentation on the role of CSR and sustainability and the growing impact of the latter on the way businesses are done. He also shared a few live cases to emphasise that sustainability is pivotal to the survival of a business today.
He said: “While the Qatar government is doing its bit by initiating programmes like SDIR, Tarsheed, Estedama to promulgate the culture of sustainability, it is for the organisations to recognise and endorse and not only enrich its business DNA but contribute towards a sustainable national economy.”
Estedama-Qatar National Project for Sustainable Development was also part of Vodafone’s CSR Majlis. Estedama is a platform that helps develop sustainable social and economic growth by raising awareness about environmental issues and empower people to act in their society.
Attendees joined Vodafone and Ernst & Young in a debate on how CSR and sustainability should be deeply engrained within a company’s business strategy instead of being considered as a cosmetic and publicity element. Some of them showcased examples of how both practices have developed within their organisations to become an integral factor of success.
Dana Haidan, head, CSR and sustainability at Vodafone Qatar, said: “As a global company with very local roots, corporate social responsibility ranks high on our agenda and our aim is to continue to make a real contribution to society.”
“Vodafone Qatar firmly believes that CSR should stretch well beyond mere charitable activities to encompass our integrity in everything we do and to ensure that the initiatives we spearhead are of true and genuine value to the larger National Vision of 2030,” she added.
Vodafone will hold the CSR Majlis, with different themes, on a quarterly basis.
