Corporate Responsibility

While the integration of sustainable objectives in the corporate strategy of companies from developing and emerging countries increasingly influence their access to global markets, companies from developed countries are increasingly confronted with public debates on their responsibility for climate change, the working conditions of their suppliers or their anti-corruption policies. Although large and small companies are well aware of their social responsibility, there is still room for improvement – especially when it comes to the strategic consideration of CR.

Current political and policy-relevant processes such as the creation of ISO 26000, the revision of the OECD guidelines for multinational companies, or the development of national CSR strategies and action plans in the EU - especially in Germany - reflects CR’s high political profile. CR is particularly relevant, not least for development cooperation (DC): irresponsible behaviour of firms can undermine and set back development efforts - responsible behaviour, however, can multiply efforts and support self-reliance in developing countries.

With its integrated approach, using research, consultation and dialogue, adelphi supports the different processes of CR in the private sector and in the political arena. Our clients benefit from the extensive technical expertise of our team and from custom-tailored tools and solutions.

As lead manager of an international team of experts, we support the work of the European Commission's High Level Group (HLG) through organisation and studies on different aspects of CSR. In addition, we analyse the role of the state as a responsible market player, in the context of various projects on public procurement in Europe and individual Member States. Over the past several years adelphi has designed and implemented training and qualification programmes for businesses, associations, chambers and financial institutions worldwide: we advise the Indian Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development at the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII-CESD) to deepen their technical understanding and regional expansion of CR-related training and consulting services, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For the banking sector in Turkey, Africa and South Asia, we are developing criteria for good social and environmental practices and assist in the implementation of processes for the credit checks and credit allocation. Given the increasingly important role of sustainability within investments, adelphi is working nationally and internationally with numerous banks and financial institutions in the field of socially responsible investment (SRI).

adelphi promotes professional exchange about CR and is in direct contact with a variety of companies - whether with CSR consulting for large companies or business support for sustainability entrepreneurs. In cooperation with the UNEP SEED Initiative (www.seedinit.org), we will select again this year 35 outstanding sustainable start-ups and analyse conditions for successful business foundations.