The corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department in a company is responsible for establishing and managing activities aimed at social and environmental welfare. The oil/ energy industry, one of the most lucrative industries whose processes and products are not environmentally friendly, requires strict governance, and sustainability models cannot be overlooked.
My first goal as corporate social responsibility manager will be to establish frameworks to enhance compliance with internationally recognized CSR standards like Triple Bottom Line (TBL), People, Planet & Profit (3Ps strategy), ISO26000, and SA8000 for social accountability and ISO 14000 for environment management. An Oil/ Energy company can have a major impact on the environment, so I will work on finding new ways to reduce carbon emission in day-to-day operations; this will be attained through research for better fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-efficient products and promoting renewable energy sources used.
The second goal will be to associate the established framework with existing operational strategies and create awareness across the organization; this will be enhanced by setting mechanisms for periodic internal and external audits. With this CSR process structure in place, the organization will be able to improve social and environmental welfare through compliance with ethically considered virtues and operations like human rights, corporate governance, and Environment Health and Safety (EHS). To enhance compliance, I will take the initiatives to advise and see the implementation of practices in the organization for sustainable and environment-friendly development.
In line with CSRs operations, I will make efforts geared toward social enabling efforts like developing infrastructures, providing primary health care, developing education systems among others in developing countries. In wake of disasters, the company will be ready to assist. Internally, it will also aim at making operations safer and enhancing disaster recovery. These efforts will not only benefit the community and environment but also enhance the organization’s image, thus increasing business.