Excellence in CSR Practices Can Help Attract Foreign Direct Investment
CSR Awards 2016 Shortlist Announced Today
Chambers Ireland today (13th July 2016) announced the shortlist for the 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. The Awards, now in their thirteenth year, celebrate the positive work done by the business community for the benefit of their employee, the local community and the environment. The Awards are partnered with Business in the Community Ireland, sponsored by BAM Contractors and run in association with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
Announcing the shortlist, Ian Talbot, Chambers Ireland Chief Executive said: “The exceptionally strong and diverse applications for this year’s CSR Awards is a reflection of just how important a role the business community plays in wider Irish society. This year the Awards focus on how the business community can play their part in meeting some of the major challenges facing Irish society today, such as Youth Unemployment. Ireland has the opportunity to become an international Centre of CSR Excellence and attract inward investment from multinational companies that recognise the importance of CSR. We are immensely proud that the CSR Awards showcases the excellence in CSR work that is taking place in Irish business and I would like to wish all on the shortlist the best of luck.”
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Simon Coveney, T.D., continued by acknowledging the important role that Corporate Social Responsibility has to play in the development of innovative and effective ways to address social needs, and in supporting dynamic individuals and groups working to develop our communities: “The Corporate Social Responsibility Awards programme run by Chambers Ireland is an important acknowledgement of the pivotal work being carried out by indigenous and multinational companies to improve the lives of their employees and to enhance the civic environment in which they operate” Minister Coveney said. “My Department is very pleased to support these awards, this demonstrates in a very practical way how Government continues to assist with the development of CSR.”
Tina Roche, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland added, “Business in the Community Ireland, as the network for Corporate Responsibility, congratulates all the shortlisted companies. With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals and the renewed focus of business on the importance of sustainability, these awards act as a showcase of best practice and should inspire other companies to follow suit. Employees, especially millennials, want to work for purpose driven companies and expect their employers to act in a sustainable and responsible manner. From our experience, companies know that CSR is no longer a nice to have but instead is crucial to the long term survival of business. Best of luck to all the shortlisted companies.”
Theo Cullinane, Chief Executive BAM Ireland, said: “BAM has sponsored the CSR Awards over the past five years now, and it has been very encouraging to see how the number and quality of submissions has grown in that period. This is reflected in the increase in the number of Irish companies placing CSR at the heart of their business, which has been a core tenet for BAM for many years. As a construction business operating right across Ireland, we believe that it is our responsibility to minimise our impact on the environment, develop sustainable solutions, and invest in communities. I want to congratulate the organisations that have made the shortlist, which is a major achievement in itself, and wish them the best of luck with their entries in the competition.”
Awards will be presented for Excellence in Community (sub-divided into Partnership with Charity, Community Programme and Volunteering), Supporting Youth Employment, Environment, Marketplace, Workplace, Communication, and CSR by an SME. One company will also be presented with the Outstanding Achievement in CSR Award at the ceremony in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 on Thursday 1st September.
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