CSR laboratory on local engagement
Introduction
From the outset, EuroCommerce has been a strong supporter of the business-driven network European Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility. Therefore, EuroCommerce decided to contribute to the workings of the Alliance by facilitating a laboratory, i.e. a series of workshops, on the issue of local engagement from a commerce-specific perspective. Local engagement of commerce companies in the context of CSR refers to the activities of traders in their immediate environment by which they aim to promote or contribute to a sustainable development of their vicinity.
Goal
The overall strategic goal of the laboratory is to enhance the commerce sector's visibility in the business community and to further promote EuroCommerce as a key player in the field of CSR at European level. As the laboratory is placed under the umbrella of the CSR Alliance, it is open for all supporters of the Alliance that are interested in the topic and wish to join. The laboratory is seen as a helpful means to raise awareness and motivate traders to get actively engaged in their communities. Furthermore, the laboratory will provide practical guidance for companies that wish to get engaged at local level and thereby unlock the potential that even small companies have in the field of CSR.
Scope
In order to come up with useful results in a limited period of time, the laboratory focuses mainly on social issues in the wider sense such as employment and social cohesion, education and health and safety as well as issues with a social impact such as giving, sponsoring etc.
Timetable
The laboratory was launched in June 2009 and ended in February 2011. In total, a series of five laboratory meetings took place.
