CSR investment potential under scrutiny
By Ishun P Ahmad
At least four foreign fund managers, managing about S$190 billion (RM601.84 billion) of pension funds, are coming to Malaysian shores in July to look at the investment potential of companies with excellent corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the country.
It is learnt that the asset managers include Hermes Asset Management (UK), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (Japan), New Zealand Superannuation Fund and Mn-Services (the Netherlands).
They will be attending a three-day international CSR conference to be held from July 29 to 31 in Kuala Lumpur.
Seoul, Korea 2008-06-17
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Initiative, a partnership between global investors and two UN agencies surpassed a new milestone today. At an official ceremony in Seoul it was announced that the number of signatories more than doubled in 2008 to 381, representing USD 14 trillion in assets under management.
WITH Malaysia emerging as a regional leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR), it seems only right that it hosts an international conference on the issue.
"Malaysia is one of the leading countries in CSR, certainly among developing countries and in Southeast Asia," says OWW consulting managing director Dr Geoffrey Williams, "because CSR is part of the National Integrity Plan and the government-linked companies transformation programme."
Also, there are many tax incentives for companies to put in CSR programmes and to be listed on the stock exchange, companies have to report their CSR activities.
Dubai Executives less committed to CSR
Business 24/7 reports on a CSR study conducted in Dubai by the Ethics Resource Centre, an affiliate of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Although local companies sympathise with social and environmental issues, they stop short of taking action to resolve them. Apparently of the 2,000 companies contacted, only 310 responded. The study concluded that although firms are sensitive to social issues they rarely get actively involved.
More than half of UK organisations don't have a written travel policy or a CSR or environmental policy. And of those that do, only one third consider the environmental impact of the vehicles they provide.
These are the findings of a UK-wide study of company car use out today (Sunday 6 April).
Coral Reef Camp in Pulau Tioman
The Department of Marine Park Malaysia (DMPM), along with various NGOs in the marine conservation field, including Reef Check Malaysia (RCM), launched the Malaysian initiative of The International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 08) in 1 Utama shopping mall in February as an effort to raise public awareness on the importance of coral reefs which are found abundantly in our Malaysian coastal waters. Found in the centre of the “Coral Triangle”, which is an area recognized by scientists worldwide with the most diversity of marine life, it is important to educate the public on how we can play our part in protecting the coral reefs in our waters.
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