17 minute read
10 Years of the Corporate Sustainability Review
Pat Ganase interviews Donna Ramsammy Producer and Editor-in-Chief of the Corporate Sustainability Review
Donna Ramsammy is dedicated to demonstrating how business and communities should co-create better societies. Growing up in Guyana, her spiritual and faithbased grounding, crowned by a long and distinguished career in corporate communications, in the Caribbean and internationally, have distilled a practice that allows her to create, describe and share a philosophy of mutuality for companies and individuals in business. She articulates this as an ingrained conviction that human purpose must be to the highest benefit of the social order, in communities, nations and the planet.
A company is like an individual, the result of all its life experiences, the character built through adversity, the success earned from perseverance. This is the story of the Corporate Sustainability Review (CSR), the signature publication of Virtual Business Services, and the entity being built by Donna over the last ten years - an ongoing seminar in the progress of conscious business –and still growing to reflect the best business practices for the times.
A Caribbean Foundation
I was born and grew up in Guyana in the sixties, at a time of heightened race tensions. Then President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (LFS) came into conflict with the media, often interpreting the freedom of expression as an open challenge to his regime. My father Rickey
Singh was a rather outspoken political journalist whose writings were perceived as anti-government with grave implications for the Guyana Graphic, then owned by the Lord Thompson Fleet of London. Although there was an odd and somewhat irrational respect between my father and LFS, my father would not be silenced and LFS would not be daunted. But there were more complex social and political issues at play which presented a persistent security risk to the family. So much so, that my mixed-race family – Hindu-raised father and Afrocreole Anglican mother – fled Guyana in 1974 and came to Trinidad under the auspices of the Caribbean Council of Churches. Lord Thompson tried to post him to London as a protective measure, but Rickey refused to raise his children outside of the Caribbean. I was enrolled in secondary school at Holy Name Convent and came under the care of two stalwarts of education, Mother Bernadette DeLabastide and Sr. Helen Gomes.
My father’s parents died when he was still a child. In his brother’s charge, it was a hard life, walking three miles to and from school – without shoes and often with little to eat. But he was hungry for knowledge and determined to be educated. He read the Encyclopaedia Britannica collection from one end to the other in an unquenchable curiosity. In our life in Guyana, he normalized that thirst for education, and for giving and sharing, passing on traditions from an East Indian family as well as from the core concepts of Christianity; he was very close to the Jesuits with whom he had long and passionate debates about religion, social justice and God over many a meal. It's a tradition my husband and I continue to replicate at our own family table, bringing external perspectives to our own ruminations.
It was always normal to us – especially Wendy and me as the older of six children – that people were always in our house, student activists from Grenada, Walter Rodney, Angela Davis, Martin Carter, George Lamming among others. In my parents’ small simple home, we met people from top to bottom exchanging big ideas. We were allowed to sit and listen. Later, Wendy pursued a career in human rights and human development. My field was my father’s – communications.
Contributions at the highest level
At the height of my career as Head of Group Communications (E&P) in London, under the leadership of Lord Browne, bp became a truly global entity championing diversity and working towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) wherever we operated. The idea of CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility – was enlarged; not to deliver bigger handouts, but to be transformative of communities and also the company.
Today, this idea of a company’s responsibility to society has expanded to ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – in alignment with the UN proposed principles of responsible business which are intended to support and encourage measurable delivery under the UN SDGs. Importantly, it is a set of standards by which conscious investors are screening companies.
• Environment is currently focused on the reduction of carbon emissions in the race to mitigate climate impact.
• Social relates to equity, wellbeing, and diversity within the workforce as representative of the community, as well as its policies and relationship with employees, suppliers, customers and communities.
• Governance defines not simply disclosure and transparency, but an obligation to show and share continuous improvements in auditing and reporting, executive pay, leadership and shareholder rights.
Performance on ESG aspirations is increasingly being defined and monitored by various professional bodies, and an indicator of measurable progress towards sustainability goals.
There are companies in Trinidad and Tobago today that have fully embraced ESG. They understand that it’s a work in progress. They understand that new and visionary ideas must be led from the top, the CEO, the Board, and point persons who will help to change behaviours and embed enlightened philosophy and corporate policy.
What it is not is public relations, which has extended into social media with exciting technology and reach. PR has a place, but it is not a driver; it ought not to lead.
It is not reputation management. Companies that get ESG right will find that their self-image and reputations are enhanced as a by-product. CSR is an indicator, a step in the right direction, taking business for profit towards fulfilling its obligation to benefit the society as its true and visionary goal.
It is also true that if the society is not healthy, it is hard for business to thrive. But business can be an influencer and can support the growth towards a healthy society.
The Review
I was encouraged to do the magazine by journalist and fellow PR practitioner, Linda Hutchinson-Jafar. Her rationale was that the stories of companies progress were not being told. What’s the point of being a progressive corporate citizen if no one knows. The examples of companies pursuing the highest altruistic goals must provide lessons for all. This is one of the principles of mutuality: to influence positively.
It was the starting point, to become and to identify influencers. We started tentatively; I was not sure how we would sell it. Especially when some of the bigger firms were clearly committed to commercial success above all else: what’s in this for us, they asked. Will it increase profits?
The Review is both the example and the showcase for exercises in mutuality.
In our featured Sustainability Snapshots of companies that “get it”, indicate that they have understood their value to society; they commit to a shared accountability, and participate in collaboration, and in fair and transparent reporting.
CSR, ESG, mutuality are not “nice to do,” or something to be seen on social media; nor is it transactional. It is about relevance to the greater good; about cocreating a society that is sustainable. It acknowledges the journey, that time is needed to build, to progress. It acknowledges diversity, different abilities, traditions and perspective. It is inclusive and generous; and ensures profit as the by-product.
We are pleased to mark the ten years of the Review and acknowledge the companies making the effort and doing the work on the path to planetary sustainability.
The CSR Honour Roll of Companies
These companies have either participated or journeyed with us over the last 10 years.
Adam's Bagelry, Angostura Limited, Ansa McAL Group, Atlantic Trinidad & Tobago Limited
BGTT, Bp Trinidad & Tobago, Columbus Communications, DeNovo Energy
Ege Haina Puerto Rico, Emtec Guyana, Energy Chamber of T&T, ExxonMobil Guyana, First Citizens Group, Flow
Grace Kennedy Jamaica, Guyana Distillers Limited, Guyana Pharmaceutical Company, Hyatt Regency TT, Kansmacker Recycling
Massy Group, Methanex Trinidad, Metro Guyana, Nestle Trinidad, Nexus Hub Inc
Petrotrin, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd, Power Generation Company of T&T, RBC Financial, Republic Bank Financial Holdings
Sagicor Group, Sandals Resorts, SCG Caribbean, Scotiabank Trinidad, Shell T&T Ltd
Technip FMC, The National Gas Company of Trinidad & Tobago, The T&T Chamber of Industry & Commerce, The Women’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Guyana), Tommy's Brewery, TSTT/B-Mobile Foundation
We are particularly grateful for the persistent partnership of Atlantic, bpTT, the NGC and Nestle who have been with us for most if not all of 10 years. These companies have been committed to delivering social programmes that are consistent with the principles and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Atlantic
In our very first edition in 2012, Atlantic stated its sustainability strategy as the bedrock of its operations and a cornerstone of its governance structure:
“Sustainability refers to our intention to create long-term value for our company and shareholders, employees, communities, and the wider nation. Our sustainability commitment is to lead sustainability in our communities and our country by: responsible environmental stewardship; building capacity through education; enabling our employees to be agents of change through volunteerism; developing the local supply chain; and building strong partnerships. Key focus areas for the company have been sport, education, local economic development and the environment.”
Point Fortin as host community has been central to the company’s CSR programme.
In 2014 Atlantic introduced the Loan for Enterprise and Network Development (LEND) Agency. The Agency’s primary objective was “to promote economic welfare in the communities of Trinidad’s southwestern peninsula, by facilitating new or expanded business activity in key non-energy sectors. The Agency offers financing to MSMEs, sole traders and new entrepreneurs who might be ineligible for mainstream bank loans. Atlantic saw this as a way to grow the MSME sector which is estimated to constitute the majority of private enterprise in the Caribbean and contributes more than 50% of GDP. With sustainability at the core of its business, the company sets itself targets and regularly assesses and reports on its performance. For the last 18 years, the Company has published annual sustainability reports. This practice of full disclosure on social investments is unmatched within the industry.
bpTT
bpTT has published details of its social investments in every edition of the Review since 2012. The social strategy has been about building national capacity for the sector and its future; and playing an active role in national development. Key areas for social spend have been in Arts & Culture, Education, Environment and Enterprise & Manpower Development.
Specific to ESG goals, bpTT is on track. At the Group and national levels, the Company’s Net-Zero ambition is at the heart of its Environmental strategy.
bpTT’s Social agenda focuses on employment generation and skills development. This is why the company invests heavily in education; and why in 2004, the Company converted its staff recreation facility in Mayaro to a learning centre through partnerships with the UWI Open Campus, the UWI School of Continuing Studies, the Adult Literacy Tutors Association, and the SERVOL for skills training. But the hallmark of the Company’s social programme has been the Mayaro Initiative for Private Enterprise Development. Launched in 2002 and seeded with a modest TT$7.2m, the fund aimed to stimulate micro-enterprise development and economic diversity through self-sustaining employment. By 2012, the fund had already disbursed more than TT$37m to 2000 entrepreneurs and created 2000 permanent and 4000 part time jobs. Today the fund generates repayment rates of 85%, way above the norm.
bpTT’s commitment to good Governance is described as its primary responsibility. This is evidenced in its commitment to safety, building a safety culture within the sector, and entrenching diversity, equity, and inclusivity as core facets of its workplace culture.
NGC
When NGC outlined its CSR strategy in 2012, it was described to the Review as an “Innovative Community Economic Development programme which seeks to utilize the physical, human, social and cultural assets of the community to promote economic growth and selfreliance.”
The strategy was built upon four distinctive pillars. Community Economic Development is Pillar One by which NGC delivers skills training needed for the energy industry. Pillar Two addresses Community Engagement which deals primarily with awareness and emergency preparedness around NGC’s pipeline facilities. Youth Development is Pillar Three and this is delivered through investments in sports. Pillar Four, Contributions and Sponsorships, is more broad-based and addresses programmes and initiatives in Education, Arts & Culture and Human and Social Development.
By 2019 NGC was evolving as a global business and reconfiguring for sustainability. In support of the government’s commitment to the Paris Climate Change Agreement, NGC has been actively pursuing agendas related to Energy Efficiency. The Company shifted focus from just aggregating and selling natural gas to becoming more focused and collaborative with stakeholders along the entire value chain.
Nestlé
Nestlé prides itself as the world’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, a distinction that is reflected in its CSV programmes. At Nestlé social responsibility is about Creating Shared Value (CSV). That means proactively identifying opportunities to link its core business activities to action on related social issues. For Nestlé “there is no higher priority than enhancing the quality of life for our consumers by providing tastier and healthier food and beverage choices.”
Wellness is a serious concern for Nestlé in its product offering. Confronted by the alarming rates of lifestyle related diseases in Trinidad and Tobago, in 2012 the Company decided to tackle the issue of obesity. The National Risk Factor Survey of 2011 showed that 55% of the population was overweight. The Company launched its Wellness Caravan - a mobile unit that undertakes BMI testing and counselling to encourage healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.
In 2013, Nestlé introduced its first Annual Health Fair to raise awareness on childhood obesity (which stood at 23% for the Caribbean), and a family approach to health and wellness.
In terms of meeting ESG principles, Nestlé remains in the top quartile regionally and globally of the World’s Most Attractive Employers. The Company doesn’t just pay lip service to the notion of employees as their best assets, it invests in helping employees grow, develop and feel valued. In 2020 at the height of the C-19 pandemic, the Company was focused on ensuring that each employee was safe, healthy and secure.
Nestlé is committed to an inclusive workplace, to ethical advertising, ethical sourcing, accurate labelling, transparency in reporting in addition to continuous improvement of its products to meet stringent guidelines of the World Health Organization.
The following companies are outstanding for leadership roles in social responsibility in their respective sectors.
ANSA McAL has taken the bold step to entrench the SDGs and to employ ESG standards of measurement and reporting into its business strategy and delivery. Following its acquisition of BG, Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited has embarked on a definitive investment programme in transformative education.
Republic Financial Holdings Limited is leading ESG delivery in the financial sector.
Ansa McAl
Emerging from a family-owned company, the ANSA McAL Group has grown into a highly successful conglomerate reaching across the Caribbean and trading across borders. The Group’s Motto is “Together we are family” taking its home-grown values into the corporate sector. With a diverse workforce, a multisectoral business and a deep commitment to a responsible culture, the Group fosters a work environment that is built on meritocracy and a people-value approach.
Covid-19 affirmed the Group’s CSR philosophy of Collaborating for the Greater Good. Always with its people first, the Group has been at the forefront of national disasters and humanitarian relief. However, the pandemic showed just how much ANSA McAL values local communities.
The ANSA McAL Group is repositioning to place ESG principles at the centre of its operations. Over the last year, the Group has made a bold move to grow its business in step with Sustainable Development Goals and on the principles of Sensitivity to the Natural Environment, Societal Wellbeing and Good Governance. A key contribution will be creating a pathway for other Caribbean business to expand intra and extra regional trade to provide generational, regional wealth.
This year, ANSA McAL embarked on a systemic review of its social agenda, corralling its leadership into rethinking and re-strategizing about what it means to
be a responsible company using the lens of the SDGs and employing ESG principles to interrogate, measure and manage what and how it invests CSR spend. It has made social performance a dimension on how it appraises and rewards business delivery. Priorities for the Group are Water Preservation, Modern Energy, People & Communities, Climate Impact and Corporate Governance.
Shell T&T
Shell’s CSR programmes have evolved with the growth of the company, from its roots in heritage BG Trinidad & Tobago. In our 2012 edition, the heritage organisation designed its social investment programmes towards strengthening capacity through education and training, increased local content through employment and contractor development and in fostering empowered communities. Much of that work continues today; but Shell has opted to invest heavily in equipping the workforce of the future in preparation for the energy transition to renewables. Shell is using a STEM approach to transform the learning environment by introducing critical thinking into the secondary school curriculum.
STEM is based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm. Shell has recently added Reading and the Arts, making it a STREAM methodology.
Shell’s flagship programme focuses on several areas of intervention: Teacher development -scholarships to the STEM Centre in the United Kingdom; a STREAM Centre and STREAM Technology Centre and Science Bus; Student support and development and access to technical skills training; Science and Career Fairs; Employee Volunteerism; and establishing STREAM Centres over a three-year period.
Republic
Republic Financial Holdings Ltd strives always to improve the quality of life for those communities in which they operate through strategic partnerships, disaster relief, and economic strengthening. The iconic Power to Make a Difference Programme (PMAD), is built on four social pillars –Power to Help, Power to Care, Power to Learn, and the Power to Succeed - through investments in sports and environmental initiatives. These programmes are generally delivered through strategic partnerships with organisations that Republic monitors and audits to ensure that criteria for delivery are adequately met and that there is responsible management of resources and transparent reporting.
Republic focuses on a different theme over a four-year cycle and puts around 60% of its social spend in that key area. For instance, in 2004-2008 there were significant investments in poverty alleviation programmes and in 2009-2012 the focus was on the differently abled. In this way, the company has been able to make a bigger impact in driving measurable change in the lives of persons who are benefiting from its programmes. In 2013 the focus was on the Power to Learn through collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the T&T National Commission for UNESCO. The programme aimed at increasing literacy in infants by redesigning how reading skills are taught and includes training for teachers and infants.
More recently, along with 300 banks worldwide, Republic has signed on to the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and has appointed an Office of Sustainability to integrate sustainability into its strategic and operational processes. The PRB represents the world’s foremost sustainable banking framework and aims to accelerate a positive global transition for people and the planet by taking action to align their core strategy, decision-making, lending and investment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and international agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement.
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