12.07.2005 ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO - Attracting over 1,100 executives, economists, analysts, academics, NGO and public policy leaders from 43 countries, the 2005 Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Conference, "Questioning Assumptions -- Changing Frameworks," held in Washington, DC, in November was BSR's largest turnout in the event's 12-year history. According to CEO Aron Cramer, "This year's conference was designed to catalyze new ways of thinking about our impact. Having so many of the world's business leaders together for three days presented an unparalleled opportunity to gauge where CSR efforts are heading. We are confident that all who participated in this year's Conference returned to their work with new ideas that will enrich their efforts."

On the opening day keynote speaker Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank Group, described corporate social responsibility as a topic of "vital importance" to the World Bank in its efforts to fight poverty. "It seems that it wasn't that long ago when fighting poverty and fostering business were seen as, at best, unrelated and, at worst, at odds with one another. ... Today I think we know that shared economic growth is the only sustainable way to improve living standards," he said. Wolfowitz highlighted some CSR efforts by the World Bank, such as supporting the creation of socially responsible stock market indices, developing partnerships on corporate governance, biodiversity and renewable energy, and helping to transform small NGOs into sustainable commercial enterprises. The full text of his speech and Q&A is available from BSR at http://www.bsr.org/BSRConferences/2005/Materials.cfm.

Keynote speaker Fazle Abed, who founded the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), one of the largest NGO development organizations in the world, explained how over 98,000 BRAC employees are pioneering innovations in education, health, social finance and local development, serving tens of millions of the world's poorest citizens. McDonald's Vice Chairman and CEO Jim Skinner elaborated on the issues that the world's leading foodservice retailer believes are most important to its customers and communities, including supply chain practices, animal welfare standards, compliance codes and the environment. Skinner's speech can be downloaded at http://www.bsr.org/BSRConferences/2005/Materials.cfm.

Kathleen M. Bader, CEO of NatureWorks LLC, which recently announced that Wal-Mart Super Centers and Sam's Clubs are replacing their plastic produce packaging with NatureWorks' PLA, made from Midwestern corn, received a standing ovation when she addressed the audience about crusading for business change. "Corporate responsibility is not about saying that 'we are committed to this principle or that.' It is about taking action. It's not about the pretty brochures that far too many companies put out that simply repackage their existing initiatives, or fluffy talk that's intended to make all of us feel really good. After all, who doesn't love the earth?"

During the "Non-Financial Risks and Corporate Boards" plenary session, corporate governance expert, author and Yahoo! "Movie Mom" Nell Minow drew plenty of laughs and cheers when she quipped, "Think about this: when you're sitting in the board room, say to yourself, 'Do I want Julia Roberts to make a movie about whatever it is I'm about to do?'"

One of the most popular and spirited sessions was "If Environmentalism is Dead ...What About CSR?" According to one participant, "The debate that ensued between [former Sierra Club president] Adam Werbach, [UC Berkeley professor and author] David Vogel and Joel Makower [founder of Green Business Network] stimulated people to think beyond CSR to the interface between what the private sector can do, and how the public sector can design better policy to enable best practice and provide incentives for higher environmental and social performance."

Over the course of four days, the BSR 2005 Conference featured training sessions and 32 instructive breakout sessions covering business action in the areas of economic development, governance and accountability, human rights, and the integration of CSR into core operations. In conjunction with the opening day of the Conference, The New York Times published a special CSR advertising supplement that was distributed nationwide in its Nov. 1, 2005, edition. The section featured 10 pages of features about CSR issues, including supply chain management, environmental issues and corporate reporting. The New York Times CSR supplement can be downloaded from BSR's website at http://www.bsr.org/BSRConferences/2005/Materials.cfm.

BSR's next Annual Conference will be held Nov. 7-10, 2006, in New York City. In the meantime, many of the 2005 BSR Conference sessions are available for purchase on CD. A complete list and order form are available at: http://www.bsr.org/BSRConferences/2005/bsr_2005_conference_cd_order_form.pdf. BSR will also publish summaries of the sessions on its website, www.bsr.org.

BSR 2005 Conference Quotables:

"Most people are happy to walk in others footsteps -- but not leaders. As I like to say, 'If you're not the lead dog, you're not going to like the view.'"- Jim Skinner, CEO and Vice Chairman of McDonald's Corporation

"Saying, 'We're doing fine in everything except climate change' is like saying, 'Europe is a fine place to travel except for Hitler.'" -Adam Werbach, former Sierra Club president

"Boards of directors are like sub-atomic particles: they behave differently when they are observed. It's very, very important for those of us who really want them to behave to let them know that they are being observed all the time - to let them know that not only will Julia Roberts make a movie, but they will be played by someone very unattractive."
- Nell Minow, author and corporate governance expert

"What really strikes me is how everywhere I go in the developing world ... what people want to know is: do you care about our issues, and are you ready to get the job done? And the issue of Iraq comes up in places like this [Washington, DC]. It didn't come up in Africa."
- Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank Group

"Command and control regulations are responsible for about 98 percent of improvements [in environmental quality] and voluntary initiatives account for only 2 percent. CSR-minded companies need to confront this and their limits in the marketplace."
- David Vogel, Professor at Haas School of Business and Editor of California Management Review

"Positive change is not just about making the world a better place. It also has to be about being profitable. There is 'green' in offering customers a greener, more responsible alternative. Don't just take my word for it. Ask Forbes, ask DuPont ... ask GE."
- Kathleen Bader, Chairman, President and CEO of NatureWorks LLC

About BSR
Founded in 1992, Business for Social Responsibility is a non-profit organization that helps its network of leadership companies around the globe achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment. BSR also provides the latest information, training and advisory services that help make CSR an integral part of business strategy and operations.

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