12.02.2005 ET

(CSRwire) UK business leaders have joined the Business in the Community Board to help shape the future direction of responsible business in the UK, Chairman Mike Rake announced today.

Speaking at Business in the Community's Annual General Meeting, Mr Rake (also International Chairman of KPMG) said a number of key figures in UK business had joined the board to lead on key challenges for business from the environment to workplace and the community.

Business leaders joining Charles Allen (ITV); Allan Leighton (Royal Mail Group) and Carolyn McCall (The Guardian) on the Board include Cilla Snowball, Chairman of Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO; Amelia Fawcett CBE, Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley and John Kelly Chairman of Gala Group as well as Robert Wigley, Chairman, Merrill Lynch.

"The combined strength of our board and membership is unprecedented and demonstrates the increased commitment from business to drive this movement in the UK."

Mr Rake said responsible business was now a leadership issue for UK business, particularly with this week's scrapping of the Operating and Finance Review.

"Responsibility now lies with business to commit to reporting on non-financial aspects of their operations," he said.

"Businesses reporting on environmental and social impact may no longer be a legal issue, but it is a leadership issue. We'll be encouraging UK business not to walk away from non-financial reporting as we know that there is genuine use and interest from stakeholders in this information."

"We're also determined that the valuable work that businesses have undertaken in preparation for the OFR will not be lost and believe it has set a new standard which companies can now voluntarily report.

"There are already around 350 Business in the Community members who voluntarily publish an environmental and social impact report and we're committed, with support from the new leadership to encourage more businesses to follow our lead."

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