30 n 22 June 2008 n TheBusinessWeekly

Not only lack of resources but also lack of leadership and mismanage-ment affect the ability of compa-nies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to practise corporate social responsibility (CSR), an organiser of the Fifth CSR Summit said. Due to this, it is only large multinational compa-nies (MNCs) that are apparently visible in practising CSR.

Speaking to The Business Weekly along the sidelines of the CSR Summit held in Dubai last week, Kostadin Petrov, conference manager of the Institute for In-ternational Research Middle East (IIRME), a Dubai-based regional market leader in the conference

and training sector and organiser of the summit, said, “Large mul-tinational companies (MNCs) are mostly the ones who practise CSR because they have more resources than SMEs. They are the ones who are setting the trends. In this conference, you have to pres-ent market-leading case studies, and currently the market-leading case studies are presented only by these multinational companies.”

All aspects“However, another factor is

the lack of leadership. If for ex-ample, the senior management of a company says they want to do CSR but the employees are not supportive of the initiative, it is not going to work,” he said.

“In doing CSR, you have to cov-er both the external and the inter-nal aspects of management. This applies to companies of all sizes. Resources are very important, but today, CSR is not about making

millions of dollars in investments. It’s about mapping out your every move strategically,” Petrov added.

Mapping out corporate initia-tives strategically means that companies should integrate CSR campaigns into their core busi-ness values and objectives.

Petrov told The Business Weekly that in order for a com-pany to be successful with its CSR initiatives, it should connect these programmes with the core of its business. He added that this is the message MNCs send across to small- and medium-sized busi-nesses, and this is how they are influencing them.

“For example, Microsoft Gulf has this education type of CSR, which I believe does not cost them too much because they have the equipment necessary to conduct their activities, but they’re hav-ing a huge impact and at the same time, not having to make a big in-vestment,” he explained.

While the benefits of CSR to society are apparent, Petrov said it also augurs well for companies that practise it. “Companies show everyone that they are a respon-sible business. If a customer has to choose between a company that conducts responsible business and one that does not, he would go for the former. Additionally, it’s very good from a marketing perspec-tive. The competition is so big that it has been said, in 10 to 15 years, there will only be a place in the market for socially responsible companies.”

The CSR Summit, held last week, gathered forward-thinking and innovative companies that set trends in corporate citizenship. The summit was supported by in-ternational organisations such as the UN Development Programme, Nokia, BBC, Dow Chemical Com-pany, Proctor & Gamble, Micro-soft and PriceWaterhouseCooper,among others.

SMEs face constraints in adopting CSRLack of resources, leadership cited as main factors

corporate socialresponsibility

Jim Paolo Joquico

Sama Dubai, the international real estate investment and develop-ment arm of Dubai Holding, has announced the success of environ-mental studies conducted on sus-tainability issues pertaining to the Salam Yiti-Oman project, yielding positive results from Oman-based environmental consultants HMR, and Dubai-based Energy Manage-ment Systems (EMS).

Mandated to monitor the project for mitigating any negative impact on the environment dur-ing its construction phase, HMR, which conducted an Environmen-tal Impact Assessment (EIA), reported that initial dredging works have not had any effect on the local marine environment. As the project makes steady progress, HMR will continue to actively monitor and report its environ-

mental implications. Farhan Faraidooni, executive chairman of Sama Dubai, said, “Sama Dubai is steadfastly committed to building sustainable projects. We have com-missioned periodic environmental impact assessments to study the effect of our projects on the environment through every phase, from the start to the completion stage.

“Our arrangement with profes-sional environment consultants demonstrates our dedication to ensure that Salam Yiti conforms to our carefully formulated environ-mental policies. Such measures will further validate our stature

as a socially committed developer pursuing a sound philosophy of sustainability practices,” he added.

Further reviewAdditionally, EMS is con-

ducting a sustainability review of Salam Yiti by drawing an eco-friendly design, operational guidelines and recommendations. These will be further reviewed by Sama Dubai and integrated into the development of the project, reducing the carbon footprint.

To restore the damage caused to coral reefs in the Bay of Yiti by Cyclone Gonu in 2007, Sama Dubai will place environmentally sound underwater concrete struc-tures to enhance the coral commu-nity and encourage its growth.

The three 5-star hotels and over 20 restaurants at Salam Yiti will also endorse an action-oriented policy towards local and sustainable food.

Salam Yiti is a $2 billion project that encompasses an inte-grated residential resort hand-picked between Oman’s dramatic Al Hajar Ash Sharqi Mountains and the pristine beach below.

Salam Yiti to be ‘sustainable’ projectHRM and EMS assess impacts of project’s construction

TBW Bureau

Farhan Faraidooni

Enoc, a wholly owned company of the Government of Dubai, has partnered with Clearwater, an innovative cleaning solutions pro-vider, under a two-year contract to offer Enoc and Eppco service stations with a new innovative cleaning system using chemical-free products and techniques that render the cleaning process com-pletely safe and eco-friendly.

Commenting on the partner-ship, Saeed Abdullah Khoory, Enoc group chief executive, said, “As an environmentally-respon-sible organisation, Enoc is com-mitted to spearheading initiatives that will help protect the planet and promote sustainable living.”

“Through this partnership, we endeavour to safeguard natural resources and help maintain bal-ance in the eco-system,” Khoory added.

Clearwater’s cleaning formula is 100 per cent chemical-free and essentially consists of processed water, which is an effective clean-er for all surfaces from glass to stainless steel.

TBW Bureau

Enoc to offer eco-friendly carwash

TBW June 22 (b).indd 30 19/6/08 19:11:24