Mr Feng Lun, the President of the China Enterprise News publication and Executive Vice President of the China Enterprise Confederation, has appraised the multinational corporations in China which take corporate social responsibility seriously in their day-to-day operations.
“Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important and also helps companies to build their brands. It is of even greater importance during an economic downturn since consumers care about not only product quality but also the CSR performance of the product manufacturers during such a period,” says Mr Feng Lun, the President of The China Enterprise News publication and Executive Vice President of the China Enterprise Confederation.
The China Enterprise News published the ‘2008 Multinational Corporations in China Contribution List’, prepared in collaboration with 82 established institutions and organisations in order to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the economic reform in China and to reward the multinational corporations in China which had made outstanding contributions to the country.
DNV ranked no. 41
The publication of the ‘Top 100 Multi-national Corporations Contributors to China’ list received widespread media coverage. DNV was ranked as number 41 and given the Multinational Corporations in China Contributor Award.
“It was the first time that we introduced an index in our ranking process to quantify multinational corporations’ contributions to China in three areas – the economy, society and the environment,” Mr Feng explains.
In 2009, he intends to upgrade the list and change its name from ‘Contribution List’ to ‘CSR List’.
Mr Feng says companies must take their corporate social responsibility seriously and explore how to develop their business sustainably:
“The excessive greenhouse-gas emissions, explosive population growth, exponential expansion in the demand for goods and energy and increasing environmental deterioration have resulted in the twofold economic and biological crisis we are now facing. The crisis makes us reflect deeply,” he says.
More important than ever
The current economic crisis brings huge challenges for companies. Bankruptcy, downsizing and lay-offs are words we are hearing daily in the media. Mr Feng feels that corporate social responsibility seems to be neglected in this setting.
“However, companies with a sound vision are incorporating CSR as an important part of their long-term development strategy,” he says.
“In addition to huge challenges, the current financial crisis also provides great opportunities for companies. CSR is an important means to help them build their brands. A recent report from the Edelman agency shows that as many as 90% of the consumers interviewed thought that choosing products or brands with a high CSR score is quite important even during an economic recession. This proves the importance of CSR during an economic downturn.”
Great contribution to China
When commenting on DNV’s development in China, Mr Feng says, “I admire the way DNV has put sustainable development on its agenda. DNV deserves its ranking as number 41. I am also glad to hear that DNV has established a Sustain-able Development Centre in Beijing. I hope this centre will not only help DNV in its sustainable development but also provide assistance and guidance to other enterprises in China regarding social responsibility, risk management, energy efficiency and environmental protection. By establishing this centre, I think that DNV will make an even greater contribution to our society.”