The Green in… Joey Dembs
How will research change the world? Joey Dembs, a Senior Research Analyst at enovate in Shanghai discusses what convinced him.
A peek at green consumerism in China
Over the weekend I managed to visit the Eco Design Fair at Jiashan Market in Shanghai. It was, as expected, a fair full of the usual organic eco-products. Handmade beanies, bamboo baby forks, organic honey etc. etc. I couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed at the standard of the stalls, but was relieved when I finally found what I had come to see. Read More…
China and CSR in the West – Things are different there
Often when we think about CSR and China an image of big Western multinationals and sweatshops come to mind. But as the Chinese economy develops and foreign direct investment (FDI) out of China increases we start to see the flipside of the CSR coin. How will Chinese companies navigate the rules of engagement when it comes to CSR in the West? Read More…
Employee satisfaction – Easy wins in CSR
As a Gen Y’er, I often get frustrated about being pigeonholed into being difficult, demanding and over-confident. In fact the whole conversation bores me to tears, apart from the increasing demand by employees worldwide for more qualitative job satisfaction. The change in how people perceive their role in the workplace to moving beyond a monetary exchange for service should be celebrated and seen as an opportunity to foster burgeoning CSR policies. Read More…
Things are different here – CSR in China
Foreign companies implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China often face an uphill battle. A quote from an individual working in the textiles industry in China highlights:
“One of the biggest problems with ethical manufacturing guidelines in China is that often people do their best to work around them, regardless of what company policy requires.”
So why does it seem so hard? Read More…
Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t?
The benefit of large hydroelectricity dams has long been a topic of great controversy. It was brought back to my attention today with the Three Gorges Dam in China ‘Facing its biggest challenge yet’. Heavy flooding in Sichuan province has seen 146 lives lost with 40 more people missing. 1000 farmers have also been evacuated, the China Daily reports.
The World Commission on Dams spent 2 years researching the effectiveness of large scale dams like the Three Gorges Dam, so are they really worth it? Read More…
“I ride a free bike to work everyday”
In Australia, China is often in the media about environmental destruction, pollution and global warming. Painting China as an industrial beast that will stop at nothing to fuel its 4 trillion dollar economy. While I am not disputing this fact whole-heartedly, China is not given enough credit for environmental friendly policies they have implemented or embraced. One example I read about is bike sharing.
