Social Bridges presents a round up of interviews that we conducted with Pakistani executives to know what their companies are doing for the community and what’s their environmental and social footprint. It was really heartening to know that Pakistani corporate sector has started doing good for the society and are also trying to reduce their carbon footprints. These interviews were really very helpful in learning the CSR dynamics of Pakistan.

• ENGRO is setting examples for other companies

ENGRO is very much cautious about its environmental foot print and has spent millions on reducing emissions.

• P&G Pakistan is working for a better future of Pakistani children

Proctor & Gamble has based its community efforts on children as they are the future of Pakistan.

• Tribal Monsoon joins forces with Pakistani artisans to rock the world

Pakistani artisans are great but live in very pathetic conditions and abject poverty. Tribal Monsoon is helping these artisans by paying them generously and taking their creations to international markets.

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Social Bridges presents the weekly rundown of the best posts on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and greener options.

1. Climate change poses a major road block to MDGs

Rapid climatic changes, especially those in the poor countries, are proving to be a major bottleneck in the achievement of millennium development goals but we’ve got the solutions.

2. What is thoughtless environmentalism?

Are we heading towards a customer-friendly environmentalism where we don’t have to go through the ordeal of sorting green products out or is it just a fantasy? Quinn McKew elaborates.

3. How to be socially responsible during economic recession?

The economic downturn has become a source of major debate all over the world. Companies can maintain their social activities by acting on these tips.

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Google has come up with an excellent idea titled Project 10¹⁰⁰ which is actually an open invitation for every citizen of this planet to put forward his/her ideas for change in the form of 30-seconds videos or proposals or both. The basic theme of the project is to help people achieving their goals. This help can be in the field of environment, education, health, community or any other sector.

Google has already committed $10 million for the implementation of the proposed projects. That’s what we call social responsibility and we hope that Google will increase its commitment in future.Do participate if you want to bring your ideas to life!

Here is the official video of the project.

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Social Bridges present a weekly rundown of the best posts on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and greener options.

1. Is a CSR slowdown in the making or is it just a hoax?

While we can have an endless heated debate on the issue but what should be an ideal strategy to stay responsible in troubling times. Osbter Lancaster gives us some tips.

Here is Social Bridges opinion on this whole debate.

2. Green intent is the key

Motivation and intent play a key role when it comes to green consumerism, isn’t it?

3. Transparency of sustainability reports

As we recently reported, a research discovered that the sustainability and environmental reports of many giants are lacking a core pre-requisite; sustainability.

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Social Bridges present a weekly rundown of the best posts on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and greener options.

1. How can we contribute towards a better world?

This simple but thought-provoking motivational piece is a must read for those who care for the humanity.

2. Intellectual property rights in BoP movement - what should we do?

Bright Simons opines that intellectual property rights should be given equal importance in the SME business. Read more.

3. Money matters but what’s the currency?

Complementary currencies are given a new dimension in Pete Burden’s article.

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Social Bridges present a weekly rundown of best posts on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and greener options.

1. Ownership matters in social business?

Rob Greenland thinks that the social impact of a business matters more than does its ownership. Read his full post here.

2. Are economy and climate change foes?

Ramsus Benestad opines that economic prosperity and climate issues are interlinked and we can’t ensure an economic growth if we silence the voices highlighting climatic issues.

3. ‘Slow’ food chains?

Is there be a ’slow’ food revolution in the making and what actually slow foods are? Read this to know more.

Here is Social Bridges’ take on this issue.

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This excellent presentation gives us an idea about the dire consequences we are about to face. Water shortage has become a global issue and it’s time that we rethink our water consumption strategies. If we don’t act now then it will be too late. This presentation is really an eyeopener.

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Sustainability is the core part of any successful environmental or social project. To incorporate sustainability as a fundamental part of education and curriculum is now seriously considered by the social scientists. The concept is still fresh and many new ideas are being put forward. Most, however, have agreed that the best way of doing this is through practical examples rather than boring textbook chapters.

The practical examples of sustainable education should be started from primary education. In the case of developing countries, primary education has to coincide with the local environmental issues. If I elaborate further, students can be taught about deforestation and its impacts on their local environment. Next comes the contribution towards the solution. These students can be encouraged to not just plant trees but also to care for them and nurture them. In this way, a practical and sustainable approach towards the environment will be developed among the children.

It’s interesting to note that these little sustainability practices are not limited to children. Brad Allenby of GreenBiz thinks that unless and until the older generation, baby boomers to be more precise, are not taught about sustainability, we would not be able to bring the ‘change’.

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Andrew from Good Honest Dollar has discussed the phenomenon of aggressive pricing in ample details. Social Bridges is grateful to him for allowing cross-posting from his blog. Here is what he thinks about this marketing gimmick.

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Green is the new buzzword but is it so simple for a country to shift gears towards a green revolution? Conceptually its pretty simple but the harsh realities of life puts it in a totally different perspective. That’s exactly what Australia is facing these days.

The country has vowed to reduce its green house gas emissions by 60% in just 42 years i.e 2050. A time-frame of forty two years looks very simple in writing but it’s actually a very ’short’ time for big economies. The government will start implementing the ‘green’ plan from 2010 but is facing a lot of dilemmas. The Wall Street Journal blog not-so-recently took an intensive look at the situation.

The biggest fear is that the country’s biggest industries, that also generate the highest greenhouse gases, will simply leave for the ‘not-so-greener’ pastures. The economy will definitely get a severe blow out of this mayhem. The second issue faced by the Aussie government is that it gets major chunk of its energy needs from coal power (around 80%). If the government imposes restrictions on coal-fired plants then it’ll face a severe energy crisis. The government is thinking the following solution.

So what’s the solution? Pass the buck. The government wants to give away pollution permits to the dirtiest industries exposed to global competition, for the first decade at least, to make sure they don’t flee for balmier shores. For the worst offenders, the government figures giving them free permits for 90% of their emissions should do the trick. For coal-fired plants, the government wants to match some free permits with government investment in clean coal to cushion the sector’s transition.

The common Aussie will bear the brunt of all this ‘drama’. Keith Johnson adds in the blog, “The permit giveaways would mean fewer government revenues, which means less cash in public coffers to help families adjust to higher fuel and power bills. And since the dirtiest parts of the economy have their bar set so low, the rest of the economy has to run that much harder to meet the overall targets.”

So any lessons for other countries on the greener path? Don’t panic and shy away from adopting greener strategies. Aussies will definitely sort out the bottlenecks though they are not meeting the targets. At least they have taken the lead. So the lesson for other countries, especially developing ones, is to follow suit but… with a more practical approach.

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