What does CSR stand for?
CSR – a term that has become an integral part of today’s corporate world. It stands for corporate activities that go beyond day-to-day business. STEIN shows how stonemasonry companies can implement this in their corporate culture.
CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and refers to responsible corporate management with
– fair business practices,
– employee-oriented personnel policy,
– economical use of natural resources,
– protection of the climate and environment,
– social commitment and
– acceptance of responsibility across the entire supply chain
Source: Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
CSR in small companies
The “CSR in one-person companies” guide from the “InnoTrain CSR” compendium at www.csr-training.eu offers a simple guide to implementing CSR based on five steps:
Step 1: Decide what the company should stand for.
Which personal, societal, ecological and social values should be used strategically in the company and can be implemented operationally.
Step 2: Gather relevant information.
The introduction of CSR is based on a comprehensive analysis of the internal and external fields of action in the areas of company/employees, market, environment and society
Step 3: Set goals.
The goals for a change of direction towards CSR should also focus on strengths within the company without losing sight of minimizing weaknesses.
Step 4: Implement measures.
Consistency and communication as well as a certain staying power ensure the sustainability and credibility of CSR measures and prevent well-intentioned actionism.
Step 5: Review results and communicate commitment.
Communicating the successes at the end of a CSR process means that CSR can take effect. However, strategic communication is also useful during the implementation of a “CSR policy of small steps”.
CSR guidelines: You can adhere to these
The European Commission lists five principles and guidelines that companies should adhere to:
1) The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are a set of voluntary recommendations for responsible business conduct and include labor relations, human rights, environmental protection, information disclosure, anti-corruption and consumer protection.
2) The ten principles of the “Global Compact” advocate, among other things, compliance with human rights and certain labor standards, such as the prohibition of forced and child labor, consideration of environmental protection and the fight against corruption.
3) The ISO 26000 standard explains CSR principles such as accountability, transparency and networking and provides recommendations on how companies should behave in order to be accepted by society
4) The tripartite Declaration of Principles of the International Labor Office (ILO) on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy refers to the employment of employees, their training, their working and living conditions and labor relations. It includes aspects such as equal opportunities, occupational health and safety and freedom of association.
5) The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights aim to ensure respect for human rights worldwide.
Examples from practice
If you search for keywords in search engines on the homepages, you will find statements from stonemasonry companies on social responsibility or environmental commitment. Here is a selection:
– 30-year-old master stonemason and sculptor Sebastian Harich from Neunkirchen is the 2012 Best Master Stonemason and Stone Sculptor of the Year. He set up his own business in 2013. On his homepage www.steinmetz.nrw, he is quoted in the “Best Master Portrait” menu with regard to his responsibility for people and nature:
“I generally use local materials. In this way, transport routes can be minimized, our environment protected and local jobs preserved. I also take great care to ensure that the stone I source bears seals of approval that meet recognized social and ecological standards. STEIN sourced from India or China always carry the risk that they were mined and processed using child labor or wage slavery. I do not tolerate that.” He also emphasizes this on his homepage, where the point “social and environmental compatibility” is next to “uniqueness” and “best quality craftsmanship from a master craftsman”.
– Master stonemason and stone sculptor and state-certified designer Gregor Schulte and sculptor Kerstin Schulte from Möhnesee-Büecke write on their homepage www.gregor-schulte.com in the menu item “About us” under the heading “Ecological & social responsibility”:
“In our dealings with wood and natural stone, we use local materials wherever possible. This protects our environment thanks to short transportation routes and environmentally friendly extraction and production methods. We can also guarantee fair working conditions in this way. If you require a material that does not come from our region, we will be happy to source certified products.”
– Master stonemason and stone sculptor Jochen Herzog from Kirchheim unter Teck has been self-employed for over 20 years and has had his own workshop since 2001. Sustainability is important to him, as a tab in the menu bar on his homepage www.stein-gestalten.de shows.
Under “Material” , it says: “The work from our workshop is made from local or European materials. In this way, we keep transport routes as short as possible and have largely personal insight into the quarries and working and production methods (including fair wages, no child labor, compliance with environmental regulations) of our suppliers. We can rework old gravestones on request. This honors a piece of family history and preserves and reuses valuable raw materials.”
On the subject of “energy”, the following can be read: “We purchase the sustainably generated electricity for our production and our business premises from Elektrizitätswerke Schönau out of conviction.”
– Master stonemason and stone sculptor Georg Staubes from Solingen is a member of the “Handwerk mit Verantwortung” association. He writes on the homepage of his website www.georg-staubes.de:
“Natural stone design with local and regional materials: the individual design of gravestones focuses on handcrafted stonework, lettering design, ornamentation, sculptural work and the use of local and regional natural stones.”
Find out more about CSR activities:
www.csrforum.eu
www.csrgermany.de
www.csr-in-deutschland.de
www.csr-preis-bund.de
www.csr-mittelstand.de
www.csr-unternehmen.de
www.csr-wissen-mittelstand.net