Unilever Australasia 20 Cambridge St Epping NSW 2121 Private Bag 2 Epping NSW 1710 Committee Secretary Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services Department of the Senate Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Australia
[email protected] 28 September 2005 Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission to your inquiry into Corporate Social Responsibility and Triple Bottom Line reporting. I attach here Unilever’s submission, and I would be happy to discuss with the Committee any of the information presented here. If you require any clarification or further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Kind regards, Sarah Clarry Corporate Social Responsibility & Communications Manager Tel: +61 (0)2 9869 6321 Email:
[email protected] Parliamentary Joint Committee Inquiry into Corporate Social Responsibility Submission from Unilever Australasia Executive Summary Corporate Social Responsibility is increasingly the focus of many conferences, round tables, publications and networking exercises, as businesses start to recognise the implications of sustainability and socially responsible behaviour on their markets, their employees, their communities and the environments in which they operate. Companies that may once have had no reason to collaborate, or who may even have been competitors, are now seeking to work together and discover ways in which they can support social change. CSR is the vehicle through which these businesses to work together for common good. Corporate Social Responsibility is a natural attractor for creativity and innovation, as it requires a different way of viewing the business model. The imposition of regulations on this area of business will serve only to stifle this natural innovation and energy, and shift the focus of CSR from its essential role of ensuring the future of the community and environment, to one of obligation and bureaucracy.