2020 CEIBS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WHITE PAPER FOREWORD The Covid-19 pandemic has brought mounting research teams, as well as alumni associations and com- uncertainties and complexities to the world economy. Our panies. The professors obtained the research presented globalized society faces the challenge of bringing the in the paper through the employment of detailed CSR virus under control while minimizing its impact on the parameters focused on business leaders, employee economy. Economic difficulties substantially heighten the behavior and their relationship to the external environ- urgency for a more equitable and sustainable society. ment. This granular and nuanced form of research is a powerful tool for guiding the healthy development of CSR. At the same time, there is an ever-pressing need to enrich and expand the CSR framework in the context of The five CEIBS alumni companies featured in the social and economic development. CEIBS has incorporat- white paper offer exceptional examples of aligning busi- ed CSR programs into teaching, research, and student/ ness practices with social needs. Their learning-based alumni activities since its inception. The international busi- future-proof business innovations are a powerful demon- ness school jointly founded by the Chinese government stration of how best to bring CSR to the forefront of busi- and the European Union has accelerated knowledge ness activities. These five firms all received the CSR creation and dissemination during the pandemic to sup- Award in April 2019 at the second CEIBS Alumni Corpo- port economic stability and business development. The rate Social Responsibility Award, organized by the CEIBS institution has also served as a key communication chan- Alumni Association. Some 53 alumni enterprises and nel between academia and industry by synthesizing and organizations competed for awards that covered innova- Editorial Board sharing innovative practices and experiences of alumni tion, philanthropy, and the environment. Eventually, 15 enterprises. The timely release of the CEIBS Corporate companies took home the prizes. Under the guidance of Social Responsibility White Paper provides a new, multidi- Professor Chen Jieping and in cooperation with the five mensional and dynamic framework for enterprises to CSR Award winners, our research team put down in writ- understand CSR and sustainable development in a com- ing their innovative practices following investigations and Guest Editors plex and ever-changing business climate. interviews. Li Mingjun President, Professor of Management, CEIBS 2020 marks the third year of the “Corporate Social While the world faces a common challenge of com- Responsibility Initiative,” a joint project between CEIBS bating the Covid-19 pandemic as the second half of 2020 Ding Yuan Vice President and Dean, Professor of Accounting, and the CEIBS Alumni Association. The white paper goes commences, it is the immediate action of every individual Cathay Capital Chair in Accounting, CEIBS beyond business operations to shed light on the latest that will make a real difference. As CEIBS European Presi- CSR trends and developments affecting China and the dent Dr. Dipak Chand Jain famously said, “We live under world. The paper reflects the progress made in environ- the same sky, but everyone sees a different landscape.” mental protection, business-nature symbiosis, and social The time to change the world and thrive against all the development. These reflections are undoubtedly even odds is now. By bringing students, faculty, and alumni more relevant in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak. together, CEIB strives to create more connections, part- nerships, and value in the post-pandemic era. Executive Editor This year's white paper's successful launch is the Chen Jieping Professor Emeritus, CEIBS result of the collective efforts of CEIBS professors and Editorial Board Members Xu Bin Professor of Economics and Finance, Wu Jinglian Chair in Economics, Associate Dean (Research), CEIBS Rui Meng Professor of Finance and Accounting, Parkland Chair in Finance, Director of Ph.D. Programme, Director of CEIBS Centre for Wealth Management, Co-Director of CEIBS Centre for Family Heritage, Programme Director of Family Office Diploma Programme, CEIBS Chen Shimin Professor of Accounting, Zhu Xiaoming Chair in Accounting, Director of Case Development Centre, CEIBS Lydia J. Price Professor of Marketing, CEIBS Prof. Li Mingjun Prof. Ding Yuan Chen Shaohui Professor of Management Practice, Programme Co-Di- CEIBS President CEIBS Vice President and Dean rector of Advanced Management Programme, CEIBS CONTENTS I CSR Trends Globally > Bold and Practical Solutions for the Environment CSR Practices in China Ⅱ > Concerted and Coherent Actions towards Sustainability CSR Practices of CEIBS Alumni Companies Ⅲ > ZBJ: The Intrinsic Altruism of a Service Transaction Platform > Sinoeco: “Business + Technology” Dual Drivers for the Conservation of Aquatic Life in China > Better Life Group: The Golden Touch Project for Targeted Poverty Alleviation > Yili Group: Building a Green Future by Living CSR Values > Phoenix Contact China: A Force for Good Creating Mutually Beneficial Outcomes CEIBS CSR Research Ⅳ > The Adoption of Green Practices by Chinese Firms: Assessing the Determinants and Effects of Top Management Championship > Effects of Proactive Environmental Strategy on Environmental Performance > Corporate Social Responsibility and Collective Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Research on CSR Reports of A-Share Listed Ⅴ Companies CSR TRENDS Ⅰ GLOBALLY Society's calls for business responsibility tend to shift ” “ from closing gaps in employment, equality and health care, to reversing environmental threats like pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Technology is a constant, either in the guise of monster-under-the-bed (think AI job displacement), or superhero (think meat alternatives). As we wrote our report early this year, CSR Trends Globally: companies were raising commitments to nature in response to new scientific reports about environmental risks. Now, suddenly Covid-19 is shifting our perspective Bold and Practical back to the human and social challenges of preserving jobs, health and safety. What this shows is that sustainable business must necessarily be integrative and multi-faceted. Each year our reports show companies widening their Solutions for the scope of responsibility. It's a trend we applaud, and one we'll continue to track. — Lydia J. Price Environment CEIBS Professor of Marketing In many ways, 2019 was a pivotal year as global leaders began to recognize environmental challenges as more worrying than economic downturns or social inequalities—topics that dominated headlines in recent years in response to populist politics. Environmental risks dominated the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2020 Global Risks Report, By Lydia J. Price, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) released in January 2020, occupying the top five spots in terms of risk likelihood and claiming three of the top five spots Laurie Underwood, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in terms of risk impact.1 1 Extreme Weather 1 Climate Action Failure 2 Climate Action Failure 2 Weapons of Mass Destruction Top 5 Global Top 5 Global Risks in Risks in 3 Natural Disasters 3 Biodiversity Loss Terms of Terms of Likelihood Impact 4 Biodiversity Loss 4 Extreme Weather 5 Human Made 5 Water Crises Environmental Disasters The WEF identifies the risk perceptions of global decision-makers annually within five categories—economic, envi- ronmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological—and this year marked the first time that entries from a single cate- gory (environmental) dominated a top-5 list. That outcome no doubt was influenced by high profile, UN-backed reports released in 2019 indicating that climate change and biodiversity loss are already at dangerously high levels, and furthermore, that worrisome trends are mostly accelerating rather than declining despite commitments from world politi- cal leaders to take corrective action. Meanwhile, scientific reports offered new insight on the mounting dangers of microplastic pollution. To counter the bleak outlook presented by these independent, third-party reports, large MNCs began offering big, bold plans to achieve a net positive impact on the environment, meaning they will give back to nature more than they take each year. Some are even contemplating the challenge of compensating for legacy harms to the environment since the time of their company's founding. Multi-disciplinary collaborations—a theme we highlighted in last year's report—are expanding in scope and ambition, recognizing that systems transformation is needed to solve our gravest environmental difficulties. Meanwhile, companies and organizations increasingly reorient innovation efforts to leverage natural systems, thus creating a growing class of efficient and effective “environmental technologies.” In the chapter below, we first review the three highest priority environmental issues now facing the planet, according to the world's most-respected global NGOs. Secondly, we discuss five promising advances in corporate and citizen prac- tices in 2019, as stakeholders cooperate to counteract the most challenging megatrends of environmental degradation. CEIBS Corporate Social Responsibility White Paper CSR Trends Globally Science Sounds the Alarm over Three Key Issues Issue #1: Climate Change Issue #2: Biodiversity Loss and Ecosystem Preservation The UN's Intergovernmental