Ronan Dunne's foreword for the recent Ethical Corporation State of Responsible Business 2016 Report

Drawing on the views of those who know it best, Ethical Corporation’s second State of Responsible Business report provides up-to-date insight into how corporate sustainability is viewed, organised, and prioritised. Over time, it will provide valuable intelligence about how businesses are adapting and innovating to meet some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Ronan Dunne, CEO, Telefonica UK O2
 

At O2, our own understanding of what it means to be a sustainable business has unquestionably changed over the years. We accelerated our progress by talking extensively to those who have a stake in our business, and by challenging ourselves to be bolder and think bigger. I’m a firm believer that actions speak louder than words, so we launched our Think Big Blueprint in 2012, a sustainability plan which looked not only to mitigate our impacts, but also to become an enabler for millions more people.

Nearly a quarter of our sustainability plan’s targets were focused on the supply chain, so I’m pleased to see that this year’s Ethical Corporation report shows an increased involvement in your business’ supply chain. To enact meaningful change, key stakeholder groups like customers, employees, and suppliers need to be at the heart of corporate sustainability responses.

You will all know from personal experience how important it is to be supported by your organisation in your endeavours. A corporate responsibility team, however passionate, will never produce a sustainable company alone. For that reason, I’m delighted that CEO engagement is up this year, as is a closer link to business strategy. Embedding sustainability matters, absolutely, but successful brands are going further: innovating; collaborating; disrupting; thinking differently.

We live in a complex, extraordinary world which is facing serious challenges. Business has the opportunity to be part of the solution, but we’ll need to be open, agile, and bold in our response. You, as sustainability professionals, are the agents for this change, and I look forward to reading your collective thoughts. 

 

The full State of Responsible Business 2016 Report is available only to subscribers. Click here to receive a copy of the 50+ page report which details the responses, ideas, and opinions of more than 2,000 experts and executives worldwide.

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