Entrepreneur and business author John Elkington delivered the keynote address during the 19th annual League of Corporate Foundations CSR Expo and Conference last July 6-8.

The fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability need a major overhaul in order to grow at an exponential scale and attain urgent climate-related goals, says entrepreneur and business author John Elkington.

Elkington spoke in his keynote address for the 19^th annual League of Corporate Foundations CSR Expo and Conference, which was held virtually last July 6-8.

Elkington pointed to the climate emergency that the world is facing in this and the coming decades as the catalyst for the change needed in the global economy. He rallies around the notion of “regenerative capitalism,” a sustainable and purpose-driven kind of capitalism needed to address the threat of the climate crisis within the next generation.

He outlines the need for what he calls “green swans” that the world has to meet to help guide it into an accelerated age of sustainability to effectively deal with the threat. These are the green swans of policy, renewable energy, and talent.

The green swan of policy refers to a profound market shift caused by changing values, mindsets, and business models, delivering exponential progress in the form of economic, social, and environmental wealth creation.

The green swan of renewable energy refers to the growth rate of the adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind, which should become cheaper to operate and consume over time as opposed to traditional energy sources.

The green swan of talent is the leadership of the youth, leveraging the potential of the current generation to enact the needed change in the world.

“Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are important, and they’re incredibly useful stepping stones, but if we think that’s the endpoint of our journeys, I think that may well be a mistake,” said Elkington, challenging businesses to consider going even further in their efforts to go green.

Elkington is the co-founder of Volans Ventures, a consulting firm that helps businesses drive positive change. He is known for coining the term “Triple Bottomline Approach to CSR and Sustainability of People, Planet and Prosperity”. He has authored and co-authored 20 books, including Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism, The Green Consumer Guide, and The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Tomorrow’s Profits with Tomorrow’s Bottom Line.

The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) is a network of operating and grant-making corporate foundations and corporations that promotes and enhances the strategic practice of Corporate Social Responsibility among its members and the larger business community, towards sustained national development.

For more information about LCF:  visit https://lcf.org.ph/ & https://www.facebook.com/leagueofcorporatefoundations

The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), a network of the largest operating and grant-making corporate foundations and corporations in the Philippines, has named the winners of this year’s CSR Guild Awards for most outstanding projects across different categories. 

The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), a network of operating and grant-making corporate foundations and corporations in the Philippines committed to promoting practice-based corporate social responsibility (CSR), is set to hold its 19^th CSR Expo and Conference on July 6-8, 2021 online via virtual conferencing.

Photo taken during the Press briefing of LCF

This year’s Expo, held as part of National CSR Week and LCF’s 25^th anniversary celebrations, is themed “Rebuilding Together With The Changing Nature of CSR,” highlighting the value of CSR and its role in spurring long-term integrated social initiatives, especially during times of global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The upcoming LCF CSR Expo aims to elevate the conversation on CSR to a higher level.  More so now as the world has become more and more vulnerable to the crippling effects of the global pandemic.  At this year’s expo, we want to put focus on how CSR is making a difference and helping the world get back on its feet, one advocacy at a time,” said Maribeth Marasigan, LCF Chair and President & COO of Aboitiz Foundation.

The Expo is set to feature panel discussions and talks focusing on the optimization of CSR initiatives and their importance in the current state of the country. Speakers invited to share their expertise and knowledge at the conference include John Elkington, a world authority on CSR and sustainability; Carlito Galvez, Jr. and Vince Dizon of the NTF-IATF; Usec. Rosemarie Edillon, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, Guillermo Luz of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, and Margot Torres of McDonald’s Philippines.

Beyond providing an interactive platform to share insights and best-fit practices, the CSR Expo also aims to bring people together for a common purpose and to collaborate for greater impact through its new features of plenary stages, virtual booths and networking lounges.

“As we continue to face the challenges in our world today, it is up to us to empower the people through the vital role CSR plays in society. We look forward to renewing this commitment in our 19th CSR Expo and Conference,” said Reginald Andal, LCF CSR Expo Chair, Board Secretary and Executive Director of Manila Water Foundation.

This year’s LCF CSR Expo and Conference places the spotlight on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) once more as it leads the country’s celebration for the National CSR Week held every first week of July since 2001. Photo shows one of the celebration’s memorable highlights in 2019.

To register for the CSR Expo, visit https://19thlcfcsrexpo.floor.bz/.   For more info and updates on the Expo and LCF, follow LCF on Facebook at facebook.com/leagueofcorporatefoundations, and at @lcfcsrexpo on Twitter.