Strategic Renewal FAQ
Is CBSR closing at the end of the year?
What happened to lead to this restructure?
What role is BSR going to play?
What is Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)?
Is this restructure in any way a reflection of a declining interest in CSR in Canada?
Will CBSR continue to host the fall conference?
Will you still have your office in Toronto? In Vancouver?
Who do I contact moving forward for advisory services or questions?
Is CBSR closing at the end of the year?
As of May 1st, CBSR is restructuring to enable the creation of a more nimble and focused organization to emerge as the leader of the progressive business and corporate sustainability community in Canada via activities such as the CBSR Annual Summit and other networking events. CBSR will ensure that all 2012 member commitments are fulfilled.
What happened to lead to this restructure?
In November 2011 the CBSR Board of Directors embarked on a strategic review process to ensure CBSR’s relevance and leadership in a rapidly evolving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) marketplace.
The review revealed that the CSR marketplace has matured and CBSR’s mandate needs to also evolve to focus on advancing the CSR discussion in Canada, as opposed to providing advisory services.
CBSR will begin restructuring immediately to enable the creation of a more nimble and focused organization to emerge as the convener of the progressive business and corporate sustainability community in Canada, via activities such as the CBSR Annual Summit and other networking events. What this means is that as of December 31, we will no longer be offering CBSR membership based on advisory services to individual companies. However, it is important to note that CBSR will ensure that all commitments to existing CBSR members and advisory services engagements will be honoured through to the end of 2012.
What role is BSR going to play?
Beginning in early May 2012, CBSR member companies will also become members of BSR for the remainder of 2012. Through this arrangement, they will receive select member services from BSR, including access to advisory services on the same basis as existing BSR member companies. Members can work directly with their CBSR advisor to access BSR advisory resources to include in their projects in 2012. These projects would be conducted for CBSR members on the same basis as projects conducted for BSR member companies, including discounted BSR member company rates for such projects.
From May 1 through December 31, 2012, CBSR member companies will have access to the following BSR member benefits:
- Receipt of weekly BSR Insight
- Access to regular BSR webinars, including Sustainability Matters
- Discounted member company rates for BSR Conference 2012
- Access on BSR working groups on same basis as BSR member companies
- Member company rates for BSR consulting services for projects initiated during this period.
As of January 1, 2013, CBSR member companies can elect to join BSR independent of their prior membership in CBSR. Information about BSR member benefits is available at www.bsr.org.
What is Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)?
BSR has 20 years of leadership in sustainability. Today, BSR works with its global network of nearly 300 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration.
BSR has more than 100 staff across its seven offices. It works to integrate sustainability into business strategy and operations, and build collaborative solutions to crucial sustainability issues. BSR takes a comprehensive view of sustainable business, with expertise in human rights, environment, economic development, and governance and accountability. BSR’s offices are in San Francisco, New York, Sao Paulo, Paris, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
BSR will organize a teleconference for CBSR members soon to provide more information for CBSR member companies, and to provide an opportunity for questions about the organization, and the services available to CBSR member companies.
More information about BSR is available at www.bsr.org.
Is this restructure in any way a reflection of a declining interest in CSR in Canada?
No, quite the opposite. It is recognition that the CSR landscape has advanced in Canada and that in order to remain relevant and valued in this new landscape, CBSR must change its focus and business model.
Will CBSR continue to host the fall conference?
The 2012 CBSR conference will continue as planned. It is expected that details on the renewed more focused CBSR will be unveiled at the 10th Annual CBSR Summit scheduled to take place in Toronto this fall.
Will you still have your office in Toronto? In Vancouver?
CBSR will maintain the Toronto office through 2012. However, we anticipate closing the Vancouver office in June 2012. Myrna Khan will continue to be based in Vancouver.
Who do I contact moving forward for advisory services or questions?
Please contact Steven Fish at 416-702-7435, ext. 225 or steven@cbsr.ca
