The Covid-19 pandemic will mark a turning point worldwide. Any country or society will return to what it previously was, after sustaining the damage caused by a virus that has affected individuals from the five continents without distinction. Cooperation and solidarity are the values that have taken centre stage in recent months in all social sectors.
The business landscape is the one suffering the most from the current pandemic. Productive activity has suddenly come to a standstill all over the world, which has had devastating consequences for both employers and workers.
However, at a time of global crisis, the private sector is playing a fundamental role in collaboration with the public sector, contributing to minor the terrible consequences of coronavirus. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) now plays a key role in any type of organisation, regardless of its size or sector.
According to the Corporate Social Responsibility Observatory, CSR is the “way of directing companies based on managing the impacts that their activity generates on their customers, employees, shareholders, local communities, the environment and on society in general”.
At ASCAME, we encourage our members to implement as many responsible and sustainable actions as possible in this crisis period. Many Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce have already designed CSR plans, thus contributing to the economic and social development of their immediate environment.
Start-ups, SMEs and large corporations from all sectors have turned to alleviating the health crisis and its more immediate consequences through their own initiatives or through agreements with other entities, such as:
- Materials or basic products’ donations to the health system.
- Free services’ offer, such as telephone consulting or logistics services.
- Masks and other sanitary protection materials’ manufacture, such as disinfectant gels.
- Reorientation of factories to produce technical sanitary equipment, such as respirators.
- Creation of a fund to help the most affected individuals, groups or sectors.
- Reduction or elimination of bonuses for senior managers.
- Reduction or elimination of variable remuneration.
- Budget reduction in other items other than human resources.
- Promotion of telework and family reconciliation measures.
- Food donation.
- Launch of campaigns to collect funds.
- Volunteering of workers to produce materials or contribute to necessary tasks.
- Donation of a percentage of payments or transactions to a cause against Covid-19.
- Deferral of collection to small suppliers.
- Support for small businesses.
- Offering training and development courses to workers.
- Establishment of alliances with other companies or institutions.
- Redefinition of corporate values.
- Implementation of a post-Covid action plan.
- Acceleration of the application of environmental measures.
These are just some of the many actions that the private sector can take to help curb the negative impacts of this crisis, while contributing to the development and improvement of society.
Despite the fact that this pandemic has become a global priority, we must not neglect the objectives established in the 2030 Agenda, among which the fight against climate change and social inequality stand out. It is precisely now that organisations must truly commit, start acting and make a positive impact in their communities. Without a doubt, better companies make better societies.