The Corporate Responsibility Group (CRG) is a network of member companies. The organisation supports corporate responsibility practitioners within its membership. Corporate responsibility professionals within member companies attend CRG events throughout the year and are involved in exchanging information and best practices. Run by corporate responsibility professionals, the non-profit organisation helps build individual capacity and influence. It also promotes and supports economic, social and environmental sustainability in business.
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About the Corporate Responsibility Group
Based in London, the Corporate Responsibility Group (CRG) was founded in 1987. The organisation was set up by a group of community affairs professionals working with several major businesses, including Shell, Marks & Spencer and Legal & General. The not-for-profit company limited by guarantee is a network of UK-based sustainability and corporate responsibility professionals. It also acts as a training and development network for corporate responsibility. The CRG is led by a volunteer broad of directors made up of corporate responsibility professionals from member businesses. It is also supported by a small secretariat with contracted staff responsible for implementing the board’s plans.
Members of the Corporate Responsibility Group have access to and share information, best practices and innovation within the field of corporate responsibility. The CRG network includes over 80 member companies and approximately 400 practitioners within the fields of corporate responsibility and sustainability. In 2014, the CRG intends to launch the Institute of Corporate Responsibility. This new professional body will promote and recognise those working in corporate responsibility and sustainability. It will also facilitate networking between businesses and practitioners, as well as help support skills and professional development.
Membership Requirements
To be eligible for membership, companies must be committed to corporate responsibility. Members of the CRG must have a corporate responsibility policy or approach where ethical, environmental and social issues are considered in the workplace, marketplace and the broader community. Member companies must also have a governance structure to oversee and manage corporate responsibility. They must also have senior management champions and support for sustainable and responsible businesses practices, including an individual responsible for corporate responsibility and a dedicated budget appropriate for the individual business. Member companies must also engage employees in corporate responsibility initiatives, have a track record for addressing corporate responsibility, and monitor and report on performance regularly.
Vision and Mandate
The CRG represents its members, as well as promotes and develops professional corporate responsibility practices. It was founded to offer a peer network for corporate responsibility professionals, as well as act as a forum for members to develop programmes and support each other. The organisation organises a range of events for its members in order to facilitate information exchange, including round tables, networking sessions, workshops, conferences and other meetings. Events explore a variety of issues within the areas of sustainability and corporate responsibility, including performance measurement and reporting, integrating corporate responsibility, partnerships, skills development and specific issues. The CRG also undertakes periodic research that explores the state of the corporate responsibility profession in the UK. It also works with academic institutions and government to produce research studies on corporate responsibility.
The organisation helps its members build individual capacity and influence by providing inspiration and support. It also encourages businesses to be more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The mission of the CRG is to develop a network for sharing information and promoting good practice, as well as represent and advance the corporate responsibility profession. The CRG also aims to create opportunities for the growth of skills and professional development within the field of corporate responsibility. The Corporate Responsibility Group is a membership organisation and does not provide funding for corporate responsibility initiatives.
Contact Information
The Corporate Responsibility Group is headquartered at Samuel House (4th Floor), 6 St. Alban’s Street, London, SW1Y 4SQ. Further information about the organisation may be obtained by contacting the CRG on 020 7148 4383 or by email at [email protected]. Additional information may also be found on the CRG’s website at http://www.crguk.org/.
