Standard Chartered Bank has said it will sponsor an online debate organised by the Economist Intelligence Unit on the proposition, ‘CSR has nothing to do with charity.
A statement by the bank on Monday said the debate would be conducted in Oxford style and moderated by the Contributing Editor, EIU Mrs. Sarah Murray, who is a leading writer on the intersection of business, sustainability and philanthropy.
The title and content of the debate, according to the statement, was developed by EIU, which conducted a survey on several themes around the role of corporations in society and corporate social responsibility.
The Group Head, Brand, Standard Chartered, Mr. Claire Fedder, said, “Standard Chartered’s brand promise, ‘Here for good’, is a reflection of what we stand for.
“We believe that we have a duty to promote CSR initiatives within the wider community. We accept, and indeed encourage, healthy debate that leads to a better understanding of important issues such as this.”
The Head, Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Nigeria, Mr. Diran Olojo said, “As a bank, we aim to have positive impact on people and communities. That means making the bank a great place to work, minimising our operational impact on the environment and focusing on investing in community initiatives. The aim of our approach to community investment is to support programmes that promote tangible, positive economic and social outcomes both for our communities and the bank.
“Avoidable blindness, HIV and AIDS, malaria and women’s disempowerment all affect communities within our footprint, especially here in Nigeria. As part of activities leading up to the actual event, we held a local debate for staff members to further drive awareness and engagement.”
He said the firm expected the debate to create more discourse around CSR.