"Brand, reputation and staff: the business case for social good", 13 Oct 2015

Whether you look at it on a global or local level, there are plenty of ways that business could contribute to social good...[E]nsuring that those further down the supply chain work in conditions that are safe, in factories that do not pollute the environment...To what extent can the private sector be a significant part of the solution to global problems? And how much of what appears to be businesses doing social good is "greenwashing" – a PR job to cover up their mistakes – rather than a genuine contribution to society? These issues were the focus of a seminar held at the Guardian...According to Stephen Howard, chief executive, Business in the Community, the business case is about "brand and reputation, about managing risk, about seizing opportunity, about hiring and retaining the best people"...Some types of social good initiatives may be hard to put into practice. For instance, will either businesses or consumers really choose to pay the extra costs involved in paying the living wage unless they are legally forced to?...[Also refers to BuffaloGrid, GlaxoSmithKline, JustGiving]