Sharing the load of social responsibility has created a mutually beneficial cooperation channel between enterprises and non-governmental organizations (NGO), according to Jiang Renzhon, an official from the China Association of Poverty Alleviation & Development on the Second Corporate Social Responsibility Forum on July 16.

Operating under the theme of"Cooperation Between Enterprises and NGOs", the meeting aims to boost communications between academic circles and public organizations, and to bolster the spirit of corporate social responsibility under the aegis of economic globalization and fitting in with China's economic and social aims.

Speaking at the conference, Jiang Renzhong told China.org.cn that the growth of the economy, along with industrial capacity improvement and cultural integration have wrought vast changes in terms of traditional corporate value and made enterprises more aware of their social responsibilities.

"On the one hand, enterprises around the world are going global in terms of production and resource allocation, while on the other hand, global cooperation among enterprises is taking on a more complex outlook, creating a huge value chain."

He said: "Corporate social responsibility also forms part of the cultural sphere and stands as a crucial part of modern entrepreneurship and an enterprise's corporate value. Caring about natural resources, global environment, labor rights and interests, business ethics and instilling the concept of responsibility into stakeholders have now become commonplace among enterprises."

"For China, to issue a clarion call for its corporate citizens to bear the load of their social responsibilities will not only help the national economy blossom but also help its integration into the global family," he explained.

The responsibility is seen as being tied to the company's profits, making those enterprises with a higher sense of responsibility better equipped to sustain their profits and develop their brands.

Though China must still improve such areas as enterprise governance, information publicity and public investment, it is encouraging that investment in the fulfilling of social responsibilities is already taking place.

Addressing methods in which enterprises could fulfill these responsibilities, Jiang stressed that charity offers the main channel for enterprises at the moment and that many companies have made vast donations to charitable organizations.

"That is the best mutually beneficial cooperation channel. NGOs receive the money from the enterprises for their charities and thus enterprises fulfill their duties while also realizing their business aims," he commented.

Mr. Jiang suggested that NGOs should reshuffle their resources to allow long-term projects in conjunction with enterprises. Besides this, NGOs may also impart their valuable professional knowledge to companies in order to improve commercial behavior. In return, enterprises can encourage their staff to take part in charitable activities.

(China.org.cn by staff reporter Wang Ke, July 16, 2007)