Corporate Social Responsibility is a globally applicable concept, but its interpretation and application varies among countries and industries.

The CSR Asia Summit 2007 will be held on November 1-2 in Hong Kong to address contemporary non-financial risks facing businesses. This year the summit will be examining the twenty top issues that have the potential to pose a risk, but also provide opportunities, to business and brands in the Asia-Pacific region. The summit will allow companies to engage and understand the issues, and come away with strategies and initiatives to meet these challenges.

CSR Asia, the organizer for the summit, says it was built on a vision to provide companies and their stakeholders with timely and reliable information, training, research and consultancy services for sustainable business practices. The organization occupies a unique middle ground between civil society organisations and fully commercial consultancies. For CSR Asia corporate social responsibility is a company’s commitment to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner whilst balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders.

Richard Welford, director of CSR Asia says, "Good community investment goes beyond writing cheques for good causes and getting employees involved in local volunteering. The next leap forward is to see businesses effectively engaging in projects that make a measurable difference."

Invited specialists from Asia will share knowledge and strategies on the issues that companies are grappling with right now such as the need to attract and retain an effective and diverse workforce. Speakers will explain how with the right policies and systems in place to manage diversity and promote inclusion companies can leverage diversity into a competitive advantage and attract the best talent, for example.

Community investment is now moving beyond philanthropy and there is a recognition that more strategic community investment has a role in tackling the widescale poverty facing developing parts of Asia. CSR Asia says companies have been making significant community investments in the region for years without attempting to measure the socio-economic returns of those investments, to the communities, to their businesses and to society. The summit plans to show how to integrate these issues into coherent programs.

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