Announcements

Advisory Council Chairman Hans Decker’s response to CSR opinion piece published on FT forum

A letter from the Chairman of AccountAbility’s top governance body, the Advisory Council, responding to a recent Financial Times column on CSR, has been posted on the FT’s online forum. In the letter, Dr. Decker agrees with columnist Gillian Tett’s view that corporate social responsibility is not an “either/or” proposition.  Dr Decker, the former President and CEO of Siemens Corporation (USA), and currently Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, identifies five components that are common to all discussions of CSR.
 

AccountAbility’s Advisory Services Director Featured in US Chamber of Commerce Webcast

Steve Rochlin, Global Head of Advisory Services for AccountAbility, was a featured speaker on a recent webcast, How a Community's Configuration Affects Its Economy & CSR, conducted by the US Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC).   Rochlin joined host Steve Jordan, Executive Director of the BCLC and panelist Aman Singh, Editorial Director of CSR Wire to discuss how a community's configuration affects its economy, and how individual corporate citizenship programs fit into this larger picture

Gilbert Rustom Named Regional Head for Middle East, Africa and Asia

Gilbert Rustom has been appointed by AccountAbility, the international corporate responsibility organization, to serve as Regional Head for the Middle East, Africa and Asia.  In his new role, Mr. Rustom will be responsible for client management and business development within the regions.

Mr. Rustom brings an entrepreneurial spirit and client focus to AccountAbility along with significant CR consulting experience.  As an independent contractor he partnered with AccountAbility to establish the first CSR Index in Saudi Arabia.  As part of that initiative, he worked with nearly 250 major companies in the Kingdom assessing their CR efforts.

Prior to joining AccountAbility, Mr. Rustom was the founder and managing partner of BlindSpot Communication, a brand and marketing consultancy based in Saudi Arabia.  While there he developed two noteworthy CR programs.  One for DAC, the global detergent manufacturer, involved an educational outreach effort aimed at young people in the Kingdom to improve hygiene levels as a means to improve health and well-being.  The second, a related project with Carrefour, the renowned retailer, focused on raising environmental awareness among school children.

Previously, he served as Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather in Riyadh where he substantially increased O&M’s revenue and organizational footprint in just two years.  Earlier in his career, he worked in television production and in broadcasting, as an on-camera sportscaster on Lebanese TV.  

Mr. Rustom graduated from Notre Dame University in Lebanon with a BA in Marketing and Communication.  He received an executive MBA from the American University in Beirut.

AccountAbility’s O’Malley Makes Oxford History

Charles O’Malley, AccountAbility’s Regional Head of Europe, along with his five siblings now hold the record for most members of one family in a single generation to graduate from Oxford.  The O’Malley clan became part of Oxford history when they formally collected their degrees in a ceremony earlier this month.

Advisory Council Member Mthunzi Mdwaba Delivers Closing Speech at ILO Regional Conference

Advisory Council member Mthunzi Mdwaba recently delivered the closing speech at the 12th Annual Regional Conference of the ILO in Johannesburg held on the 14th of October.

The full speech is available to download here.

AccountAbility Names New Advisory Council

“Who’s Who” of Global Leaders Join Governance Body of AccountAbility – Leading International Sustainability Organization;  Commit to Goal of  “Mainstreaming” Corporate Responsibility

London and New York, October 11, 2011 -- A veritable “Who’s Who” of CEOs, policymakers, and thought leaders from the public and private sectors, and civil society have joined the top governance body for AccountAbility, the international corporate responsibility organization.

The newly-appointed Advisory Council will provide strategic guidance and facilitate AccountAbility’s mission of advancing corporate responsibility and sustainability by increasing the impact of its standards, shaping a leading research agenda, and delivering transformative service solutions.

Mr. Hans W. Decker, former President and CEO of Siemens Corporation (USA), and currently Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University will serve as Chairman of AccountAbility’s Advisory Council. "It is an honor to work with a Council whose members have done so much to advance corporate responsibility in their organizations, “said Mr. Decker. “I know from personal experience that Corporate Responsibility is a critical imperative for successful, forward looking and profitable organizations. AccountAbility is the right organization at the right time to drive sustainability to the top of a global leadership agenda." 

The Members of the Advisory Council include:  

Mr. Hans W. Decker – former President and CEO of Siemens Corporation (USA); Adjunct Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Board of the Graduate Faculty of the New School University, NYC (Emeritus); President of Heidelberg University Association

Ms. Carol  Atwood – Entrepreneur; Chair of King Arthur Flour; Board Member – Community Investment Partners (CIP), Calvert Foundation, New Paradigm Fund 

Mr. John A. Fraser – Chairman and CEO of UBS Global Asset Management; Member of UBS Group Executive Board; former Deputy Secretary (Economic) of the Australian Treasury

Mr. Robert H. Herz – former Chairman of the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB); Board Member of Fannie Mae; Trustee of the Kessler Foundation; Executive in Residence, Columbia Business School

Mr. Abdallah S. Jum’ah – former President and CEO of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco); Board Member – Halliburton Company, American University (Cairo), Reliance International, Saudi Investment Bank

Mr. Mthunzi Mdwaba – Entrepreneur; Member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland); Board Member of the International Organization of Employers (Geneva, Switzerland); former CEO of Torque Holdings; Vice-President of Business Unity South Africa(BUSA)

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart – Chairman of Hermes Equity Ownership Services; former Chairman of Anglo-American plc; former Chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell Group; Board Member – Accenture, Saudi Aramco; former Board Member, HSBC

Mr. Subramaniam Ramadorai – Chairman of Tata Technologies Limited; Chairman of CMC Limited; Chairman of Tata Elxsi; Vice Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services; Chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange 

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, noted: “I am pleased to be associated with an organization that has continued to be at the forefront helping businesses ensure that their operations run responsibly. AccountAbility's focus on driving sustainability into the mainstream of companies operations is both timely and relevant.” 

Sunny Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility, commented:  “We are delighted to have such a distinguished group of individuals from around the world demonstrate not only their commitment to sustainability but also their support for AccountAbility's vision and direction."

Misser became CEO of AccountAbility in June 2010 vowing to reinvent AccountAbility as the pre-eminent global CR research, standards and professional services firm.  “To achieve that goal,” Misser emphasized, “we need both vision and experience.  Vision to help us build a new AccountAbility based on our legacy of innovation in research and experience in delivering practical, high value solutions that transform organizations," he added. "This combination of ‘mind and muscle’ is critical in shaping the sustainability agenda of the future while mainstreaming sustainability into business thinking and practice." 

The Advisory Council, together with the Interim Standards Board which provides oversight and guidance for the AA1000 Series of Standards, comprise the independent governance structure for AccountAbility. Council members will serve for an initial term of two years, and depending on the need to maintain balance and continuity, may serve an additional two-year term.  

About AccountAbility

AccountAbility is a leading global organization providing innovative solutions to the most critical challenges in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Since 1995 AccountAbility has been helping corporations, non-profits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social, and governance accountability into their organizational DNA. AccountAbility's unique value proposition brings together leading-edge research, the widely-recognized AA1000 Series of Standards and strategic advisory services to deliver practical solutions for its clients.

With offices in London, New York, Washington, D.C., Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Dubai and Zurich, AccountAbility specializes in industry sectors such as Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Energy and Extractives, Telecommunications, Consumer Goods, and Food and Beverages. 

Media contact: Karl Pfalzgraf +1 646 495 1623 Karl.Pfalzgraf@accountability.org

Discussion Paper on AA1000SES Wiki Process Published

Professor Oren Perez of Bar Ilan University, Israel recently published a discussion paper into the Wiki Process used to manage the revision of the AA1000SES. The paper entitled “Innovation and Disillusionment in E-Democracy Projects: AccountAbility's Second Wiki-Based Consultation Process” is available to download here.

AccountAbility Moderates the IFC Sustainability Exchange

AccountAbility and the International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, presented a three-day conference on “Community Investment Tools to Drive Business Performance” at the IFC Sustainability Exchange on June 28-30.  The conference assembled over 150 private sector and civil society professionals – most from leading oil, gas, and mining companies – to discuss ways companies can maximize the positive impact they have through sustainability investments in developing countries.

Steve Rochlin, AccountAbility’s Global Head of Advisory Services, moderated the conference.  Participants discussed and shared leading practices in the areas of royalty management, local procurement, and measuring returns on sustainability investments.  As part of the presentation on measuring returns from sustainability efforts, the IFC unveiled the Financial Valuation Tool for Sustainability Investments at the conference, which can be explored here.  The tool can be used to assist non-finance functions in improving assessments of community investment impacts on financial performance.  The tool allows companies to be as rigorous about valuing sustainability as they are about valuing other elements of financial performance and risk management.

Additional information about the conference can be found here.

(Photo L-R: Steve Rochlin, AccountAbility & Julio Rojas, PERU LNG)

AccountAbility Partners on Pharmaceuticals White Paper

AccountAbility Directors Sunny Misser and Steve Rochlin have partnered with MedTera to outline a 4-step roadmap to combat drivers of poor healthcare outcomes, while driving revenue and corporate social responsibility. The paper “Taking Strategic Leadership: An Approach for Pharmaceuticals to Invest in Coordinated Patient Adherence and Access Strategies” is available to download here.

Minutes of the First Meeting of the Interim Standards Board

The minutes from the first meeting of the Interim Standards Board are available to view here.

The agenda for the next meeting, to be held on the 26th of July is available here.

First Meeting of the Interim Standards Board

Dear Stakeholders,

I am pleased to announce that the first meeting of the Interim Standards Board is to be held this Wednesday the 6th July. The meeting minutes will be posted publically shortly after the meeting has been held. As this is an introductory meeting a broad agenda has been set – encompassing the following areas:

Topic:
Opening Remarks from AccountAbility CEO – Sunny Misser
Opening Remarks from Chairman of ISB + Personal Introduction
Introduction from members of the ISB
Functionality of the Board:
Housekeeping (Recurrence of ISB Meetings + Outputs required), Overall aims
Working Groups: Discuss proposed areas + confirm final 3 focus areas. Build a recruitment strategy
SES Finalisation:
Necessary Next Steps + Procedure for Board Approval
CSAP Program: Urgent Processing Required for Backlogged CSAP Applications
Round Up of Meeting + Next Steps: Proposed Meeting Timeline

I look forward to reporting back to you once the meeting has been held.

Kind Regards,

Kurt Ramin

AccountAbility Launches Strategy Seminar Series

AccountAbility, the international corporate responsibility organization, has launched the AccountAbility Strategy Seminar Series.  These small, invitation-only events will provide Executives and Corporate Responsibility officers with the information and tools needed to enhance their company’s competitive business performance while meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance expectations of key stakeholders – AccountAbility calls this  Responsible Competitiveness™.

The first AccountAbility Strategy Seminar will take place on July 26th, 2011 in New York focussing on “Building a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy to Support Business Performance and meet Stakeholder Expectations”.

For more information and to register online, click here.

The AA1000 Series Successfully Launched in Poland

On June 16, 2011 the Polish translation of AA1000 series was launched in Warsaw, Poland. The Standards were officially announced during a conference on stakeholder engagement and dialogue. CSRinfo, AccountAbility’s Polish partner, organized the event in collaboration with Grupa TP. The conference was held under the auspices of the  Ministry of Economy. Kurt Ramin, new Director and Global Head of Standards at AccountAbility, was CSRinfo’s special guest.

The conference took place in the Press Centre of the Polish Press Agency and was attended by over 70 people who represented mainly business organisations but also non-governmental organisations, public administration and universities. The speakers were Liliana Anam from CSRinfo, Kurt Ramin from AccountAbility and Monika Kulik from Grupa TP.

During the conference Liliana Anam from CSRinfo presented the general situation of stakeholder dialogue processes carried out by Polish business organisations and summed up the results of CSRinfo’s market research on stakeholder dialogue within several major business organisations in Poland. The research had been carried out by CSRinfo prior to the conference.

The audience could also learn about the future development directions of AccountAbility’s AA1000 Standards first hand from Kurt Ramin, who was the keynote speaker.

The last speaker was Monika Kulik from Grupa TP, the largest Polish telecommunications firm, who is CSRinfo’s strategic partner in the “AA1000 in Poland” project. Grupa TP is currently undergoing stakeholder dialogue process using the AA1000 series and in a very interesting case study Monika Kulik gave the audience a glimpse of their stakeholder engagement and dialogue strategies executed in compliance with the AA1000 series.

The last presentation was followed by a Q and A session. It took over half an hour since there were many questions which focused on topics such as challenges and benefits of stakeholder engagement and dialogue, organisational difficulties and reporting issues.

The event was the first of a kind in Poland and the feedback gather after the event was very good. The conference proved to be very popular among Polish CSR experts and practitioners. As a bonus, CSRinfo together with AccountAbility and Grupa TP prepared a special conference publication “AA1000 Standards. Social responsibility tool. A guide for business”. In the publication the reader will find practical advice on using the AA1000 standards as well as other material of interest. The contributors are AccountAbility, CSRinfo, and Grupa TP. The publication is the first one to promote stakeholder dialogue according to the AA1000 series in Poland. Not only it shows the benefits of using the AA1000 standards but it also gives it a local context which will help Polish organisations to make the most of this valuable tool. The publication was part of the conference material and will be further distributed in among all interested parties.

As anywhere else, the AA1000 standards in Poland are available free of charge. They will help organizations to develop their transparency and responsibility. Kurt Ramin from AccountAbility said: "AccountAbility are appreciating the efforts and are looking forward to push the standards ahead in Poland. Poland is one of the lead countries in Europe doing it. This effort will make Poland  prepared for a European wide discussion and implementation of CSR issues and AA standards".

"Stakeholder engagement is a key practice within the corporate social responsibility. The AA1000 Standards are very helpful. In my opinion this know-how should be available to Polish companies. I hope that it will contribute to the popularization of the stakeholder engagement practice", said Liliana Anam, CSRinfo Manager. "One should also remember  that transparent and trust-based stakeholder engagement contributes to the creation of social capital which is still 'work in progress'" in Poland, she added.

The translation and promotion of the AA1000 series is yet another educational project carried out successfully by CSRinfo in Poland. CSRinfo is one of the first Polish companies specialised entirely in corporate sustainability and responsibility. The main lines of business are consulting and education. The company owns the leading Polish portal on CSR: www.CSRinfo.org and dedicated services such as www.AA1000.pl. According to the latest research Portal CSRinfo.org is the portal of preference for the majority of people looking for information on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.

As of today, the Polish version of the AA1000 Standards and other conference material will be available for download from the Accountability website and on www.AA1000.pl

For more information please contact:

Ewa Szul-Skjoeldkrona
ewa.szul-skjoeldkrona@csrinfo.org
+48 795 196 739

Photo (L-R): Monika Kulik, Grupa TP, Maciej Witucki, CEO Grupa TP, Kurt Ramin, Director of Standards AccountAbility & Liliana Anam, Manager of CSRinfo

Image credits to Jacek Wajszczak

AccountAbility and ISEAL Alliance Launch Scaling Up Strategy of the Sustainability Standards Movement

AccountAbility and the ISEAL Alliance proudly launched the Strategy for Scaling Up the Impacts of Voluntary Standards in Zurich on June 8. The Strategy, which was supported by Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is the culmination of an 18 month process to identify trends affecting the use of voluntary sustainability standards and to develop a collective strategy for responding to those trends. The process to develop the strategy included extensive interviews and focus groups with business leaders, producer capacity building organisations, donors investing in sustainability standards systems and consumer research. The Strategy outlines a coordinated approach to expanding the implementation and acceptance of social and environmental standards on a global level in order to increase the number of producers and enterprises that benefit from sustainable practices and the demand for goods produced using credible standards.
 
The four goals of the strategy are:

-- Position credible standards systems as leaders in achieving sustainable development

-- Leverage the support of key external actors for scaling up

-- Increase producer and enterprise access to standards

-- Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of standards systems   

Download the Scaling Up Executive Summary here to learn more.

(Pictured Left-Right: Anna Ashbaugh, AccountAbility; Martin Peter, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs; Karin Kreider, ISEAL Alliance; Steve Rochlin, AccountAbility; Hans-Peter Egler, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs; Andre de Freitas,  Forest Stewardship Council and ISEAL Alliance Board of Directors)

Interim Standards Board Announced

Note from Roger Adams, Chairman of Interim Standards Board Nomination Committee

June 14, 2011

I am very pleased to announce the following individuals have been selected by the Nomination Committee to serve as members of the Interim Standards Board for the AA1000 Series of Standards:

Anant G. Nadkarni, Chairman -- Vice-President of Group Corporate Sustainability, TATA, India. Coordinates social, environmental and related initiatives for nearly fifty major Tata companies; previous AccountAbility Standards Board Member.

Professor Carol Adams -- Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) La Trobe University, Melbourne, the first University to apply the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles to its sustainability governance, management and stakeholder engagement processes; Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; previous AccountAbility Council Member.

Ted Grant -- Special Assistant to the President/Chief of Staff at the Rockefeller Foundation, responsible for planning, board and internal governance, relationship management and strategic partner development; previously Senior Vice President, Office of the CEO and Chairman, JP Morgan Chase.

Jason Perks – Director, Two Tomorrows, lead trainer on Standards courses since 2006; experienced AA1000 AS Assurer; current Member of AA1000APS/AS Technical Committee.

John Scade -- Specialist CSR consultant and qualified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner; translated the AA1000 APS & AS into Spanish following their revision in 2008; current Member of the AA1000 SES Technical Committee.

Terence Jeyaretnam -- Director Net Balance, Australia; LEAD Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner; experienced AA1000 AS Assurer, current Member of AA1000APS/AS Technical Committee.

Kurt Ramin – Global Head of Standards at AccountAbility, previously director and advisor to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation at the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), London.

Members of the Interim Standards Board were selected based on a number of criteria, including: familiarity with AccountAbility and the AA1000 Series of Standards; experience using the AA1000 Standards; experience in setting and developing sustainability or other relevant standards; and familiarity with best practices in organisational and standard setting governance.

I would like to thank my colleagues on the Nomination Committee – Dr. Enrique Lahmann, global director of the IUCN; Christian Dreyer, executive director, JP Morgan Switzerland; Richard Boele, founder and managing director of Banarra; Liv Watson, Global Head of Research and Development at AccountAbility; and Kurt Ramin, Global Head of Standards at AccountAbility – for their hard work and diligence in selecting such a distinguished Board.

On behalf of the Nomination Committee, we are confident that the new Interim Standards Board will help maintain and further the legitimacy and credibility of the AA1000 Standards.

Sincerely,

Roger Adams
Chairman, Nomination Committee

AccountAbility's Steve Rochlin Presents at the 2011 CECP Corporate Philanthropy Summit

At the 2011 CECP Corporate Philanthropy Summit, Steve Rochlin, Director at AccountAbility and Global Head of Advisory Services facilitated an interactive discussion on "Setting Strategy amidst Ongoing Economic Uncertainty."

Participants spoke about the various approaches to philanthropic giving they are currently taking; from providing basic needs services to their local communities, to keeping activity portfolios consistent and related to core business. However, regardless of the approach most companies are looking for evidence that the programs supported are efficient, effective, and creating models that emphasise long-term sustainability.

For more details, please see the notes from this session.

Terms of Reference for the Interim Standards Board Now Available

The Terms of Reference for the Interim Standards Board is available to view here. This takes into account comments made by the Chair of the Nominations Committee Roger Adams. Any further comments should be directed to standards@accountability.org .

Important Update on the Interim Standards Board

Please note that the deadline for applications to the Interim Standards Board has been extended to Monday the 16th May.  Applications should be sent via e-mail to standards@accountability.org by this date.

Kurt Ramin Article 'Natural Capital' Featured in Malaysian Accountant

Director of Standards for AccountAbility, Kurt Ramin, had his recent article 'Natural Capital: The Financial Sector & Financial Reporting - Catalyzing Action?' featured in the Malaysian Accountant. Download the article here.

Liv Watson Participating In IAFS Monthly Briefing on Trust

Liv Watson, Director of Research & Development at AccountAbility will be participating in the Monthly Briefing of the Intangible Asset Financial Society: 'The Economic Value of Trust' on the 6th May at 12pm EST.

Joining Liv will be Jordan Kimmel, a principal of Trust Across America, a thought leader and developer of the FACTS™ audit model for measuring trustworthy business behavior. Jonathan Salem Baskin, global brand strategist, speaker and author, moderates.

The event is free to join here.

Chair of Nomination Committee announces Interim Standards Board Nomination Committee Members

Note from Roger Adams on Nomination Committee

 I am very pleased to announce the following individuals have agreed to serve as members of the Interim Standards Board Nomination Committee:

Dr. Enrique Lahmann – global director of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network

Christian Dreyer – executive director, JP Morgan Switzerland, Chartered Financial Analyst and past president of the Swiss CFA Society

Richard Boele – founder and managing director of Banarra, an Australia-based sustainability consultancy, member of the LinkedIn AA1000 User Group Interim Executive Committee

Liv Watson – global head of Research and Development at AccountAbility, founder of XBRL international

Kurt Ramin – global head of Standards at AccountAbility, previously director and advisor to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation at the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)  

The members of the Nomination Committee have extensive international experience in their respective fields and together bring a wealth of expertise in standards development, financial management, and business operations to the team.  I am confident that we have assembled the right people to begin the process of establishing a world-class governance structure for the AA1000 Series of Standards.

The Committee will be meeting soon to develop a process to review nominations, interview candidates, and ultimately select individuals to serve on the 7-member Interim Standards Board.  As a starting point it would seem sensible to establish preliminary criteria for candidates, such as:

--Familiarity with AccountAbility and the AA1000 Series of Standards

--Experience using the AA1000 Standards in an organisational context (as a preparer, user or assurer)

--Experience in setting and developing sustainability/accountability or other relevant standards

--Familiarity with best practices in organizational and standard setting governance

As agreed in the Statement of Principles recently drafted by the Technical Committee of the AA1000 SES and AccountAbility – all interested stakeholders of the AA1000 Standards are eligible to participate, including previous members of the Standards Board, Advisory Council and Technical Committees.   

Regards,

Roger

AccountAbility Announces Call for Nominations to serve on AA1000 Interim Standards Board

AccountAbility has issued an open invitation to all interested stakeholders to serve on an Interim Standards Board for the AA1000 Series of Standards. 

The new 7-member Board will serve for a period of one year and have a mandate to establish a permanent Standards Board by May 2012.  The Interim Standards Board replaces the voluntary Standards Board which resigned earlier this year.  The decision to move ahead with an interim board was reached after a series of discussions with AA1000 stakeholders over the past several weeks.

Roger Adams, Director, Special Assignments for ACCA, the UK Association of Chartered Certified Accountants will serve as the independent chair of the Nomination Committee which will oversee the nomination process.

AccountAbility Director of Standards Kurt Ramin commented, “Establishing an independent governance structure is critically important in maintaining the legitimacy and credibility of the AA1000 Standards.  We are delighted that an individual of Roger’s stature has agreed to serve as chair of the Nominating Committee.” 

The Interim Standards Board will provide oversight and guidance on the strategy and development of the AA1000 Series of Standards while AccountAbility will continue to act as the Secretariat and Steward of AA1000 and have responsibility for financial and business matters.  Through a process of advice, support and challenge the Interim Standards Board will be responsible for setting and forwarding the Standards agenda and increasing its impact globally.

Stakeholders wishing to serve on the Interim Standards Board will have until Friday 6 May to submit their CV and other relevant details for consideration to the Nominations Committee at standards@accountability.org.  Nominations will be open to all interested stakeholders, including previous members of the Standards Board, Advisory Council and Technical Committees.

AccountAbility Listed on AllMyFaves.com

AccountAbility has been listed on AllMyFaves.com's new NPO page.

Liv Watson featured in CorporateRegister.com's CR Debates

CorporateRegister.com have asked a number of leading CR experts to weigh in on two hot CR topics. AccountAbility's Director of Research and Development, Liv Watson proposes the motion; 'XBRL will be vital for CR reporting' against Daniel Roberts.

You can read their full pieces, and weigh in yourself on CorporateRegister.com's blog.

AccountAbility European Head appointed as a London Leader

Charles O’Malley, Head of Europe at AccountAbility, has been appointed one of 15 London Leaders for 2011 by the London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC).
 
The role of the LSDC is to advise the Mayor of London on making London an exemplary sustainable world city. Its London Leaders programme brings together “London’s leading lights in sustainability” to deliver real change and to inspire others to do the same. “Our growing phalanx of London Leaders past and present embody a positive force for change, helping to improve quality of life in our great city,” said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.
 
In his role as a London Leader, Charles will be working to accelerate innovative solutions to our sustainability challenges by combining the power of large corporations with the creativity of entrepreneurs. Read more about Charles’ London Leaders project here.

AA1000 Standards in IFAC Sustainability Framework 2.0

The AA1000 Standards series has been included in the Second edition of IFAC's Sustainability Framework. The IFAC Sustainability Framework provides guidance on embedding sustainability into an organisation and can be applied to entities of all sizes and complexities. Download the framework here.

US Chamber of Commerce to host Conference on Corporate Community Investment

The US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center will be hosting the 2011 National Conference on Corporate Community Investment in Philadelphia from April 12-14th. The event brings together top corporate, government, and non-profit thought leaders where they will discuss solutions to America's most vexing competitive challenges: energy and the environment, education, health and wellness, and job creation.

Attendees will learn:

-- How companies are incorporating CSR and sustainability principles into their energy, education, health care, and job creation solutions

-- How business, government and non-profits are collaborating in an unprecedented initiative to develop competitive, sustainable communities across America

-- A real-world update on the progress, challenges and opportunities businesses encounter when incorporating sustainability into their corporate culture and operations

Additional information can be found here.  

AccountAbility In the News

AccountAbility has recently been featured in an article by Mallen Baker of Ethical Corporation discussing the recent changes within the organisation. Read the full article here.

Another recent Ethical Corporation piece entitled 'Codes of conduct and standards: the pick of the bunch' featured AccountAbility's AA1000 Standards Series, you can find it here.

Steve Rochlin, one of AccountAbility's Directors was recently interviewed by BCLC Executive Director Stephen Jordan about corporate codes of conduct, supply chains, reporting, the sustainability revolution, responsible competitiveness, and more. Watch the video here.

Ethical Performace also featured two articles about AccountAbility in the March Edition. The main article can be found here and the analysis can be found here.

The International Standards Organisation Highlights AccountAbility in an ISO Focus Special Report

View the full report 'Building Bridges: Aligning SR Efforts for Greater Leverage' by Maria Lazarte here.

AccountAbility responds to AA1000 User Group Questions

Interested stakeholders who are members of the AA1000 User Group on LinkedIn recently submitted questions to AccountAbility as part of the current discussion over the future direction of AA1000.  Our answers to the Group are provided here.

Comments on AA1000 SES Final Exposure Draft

Please find all comments received by AccountAbility here, furthering the release of the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard Final Exposure Draft. All those who commented are included in the document with; John Scade & Fundación ONCE (The Spanish Blind Association), Masao Seki, Christian Hell, Jamie Robertson and John Aston.

AccountAbility Management Response to Assurance Providers & Sustainability Practitioners

In response to a letter received by the AccountAbility Management Team from key stakeholders comprised of Assurance Providers and Sustainability Practitioners, please find AccountAbility’s Management Team Response here.

Director of Standards Response to AA1000 SES Technical Committee

In response to a letter received by the AccountAbility Management Team from the AA1000 SES Technical committee, please find AccountAbility’s response from Kurt Ramin, Director of Standards here.

AA1000 Stakeholder Outreach Call Summary

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first, of what will be many, stakeholder outreach calls.

Liv and I very much appreciate your commitment to AA1000 and encourage you to take an active role in working with us to revitalize the Standards.  You can be assured that sharing ideas and listening to each other will be a vital part of the way forward.  For those of you who were unable to join the call, we will be posting an audio recording of the call shortly.   (The slide presentation and audio recordings are available here.)

In the spirit of encouraging dialogue and stimulating debate, I’d like to outline some of the key themes Liv and I raised on the call and invite you to offer your perspectives:

1.  Strategy drives governance – We need to work with stakeholders to develop a strategic plan first, before making decisions on governance.

2. The Standards must be sustainable – Developing a self-funding model is critical to ensuring the long-term viability of the Standard.

3. The Standards must be transparent – An open, collaborative process will help ensure independence of the Standards.

4. The Standards need new blood – We need to include stakeholders who have not been previously been part of the process to encourage fresh thinking and re-energize AA1000.

In addition, we’d like to get your reaction to our plan to establish stakeholder working committees and an outside governance counsel to focus on key issues in the Standards process.

May I suggest we start the discussion with the first theme – Strategy drives governance – and then take up a different issue each week.

Liv and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kurt

AccountAbility to Host Online Stakeholder Forum on AA1000 Standards and Research

All AccountAbility stakeholders interested in the future direction of the AA1000 Standards as well as AccountAbility's Research and Development agenda are invited to participate in a 90-minute global online forum.

AccountAbility Welcomes Two Senior Leaders to its Global Management Team

AccountAbility is pleased to announce that two internationally-renowned experts in accounting, financial reporting, governance, and standards development have joined the senior management team.

AccountAbility on Twitter

AccountAbility is now on Twitter. For the latest news, views and opinion on Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development find AccountAbility tweeting @AAInsights. Join in on the weekly AccountAbility Insight debate using the hashtag #AAInsights.

AccountAbility and the Institute for Competitiveness Launch the India Responsible Competitiveness Awards

AccountAbility and the Institute for Competitiveness have partnered to launch the India Responsible Competitiveness Awards – a leading initiative to recognize and reward India's top performing companies in the area of corporate responsibility. The partnership was announced yesterday at the 13th Annual TCI Global Conference in Gurgaon, Delhi NCR.

AccountAbility Article on Integrated Reporting Featured in Harvard Business School Publication

On October 14-15, AccountAbility representatives participated in "A Workshop on Integrated Reporting: Frameworks and Action Plan" at the Harvard Business School. The workshop organizers have published a free "EBook" of articles written by Workshop participants, entitled The Landscape of Integrated Reporting: Reflections and Next Steps.

AccountAbility's contribution—"Integrating Integrated Reporting"—is featured prominently as the lead chapter in the "Benefits to Companies" section. The article argues that integrated reporting can be a vital driver of organizational change towards Responsible Competitiveness.

Please click here to download the EBook.

AccountAbility and Sunil A. Misser Featured in Ethical Performance

AccountAbility and CEO Sunil A. Misser are featured in the November issue of Ethical Performance, the monthly business newsletter on corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment. The article provides a profile of Mr. Misser and discusses the changes underway at AccountAbility since his appointment as CEO.

Read the full article here.

AccountAbility to Develop Bridging Document Between ISO26000 and the AA1000 Suite of Standards

AccountAbility announced today that it will be developing a guide to help organizations better understand the linkages between the new ISO 26000 standard and the AA1000 suite of sustainability standards.

AccountAbility & Global Compact Research on Responsible Lobbying Featured in FT Sustainable Business Special Report

A 2005 research report on responsible lobbying undertaken by AccountAbility and the Global Compact was referred to in a Financial Times article about the growing debate around responsible public policy of large business.

The FT report discusses the gap between public corporate responsibility statements and the sustainability commitments and lobbying activities of companies. The article concludes that greater transparency and accountability on political funding and lobbying will help companies protect themselves against reputational and business risks.

Read the full article here.

MFA Forum agrees on final phase of work

The MFA Forum’s Executive Committee, at a two-day meeting in New York agreed on a final work phase for this unique apparel industry collaboration. The MFA Forum has agreed to close its doors by the end of 2010.

AccountAbility and Sunil A. Misser quoted in NY Stock Exchange Magazine

NY Stock Exchange Magazine features Sunny Misser in an article on ‘The Power of Green’. Misser is quoted saying;

“Companies now face new economic challenges, social pressures and environmental threats. There is a new normal — and it’s not business as usual.... Businesses typically experience three stages in the sustainability life cycle: committing to compliance, integrating sustainability into the business DNA and changing the game. The performance leaders of tomorrow will have to do all three successfully.”

Read the full article here.

AccountAbility and Sunil A. Misser featured in Global Finance Magazine

AccountAbility and CEO Sunil A. Misser are featured in the June cover story of Global Finance Magazine. The article looks at companies at the cutting edge of CSR who are weaving citizenship efforts into the strategic heart of business.

Read the full article here.

AccountAbility Appoints Sunil A Misser as New Chief Executive Officer

AccountAbility, the global corporate responsibility (CR) research and advisory firm headquartered in New York and London, has appointed Sunil A. Misser as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr Misser is currently Chairman of AccountAbility, and has led its Advisory Services arm since June 2008. Mr. Misser succeeds Simon Zadek in the position.