How to apply ISO 26000 - insights from global experts

Bob Dylan once wrote in his masterpiece Blowing In The Wind, “How many roads must a man walk down, before they call him a man.” The lyrics reveal the challenges a person or thing must experience after birth, and their tireless pursuit of goals.

ISO 26000:2010 - Guidance on social responsibility (shorted as ISO 26000 or the Guidance), from the initial unknown stage to the global promotion stage, and then to today's fame, has been translated into 29 languages since its publication. More than 82 countries (regions) have translated it into their own national (regional) standards.

ISO 26000-Global Dialogue, as a theme session of the 14th International CSR Forum, was held in Shangri-La Hotel Beijing on June 13, 2019. The Dialogue was moderated by Yin Gefei, Founder and Chief Expert of GoldenBee, and invited Hans Kröder, Vice Chair of ISO 26000 Stakeholders Global Network, Suharman Noerman, Vice Chair of ISO 26000 Stakeholders Global Network, Masao SEKI, Steering Committee Chairman of Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC) and Daniel Steinholz, Member of Sustainability Committee, Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS) to discuss the global application of ISO 26000 together.

Mr. Kröder shared the development of ISO 26000 in the Netherlands. ISO 26000 is the most important CSR standard in the Netherlands, and it is also the basis for the Dutch government to formulate relevant policies.

The Netherlands ISO 26000 Committee has set up a working group to serve SMEs. As early as the release of ISO 26000 in 2010, more than 100 Dutch private enterprises began to use this tool to communicate with stakeholders. Since then, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of the Netherlands has also set up an external expert committee to bring the industries of food, agriculture, medical and other industries that have significant social impact into the research framework of ISO 26000.

In March 2017, the Dutch government adopted a sustainable procurement standard, paving the way for the implementation of ISO 26000. At the same time, ISO 26000 is also an important part of the national sustainable development methodology of the Netherlands.

 
Mr. Masao SEKI shared the achievements of ISO 26000 in Japan. ISO 26000 has been translated into local standards and widely used in Japan. ISO 26000 is highly accepted in Japan, especially in the business sector, whether investors or consumers. The Guidance has also been used by Japanese companies as a bridge between the corporate charter of action and international standards.

Three years ago, the Japanese government launched the Society 5.0, which focuses on “people first” and this philosophy is consistent with the core principles of ISO 26000, that is, to achieve resource optimization and sustainable development. ISO 26000 is more comprehensive than other international standards. It is a very good tool for Japanese enterprises to understand CSR.
 
Another expert, Mr. Suharman Noerman briefed the audience on the development of ISO 26000 in Indonesia. He explained that at first some Indonesian companies thought ISO 26000 would be a new challenge in their business operations and questioned the opportunities offered by the Guidance. Therefore, the first task of CSR expert committee of Corporate Forum for community Development (CFCD) is to explain to enterprises how ISO 26000 can help them reduce operational risks and open up new market opportunities.

Then, the CFCD, which is responsible for promoting CSR among Indonesian stakeholders including government sector, introduces Indonesian CSR Awards (ICA), an award based on ISO 26000. CFCD also believes that ISO 26000 will be a very useful guide tool for Indonesian enterprises to fulfill CSR. In fact, at the beginning, only 40 Indonesian companies joined ICA in 2011 and the number increased to 120 in 2017. This is a remarkable achievement, and it has greatly inspired Indonesia to promote CSR. ICA becomes an award to corporate winner involving the Minister level, and its Awards Night is held every 3 years.

 
Mr. Daniel Steinholz introduced the situation of ISO 26000 in Sweden. As early as in the preparation of ISO 26000, the discussion on how to create a sustainable business model has attracted wide attention from all walks of life. Following the publication of the Guidance, Swedish enterprises generally called on to implement it.

Based on this, Sweden has developed a number of assessment tools to help enterprises conduct CSR practice assessment. At present, some large Swedish enterprises are required to publish CSR reports annually. Swedish practice has proven that it is feasible for companies to use ISO 26000 as a tool to assess their level of responsibility fulfillment, and relevant certification mechanisms are being further refined.