CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES IN LUXEMBOURG

 

 

1. PROMOTING CSR

 

Awareness Raising

 

Initial CSR awareness raising initiatives in Luxembourg stem from the European ‘Livre Vert’. 

 

Four other factors influenced the speed with which CSR has been embraced in Luxembourg:

 

  1. Multinationals based in Luxembourg were already ‘onboard’, due to their global nature and the fact that they were already embracing CSR on a global basis.
  2. The unique nature of the Luxembourgish marketplace means that both multinationals and SMEs exist and interact side by side.  This creates a positive environment for awareness-raising and can increase the effect of peer pressure on enterprises.
  3. SMEs (of which there are a significant number in Luxembourg) were in many cases demonstrating CSR behaviours although not necessarily promoting them as such.
  4. Similar to multinationals, NGOs, particularly Caritas, were already playing an active role in CSR in Luxembourg due to the global role they already played in sustainable development.

 

 

Since 2003, the Minister of Labour and Employment, François Biltgen, has been actively promoting CSR on a national basis: through speeches and more specifically by leveraging the Luxembourg ‘tripartite model’ –  bringing together the diverse entities of government, labour and corporate sectors to educate, inform and drive support for the development of CSR within Luxembourg.

 

The first significant manifestation of this activity was the development of the ‘Charte portant sur le développement durable’ in 2003 by the Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises (which includes large corporations and SMEs), in response to the ‘Livre Vert’ and sustainable development.

 

Since 2003 there have been a number of regular events, seminars and symposiums to generate awareness, educate and inform and drive support for and proactive participation in CSR:

 

·         August 2004: ‘Summer University’ the first national CSR awareness raising symposium took place during the summer of 2004.  This was sponsored by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the European Commission and  “Chambre des Employés Privés” – topics covered were social auditing, CSR and sustainable development.

 

·         March 2005: during the EU Presidency (Jan-Jun 2005) and at the initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and Caritas - Luxembourg hosted its first European forum on CSR supported by Eurochambers and Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises.

 

·         March 2006 : conference on ‘Diversité dans l’entreprise’ (managing diversity).

 

·         October 2006: the first Luxembourgish ‘Charte d’entreprises’ LINK was published with the support of the Minister of Labour and Employment.

Since Sept 2005 an informal platform consisting of leading corporations in Luxembourg and supported by the Ministry of Labour and Employment are regularly meeting to show  their interest in actively supporting the development of a set of ‘ethics’ for companies which would lead to corporate values that support CSR.  This group of corporations includes Arcelor Mittal, Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de L’Etat, Cargolux and SES Global.

 

·         December 2006: seminar on ‘Sustainable Development – Companies’ responsibility in Luxembourg’

 

·         Recently the leading global advisor on CSR, Prof. Klaus Leisinger, President of Novartis Foundation and CSR advisor to Kofi Anan was engaged by the Government to highlight the link between the global perspective/imperatives on CSR and the role Luxembourg can play. 

 

 

Current projects:

 

A CSR website is currently under development.  The objective of this project is to create an interactive forum to promote all CSR initiatives, as well as provide examples of best practices and stimulate discussion and cross fertilisation.

 

A group of experts are currently thinking about the “Luxembourgish” definition of CSR, thus defining a series of topics that are specific to the country and its economy. Based on this definition  an on-line questionnaire will be developed, incorporating questions on each of the four pillars. The aim of which will be to gather statistical data required to measure CSR in Luxembourg, in particular to help determine:

  • the number of companies that participate in ‘CSR’ activities
  • which CSR initiatives they participate already in
  • and which have to be developed for the future.

 

 

 

Public/Private Partnerships

 

Since 2005 an agreement has been in place between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and ADT-Center, an advisory body specialising in gender, diversity management and CSR issues, to promote CSR and leverage synergies to build partnerships among local stakeholders (SMEs, multinationals, NGOs), in particular:

  • Together with the different stakeholders promote and develop CSR with corporations and make known existing and future best practices
  • Stimulate the debate on CSR in corporations
  • Raise awareness of CSR principles with public and corporations

 

The scope of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in this agreement covers:

  • promoting employment for mature people
  • promoting employment for disabled/gifted people
  • health and safety in the workplace
  • generating employment.

 

 

Awards:

The development of an initiative to reward best practices in companies is currently underway.

This could include financial support for companies actively integrating CSR practices into their organisations.

 

 

 

2. ENSURING TRANSPARENCY

 

Codes

October 2006: A working party comprising representatives from Government, NGOs, SMEs, multinationals and ADT-Center, an advisory body specialising in gender, diversity management and CSR issues, published the first Luxembourgish ‘Charte d’entreprises’ LINK under the support of the Minister of Labour and Employment.

 

This group included “Arcelor Mittal”, “Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de L’Etat”, “Cargolux”, “SES Global” and “Caritas”.

 

Labels

Currently the “Confédération Luxembourgeoise du Commerce” is working on a Label concept, which would take into consideration specific local criteria.

 

 

3. DEVELOPING CSR - SUPPORTIVE POLICIES

 

Environmental Policies

‘Superdreckskëscht’ waste management initiative.

The Luxembourgish government has supported waste management and recycling initiatives for several years.  The‘Superdreckskëscht’ scheme also includes national educational roadshows throughout the country to educate and inform on the importance of waste management.

 

Other

Training programmes for SMEs are currently under development.  The objective is to leverage existing best practices and promote these within other SMEs, thereby bringing the concept closer to SMEs, whilst at the same time making it practical for them to implement.