How can CSR contribute to sustainable industry development? Seminar in Stockholm

Car manufacturing underway at Volvo Cars’ Luqiao manufacturing plant in Zhejiang Province, China. Photo: Copyright © Volvo Car Corporation

Sustainability has become a more and more important issue for Chinese companies. The demand for more responsible business practices in China and by Chinese companies abroad has grown. With China’s increasing overseas investments, companies are learning that responsible business conduct go hand in hand with profitability, by reducing risks to operations, preserving reputation, motivating and retaining employees, obtaining a social license to operate, and building investor trust.

Sweden and China has a bilateral cooperation on corporate social responsibility since 2007 and the Centre for CSR at the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing was established in 2010 to to identify and address challenges for companies in implementing CSR in China. As part of the Sino-Swedish cooperation a delegation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and China Electronics Standardization Association (CESA) will visit Sweden on May 24.

MIIT is responsible for making plan, policy and standards for industry development, monitoring implementation, pushing forward development of major technology, equipment and innovation, managing ICT sector, coordinating state information security, etc.

CESA is a network organization with members of companies, local authorities, academic institutes, consultancies and testing institutes. Its main business is to promote the state’s policy and regulations on standards, facilitating government on the work of standardisation, conveying suggestions and opinions between business and government, and engaging in study, drafting and application of ICT standards.

The delegation has a strong interest in how CSR and industry development can contribute to sustainability, and in learning how Swedish companies work with sustainability risks and challenges abroad, as well as from interesting projects in Sweden.

Topics that will be discussed by the Chinese and  Swedish speakers will include CSR actions and trends in Sweden as well as stakeholder engagement, anti-corruption and frameworks for sustainable business. The program will also include presentations on Green and Sustainable Supply Chains, Factory connectivity and sustainability as well as Responsible Production.

Program

Welcome and Introductions:

Mr Liang Zhifeng, Director General, Department of Policy, Law and Regulation, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ms Elisabet Söderström, Secretary General, Sweden-China Trade Council

Corporate responsibility – actions and trends in Sweden and China/Presentations and discussion

Ms Kristin Pålsson, Deputy Director, Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Ms Emma Ihre, Head of Sustainabilitity, Mannheimer Swartling

Mr Xu Hua, Division Director, Department of Policy, Law and Regulation, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Mr Wang Xiaobin, Director General Manager, Occupational Health & Safety Assistances Inc., Shanghai

Ms Sofia Svingby, Vice President, Sustainability, Atlas Copco

Green and sustainable supply chains/Presentations

Mr Zuo Yue, Public Relation Director, China National Nuclear Power Co.

Ms Stina Wallström, Director Regulatory Affairs, IKEA Range and Supply

Factory connectivity and sustainability/Presentation

Ms Matilda Gennvi, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability &       Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson

Responsible Production/Introductions and panel discussion

Mr Zhong Li, Director-General, Department of Quality, Safety and Corporate Social Responsibility, China Electronics Technology Group Corp

Mr Xiong Huajun, Vice Secretary-General, China Electronic Standardisation Association

Mr Aleksandar Zuza, Economic and Political Advisor, IF Metall

Conclusions by Mr Thomas Lagerqvist, Chairman, Sweden-China Trade Council

The list of MIIT delegation is available here.

Where? Wallenbergaren, Näringslivets Hus, Storgatan 19, Stockholm
When? Friday, May 24, 2019, at 09:30 – 13:00, registration from 09:00.
Cost: Free of charge, please register below before Wednesday, May 22.

A Warm Welcome!

Partner:

The Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing with the mission to identify and address challenges for companies in implementing CSR.