Calgary Round Table Session

November 30, 2011

The following were participants in the session:

 
Craig Stenhouse, Cenovus Energy

Stacey Schorr, Encana

Dani Deboice, First Calgary

Richard Roberts, The Praxis Group

Jeff Flood, Nexen Canada Ltd.

Sheila Curruthers, University of Calgary

 
We gathered on a snowy Calgary morning with current members, past members, CSR practitioners; representatives from the financial services and resource sectors.

The pragmatism and confidence of the Calgary business community is refreshing and provides a unique basis in which to consider CSR issues and the evolution of sustainable business practices. There is an evident appreciation that their economy will be achieved through dialogue and a balanced approach to development. 

A great deal of the discussion revolved around the potential opportunity for CBSR to play a constructive role in elevating the often binary and at times stalled debate between industry and the NGO community. 

I left with a stronger appreciation that the evolution of CSR in Canada is vital to the sustainable development of Alberta’s incredible economic potential.  There is a strong progressive business community in Alberta that is looking for leadership on the next phase of the debate.  They want to move beyond the narrow focus of doing less harm, and evolving to engagement on positive impacts.

CBSR has worked with many of these leading companies, and with a renewed focus could be the leadership voice that recasts this discussion and moves the community forward at a transformational level.  This will play a big part of our considerations of the future of CBSR.  And I am confident that Calgary will play a significant role in a renewed CBSR.

Rob Moore
 
Interim President and CEO
Canadian Business for Social Responsibility
 
As part of CBSR’s Strategic Renewal Process, Rob Moore, CBSR’s Interim President & CEO will provide regular updates on the progress of CBSR’s leadership transition and strategic renewal efforts. Click here to learn more about CBSR’s Strategic Renewal Process.