Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arctic

Organized by the Emerging Leaders in Environmental & Energy Policy network (coordinated and funded by the Atlantic Council and Ecologic Institute think tanks) 18. August 2016

Saturday, October 8, 17:15-18:45

Location: Ríma B, Harpa First Level

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the practice by which companies decide to voluntarily contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment. It means that companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their core business operations and in their interaction with stakeholders.

For the Arctic region, the Ministers representing the eight Arctic States officially welcomed the Arctic Council’s work on CSR within the May 2013 Kiruna Declaration. It is therefore vital for companies looking to do business in the region to obtain and maintain their ‘social license to operate’, yet full multidisciplinary commitment is still lacking. From a multi-sector perspective, including the mining and oil & gas industries, this session uncovers transatlantic opportunities for companies operating in the Arctic to offer communities improved livelihoods whilst at the same time continuing to do business in the region. The session hopes to identify key challenges, as well as potential solutions, based on internationally recognised methods of best practice.

Speakers:

Jóhanna Harpa Árnadóttir, Project Manager – CSR, Landsvirkjun
Edvard Glücksman, Social & Environmental Specialist, Wardell Armstrong and University of Exeter
Victoria Herrmann, President and Managing Director, The Arctic Institute
Ketill Berg Magnússon, Managing Director, Festa - Icelandic Center for Corporate Social Responsibility

Chair:

Stacy Closson, Associate Professor, Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky; 2016 Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar