Social responsibility consulting
AFRY helps businesses to embed social responsibility into their sustainability practices.
With interconnected challenges like increasing inequality, climate change, nature loss, Covid-19 and water scarcity, it is time for businesses to identify and act also upon their social impacts.
What do we mean by social responsibility?
It means proactively identifying and managing business impacts on your employees, workers in the value chain, local communities, customers and society.
It addresses the relationships your company has and the reputation it fosters with people and institutions in the communities where you do business.
- Why do we need social responsibility?
- What are the benefits of socially responsible business?
- What are the key issues within social responsibility?
- Which business functions are relevant to social responsibility?
Businesses are expected to be accountable for their impact on people and the planet. Often businesses have more power and agility than governments or authorities to influence or address social issues. Stakeholder expectations drive corporations to carry their share of responsibility in social or societal matters. UN Sustainable Development Goals are one way for companies to demonstrate how they can contribute to those expectations.
With the intensifying green transition, resources will shift to sustainable production that will require social interventions and dialogue. A so-called just transition is needed where environmental benefits are achieved without compromising social justice, thus organizations will need to manage potential trade-offs.
When conducting your business in a socially responsible way, you are managing your risks.
Through stakeholder engagement in the local communities where you are operating, you are building trust and gaining your license-to-operate.
Companies should promote decent working conditions amongst their workers and contractors, as well as in their global supply chains.
Supporting local community resilience is important to gain the company’s license to operate and mitigate potential future negative impacts.
In addition to sustainability functions, the topic should be on the agenda of every company’s management team, human resources, occupational health & safety, ethics & compliance and procurement functions.
AFRY has extensive experience in social responsibility matters in industry
Strategy advisory
AFRY develops strategies and roadmaps around social responsibility for the entire value chain by addressing key stakeholders, defining targets and aligning policies with regulations and best practices, such as human rights due diligence.
Stakeholder engagement
Corporations have impacts on communities and other stakeholders, and they should act responsibly, minimising negative impacts while maximising positive influence. AFRY can support with stakeholder mapping, engagement planning and the development of strategic community investment.
Supply chain management
Suppliers are key elements when it comes to social and human rights risks. AFRY provides consulting services from risk analyses and screenings to capacity building and implementation of sustainable procurement processes according to established standards.
Assessments & reporting
Strong corporate social responsibility is evidenced by external verification systems and third-party assessments. With a long track record of due diligence services and social impact assessments, AFRY also provides support for ESG ratings and reporting according to established and anticipated frameworks and regulations (GRI, MSA, EU taxonomy, CSRD, etc.).
Why choose AFRY as your partner to address social responsibility?
- We have longstanding experience in assessing companies’ social performance as part of transactions (EHS due diligence) and investment projects (Environmental and Social Impact Assessments).
- Our sustainability consultants work closely together with our colleagues across AFRY's sectors in industry, energy and infrastructure.
- We have a unique ability to combine business insight with deep sustainability expertise. With our expert teams we bring together social and environmental aspects, along with biodiversity, climate and circularity, to help companies achieve holistic sustainable solutions.
- AFRY is operating across the globe, with local teams in 40 countries.
Interested in our offering? Contact us!
Contact Tiina Kähö
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