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Initiatives
Responsible business practice for small to medium business
SME Forum
Upcoming Events- UN Global Compact Network Australia joins with GRI Australia to Present A Conversation with John Elkington
- GRI host Construction and Real Estate Sector Supplement Workshop in Sydney
- Next Generation of GRI Guidelines on the Horizon
- Key Findings from the Annual Good Business Register Survey
- Global Compact Leaders Summit 2010: New Resources for a New Era
- 29
Mar - Melbourne GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 23
Aug - Melbourne GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 07
May - Sydney GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 25
Oct - Sydney GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 24
May - Gold Coast GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 21
Jun - Adelaide GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 26
Jul - Perth GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshops - Presented by ZOOiD
- Location:
Target Audience: Anyone interested in sustainability reporting
- 06
Feb - Net Balance - Sustainability Reporting and the GRI Training
- Location: Melbourne
Target Audience: Reporters of all levels
- 03
May - Net Balance - Sustainability Reporting and the GRI Training
- Location: Melbourne
Target Audience: Reporters of all levels
- 19
Jun - Net Balance - Sustainability Reporting and the GRI Training
- Location: Melbourne
Target Audience: Reporters of all levels
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines an SME as having less than 200 employees. A small business employs less than 20 individuals. A medium business employs 20 to 199 individuals.
Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) stand to derive significant competitive advantage if they can better demonstrate their credentials in responsible business practice.
Responsible business practice (RBP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused on large companies to date. However aspects of the agenda are shaping the market in ways that are at least as relevant to SMEs as they are to larger companies – the impact of the global financial crisis and climate change, increasing consumer awareness, supply chain pressures, changing societal values, the importance of reputation, attraction of skilled workers and the increasing regulatory framework.
With small to medium enterprises (SMEs) making up more than 95% of all businesses in Australia it is important to give them a voice in the conversation about responsible business practice (RBP) and an opportunity to lead.
Rosemary Sainty, Head, Responsible Business Practice, St James Ethics Centre
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - resources for SMEs
For those SMEs ready to take the step of reporting to the international framework in sustainability reporting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed new resources specifically aimed at supporting small to medium business. Click here for further information about GRI reporting resources for SMEs or download the 'Let's Report!' template here.
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St James Ethics Centre is developing resources to support responsible business practice among small to medium enterprises.
Find out more about our National SME Project!
