For Chime, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about positively addressing our environmental and social impacts, and doing the best for our employees, our clients and our investors. Our three CSR focus areas are environment, people and community.
- Our approach
- Our achievements
- How we have benefited
- Recognition
- Focus for the future
- Environment
- People
- Community
Our approach
Avoiding treating CSR as a box-ticking exercise, we have made it part of the culture of the Chime Group by embedding environmentally and socially responsible practice from the ground up, encouraging employees, suppliers and clients to take small, achievable steps. With an initial focus on environmental issues, we are now striving to boost our performance in our other CSR areas.
Our achievements
Carbon emissions have been reduced by 42% in just two years and Chime has been a carbon neutral company since 2007.
With a ‘green’ supplier list in place, we have consulted with suppliers to improve their environmental performance. For example, we have helped our stationary provider, Accord, to reduce its level of packaging and its travel emissions through more coordinated deliveries.
Raised awareness amongst employees on green issues through activities such as our annual Green Day, positively influencing their behaviour in work and personal life.
Our agencies work with clients to take action on the green agenda, with Harvard, BMT, Opinion Leader and Corporate Citizenship successfully collaborating to develop BSkyB’s awarding winning Bigger Picture campaign.
Changed the way we and our client’s do business, with, where possible, video/tele-conferencing and webinar facilities replacing business travel and USB sticks used rather than print-outs.
Tailored training and development programme open to all employees. In 2008, over a third of staff participated in either internal courses, covering areas such as facilitation and coaching, or the sales focussed external JAWS training.
Over 200 internships or work experience placements across the group were given to young people in 2008.
Charities and community organisations benefited from over £300,000 of pro bono work from Chime agencies in 2008.
How we have benefited
In addition to the positive impact we have had on society and environment through our CSR activity, we have been delighted that Chime as a business has benefited.
- Including CSR credentials in our pitches helped us to win over £4.7m of new business in 2008
- The efforts we have made to minimise our environmental impacts has reduced our costs, with over £50,000 saved by replacing bottle water with plumbed in water filters alone in 2008
- Our reputation as a responsible business has also helped us attract and retain forward thinking employees, especially bright young graduates
Recognition
We are delighted that our CSR achievements have received external recognition from a number of sources:
- Chime has been listed on the FTSE4Good Index since 2008
- We were awarded a Business in the Community (BITC) Big Tick in 2008 and reaccredited in 2009
- HRH Prince of Wales highlighted Chime as the example of environmental business best practice in his BITC May Day Summit speech in 2009
Focus for the future
Instead of resting on our laurels, we are committed to making continued progress. In 2009, we set up a CSR Committee to help us ensure we deliver actions against the following goals:
Environment
- Further reduce our carbon emissions, particularly through minimising business and commuter travel
- Work with more suppliers to help reduce their environmental impact
People
- Develop a new graduate training scheme
- Promote employee development and champion excellence
Community
- Promote volunteering across the group and increase pro bono work
- Offer young people from the local community work experience and internship opportunities
For further information contact Kate Dickins, Chime Communications plc on +44 (0)20 7861 8515
or visit www.chime.plc.uk/corporate-responsibility
