Bahraini energy minister opens Corporate Social Responsibility Conference

Minister of Energy Dr. Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza has said companies across the country should realise the importance of corporate social responsibility and view their employees and the community as essential ingredients to achieve sustainability in the business world.
Speaking while opening the Second Bahrain Social Responsibility Conference 2015, Minister Dr. Mirza spoke about the capabilities and capacities of those attending and said the time had now come for them to realise that profits are no longer the only goal and that community work and social responsibility is of equal or more importance.
He said the paradigm shift was today more pronounced and companies look for ways to maintain their relations with the community around them and adopt solutions to decrease their impact on the environment and reduce waste. He added that the companies are now living in a time that has become harmonious with social responsibility as well as with industrial development.
The Minister said the event was an occasion to celebrate the institutions that contributed to re-define the business concept and noted that the commitment to CSR always paid off and kept owners and the community in tandem with one another.
The event was held under the patronage of Dr. Mirza from February 9 to 11 in cooperation with the National Oil and Gas Authority and supported by the Arab Network for Social Responsibility. The GPIC was the diamond sponsor of the event, chaired by its President Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery. It was organised by the Bahrain Society of Engineers.
The Minister, quoting opinion polls on sustainability, said eight out of 10 companies believed that those trying to achieve their business objectives were doing so in conjunction with the quest for development of society and the environment. Fourty-two per cent said customers would even go to the extent of rejecting their products if social practices were not followed while 65 per cent said customers would go to another company, which followed such practices.
He said all of this led to the belief the theme of the conference was of utmost importance, since it went beyond manufacturing and concentrated on sustainable livelihoods and business practices, responsibility and well-being of staff as well as guaranteeing a strong consumer base for their products and services. He said it also paved the way for a better tomorrow.
Dr. Mirza said he hoped the conference would be a springboard for participants to translate their vision into actions and said companies had demonstrated through their actions that the simplest ideas could lead to major changes.
Dr. Jawahery said the latest relevant, sophisticated and modern developments in the field, as also how to fund community welfare projects were on show at the event.
Dr. Jawahery said environmental issues get a lot of attention from the GPIC Management, which is evident from the number of environmentally friendly projects implemented within its complex.
The Company, he said, is also committed to support the efforts of institutions and the government to achieve sustainable real development on the social and economic levels. He said the Company considers social responsibility programmes an ideal tool to support its efforts to achieve its objectives to develop society and meet local needs.