Most major organisations have woken up to the need for environmental protection and sustainable business practices, but scratch the surface and you often find their corporate policies can be summarised as 'all talk, no action'.
'We want to do something, rather than just be part of a pressure group,' said Aaron Yim Chong-kee, managing director of Ricoh Hong Kong, which deals with office automation products and supplies.
'We understand that there is an impact on the environment for any business. But there has to be a balance between making profits and the other issues. Therefore, our system is designed to minimise our impact and do business in a smarter way.'
This began with the company's 3P philosophy, which stands for profit, planet and people. It recognises that shareholders will always expect a reasonable financial return, but also that expectations in corporate social responsibility are changing fast around the world.
The best way to deal with these changes is by establishing the right principles early on, thereby being in a position to set an example and shape the debate.
In doing this, there are three aspects to consider - the way the company does business, what staff can do in-house, and how employees can be encouraged to do more in the wider community.