Faced with the unprecedented health crisis brought about the coronavirus (COVID-19), our network of National Partner Organisations (NPOs) mobilized to protect employees, and support communities and businesses by collecting and sharing best practices. What comes next? CSR Europe will engage its NPOs to build back better the European economies via the European Pact for Sustainable Industry. 

While coronavirus (COVID-19) is disrupting the business of small and large companies alike, our National Partner Organisations (NPOs) are supporting their corporate members to quickly adapt. At our second NPO webinar of the year, on 29th April, they shared the challenges brought about the health crisis and the activities set in place to help companies overcome the accompanying economic and social crisis.

In this phase, our National Partner Organisations provided a wide range of tools focused on:

1.      Employees: How to protect them?

NPOs shared tips on how maintain a state of physical and mental well-being; developed HR action plans and kept the communication with their employees open to inform them about the COVID-19 guidelines developed by the government. At the same time, in the transition to homeworking, it was important showing flexibility. For instance, in Portugal GRACE organised webinars and training for employees, including clarifications about COVID19.

2.      Community: How to keep alive a sense of community in times of social isolation?

Our NPO network promptly acted as a bridge between businesses, institutions and civil society to boost the resilience of their communities. In France, FACE activated projects to fight isolation in rural areas. In Italy, Sodalitas cooperated with companies interested in supporting research centres of virology in Milano. CSR Ukraine facilitated the exchanges between businesses and hospitals.

3.      Corporate members: How to support them?

In times of crisis, the activities focused on reinforcing partnerships and connecting members to share best practices; offering legal support; creating effective communication plans; disseminating useful information on the impact of the crisis. To facilitate the adoption of best-practices against coronavirus at national level, many NPOs, such as The Shift, Core Platform, CSR Ukraine, UPJ, Face, Grace, BITC Ireland, CSR Hellas, IMS Luxembourg created tailor-made webpages with easily accessible information.

What comes next?

Now more than ever, there is an urgency for togetherness: for enterprises, industry federations, policymakers, and civil society organisations to collaborate and build back better our economies. 

How? CSR Europe will engage its NPOs in the European Pact for Sustainable Industry.

The objective of this Pact is threefold:

1. Support companies and their industry federation in taking collective action for a Sustainable Europe 2030.
2. Embed sustainability into the strategy and business models of EU enterprises and their industry federations.
3. Dialogue and engage with European policymakers in support of the EU's Green Deal and the UN' Sustainable Development Goals.

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