Unprecedented Times
Extraordinary times are calling for extraordinary measures. Many women and men of our Network are going beyond the ordinary to combat the spread of coronavirus. We support their efforts in taking care of employees and their families, customers, and communities worldwide. We will bounce forward if businesses and stakeholders will collaborate to orient the economic recovery towards a Sustainable Europe 2030.
As it usually happens with disruptive forces, COVID-19 crept into our life unexpectedly and is altering every facet of business and society as we know it. In this critical time, when the fortunate ones are healthy and quarantined at home, many men and women in our network are working and going beyond ordinary to fight the spread of the infection and its deadly consequences. With their efforts, they are mobilising vital know-how and resources to take care of their people: employees and their families, customers, and communities worldwide. How? With newly developed insurance policies; with measures to ensure business continuity or aimed at retooling production to sanitizing gels, protective masks, and life-support machines; with financial donations to health care institutions; with on-line educational and gaming tools to keep children busy at home.
WE WILL BOUNCE FORWARD
The global health crisis we are experiencing is having a severe impact on the economy. Factories are reducing and suspending production. Shops are closing to adjust to the new situation and suppliers are struggling to stay in business.
Although there is no end in sight to COVID-19, we are acutely aware that rebuilding our social and economic fibre cannot be business as usual. If we want to stop history from repeating itself, the disruption brought about coronavirus needs to be taken by all companies and stakeholders as a time to reflect on the future they want to build for people and the economy. We must bridge the current silos of the EU economy across borders and value-chains towards the common goal of building a collaborative, humane, and holistic approach to human health and well-being. Only by being inclusive and sustainable, companies and stakeholders will be able to strengthen the local, European and global economy.
In other words, businesses and stakeholders should orient the economic recovery and the financial system towards a Sustainable Europe 2030.
BUSINESS LEADERS WON’T BE ALONE IN THEIR EFFORTS.
Positive signs for the implementation of a Sustainable Europe 2030 are coming from the members of the European Council. Following the informal video conference on 26 March 2020, heads of states and governments of the EU member states have declared in a joint statement that: “The urgency is presently on fighting the Coronavirus pandemic and its immediate consequences. We should, however, start to prepare the measures necessary to get back to normal functioning of our societies and economies and to sustainable growth, integrating inter alia the green transition and the digital transformation, and drawing all lessons from the crisis.”
When the lock down began in Belgium, the CSR Europe team started working remotely. To keep us together, we created, with the contribution of our Board of Directors, the CSR Europe beat – an international and diversified music playlist. We invite all our partners to join us and add their favorite songs.