On November 11, at the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU), international experts in the field of corporate social responsibility will discuss the changing model of corporate sustainability in the context of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and attitudes towards capitalism in post-coronavirus reality. Participants will present their papers as a part of the Business in Societyresearch track at the 7th International Conference Emerging Markets 2020.

 

“The approach to sustainable development is changing meaningfully upon us. The fourth industrial revolution has already changed both the very understanding of sustainability and the role of business in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. But as time goes by faster and faster, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly illustrates the exacerbation of interconnected global problems. This unforeseen test gives us an opportunity to understand whether corporations that have embarked on a sustainable path are ready for the new reality. What is the role of business today in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals? What can and should commercial companies do in order to end poverty, reduce inequality, and ensure equal access to education? If only yesterday responsible companies were guided by the “win-win” principle — good for me, good for society and nature, but now this is no longer enough, and business should dive deeper into solving environmental and social problems. The purpose of our track is to analyze in the context of emerging markets to what extent new forms of corporate sustainability are adequate to modern challenges,” said Yury Blagov, Co-chair of the track, Director of the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility of GSOM SPbU.

 

The track will include a round table on business responsibility in the new reality and the presentation of the book “Moral Capitalism: Reconciling Private Interests with the Public Good” by Stephen Young, Executive Director of the Caux Round Table.

 

The 7th International Conference Emerging Markets 2020: New Reality During and After COVID-19 will be held on November 11-18 at GSOM SPbU in an online format at the ZOOM platform. The conference is organized in partnership with The Academy of Business in Society (ABIS), a network of over 100 companies and academic institutions whose expertise and resources are used to invest in sustainable business development in society; Caux Round Table, an international organization of business leaders with a value-based approach to global capitalism; GEM&L is an international group of researchers focusing on language and communication in the business environment.