Yury Blagov, Director of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Center for CSR, as an invited speaker took part in the interregional online marathon "Time of Good Deeds", organized for social entrepreneurs of the Vologda Region, the Komi Republic and the Republic of Karelia. The marathon was initiated by the City Development Agency, established by PJSC Severstal and the Mayor's Office of Cherepovets. 

 

 

In his speech dedicated to the problems and prospects of cooperation between social entrepreneurs and big business, Yury Blagov emphasized that in current situation social enterprises can act as a kind of "platforms" offering various options for partnerships that allow large Russian companies to implement programs and projects associated with corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability. These can be classical charity and volunteer programs, including pro bono; joint efforts to create specialized jobs for persons with disabilities; engaging social entrepreneurs in large social and environmental projects as contractors and subcontractors. At the same time, social enterprises, "by definition" immersed in solving social problems and unable to exist outside of effective partnerships, act as a kind of role model for big business, for which active participation in the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a major challenge.

 

The marathon was organized for social entrepreneurs of the Vologda Oblast, the Komi Republic and the Republic of Karelia on the initiative of the Urban Development Agency established by Severstal and the Mayor's Office of the city of Cherepovets.