From Rebecca Foges, Manager of Stakeholder Engagement
As Future 500’s newest staff member, it is my pleasure to be launching our newest endeavour:
The Oddie Award – it’s a bit like the Odd Couple with a Future 500 twist.
Earlier this year we decided that we should publicly applaud efforts by NGOs and businesses to resolve conflict over a sustainability issue.
Companies and NGOs have historically seen each other as fundamentally different, with often opposing objectives. Today, smart companies and NGOs realise that they can achieve more by working together.
So though it may seem like an odd pairing, business executives and activists can and do sometimes come together on a particular issue, whether it is paper sourcing, energy efficiency or any other aspect of the sustainability agenda.
The Oddie Award will be awarded annually at Future 500’s fundraising to showcase an outstanding agreement between a non-profit and a for profit organization. Some form of conflict must have sparked the process of engagement which then led to a change in company policy and a reduction of pressure from the NGO.
I love the idea of this award and am also excited to spearhead it. I believe that the combined power of the corporate and NGO sector is the best vehicle we have to making real progress on sustainability issues.
Those organisations that are looking beyond the monolithic stereotypes of the ‘other sector’ should be rewarded for their openness and sensitivity. It takes real courage to step outside of your comfort zone and see the issue from the other side.
The Oddie Award is Future 500’s way of encouraging both businesses and NGOs to think outside the box when dealing with our most pressing sustainability issues. Though it has become trite, it is still true that every conflict should be seen as opportunity. Conflict may be seen as a form of engagement that either leads to more entrenched opposition or a step forward for both organisations, leading to a lasting impact on the planet.
Through an agreement, the NGO can help change company practices on the issue and so achieve their campaign goal. The company can show that it is listening to stakeholders and adapting its policies accordingly, thus reducing its reputational risk as well as potential regulatory and financial risk by acting before government or investors require strict compliance.
I look forward to reading the nominations for the award, which will no doubt inspire me in my efforts at Future 500. I hope to see a good mix of small and large organizations, of well known examples and ones that pleasantly surprise me. All of them are worthy of congratulation.
