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The primary focus of the 2017 International Corporate Citizenship Conference was ecosystems, so fittingly the final day of the event was full of making meaningful connections and expanding awareness of the entire system in which CSR professionals do their important work. In learning from experts both on the mainstage and in the audience, participants broadened their knowledge of their operating context and looked ahead to next year鈥檚 Conference鈥攚ith convening sponsor Travelers鈥攚hich was introduced during the event鈥檚 closing session.

Ambitious efforts for a sustainable future

Following a networking breakfast, more than 550 CSR professionals gathered for the opening general session of the day, hosted by 鈥攖he world鈥檚 largest steel manufacturing company. During the session, titled 鈥淒riving Transparency and Sustainability: Big Challenges in Big Manufacturing,鈥� ArcelorMittal executives William C. Steers and Marcy Twete shared how their company has begun to develop and implement the most ambitious sustainability narrative in the steel industry.

In discussing the development and implementation of their new and innovative sustainability strategy, Steers and Twete returned again and again to the importance of thoughtful stakeholder engagement.

鈥淲e鈥檝e engaged with stakeholders at all levels during this process,鈥� said Steers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e met with the media, customers, policymakers, and more鈥攂ut most importantly, we talked to our employees鈥攚e wanted to understand their sustainability expectations.鈥�

By listening to its internal and external stakeholders, and partnering with organizations that offer complementary skills and resources, ArcelorMittal has been able to create impressive corporate citizenship programs, such as its , which aims to sustain, restore, and protect fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Great Lakes basin.

Since the program鈥檚 conception in 2008, SOGL has made the most of $125 million in funds from ArcelorMittal, restoring 35,399 acres of the great lakes, 1,736 miles of aquatic connectivity, and removing 246 fish passage barriers.

Steers credits the success of the initiative to the collective effort of its expert partners, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service.

鈥淲hen we set out to make sure we were conserving this precious resource, we knew that there was an opportunity to build off of what these organizations were doing and leverage the ideas and expertise that our partners could bring to the table.鈥�

Now, ArcelorMittal is developing a global sustainability strategy to build off the momentum of such successes and to address the increasing stakeholder interest in corporate citizenship issues.

鈥淲e found that as the industry leader, our peers were looking to us to lead, and our stakeholders were pushing us to make the first move,鈥� said Twete. 鈥淪o we asked ourselves the question: What would it mean if we were the most sustainable steel company in the world?鈥�

To find the answer, the company engaged in a year-long listening process, and determined 10 sustainable development outcomes. The outcomes ranged from resource conservation to impact measurement, and showcase the company鈥檚 deep commitment to sustainability. Determining them, however was just the first step.

鈥淲e had to drive understanding and awareness around the ten outcomes,鈥� said Twete. 鈥淚t was a long, but rewarding process鈥攁doption is conference room by conference room, team by team, and leader by leader.鈥�

The company鈥檚 strong sustainability narrative has led to an impressive culture shift. Instead of sustainability being something that is simply talked about, it now drives all ArcelorMittal鈥檚 decision making across the globe. In closing, Steers shared his secret to creating a unifying message:

鈥淭he narrative needs to be broad enough to resonate with a lot of people, but specific enough to conjure passion and inspire people to engage in creating change.鈥�

As the session concluded, Conference participants dispersed to attend one of the morning鈥檚 breakout sessions, which included a sustainability trend workshop led by Center for Corporate Citizenship Teaching Fellow Nelmara Arbex, four different panelist discussions, and a company case study鈥攄uring which Jackie Parker, director of Global Corporate Giving at General Motors, discussed the company鈥檚 realignment of its philanthropic giving objectives by winding down its foundation model and migrating to a corporate giving structure.

 Following the sessions, attendees were able to take advantage of a networking break sponsored by , and were again given the opportunity to join in preparing Healthy Living Kits backpacks.

Grasping powerful connections

During the morning鈥檚 second set of breakout sessions, CSR practitioners flocked to one of five panelist discussions ranging from making an impact with a small team to disaster relief, or to a workshop on meeting business and community goals through youth mentoring led by members of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

Following a networking lunch, the Center鈥檚 Executive Director Katherine V. Smith kicked off the last session of the event. She greeted the attendees for the final time, thanked them for their engagement, and invited them to the 2018 Conference, to be held in Los Angeles, with as its convening sponsor. She then welcomed Erin L. Haberman, director of community relations at Travelers.

During her remarks, Haberman shared the Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment) initiative鈥攖he company鈥檚 signature career pipeline program.

鈥淲ith this program, we鈥檙e building a pipeline of diverse talent for our industry, and that鈥檚 how we think about this effort鈥攁s a pipeline,鈥� said Haberman. 鈥淲e start working with our scholars in middle school and stay with them until they鈥檙e ready to launch their careers.鈥�

As they pass through the program, Travelers offers EDGE scholars financial support, academic advising, mentoring, and professional development opportunities. This multi-pronged approach delivers major results. To date, 76 percent of EDGE scholars have graduated from college with a bachelor鈥檚 degree or are on track to do so.

Haberman then introduced the final speaker of the Conference, Parag Khanna, international relations expert, executive, and best-selling author. In an insightful and compelling session based on his revolutionary book, , Khanna explored the technological and geopolitical ecosystems that are shaping our work and our world.

鈥淭he reason the world is so complex today is because it is more and more connected,鈥� said Khanna. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a physical underpinning to this connectivity through transportation, energy, and communication infrastructure.鈥�

This infrastructure鈥攁nd the digital and professional networks it supports, he argued, is what is truly determines our individual and corporate identities, rather than traditional geography.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e moving into a world that鈥檚 organized much more by supply chains than by national boundaries,鈥� said Khanna. 鈥淵ou should think of the world as connected areas and disconnected areas. Borders are just frictions against how you get to your markets.鈥�

Khanna examined the role of the private sector in this global value chain, and illustrated how business can play a vital role in achieving global goals, like those outlined during the landmark Paris Agreement, which resulted in an outpouring of corporate support, engagement, and innovation.

鈥淭his is why I鈥檓 optimistic about the future,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause business is shifting its practices, attitudes, and relationships with governments and becoming part of these networks to achieve important objectives.鈥�

This active involvement not only benefits society, the environment, and the global economy, it also reflects an increasing awareness of evolving consumer expectations.

鈥淒ata shows that young people all over the world simultaneously believe that mobility is human right, connectivity is a human right, and sustainability is a paramount virtue,鈥� he Khanna. 鈥淭his is the moral evolution that we are moving towards.鈥�

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