More than 30 firms and institutions have benefited from a day’s training workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the basics of sustainability reporting.

The programme was organized by the Eastern and Volta Branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in collaboration with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), with funding from the Swiss Government through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

GRI helps businesses and governments to understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being.

The GRI sustainability reporting program is moulded to encourage businesses to engage in responsible practices in their operations and ensure transparency in their activities.
The program which has been in existence since 2016 is currently being implemented in Ghana, South Africa, Indonesia, Peru, Vietnam and Colombia.

Speaking to the media after the workshop, the Country Director for GRI, Mr Anyemadu Kofi Asare said, working towards the attainment of the SDG is the essence of sustainability reporting.

He said Sustainability reporting is a comprehensive report which helps the companies to bring the new things they are doing together as well facilitate their records keeping which will enhance the company’s strategy.

The Chairman of the Eastern and Volta Branch of the Association of Ghana Industry (AGI), Mr Dela Gadzanku said as an industry, issues relating to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was very key to their sustainability.

He said “there was the need as an association to continue to build the capacity of industries to enhance their business operations”.

He encouraged indigenous Ghanaian companies to give prominence to issues of CSR and that it should not be the preserve of only the multinational companies.

The Chairman made a passionate appeal to the universities to incorporate CSR into their curriculum so that right from school, graduates will adopt the concept and apply it effectively in their field of business.

Mr Gadzanku said the regional branch of AGI prioritize issues of CSR and Sustainability seriously as well as gives premium to issues on youth entrepreneurship and women engagement .

He expressed gratitude to the GRI for the support and sponsorship for the event which in turn would help businesses to position themselves well in the corporate world.