Four years after the CSR programme was launched in September 2007, Jebsen has been widely recognised for its achievements across the region. Apart from receiving the Caring Company Award issued by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service for four consecutive years, Jebsen is proud of the concrete practices that brought true value to environmental conservation, staff well-being, philanthropy and external stakeholders, being the four key CSR focuses at Jebsen.

For each of these focuses, goals are set and the implementations are well followed up to ensure a positive outcome. Here are the highlights of the best practices carried out recently:

Environmental conservation
For the first time a carbon audit report was conducted covering all Jebsen facilities in more than 25 locations across the region. This helps to review where Jebsen stands in terms of carbon emission, and subsequently set the target of reducing carbon emission by 20% by 2012, with carbon neutrality as the long-term goal.

In addition, to recognise its daily efforts to manage carbon footprint and reduce carbon emissions, Jebsen was awarded the Loop (Low-carbon Office Operation Programme) Gold Label, which is introduced by CSR partner WWF.

Jebsen has also added five more environmentally-friendly building product brands in 2010 to its portfolio, providing natural marble, timber doors and other eco-conscious products.

Staff well-being
Jebsen organises team building activities and lunch time seminars at all Jebsen offices in the region including Taiwan. In the past year, more than two lunch seminars were held per month on average, as 1,800 staff members are encouraged to maintain the balance between work and life while they benefited from other well-being activities throughout the year.

Philanthropy
A total of 2338.5 volunteer hours were contributed in 2010, with over HK$600,000 donated and more than HK$150,000 raised for various philanthropic activities.

Such activities have been well supported by both Jebsen employees and their friends and families, with the encouraging participation of group chairman Hans Michael Jebsen himself in some of the events.

External stakeholders:
Group management gave three major presentations to share best practices on CSR. Meanwhile the beverage business unit, a founding member of Hong Kong Forum for Responsible Drinking (FReD), supported FReD's first major activity "Don't Drink and Drive" campaign in November and December 2010, by providing PR launch interactive displays, bus shelters and pamphlets.

In 2011, Jebsen's CSR efforts continue to benefit more people. The first full-time CSR executive has been employed in China to ensure sufficient attention can be devoted to the issues here instead of relying solely on volunteerism.

As the highlight of ongoing CSR efforts, Jebsen partners ORBIS to launch Project Morning Star, a five-year sight saving project to help local eye doctors deliver the precious gift of sight to people living in rural areas. By the end of 2015, and in honour of Jebsen's 120th anniversary, Project Morning Star will have provided fellowship to 12 promising young doctors for further education overseas, subsidised surgeries to 120 and more paediatric and adult patients, professional trainings to over 1,200 rural eye health workers, among other initiatives designed to save sight. Eventually more than 1.2 million eye patients will benefit from this project and enjoy reliable yet affordable service from trained doctors.

To see Jebsen's CSR Report 2011, available in English, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese, please visit www.jebsen.com