Convening the network of global social impact practitioners is core to what we do at B4SI. We were delighted to do just that in May in Sydney Australia (and virtually) with the support of our network members Stockland and Lion.
L-R: Rebecca Loch, Sustainability Leader at Lion; Sarah Downey, Natasha Hare, Simon Robinson, Anna Cheng, B4SI.
This networking series is a continuation of the momentum built in 2023 when we collaborated with B4SI members ANZ, Australian Rail Track Corporation (Inland Rail), Transurban and QBE to bring this ‘Social Impact in Practice’ event series to life.
The format is simple, the B4SI team present an introductory overview of who we are and how we support businesses around the world with measuring and managing social impact, and the session is fully dedicated to hearing from member practitioners about their social impact journey and facilitating discussion and shared learning in a safe space surrounded by social impact leaders and industry peers.
During this week’s session, we heard from the social sustainability team at Stockland (one of Australia’s largest diversified property groups) about their trailblazing approach to social impact across the business, underpinned by the B4SI frameworks. Stockland are in the early stages of a strategic transformation in how the business manages and measures its social impact, incorporating all three routes to achieving social impact (community investment, business innovation and procurement for social impact). The B4SI methodology is the foundational layer upon which Stockland are building a sustainable and impactful program of strategic social investment.
By setting ambitious targets and taking a whole-business approach, the Stockland team have succeeded in extending accountability for achieving intentional and positive social impact beyond the boundaries of the sustainability team. In doing so they have achieved top down and bottom-up buy-in across the business for their long-term social impact goals in line with their business purpose – a better way to live.
L-R: Simon Robinson, Natasha Hare, B4SI; Justine Felton, Group Social Sustainability Manager at Stockland; Sarah Downey, B4SI; Crista Harrison, Social Sustainability Manager at Stockland; Anna Cheng, B4SI.
The B4SI Framework with its thirty-year history and B4SI’s leadership position in global corporate social impact has provided Stockland with the credibility required to map the course they are on. Embedding the B4SI methodology enterprise-wide through a program of education and leveraging machine learning to capture data, has enabled Stockland to create a robust social impact system to support informed and evidence-based decision making regarding social impact investment.
With mandatory social sustainability reporting on the horizon, Stockland and the wider cohort of B4SI members globally are in a strong position to meet growing demands from stakeholders for credible impact data, taking a strategic and holistic approach to social impact, beyond compliance.
Thank you to Justine and Crista from Stockland for generously sharing their story and answering the great questions from around the room and from our virtual participants on the day. Sincere thanks also to our generous hosts Rebecca and Catherine from Lion, for providing a fantastic space and kind hospitality for the B4SI community to meet and network.
Look out for more details on our next B4SI Social Impact in Practice event which is taking place in late July 2024 in Melbourne, Australia, with the support of network members ANZ and Australia Post. Reach out to the B4SI team at b4si@corporate-citizenship.com to learn more about joining the network.