Shanghai, China (November 5, 2008) /China Newswire/ — The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) announced the 2008 Award winners today at its 4th Annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference. Along with CSR awards honoring corporations, small businesses and Chinese companies, AmCham Shanghai recognized collaborative CSR programs created through partnerships between companies and non-profit organizations.

The 2008 winners were selected from a strong field of 50 projects and 37 companies, both large and small. The award winners this year were judged according to rigorous criteria developed with assistance from RepuTex, an Australia-based Social Responsibility Index rating company. The Chamber used indicators and factors from the RepuTex Benchmark to assess applicants' achievements in corporate governance, environmental impact, social impact and workplace practices. The evaluation process recognized effective arrangements created to manage CSR programs, as well as effective partnerships.

This year's competition showed a consistent improvement in the understanding and implementation of CSR in China. Compared with previous years, a growing number of companies have developed mature programs with comprehensive strategies and structures to integrate corporate governance, community outreach, environmental stewardship, and employee health and safety into their core businesses.

The AmCham Shanghai 2008 CSR Award Winners are:

CSR Excellence in China Award: Intel

Finalists for CSR Excellence in China Award:

Baxter

Johnson & Johnson

Cargill

KPMG Huazhen

Coca-Cola

Mary Kay Cosmetics

Corning

Nike

DLA Piper

Timken

CSR Partnership Award: FedEx Express China & ORBIS International

CSR Award for Small Businesses: PMI Shanghai

Special Recognition:

For outstanding achievements in sustainable community development: Tecsun Homes & Changjiang Civilian Education Foundation

For exceptional and longstanding CSR achievements: Shanghai Pudong Development Bank

As the first place winner this year, Intel demonstrated extraordinary CSR practices and proved strong across the board in all categories, said this year's awards panel. Intel took "CSR into the core of the Intel spirit, fully integrated their core values into their products to provide consumers with better, cheaper products while decreasing their eco-footprint, and worked with industry, standards-making bodies and suppliers on environmental issues," said the panel.

This year's CSR conference and awards, themed "Corporate Citizenship for Today and Tomorrow," aimed to showcase leading companies who are doing outstanding CSR work in China and provide guidance and support for other organizations with developing their own CSR efforts. The conference also examined issues regarding the implementation and communication of CSR programs and issues in China and the implications of an effective CSR strategy in today's global society.

The AmCham Shanghai CSR Committee Chair, Diane Long, emphasized the need for American companies to set a leading example by demonstrating various aspects of corporate citizenship. "CSR is an issue that should be on the table and integrated as a core part of the strategic decisions a company is making. American companies have an important role to play and many have helped establish what the measurements and targets should be for corporate citizenship," said Long. "It will be the young people today who are educated in the needs of CSR who will one day lead major Chinese companies and bring the concept of corporate citizenship to the forward line of Chinese companies."

Sessions at the CSR Conference covered:
•The Meaning of Corporate Citizenship
•How to Construct a Company's CSR Roadmap
•China's Business Leadership – Taking a Right Direction
•Environmental: "A Greener Office in 30 Minutes"
•Risks in Our Supply Chains: How to Manage a Supply Chain Responsibly and Impact it as Consumers
•MOFCOM CSR Guidelines Review
•Post-Quake Recovery Update
•Emerging Opportunities for CSR in China

Speakers at the Conference included:
•Benjamin Q. Avancena, Intl VP for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics
•Dr. Jiang Heng, Deputy Director, Research Center on Transnational Corporations, CAITEC, Ministry of Commerce
•Grover Niemeier, Foodservice Management Professional, The Force Be With You, Inc.
•Shirley Yu Tsui, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, IBM Greater China
•Wang Xingzui, Executive Director, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation
•Steven Sitao Xu, Chief Representative for China, The Economist Group; Director, Advisory Services, China, Economist Intelligence Unit

CONTACT INFORMATION

• AmCham Shanghai CSR and Government Relations Manager, Oliver Yang,
  [email protected], telephone: (86 21) 6279 7119 ext 5272