AmCham Shanghai is proud to announce that the annual AmCham Shanghai CSR Conference & Awards succeeded this year in expanding dramatically in both size and scope. The number of companies competing in the awards jumped from 14 in 2005 to 25 this year. In addition, the awards this year attracted the first Chinese companies as applicants. Meanwhile, conference and ceremony attendees increased from 70 last year to more than 120 executives and journalists this year.

"One of the main reasons for launching the annual CSR Awards was to promote the concept of CSR among our members, and among the broader business community," said AmCham Shanghai CSR Chairman Murray King.  "The concept is still not widely understood in China." King explained that one effective way of promoting corporate stewardship is to recognize companies and organizations that have created successful social welfare projects, and can serve as examples for other companies. He called the AmCham Shanghai CSR Awards a "showcase promoting the best examples of companies -- both American and Chinese -- acting as excellent corporate citizens."

This year's award winners were judged according to a rigorous criterion developed with assistance from RepuTex, an Australian-based Social Responsibility Index rating company. The Chamber used indicators and factors in the RepuTex Benchmark as a guide as they assessed applicant's achievements in corporate governance, environmental impact, social impact, and workplace practices.

AmCham Shanghai 2006 CSR Award winners:

• CSR Program Excellence in China Award, First Prize Winner: Ford Motor (China)
• CSR Program Excellence in China, Merit Award Winner: Coca Cola (China)
• CSR Program Excellence in China for an SME Business, First Prize Winner: PMI (Shanghai)
• CSR Program Excellence in China for a Non-Foreign Invested Business, First Prize Winner: Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB)
• CSR Program Excellence in China for a Non-Foreign Invested Business, Merit Award Winner: Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer

Congratulations to you all!

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award

Award for CSR Program Excellence in China

First Prize Winner: Ford Motor (China)

About the Winner:

Ford China recognizes that CSR is a long-term strategic business priority for a company doing business in a shrinking world that facing major environmental and social challenges. The company has established an executive level CSR Committee that meets regularly to discuss the overall management of Ford’s program and provide direction for their departments demonstrates their corporate governance of CSR.

Ford’s environmental commitments in China include: an Environmental Management System with objectives and targets for the effective control and management of wastewater, air emissions, and noise in their operations. For six years, the company has awarded RMB1 million annually through its Conservation and Environmental Grants -- the largest environmental grants program of its kind in China.  The grants support projects that improve local environments, protect cultural heritage and safeguard natural resources.

In the area of public health and safety, Ford China has actively supported the Global Road Safety Initiative. This initiative seeks to transfer best practices in reducing motor vehicle accidents and building road safety capacity in developing countries. The initial focus of this effort has been in China.

Ford has established a Code of Basic Working Conditions that it applies to its own facilities and to its supply-chain partners. The Code sets the expectation that suppliers will work toward an alignment with the Code and it provides Ford’s right to perform third-party site assessments of working conditions.

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Merit Award for CSR Program Excellence in China

Winner: Coca Cola China

About the Winner:

Coca Cola China’s CSR work is most strongly demonstrated in its environmental protection activities and its rural education commitments. The company’s global Environmental Management System and the environmental committees at each plant drive and guide the initiatives in its China locations. The following highlights a portion of the company’s impressive CSR initiatives.

It comes as no surprise that a beverage company would be concerned about water availability and quality.  As a result of Coca Cola’s water reuse and recovery programs, the saving of fresh water in 2005 amounted to over 1.3 billion liters more than was saved in 2004. All Coca Cola plants have their own wastewater treatment systems to ensure that all discharges meet regulatory standards and can actually support fish life. In partnership with the Soon Ching Ling Foundation, the company has begun a Rain Harvesting Project in Pengyang County of the Ningxia Autonomous Region. This project has built household and community water storage facilities for drinking and bathing serving more than 3,000 families in 7 rural villages.

Coca Cola China’s social impact activities focus on improving the educational opportunities for underprivileged children in poor rural communities. The Coca Cola efforts have built 57 Project Hope primary schools, 100 Hope libraries, 30 e-learning centers and 55 multimedia classrooms helping about 60,000 rural children across China. The company also provides direct funding to poor primary, middle, high school and university students from rural areas.

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award
First Prize for CSR Program Excellence in China for an SME Business

Winner: PMI (Shanghai)

About the Winner:

PMI is a global leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of food and beverage containers.  The company has a strong CSR philosophy that guides business decisions at every point of the supply chain.  PMI Shanghai, a branch started in 2000, has fully integrated this philosophy into its business practice in China.  Despite operating with a staff of only 24 in Shanghai, PMI Shanghai created a position of CSR Manager in 2003 to oversee implementation of CSR strategy, program and activities.

The company is committed to producing products under legal, humane and ethical conditions.  Since 1998, PMI established a Workplace Code of Conduct for all employees and partners.  The Code is approved by BSR and monitored by PWC. PMI communicates the Code to all its manufacturers and only those who are committed to PMI/Partner Workplace Code of Conduct can be qualified as active suppliers to the company.  PMI Shanghai also uses a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) in each of PMI’s factories. This plan provides a formalized approach to implementing CSR philosophy on a constant basis.  PMI Shanghai employees are also active in community involvement.  All Shanghai staff volunteered and participated in the Terry Fox Run in October 2005.  Since 2003, PMI Shanghai has sponsored 23 students in Gansu Province through “Project Hope”, and will continue to support them until they complete their primary school education.

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Award for CSR Program Excellence in China for a Non-Foreign Invested Business

First Prize Winner: Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB)

About the Winner:

Since its establishment in 1993, SPDB has set corporate social responsibility as part of its business strategy. During the past 13 years, SPDB has shown a true commitment to servicing its community. In June 2006, SPDB became the first Chinese bank to promulgate a “Report of Corporate Social Responsibility” encouraging Chinese banks to bear their social responsibility as good corporate citizens.  The bank has established its own Code of Conduct for staff in 2005. To follow are examples of SPDB’s main CSR projects:

In the area of environmental protection, SPDB has actively financed ecologically friendly projects including the South-North Water Project of Chongqing, Regional Running Water projects, pipeline, sewage and garage disposal project, extending loans of RMB2.27 for 17 such projects. In SPDB’s own operations, it has striven toward an automated, paperless operation. Efforts include setting up a paperless document delivery system in which all applications and approvals. This step alone saved 200 tons of paper yearly from bank operations. In 2002, the bank adopted a video-conferencing system that allows for meetings without business trip expenses.

In social welfare promotion, the bank has donated more than RMB40 million to more than 100 welfare projects in China designed to help low income people. These include setting up poverty aid funds, cataract removal projects, and volunteer projects. The bank also set up an online donation system for internet banking users to donate online. Each SPDB clerk is provided with a designated account for donating online from his or her salary. The bank has raised RMB3 million from 10,000 staff using this system.

Finally, SPDB has provided education-assistance funds to more than 4000 needy Chinese students. In 2005, the bank launched a campaign to provide more than 2000 low income college students with free trips home.

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Merit Award for CSR Program Excellence in China for a Non-Foreign Invested Business

Winner: Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer

About the Winner:

Formed in the 1921 as the privately run Shanghai Xin Min Machinery, SAEM eventually became a state owned enterprise and now employs 800 including 100 engineering technicians. The company gained national fame in October 2005 when the Shenzhou 6 spaceship successfully launched.

Since 2005, SAEM has focused on public welfare and CSR by working with the Shanghai-based CereCare Wellness Center for handicapped children. Last fall, the company’s aerospace team members visited the center to donate a model of the Shenzhou 6 spaceship. In July 2006, SAEM signed an agreement of cooperation with the CereCare Wellness Center in which SAEM volunteers with visit and work with the center’s resident children at least four times yearly.

In addition, SAEM has supported improved education in western China through its employees donating RMB40,000 in computers, book-bags and other educational equipment to the Yuanhe Middle School in Xiji.

Nearly all SAEM employees are members of the Shanghai Aerospace Volunteer Group. All members are required to join in 6 volunteer activities per year and all managers must join in 12 activities. Many SAEM volunteers are now preparing to assist with the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games to be held in Shanghai.

2006 AmCham Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Corporate Social Responsibility Innovation Award 

Winner: Amway (China)

About the Winner:

Amway is a global leader in direct selling of health and beauty products. Amway focuses on three main CSR areas: children, environmental protection and health.  In 2005, Amway donated a total of RMB34.73 million to 443 projects in China of which RMB20 million were designated for 223 charity projects benefiting children. One of the major projects launched, the “Amway Volunteers,” sent 110 students from 15 prestigious universities to posts as volunteer teachers for approximately one year in 10 western provinces. This project directly benefited 50,000 children in poverty.

In the area of environmental protection, the company has initiated an innovative project in which Amway volunteers clean up trash and waste from mountains and rivers that are historic tourist attractions across different regions of China. This project even reached Mount Everest in 2005 when Amway volunteers along with other social volunteers picked up 400 bags of trash between the elevations of 5,120- 8,000 meters with the help of professional mountaineers. In promoting health, in 2005, Amway held its annual fitness run in 12 Chinese cities and attracted more than 200,000 participants. In addition, taking advantage of its strong network of sales representatives, Amway had established 24 Amway community volunteer organizations with more than 5,000 volunteers around China as of February 2006.