Four new categories have been added under the Dubai Chamber CSR Label in an effort to recognise a wider range of organisations that are excelling in adopting best CSR practices in line with international standards, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced.

The new categories cover four different realms of CSR, namely: workplace, community, environment and marketplace. Organisations can apply for one or more of the categories and benefit from the evaluation, developmental review and feedback provided as part of the application process.

Organisation of all sizes and across all sectors including those based locally, regionally or internationally are welcome to apply for the new categories online. Applicants should be operational for at least two years, and hold a valid operating license from the country where the organization is based.

Companies applying for workplace category should demonstrate their effectiveness in addressing issues such as diversity, fair recruitment and promotion practices and employees’ welfare and happiness.

The marketplace category covers CSR issues related to managing relationships with suppliers and customers. The workplace category is designed to help organizations to build strong and responsible partnerships with suppliers and enhance their reputation with customers.

The environment category of the Dubai Chamber CSR Label focuses on CSR actions that organisations can take to increase their positive impact and mitigate their negative impact on the environment. Such efforts could pertain to taking energy, water and material efficiency measures to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emission and improve their recycling performance. The application and assessment process for the environment category helps applying organizations mitigate their impact on the environment, become more efficient and enhance their reputation.

The fourth category, community, recognises initiatives implemented by organisations which support and address community needs through employee volunteering, donations, funding community projects and contribution in kind. Applicants are guided on prioritising community initiatives, determining the most effective way to support their communities, and improving their reputation among employees, customers and the broader community.

Individual Dubai Chamber CSR Label categories have been developed to help organizations that are keen to excel in one or more areas of CSR and strengthen their policies and practices in those areas. Given that each new Dubai Chamber CSR Label category focuses on only one CSR area, the application process is less extensive than the Dubai Chamber CSR Label and Dubai Chamber Advanced CSR Label categories.

Among the main benefits of applying for the new label categories are: detailed assessments companies’ workplace social and environmental impacts, appraisal of CSR practices by industry experts, learning and developmental tools for improving CSR programmes, and better recognition for CSR efforts.

Launched in 2011, the Dubai Chamber CSR Label serves as a diagnostic framework and management tool for the participating companies to gauge their approach to CSR and sustainability best practices, and asses their organisations’ impact on the environment and the local community.