Corporate Responsibility: ESA - The European Sponsorship Association

Corporate Responsibility

Commitment to Corporate Responsibility
The European Sponsorship Association is committed to Corporate Responsibility (CR).

This means both implementing corporate responsibility within ESA’s operations, supporting and advising members on good practice and encouraging all organisations engaged in sponsorship to embed CR throughout their activities.

What is Corporate Responsibility?
CR is the responsibility and accountability of an organisation for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment.

This means that the organisation accepts responsibility to society beyond its obligation to shareholders, owners or members.

The organisation operates transparently, ethically and sustainably and contributing to the sustainable development and wellbeing of societies and people.

Social, ethical and environmental risks and opportunities are considered and embedded in the organisation’s activities.

What is ESA doing?
ESA’s Corporate Responsibility Working Group (CR WG) develops and implements ESA’s corporate responsibility commitment. This includes embedding corporate responsibility in ESA’s activities and providing guidance, tools, education and good practice examples to members.

A Glossary of CR Terms is available for members through the Member Only area.

The Value of Corporate Responsibility
CR provides a framework for organisations engaged in sponsorship to achieve organisational values and aims, in a way that sustains the organisation as well as society and the environment.

Benefits can include enhancing reputation; managing risk, mitigating incidents; creating societal impact and sustainability; sponsorship enhancement; innovation and motivation. »

ESA Corporate Responsibility Checklist

-	Does your organisation have CR values and policies?
-	If so, do you incorporate these into your sponsorships?
-	Do your carry out due diligence on sponsorship partners to assess their compliance with your CR standards?
-	Do your sponsorships incorporate benefits for society?
-	Do you require sustainability standards for major sponsorships with which you are involved such as sustainable stadia or carbon neutrality of events?
-	Do you require and monitor responsible standards in the supply chain for major sponsorships such as ethical sourcing or labour standards?
-	Do you have a policy for responsible marketing such as ensuring sponsorships do not impact adversely on vulnerable groups?
-	Do you set requirements for integrity covering aspects such as ambush marketing, negotiation, anti-corruption, anti-drugs?
-	Do you use sponsorship methodology in other areas such as community programmes to enhance the benefit for society?
-	Do you use sponsorship to promote sustainability or societal causes?