EABIS is an unique alliance of businesses, business schools and international institutions committed to promoting more sustainable business practice through partnership, research and learning.

1. “Bringing together Europe’s thought-leaders on the role of business in society ”
“The current crisis has brought the global economy to an historic crossroads. Doing
business in the future might be framed within a very different paradigm. New business-
stakeholder partnerships will be required to drive sustainable growth and equitable
outcomes and to reestablish trust in the economic system and in its key players.”
Viscount Etienne Davignon
Chairman EABIS

2. A brief history of cooperation...
In 2002, five global corporations brought
together Europe’s leading business schools and
posed them a challenge –
“How do we cooperate to ensure that future
business leaders and our organisations stay
ahead and lead the debate on CSR and
business role in society?”
- EABIS emerged as the answer

3. A brief history of cooperation...and growth
Today EABIS has over 120 members
and reaches 3,500+ businesses
through affiliated networks
Growth is driving an expanded value
proposition based on new models of
collaboration and partnership

4. EABIS – what we do
EABIS is a unique alliance of companies, business schools and other institutions committed
to promoting more sustainable business practice through partnership, learning and research.
We:
Facilitate Communicate Engage
• Shared learning opportunities • Opportunities for collaboration • Members in developing
• Platforms to showcase with other members and individual route maps to
practice and thinking strategic partners maximise relationship benefits
• Partnerships to address • Intelligence on current trends, • Professional, trade and other
learning, research and major issues and relevant membership organisations in
operational needs themes for sustainable business building strategic partnerships
• Funding propositions for • Updates and access to our • Policy makers in defining the
collaborative research and rich online knowledge and agenda for sustainable
learning projects information resource business
The European Academy of Business in Society will play a key role in coordinating and disseminating
progress on the latest research activities related to CSR across Europe and to all stakeholders
EU multi-stakeholder forum on CSR

5. EABIS – what our members do
EABIS is a reference point for organisations seeking access to leading edge thinking and
practice in corporate responsibility, sustainability and governance. That is recognised by
major institutions, not least the European Commission. Our members should be able to:
Innovate Influence Inspire
• Seizing opportunities for • Content and delivery of • Learning from their experience
personal and organisational mainstream business education in implementation of new
learning; and research; approaches;
• Taking current ideas and • Thinking of policy makers to • Change in the quality of
approaches and testing them better enable sustainable debate on sustainable business;
against others’ best practice business; • Others to follow thought and
and emerging thinking; • Their reputation as leaders in practice leadership.
• Working with partners to sustainable business practice
develop solutions to the key and thinking.
challenges we face
“By building environmental, social and governance issues into strategy in a way which reflects their
actual business importance, business can recast the debate about its role in a proactive way, thereby
enhancing legitimacy and trust necessary for long term sustainable value creation”
Ian Davis, Global MD, McKinsey

6. Riding the wave – a new phase?
1990 2000 2008 2020
Political Recognising
Integrating CSR Financial crisis Governance
retrenchment CSR
The moral case The business case The governance case
 Political retrenchment reshapes  Proactive engagement  Financial collapse poses
relationships between business, civil society, fundamental questions about
and government  Business in Society economic model
linked to company values
 Issues based NGO’s challenge business  Re-regulation? – ‘civil corporation’
to socio-environment response  CSR becoming part of and competitive advantage versus
core business strategy collaborative advantage?
 CSR activities are scattered and often
separate to core-business  Is regulation just a reflex
response? Is it enough?
 Voluntary or regulated? – CSR debate

7. EABIS – sharpening the saw
Our members join because they are leaders in their fields, brought together by
a commitment to:
 Shape the debate on the changing role of business in a global economy and
society
 Equip current and future business leaders with the capacity to develop
sustainable business
 Transform the relationship between business leaders, academics, policy makers
and others who inspire sustainable business practice
 Inform policy making at national, European and global level
 Build the alliance to deliver global action and learning
We are proud that the EU has named EABIS
“Europe’s future reference point for corporate responsibility research”

8. Future events
15-16 April
The future of economics and management Milan
20-21 April
Mainstreaming CR through executive education Stresa
7 May
Shifting sands: sustainable performance in a changing
business environment Brussels
20-21 September
Annual colloquium: CR & emerging Markets St. Petersburg

9. Who to contact
Academic Affairs antonio.scarafino@eabis.org
Corporate Affairs shella.vanputten@eabis.org
Communications claudia.kipka@eabis.org
European Academy of Business in Society
78-80 rue Defacqz, B-1060 Brussels, Belgium
www.eabis.org