What a week at the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Designing a Sustainable Future conference in beautiful San Francisco! More than 1350 participants from nearly 50 countries gathered to learn what the future holds for Corporate Social Responsibility, with keynote speeches from Gerd Leipold, Exec. Dir. of Greenpeace, Robert A. Eckert, Chairman & CEO, Mattel and Cynthia Carroll, CEO, Anglo American, among others. The breakout sessions were lively and instructive. I've got lots to share later on, but basically, here's the gist:

CSR is the hot topic for businesses from manufacturers to telecom to financial institutions.

Charts and graphs of key CSR indicators are no longer enough -- the emphasis now is on processes and best practices.

Companies are being encouraged to "put the squeeze" on vendors and suppliers who are not doing their part for CSR. If they can't comply, find a supplier who can.

When a company remains silent about a CSR issue, they will be considered complicit.

It's time to put a metric on your IMPACT -- both negative and positive -- quantify your sphere of influence.

There's so much more to share. Check back for key lessons learned at this informative and well-attended conference. I am sure that our participation in this important event will help Perdue Creative serve our clients better -- whether it's creating the right kind of sustainability report or crafting messages that help your company articlate processes and impact.