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World Sustainability Series

Walter Leal Filho

Paulo R. Borges de Brito
Fernanda Frankenberger Editors

International
Business,
Trade and
Institutional
Sustainability
World Sustainability Series

Series Editor
Walter Leal Filho, European School of Sustainability Science and Research,
Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Management”, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Due to its scope and nature, sustainable development is a matter which is very
interdisciplinary, and draws from knowledge and inputs from the social sciences
and environmental sciences on the one hand, but also from physical sciences and
arts on the other. As such, there is a perceived need to foster integrative approaches,
whereby the combination of inputs from various fields may contribute to a better
understanding of what sustainability is, and means to people. But despite the need
for and the relevance of integrative approaches towards sustainable development,
there is a paucity of literature which address matters related to sustainability in an
integrated way.

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/13384

Walter Leal Filho Paulo R. Borges de Brito
• •

Fernanda Frankenberger
Editors

International Business,
Trade and Institutional
Sustainability

123
Editors
Walter Leal Filho Paulo R. Borges de Brito
European School of Sustainability College of Business
Science and Research Colorado State University
HAW Hamburg Fort Collins, CO, USA
Hamburg, Germany

Fernanda Frankenberger
Universidade Positivo
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Pontifical Catholic University
of Paraná (PUCPR)
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

ISSN 2199-7373 ISSN 2199-7381 (electronic)

World Sustainability Series
ISBN 978-3-030-26758-2 ISBN 978-3-030-26759-9 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26759-9
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part
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The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from
the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
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authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained
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to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface

Global, social, and environmental trends represent pressing concerns for the future
of the planet and human populations. The environmental Kuznets curve suggests
that economic development initially leads to environmental deterioration, but after a
certain level of economic growth, a society begins to improve its relationship with
the environment and environmental degradation levels reduce.
International trade tends to increase as a result of economic development in
developing countries. As countries begin to industrialize, they experience envi-
ronmental degradation as a result of economic activity moving from subsistence
farming in rural areas to industrial activities in urban factories.
However, as incomes continue to grow, citizens become increasingly willing to
pay for cleaner water and air, and environmental quality begins to improve as
cleaner technologies are adopted.
Thus, it has been shown that as international trade boosts income, the result is
not a so-called race to the bottom, but instead a race to the top as wealthier countries
are increasingly willing to pay for environmental quality. Similarly, it has been
shown that international business in a free trade environment allows a free flow of
cleaner technologies to spread across borders. More recent research suggests that
international business has not only facilitated access to clean technologies but also
led to more rapid adoption of these technologies by poor countries.
At the company level, the concepts of sustainability and corporate social
responsibility (CSR) have been spread worldwide and are considered to be one
of the most important themes to emerge in recent decades as pressing concerns for
the future of the planet and human populations increase. CSR and sustainability
have come to represent an important dimension of corporate strategy for business
firms across the globe, with an increasing number of companies—and institutions—
trying to determine, monitor, and improve the social and environmental impacts
of their operations. Despite such an explosion of interest, effective incorporation of
sustainability into business practices and management faces serious obstacles,
raising the need for more research and implementation. One of the major obstacles
is not that clean technologies are not available, but that they often come at a much
higher cost than traditional technologies.

v
vi Preface

Based on the perceived need to address this gap of information on innovative

technologies and adoption, the book International Business, Trade and Institutional
Sustainability has been prepared. This timely publication showcases research,
feasibility studies, case studies, and projects which aim to demonstrate a variety of
ways to implement environmental sustainability in companies and higher education
institutions, as well as their best practices in international management, adoption of
cleaner technologies, global supply chain, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and
transportation.
The book is structured as follows:
Part One: Global Sustainable Management Practices
Part Two: Global Sustainable Waste Management Practices
Part Three: Global Sustainable Food Systems and Agricultural Markets
Part Four: Global Responsible Mining and Energy
Part Five: Global Sustainable Transportation, Construction, and Infrastructure
Part Six: Global Conservation and Sustainability Innovations, Investments, and
Policies
Part Seven: Sustainability Reporting
We thank all the authors for their contributions and hope this publication may be
a positive driver towards greater environmental sustainability in both companies
and higher education institutions, making it a vital information source to those
already engaged, or willing to engage, on institutional sustainability practices.

Hamburg, Germany Walter Leal Filho

Fort Collins, USA Paulo R. Borges de Brito
Curitiba, Brazil Fernanda Frankenberger
Autumn 2019
Contents

Global Sustainable Management Practices

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiatives
of Multinational Hotel Corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Artie W. Ng and Pimtong Tavitiyaman
Sustainable Initiatives and Practices of the Most Sustainable
Organizations in the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Waqas Nawaz, Patrick Linke and Muammer Koҫ
Plastic Bag Ban in the Context of Corporate Social Responsibility:
Consumption and Trade vis-a′-vis Environmental Sustainability
Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Irina Safitri Zen
The Role of Public Administration in Sustainable Development . . . . . . 69
Fernanda Caroline Caldatto, Sandro Cesar Bortoluzzi
and Edson Pinheiro de Lima
Dynamic Capabilities and Business Model in the Transition to
Sustainability: The Case of Bosch/Curitiba-Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Cristina M. S. Ferigotti, Sieglinde Kindl da Cunha
and Jonatas Soares dos Santos
The Use of Digital Transformation as a Sustainable Mechanism:
An Automotive Industry Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Pablo Carpejani, Bárbara Luzia Santor Bonfim Catapan,
Luiz Felipe Pierin Ramos, Izabelle Cristine Hannemann de Freitas,
Camila Mantovani Rodrigues, Edson Pinheiro de Lima,
Sergio Eduardo Gouvea da Costa, Eduardo de Freitas Rocha Loures,
Fernando Deschamps, José Marcelo A. P. Cestari and Eduardo Andrade

vii
viii Contents

Comparative Study of LCIA, MFCA, and EPIP Tools

for the Environmental Performance Evaluation in Industrial
Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Marcell Mariano Corrêa Maceno, Urivald Pawlowsky
and Thaísa Lana Pilz

Global Sustainable Waste Management Practices

Principles of Sustainability and Circular Economy: Application
and Case Analysis of Historical Evidence and Real
Internationally-Oriented Food Processing Company in Latvia . . . . . . . 133
Maira Lescevica
Current Approaches to Waste Management in Belarus . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Nikolai Gorbatchev and Siarhei Zenchanka
Environmentally Friendly Concept of Phosphogypsum Recycling
on the Basis of the Biotechnological Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Yelizaveta Chernysh and Leonid Plyatsuk
Can Circular Economy Tools Improve the Sustainable Management
of Industrial Waste? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Mariana de Souza Silva Rodrigues and Alvim Borges
Decision Model for Selecting Advanced Technologies for Municipal
Solid Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Douglas Alcindo da Roza, Guilherme Teixeira Aguiar,
Edson Pinheiro de Lima, Sergio Eduardo Gouvea da Costa
and Gilson Oliveira Adamczuk
Diagnostic Model in Sustainable and Innovative Operations
for Municipal Solid Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Douglas Alcindo da Roza, Edson Pinheiro de Lima
and Sergio Eduardo Gouvea da Costa
The Development Role of Customers in the Reverse Logistics
of Industrial Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tamiris de Oliveira and Alvim Borges
Challenges in Reducing Construction and Demolition Waste
Generation in Construction Sites in Curitiba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Leilane Kusunoki, Eduardo Felga Gobbi and Patricia Charvet
A Methodology for Sewage Network Maintenance Toward
the Fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Luciano Rodrigues Penido, Karen Juliana do Amaral,
Regina Maria Matos Jorge, Jörg Wolfgang Metzger,
Jefferson Skroch and Rafael Cabral Gonçalves
Contents ix

Global Sustainable Food Systems and Agricultural Markets

Internet of Things: The Potentialities for Sustainable Agriculture . . . . 291
Tehmina Khan
Geographic Information Systems as a Tool to Display Agribusiness
and Human Development Synergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Rodrigo Martins Moreira
The Effects of Climatic Variations on Agriculture: An Analysis
of Brazilian Food Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Gisele Mazon, Beatrice Maria Zanellato Fonseca Mayer,
João Marcelo Pereira Ribeiro, Sthefanie Aguiar da Silva,
Wellyngton Silva de Amorim, Larissa Pereira Cipoli Ribeiro,
Nicole Roussenq Brognoli, Ricardo Luis Barcelos,
Gabriel Cremona Parma, Jameson Henry McQueen, Issa Ibrahim Berchin
and José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra
Public Policy on Sustainable Food and Agricultural Markets:
Legal Perspective from Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Fatimah M. Opebiyi
Some Ways of Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Production
in the Context of Global Market and Natural Barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Eugeny V. Krasnov, Galina M. Barinova, Dara V. Gaeva
and Timur V. Gaev
Indicators for Assessing Sustainability Performance of Small Rural
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Aleriane Zanetti Vian, Dalmarino Setti and Edson Pinheiro de Lima
Analysis of Sustainability Indicators in Irrigated Rice Production
in the South of Santa Catarina, Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Tiago Comin Colombo and Melissa Watanabe
Study of the Antioxidant and Nutraceutical Properties of Strawberry
Fragaria x ananassa Organically Grown as an Option of Sustainable
Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Juan Carlos Baltazar-Vera, Ma del Rosario Abraham-Juárez,
Iovanna Consuelo Torres-Arteaga, Nancy Karina Vargas-Ramos,
Gilberto Carreño-Aguilera, Cesar Ozuna-Lopez,
Ana Isabel Mireles-Arriaga and María Elena Sosa-Morales
Indicators for Assessing Sustainable Operations in a Poultry
Slaughterhouse, Considering Industry 4.0 Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Débora de Souza Soares, Marcelo Gonçalves Trentin
and Edson Pinheiro de Lima
x Contents

The Use of the Seed Germination Test to Evaluate Phytotoxicity

in Small-Scale Organic Compounds: A Study on Scientific
Production and Its Contributions to Goals 2 and 12
of the UN 2030 Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Isael Colonna Ribeiro, Walessa Nunes Barcellos,
Isabella Maria de Castro Filogônio, Poliana Daré Zampirolli Pires,
Jacqueline Rogéria Bringhenti, Sheila Souza da Silva Ribeiro
and Adriana Marcia Nicolau Korres
Innovations in Agriculture: The Important Role of Agroforestry
in Achieving SDG 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Marcia Fajardo Cavalcanti de Albuquerque
Organic Foods in Brazil: A Bibliometric Study of Academic
Researches Related to Organic Production Before
and After the Conceptual Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Juliana Fatima de Moraes Hernandes and Viviane Beraldo Rosolen

Global Responsible Mining and Energy

Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
for Deep Seabed Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Yao Zhou
Integrated Bio-cycle System for Rehabilitation of Open-Pit Coal
Mining Areas in Tropical Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Cahyono Agus, Enggal Primananda and Malihatun Nufus
Best Practice for Responsible Small Scale Aggregates Mining
in Developing Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
P. Schneider, K.-D. Oswald, W. Riedel, A. Le Hung, A. Meyer, I. Nolivos
and L. Dominguez-Granda
Assessing Sustainability in Mining Industry: Social License
to Operate and Other Economic and Social Indicators
in Canaã dos Carajás (Pará, Brazil) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Thiago Leite Cruz, Valente José Matlaba, José Aroudo Mota,
Celso de Oliveira Júnior, Jorge Filipe dos Santos, Leon Nazaré da Cruz
and Eduardo Nicolau Demétrio Neto
A Review on Multi-criteria Decision Analysis in the Life Cycle
Assessment of Electricity Generation Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
José Guilherme de Paula do Rosário, Rodrigo Salvador,
Murillo Vetroni Barros, Cassiano Moro Piekarski, Leila Mendes da Luz
and Antonio Carlos de Francisco
Contents xi

Towards More Sustainable Extractive Industries: Study

of Simulation of Efficient Ventilation Systems in the Emission
Reduction of Gases for the Development of Mine Works . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Pablo Vizguerra-Morales, Rosa Isela Lopez-Mejia,
Juan Carlos Baltazar-Vera, Joel Everardo Valtierra-Olivares,
Roberto Ontiveros-Ibarra, Carolina de Jesús Rodríguez-Rodríguez,
Juan Esteban García-Dobarganes Bueno, Gilberto Carreño-Aguilera
and Alberto Florentino Aguilera-Alvarado
Affordable and Clean Energy: A Study on the Advantages
and Disadvantages of the Main Modalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Pablo Carpejani, Érica Tessaro de Jesus, Bárbara Luzia Santor Bonfim
Catapan, Sergio Eduardo Gouvea da Costa, Edson Pinheiro de Lima,
Ubiratã Tortato, Carla Gonçalves Machado and Bernardo Keller Richter
Is Energy Planning Moving Towards Sustainable Development?
A Review of Energy Systems Modeling and Their Focus on
Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
Pedro Gerber Machado, Dominique Mouette, Régis Rathmann,
Edmilson dos Santos and Drielli Peyerl
Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool to Evaluate
Multidimensional Clean Energy Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645
Karen L. Mascarenhas, Drielli Peyerl, Nathália Weber,
Dominique Mouette, Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar, Julio R. Meneghini
and Evandro M. Moretto
Appraising Services to the Ecosystem: An Analysis of Itaipu Power
Plant’s Water Supply in Energy Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
Fabrício Baron Mussi, Ubiratã Tortato and Aline Alvares Melo
Using GIS to Map Priority Areas for Conservation Versus Mineral
Exploration: Territorial Sea of Espírito Santo State, Brazil, Study
Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
Viviane K. Bisch, Valeria S. Quaresma, João B. Teixeira
and Alex C. Bastos
Challenges and Opportunities Due to Energy Access in Traditional
Populations: The Quilombo Ivaporunduva Case, Eldorado—SP . . . . . 691
Rodolfo Pereira Medeiros and Célio Bermann

Global Sustainable Transportation, Construction and Infrastructure

Collaborative Outsourcing for Sustainable Transport Management . . . 709
Marzenna Cichosz, Katarzyna Nowicka and Barbara Ocicka
xii Contents

Public Attitude Toward Investment in Sustainable Cities

in Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725
Meng-Fen Yen and Yuh-Yuh Li
Circularity in the Built Environment: A Focus on India . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Usha Iyer-Raniga, Priyanka Erasmus, Pekka Huovila and Soumen Maity
Modern City in the Perception of Students–Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757
Olga Melnikova
Sustainable Logistics: A Case Study of Vehicle Routing
with Environmental Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765
Aline Scaburi, Júlio César Ferreira and Maria Teresinha Arns Steiner
Green Supply Chain Management and the Contribution
to Product Development Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 781
Alda Yoshi Uemura Reche, Osiris Canciglieri Jr.,
Carla Cristina Amodio Estorilio and Marcelo Rudek

Global Conservation and Sustainability Innovations, Investments,

and Policies
Sharing Economy—Another Approach to Value Creation . . . . . . . . . . 797
Pawel Dec and Piotr Masiukiewicz
International Business, Trade and the Nagoya Protocol:
Best Practices and Challenges for Sustainability in Access
and Benefit-Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 813
Natalia Escobar-Pemberthy and Maria Alejandra Calle Saldarriaga
Global New Economy: Structure and Perspectives
in Kaliningrad Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831
Yulia Aleynikova
Foreign Direct Investment, Domestic Investment and Green Growth
in Nigeria: Any Spillovers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 839
Akintoye V. Adejumo and Simplice A. Asongu
Openness and Greenness: Pay-Offs or Trade-Offs for the Nigerian
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Oluwabunmi O. Adejumo
Ecotechnology as Mechanism of Development in Disadvantaged
Regions of Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887
Lorena del Carmen Álvarez-Castañón and Daniel Tagle-Zamora
Contents xiii

Mapping the Industrial Water Demand from Metropolitan Region

of Curitiba (Brazil) for Supporting the Effluent Reuse
from Wastewater Treatment Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 899
Carlos Henrique Machado, Patrícia Bilotta and Karen Juliana do Amaral
Selection of Best Practices for Climate Change Adaptation
with Focus on Rainwater Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915
Jessica Andrade Michel, Giovana Reginatto, Janaina Mazutti,
Luciana Londero Brandli and Rosa Maria Locatelli Kalil
Implementing the SDG 2, 6 and 7 Nexus in Kenya—A Case Study
of Solar Powered Water Pumping for Human Consumption
and Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 933
Izael Da Silva, Geoffrey Ronoh, Ignatius Maranga, Mathew Odhiambo
and Raymond Kiyegga

Sustainability Reporting
Sustainability Reporting in Australian Universities: Case Study
of Campus Sustainability Employing Institutional Analysis . . . . . . . . . 945
Gavin Melles
Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions:
What, Why, and How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 975
Naif Alghamdi
“Reaching for the STARS”: A Collaborative Approach
to Transparent Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education,
the Experience of a European University in Achieving
STARS Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 991
Maria J. Kirrane, Chris Pelton, Pat Mehigan, Mark Poland,
Ger Mullally and John O’Halloran
Comfortable Environment: The Formation of Students-Architects’
Professional Consciousness in the Paradigm of Sustainable
Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1009
Olga Melnikova
Students and University Teachers Facing the Curricular Change
for Sustainability. Reporting in Sustainability Literacy and Teaching
Methodologies at UNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021
A. Coronado-Marín, M. J. Bautista-Cerro and M. A. Murga-Menoyo
Unfolding the Complexities of the Sustainability Reporting Process
in Higher Education: A Case Study in The University of British
Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043
Kim Ceulemans, Carol Scarff Seatter, Ingrid Molderez,
Luc Van Liedekerke and Rodrigo Lozano
xiv Contents

Measuring the Use of Sustainable Modes of Transport

at a University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1071
Jan Silberer, Thomas Bäumer, Patrick Müller, Payam Dehdari
and Stephanie Huber
Sustainability and Institutions: Achieving Synergies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
Walter Leal Filho
Global Sustainable Management Practices
Corporate Social Responsibility
and Sustainability Initiatives
of Multinational Hotel Corporations

Artie W. Ng and Pimtong Tavitiyaman

Abstract Multinational hotel corporations participating actively in international

business developments have become aware of the significance of disclosures on Cor-
porate Social Responsibilities (CSR) and Sustainability issues. Such development
is driven by the external stakeholders and endorsed by the internal ones. Financial
regulators around the world have appeared to embrace the international trend of
disclosures about CSR and Sustainability by publicly listed corporations. Through
case studies of major multinational hotel corporations operating in Asia and the West,
this study examines the emerging emphases of disclosures on CSR and Sustainability
matters as a global trend—including public relation management (PRMs), enterprise
risk management (ERMs), and integrated innovation management (IIMs). The results
showed different aspects of CSR and sustainability practices among multinational
hotel corporations worldwide. Western hotel corporations indicate an emphasis on
IIMs with global measurement and standard such as GRI standard and ISO14001
certification. In the meantime, Asian hotel corporations have diverse CSR and sus-
tainability initiatives in terms of PRMs (e.g., staff development, staff remuneration
and welfare, and good stewards of the environment) and ERMs (e.g., operational risks
management, use of solar energy, and new energy conservation) approaches, but low
implementation on IIMs. Various aspects of CSR and sustainability initiatives can
be reinforced to enhance multinational hotel corporations’ sustainability.

Keywords Corporate social responsibility · Sustainability · Hotel industry ·

Multinationals · Disclosures

Note: An earlier version of this article was presented as a working paper under the Working Paper
Series organized by the School of Professional Education and Executive Development at The Hong
Kong Polytechnic University.

A. W. Ng (B) · P. Tavitiyaman
School of Professional Education and Executive Development, College of Professional and
Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
e-mail: [email protected]
P. Tavitiyaman
e-mail: [email protected]

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 3

W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), International Business, Trade and Institutional
Sustainability, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26759-9_1
4 A. W. Ng and P. Tavitiyaman

1 Introduction

The process of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been explored and strate-
gically implemented by many hospitality organizations, regardless of their size and
scale in operations (Raub and Blunschi 2013). Proposing the CSR practices from the
company’s perspectives reflects a lot of positive outcomes. The benefits of CSR are
to increase financial performance, reduce operating costs, improve staff commitment
and involvement, enhance the capacity of innovation, promote brand reputation and
image, gain new product opportunities, and stimulate customer’s awareness (Raub
and Blunschi 2013; Vogel 2005).
In fact, many stakeholders would draw much their attention to a company’s CSR
practices and implementation. CSR disclosure can be one of the effective market-
ing tools in expressing the company responses on those issues. CSR disclosure can
inform the public concern and express the actions taken on social and environmental
impacts (Cuganesan et al. 2010). However, the presentation of CSR information is
likely to vary across different industries. The content of CSR disclosure informa-
tion, contained in both corporate annual report and standalone document would be
interpreted and presented in different formats as driven by how the society may per-
ceive (Cuganesan et al. 2010; Deegan et al. 2002). For instance, a company with a
higher CSR profile could report contents in a way to change public perception while
deflecting attention in comparison with a company with lower CSR profile (Cugane-
san et al. 2010). CSR disclosure reporting has also been investigated with respect
to the reporting characteristics, the producing organization, and how it is used by
external stakeholders (Bebbington et al. 2008).
The hotel industry is one of the global industries that have applied CSR con-
cept in its management and operations. With the uniqueness of industry’s nature,
the hotel industry is an industry that faces issues of energy overconsumption and
unhealthy working environment (Jones et al. 2006). The company culture, hoteliers’
leadership, hotel characteristics also influence CSR practices and implementations
within hotels (Mackenzie and Peters 2014). For instance, if a hotel would prefer to
monitor employee actual behavior of performance, the hoteliers are encouraged to
set its corporate policy to mandate employees’ actions (Mackenzie and Peters 2014).
In contrast, a more flexible workplace environment could improve environmental
awareness in both employees’ and managers’ perspectives compared to a more con-
trol working environment. Many hotels have introduced various CSR practices and
implications to inform the public of their responsibilities such as scholarships, train-
ing courses, recycling and reducing waste at the Housekeeping and Food and Bev-
erage Departments, and volunteer work by hotel employees to assist the community
(Mackenzie and Peters 2014).
However, when it comes to disclosing CSR reports and practices, few studies have
investigated the complexity of CSR disclosure reporting practices (Bebbington et al.
2008). Some top hotels and hotel executives have reported mostly on their charitable
donations and human resources but seemed to lack environmental issues, vision and
values (Hocomb et al. 2007). As a result, these hotels are criticized by the community
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiatives … 5

on their operational practices, which in turn could cause social and environmental
concerns. This can be questioned to the point that what sort of information is relevant
and appropriate for disclosure to the public to reflect a hotel’s performance in CSR.
In light of these issues, the purpose of this study is to: (1) explore the variations
in CSR disclosures from the perspectives of global chain hotels with reference to
the proposed framework, and (2) review the range of practices for CSR and sus-
tainability among selected international hotel groups with noticeable operations in
Asian and Western regions. Hospitality and tourism businesses are expanding around
the world, it has become a challenge for hoteliers to create an effective strategy in
aligns with CSR on a global scale. CSR disclosure can nevertheless be explored in
three perspectives: public relations, enterprise risk management and an integrated
management approach.

2 Literature Review

2.1 CSR and Sustainability

CSR has traditionally been considered as a model for corporations to take actions
to be a good corporate citizen covering legal and ethical standards for their broad
stakeholders. In more recent years, the concept of sustainability has gained further
recognition to complement with the scope of CSR in explaining what corporations
should further their responsibility for the environment under a globalized economy.
With reference to Lele (1991), Sustainability is about “Ensuring that development
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs”. Gray and Bebbington (2001) characterized Sustainability
as “Treating the world as if we intended to stay”. More recently, Sustainability is
considered as “Actions and approaches adopted by organizations compatible with,
and contributing to, sustainable development (Hopwood et al. 2010).” Hopwood
et al. (2010) also pointed out three main types of sustainability, namely economic,
environmental and social sustainability.
Further, the international accounting authority IFAC (2011) noted, “This defini-
tion also requires organizations to take into account the wider and longer-term con-
sequences of decisions. This is the route to achieving long-term sustainable value
for investors and stakeholders, and involves considering the impact of economic
activities—things bought, investments made, waste and pollution generated—on the
natural and human resources on which they depend, to avoid irreparable damage to
the productive capacity of these resources”.
Due to the social trend of stakeholders (e.g., groups or individuals who can impact
or being influenced by the success of organizational objectives), CSR becomes a cen-
tral remark of the corporate strategy by many organizations. However, SCR reporting
and implementation are still largely unregulated and unilateral; hence, the organiza-
tion develops CSR initiatives via voluntary disclosure (Medrado and Jackson 2016).
6 A. W. Ng and P. Tavitiyaman

The hospitality and tourism industry would be motivated to implement the CSR pol-
icy because it can enhancing corporate reputation, increasing customer and employee
loyalty, attracting new investors, and developing new market share and productivity
(Medrado and Jackson 2016).

2.2 Legitimacy Theory and CSR Disclosure

The legitimacy concept describes the notion of how the society and companies react
and respond to the CSR practices legitimately. Legitimacy theory is commonly used
in CSR accounting and reporting literature, which is to describe the agreement of
social practices by organizations (Hopwood 2009; Mahadeo et al. 2011; Monfardini
et al. 2013). In fact, there is apparently a social contract between a company and
society, the society has expectations on how a company should operate its business
(Cuganesan et al. 2010). The judgment of legitimacy theory is to disclose informa-
tion in light of the society’s expectation; however, managers could have a different
perception in interpreting the concept of society’s expectation (Lanis and Richard-
son 2013). As a consequence, CSR disclosures are like to be inconsistent across
companies and industries.
In prior studies, CSR disclosure is described as the process of providing infor-
mation designed to discharge social accountability and the contents might include
information in the annual report, special publications or even socially oriented adver-
tising (Gray et al. 1987). More recently, Lanis and Richardson (2013) suggested that
companies should present their CSR disclosure reporting to enhance their reputation,
especially in the aspects of the environmental, social and ethical issues. Moreover,
some other prior studies harnessing legitimacy theory have found a positive rela-
tionship between community concern and CSR disclosure on particular social and
environmental issues (Deegan et al. 2002; Lanis and Richardson 2013). As a grow-
ing trend of observing internationally acceptable practice, companies may consider
adopting international reporting standard, such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),
as a means to be perceived by stakeholders as “legitimate”.
Examining the international hotel industry, Chung and Parker (2010) investigated
the developments of integrating hotel environmental strategies through management
control. Chung and Parker (2010) further revealed the emergence of “Triple-bottom
Line Framework” of reporting in the case of the hospitality industry in Singapore.
The triple bottom line includes financial, social, and environmental outcomes and
impacts of its operations.

2.3 Focus on Public Relations

The CSR reporting has been criticized as being used as a tool to enhance public
relations without substantial contributions (Saha and Darnton 2005; Moneva et al.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiatives … 7

2006). Many large hotels use CSR as a marketing tool while embedding CSR con-
cepts into company mission statements (Mackenzie and Peters 2014). For instance,
according to Jones et al. (2006), the pub operators in the UK use CSR concepts
in the promotion of the balance of responsibilities among producers, retailers, gov-
ernment regulators and consumers. These initiatives to demonstrate good relations
with the public includes communicating to the stakeholders about the responsible
alcohol consumption, discouraging excessive drinking, and training staff on how to
sell alcohol responsibly.
In addition, other management initiatives to improve public relations consist of the
provision areas of smoking and disabled customers and showing committed customer
services to prospect customers. The recent concept of green marketing, for instance,
would also give incentives for vendors to focus on their “green features” in their
marketing and promotion.

2.4 Enterprise Risk Management

CSR disclosure can be considered a part of the process in relation to reputation

risk management (Bebbington et al. 2008). The effectiveness of CSR will link to
attain sustainable development of the business and to enhance risk management in
three key major pillars (economic, environmental, and social), company reputation,
and retain new stakeholders (MacLean and Rebernak 2007; Medrado and Jackson
2016). There have been corporations looking into enhancement of enterprises risk
management as there are concerns over external environmental changes and overall
business sustainability (Dovers and Handmer 1992). The notion of risk management
would be pertinent to dealing with a corporation’s reputational risk and legitimacy
while minimizing potential adverse impacts such as the environmental impacts (Vogel
2005). In other studies, it is further noted the linkage between sustainability and risk
for a society’s long-term survival and climate change (Yanitsky 2000).
In order to minimize risks, there are proposed strategies in relation to control
social and environmental impact in the hotel industry. Those are environmental train-
ing programs, green purchase policies, energy and water saving actions and recy-
cling, solid waste generation, reduction in use of chemicals, and utilities monitoring
(Gil et al. 2001; Meade and del Monaco 1999). These practices can benefit a hotel’s
long-term success because of reduced energy emissions and generating more busi-
ness revenues.
However, limited disclosures about sustainability for the public are explored in
a prior study (Dumay et al. 2010). CSR disclosure is found to be lacking relevance
and utility and not contributing to sustainability. Ng and Nathwani (2012) argued
that despite the fact that there are risks associated with climate change, such un-
sustainability and credit ratings of major energy corporations are not fully examined
and disclosed.
8 A. W. Ng and P. Tavitiyaman

2.5 Integrated Innovation Management

Implementing an integrated management approach attempts to deal with CSR and

sustainability in an integrated manner by adopting the triple-bottom-line approach as
a competitive advantage (Chung and Parker 2010). Such CSR reporting explains the
effective management approaches in environmental responsiveness, company plans
in reducing energy consumption and compliance with the environmental legislation
in an effective manner. In addition, these hospitality companies would encourage an
awareness of environmental issues to all employees, partners, and suppliers. All these
practices would create positive working environments and management development
(Jones et al. 2006).
Such an integrated management approach can be explained via the reporting of
corporate financial reporting (CFR), corporate governance (CG), corporate social
responsibility (CSR), shareholder value creation (SVC), and sustainability (Bhimani
and Soonawalla 2005; Perrini and Tencati 2006; Schaltegger and Wagner 2006). In
addition, focus on performance, practice and systems within an organization would
enhance sustainability performance as well as strategic development in a longer run
(Obrien and Parker 1999; Adams and Larrinaga-Gonzalez 2007; Inoue and Lee 2011;
Dai et al. 2013).

3 Framework Development

With reference to the literature review, a trilogy of disclosure strategy is constructed

as the framework for this study. It is argued that hotel groups would develop their
particular CSR and sustainability disclosure approaches driven by three different
concerns, namely public relations management, enterprise risk management and an
integrated innovation management approach for sustainability. These three main
concerns are summarized as follows:
(i) Public Relations Management (PRM). It focuses on local relationship building
with one’s primary stakeholders, namely customers and shareholders (existing
and potential ones). It attempts to disclose social sustainability, e.g. community
services and donation. It works to enhance relationship with primary stakehold-
ers while providing a direct means to economic sustainability through recurring
revenues and positive perception by the consumers and capital markets.
(ii) Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). It attempts to protect one’s reputational
risk and legitimacy. It would minimize potential adverse impacts, e.g. environ-
mental impact. It aims to enhance economic sustainability through reducing
and mitigating any adverse issues with CSR and sustainability. It also adopts
international standards for performance measurements, demonstrating global
citizenship while taking care of business risks. In disclosures, it would provide
proactive reporting on CSR and sustainability matters following international
standards, such as GRI.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiatives … 9

Table 1 The six selected cases

Case Descriptions
A1 Hong Kong listed, prestigious brand with operations in prime cities in Asia, China and
overseas
A2 Dual listing in Hong Kong and Singapore with significant growth in China and
expanding into North America
A3 Dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai with significant presence in China and
expanding overseas through M&As
W1 London listed multiple-brand hotel chains with global operations
W2 Euronext listed multiple-brand hotel chains with global operations
W3 New York listed multiple-brand hotel chains with global operations

(iii) Integrated Innovation Management (IIM). It attempts to deal with CSR and
sustainability in n integrated manner while adopting the Triple-Bottom-line
reporting approach. It requires development of internal management systems
to deal with CSR and Sustainability matters on a continuous basis. It may
develop median to long-term commitments as competitive advantage.

4 Methodology

As an exploratory study, multiple-case studies were adopted to examine the issues

involved (Yin 1994). Six international hotel groups are selected for this study. Three
of these hotel groups are headquartered in the Asian Pacific/China region whereas
the remaining three are based in North America or Europe (see Table 1). All of them
are listed on major stock exchanges, such as London, New York and Hong Kong.
These hotel groups have access to capital markets among Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Singapore, London and New York. As all of them are publicly listed corporations,
they are required to provide financial reporting and related disclosures to the public.
Through such public disclosures, relevant information was collected in relation to
CSR and sustainability practices. The content analysis is adopted to perform com-
parative analysis of these qualitative data with reference to the proposed framework.

5 Findings

Through content analysis of disclosures of the six selected cases, it is demonstrated

that there are noticeable variations in their emphases on CSR and Sustainability. In
particular, four of them (A1, A2, W1, W2) have disclosed their adoption of GRI
standard. Two of Asian hotel groups emphasize the association of CSR and sus-
10 A. W. Ng and P. Tavitiyaman

tainability with risk management and relationship with stakeholders in standalone

sustainability reports. Two of Western hotel groups adopt an integrated approach
and emphasize on their competitive advantage. They provide disclosures about of
programs and forward looking initiatives plans for CSR and sustainability beyond
providing certain performance measurement or indicators. A summary of their key
disclosures on CSR and sustainability is provided in Table 2.

Table 2 Summary of key disclosures on CSR and sustainability

Case Capital market base Main disclosure emphases
A1 Hong Kong • Adopt a sustainability vision: “aspires to manage
its businesses and operations to high ethical and
social responsibility standards as a leading hotel
and property group. We are committed to
integrating sustainable practices and principles
across our operations in a balanced way whilst
providing an exceptional level of service to our
customers”
• Policy statement as the guiding principle: “We
will consult with our key stakeholders and share
information with them about our sustainability
performance, achievements and challenges while
seeking to balance their needs and goals with the
Company’s objectives”
• Embark on developing a Group Risk Register to
further strengthen how we assess and manage key
strategic and operational risks that the Group
faces, including sustainability, health and safety,
and supply chain risks
• Integration into business process through
investing into staff development
• Released a stand-alone sustainability report with
details year-to-year measurement of results using
GRI standard and specific targets to reduce energy
consumption, etc.
A2 Both Hong Kong and Singapore • Released a stand-alone sustainability report
• Participate in Carbon Disclosure Project
• Make use of international standards; e.g. hotels
certified under ISO 14001 Environmental
Management Systems, GRI indicators with
year-to-year performance comparison
• Promote rainwater harvesting, use of solar energy
and the incorporation of composting and herb
gardens to manage food waste
• Develop CSR Projects: 10 to 15-year partnership
with a chosen beneficiary working on children’s
health or education programs
• “We are committed to serving as good stewards of
the environment. We ensure that every property
respects local traditions and culture, restores
natural habitats, conserves biodiversity and
manages waste, water and energy”
• Target set with reference to business growth
• “stakeholders recommend that Shangri-La the
Hotel should take early action to integrate
environmental issues into its comprehensive risk
management systems”
(continued)
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Initiatives … 11

Table 2 (continued)
Case Capital market base Main disclosure emphases
A3 Both Hong Kong and Shanghai • Obtained Platinum award, Corporate and
Employee Contribution Programme, Community
Chart, Hong Kong
• “The Group has always focused on the
improvement of staff remuneration and welfare.
During the Reporting Period, the Group continued
to work on improving staff remuneration and
raising the fixed salary for all staff of our
wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Group has also
continued to optimise the supplementary medical
insurance program and the supplementary
commercial medical insurance coverage for
retired personnel for our staff. In addition, the
Group also timely provides funding assistance for
those employees in need”
• Continue to promote modification projects in
relation to its new energy conservation technology
system, completing system modification in its
hotels in China involving primarily air source and
residual heat-recovery, and the effect of energy
conservation was considered remarkable
W1 London (‘BBB’ long-term corporate credit ratings) • “Corporate responsibility (CR) is central to the
way we do business and is a key part of our
responsible business practices. We treat it as a
strategic business issue, believing CR only makes
sense if it aligns to our vision of becoming one of
the world’s great companies by creating Great
Hotels Guests Love”
• Adopted GRI standard for regular reporting and
performance measurement
• Issue a Corporate Responsibility Committee
Report
• Innovation through integration: “We acknowledge
there is a tension between tourism and the
environment but we believe this can be a creative
one, providing an opportunity to find innovative
solutions to the environmental, social and
economic effects of our business”
• Develop specific performance measures: kWh
consumed for per available room
W2 Euronext (‘BBB-’ long-term and ‘A-3’ short-term) • A comprehensive program with commitments to
sustainability
• Seven pillars, namely Health, Nature, Carbon,
Innovation, Local Communities, Employment and
Dialogue (with partners)
• Integrated into design of hotels and daily
operations
• Twenty one commitments to sustainability
• Specific targets are made for Health and Nature
pillars; e.g. reducing use of water and responsible
eating
• “Reinventing hotels for a sustainable future” as a
decisive competitive advantage
• Adopted ISO14001 certification, UN Global
Compact Indicators and GRI standard
(continued)
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and watched him, then she put her little hand softly on his
arm.

"Are you very unhappy?" she asked.

He started, but did not look at her; his eyes were on the
rushing water.

"I am not exactly happy, child," he said, slowly; "my life

is distasteful. I'm a discontented grumbler, that's what I
am. How did you find it out?"

"I heard you speak to that other man," said Faith,

truthfully. "You said you were sick of it or something like it."

"So I did. Little pitchers have long ears they say, but it's
true."

They were silent for a moment or two.

"Do you know a friend of mine called Timothy Bendall?"

asked Faith suddenly.

"I'm afraid I haven't that pleasure."

"He's an old man, a shepherd who has a cottage all his

own, and he lets me come in and talk to him. He's told me
how all the unhappy people in the world can get happy,
every one of them."

The young man gave a short laugh.

"And what is the wonderful recipe? How is it done?"

Faith looked up at him with shining eyes.

"They get to know the Comforter, and fancy! I didn't

know He was in the world. Nobody ever talks about Him.
Timothy says He loves unhappy people. It's what He keeps
in the world for, instead of living in heaven, just to comfort
them and make them happy. I suppose you know Him,
don't you?"

"What an old-fashioned mite you are! I didn't know

children thought about such things—they're never
unhappy."

"Oh, we are, we are," said Faith eagerly. "Charlie is

miserable because he's ill, and can't go any more on his
raft, and we cry often and often. I haven't cried so much
lately, because I've asked the Comforter to come and live
with me. You can't cry very well when you feel Him quite
close to you. I think you'd find He would make you very
happy. If you went to Timothy, he would tell you all about
Him. He reads bits of the Bible out to me. The Comforter is
really God, you know. He came into the world when Jesus
went out of it. Jesus sent him, so that nobody should feel
sad."

"Go on," said the young man with a smile; "tell me

more. You're quite a little preacher."

And then Faith got scarlet in her cheeks and stopped

speaking.

"Charlie said I preached a sermon," she murmured. "I

don't mean to do it, but it's so new to me, I like talking
about it to people. Charity and Hope laugh at me, but
they're hardly ever unhappy for long. I won't say any more.
Have you seen any fish yet?"

"I like listening to you. Go on talking about this

Comforter."

But Faith would say no more.

 He did not press her, and presently the sight of a big
fish rising with a splash seized her attention.

Then the Pirate began telling Faith about some

wonderful salmon he had caught. He told her his name,
which was the same as the children had heard—Fred
Cardwell. He also told her about his poor sick father.

"Now, if he could believe in this Comforter you talk

about, it would be a good thing for himself and every one
else. Do you think you could come up one day and talk to
him about it?"

"Timothy would," said Faith doubtfully; "I should be

afraid to."

"But you weren't afraid of me, and my father is only a

poor old sick man who hates his life, and makes everyone
who comes near him as miserable as he is."

"Couldn't you tell him better than me?" said Faith,

shyly.

"I'm sure I couldn't. Will you come to tea one day—you

and your sisters—and play in an untidy old garden? Would
you like to?"

"Oh, we should love it! We adore going out to tea, and

everybody is so kind here. And we love seeing new gardens.
Nobody had gardens in London."

"All right. One day I'll drive over for the three of you.
Would the Captain like to come too?"

"He's ill now. Oh, how kind you are!"

 Faith danced softly up and down on her toes. Then her
friend walked back to the village with her and she ran home
and told Granny all about her meeting.

Granny was amused.

"You children seem making friends with everybody," she

said. "But don't set your heart upon people's promises.
They often go their way and forget. A grown-up man does
not often care to entertain children."

When Charity and Hope came home they had as much

to tell Faith as she had to tell them.

Hope had found the wild peppermint in the right place.

She had been studying her map as she walked along the
road, and the old Rector came up and told her at once how
she could find Boggy Glen. It was over some fields behind a
pine wood. Charity had not been so fortunate, but the post
office woman had told her that the Towers was the name of
Mr. Cardwell's place, and a carrier's cart passed it every
Wednesday.

"If only Miss Vale would give us a holiday, I could go,"

said Charity, "but she won't. And I'm not quite sure that the
Pirate is Mr. Cardwell."

"But I'm sure," cried Faith delightedly, "because I've

been talking to him, and we're all going to his house to tea
very soon."

Then she told her story, and Charity was not best
pleased.

"You've been doing what I ought to have done," she

said. "You'd no business to go and speak to him. You ought
to have come off and told me where he was."
 "But I didn't know where to find you," said Faith.

Charity sniffed.

"It's not secret at all if you know all about it," she said.
"You've spoiled the whole thing!"

She walked out of the room as she spoke, and banged

the door behind her.

Faith felt inclined to cry, but Hope told her that Charity
had come home tired and cross, and that she didn't mean
what she said, and when the sisters met at tea Charity was
her bright self again, and quite interested about writing her
sealed letter to the captain.

"I shall tell him I have gained the information from a

trustworthy person, but I shan't tell him it's you," she said.

Faith brightened up.

"And you did hear about him first, didn't you?" she
cried.

Charity nodded.

"It will be fun if we go to tea with him properly. Mrs.

Budd, at the post office, told me it was a beautiful house,
but that old Mr. Cardwell led his son a dog's life. I wonder
what that means?"

No one could enlighten her.

After tea, Charity wrote her letter, and Hope was very
busy soaking her mint in hot water, and pouring it into a
bottle which she begged from her aunt. She managed to
put a drop or two of vinegar in it and some salt, so she
assured her sisters it was quite as nasty as it ought to be.
And then there was a great fuss sealing the packages up.
Granny found an odd bit of sealing wax she lent them.
Charity read her sentence out proudly to her sisters in
which the Pirate's name was buried. It was this:

"First read end down. Cut all right dates with easy little
letters."

And she added below: "Follow this advice and you will
find what you want."

Faith could not understand it at all, until Charity showed

that the first letters of each word spelt his name, and then
she thought it wonderfully clever and wondered if Charlie
would discover it quickly.

She took the packages off that same evening, but only
left them at the door for him, as Granny said she was not to
stay, for bed-time was close at hand.

And all three children went to bed very satisfied with

their day's work.

CHAPTER VII
THE PIRATE'S HOME

CHARLIE was delighted with his packages and wrote a

little note thanking them, but he was not allowed out of his
bedroom yet, and for the time the little girls had to be
content to play without him.

Sir George arrived one morning, wanting to carry off

the children to lunch with his wife, but Miss Vale was very
stern and would not let lessons be interfered with. So he
deferred his invitation to the afternoon, and then they went
to tea with Lady Melville instead. As before, Charity and
Hope went off with Sir George to see his books and horses,
and Faith stayed to talk to Lady Melville. Of course she told
her of their new friend, the Pirate, and Lady Melville knew
all about him.

"I wish he would come and see us oftener; but he is

rather unsociable, and he does not lead a natural life. He is
a devoted son, but a man ought not to be a sick nurse; that
is a woman's vocation."

Then Lady Melville smiled at Faith's puzzled face.

"I always forget I am talking to a child," she said. "You

seem like a grown-up person sometimes, little Faith."

"I don't feel like one," said Faith, smiling. "Is old Mr.
Cardwell very dreadful? Everybody says he is. If we go to
tea there, shall we have to see him?"

"I don't think you will. He is the last person in the world
to have children about him. Poor old man! He has always
rebelled against his fate, and as he gets older seems to
grow more bitter and angry. He used to hunt a great deal,
but he has been stretched helpless on a bed for nearly ten
years, and I don't think he is able to raise his hand to his
mouth. It is very, very sad, and no one seems able to help
him."

Faith was silent, but her thoughts were busy.

 Then Lady Melville began to talk about Charlie Evans.
He was a more cheerful subject of conversation, and Faith
chattered away, telling of all their games. She was quite
sorry when her sisters came back into the drawing-room.
When they were present, Faith grew silent.

They had a very nice tea, and as they were going away,
Lady Melville said:

"My boys come home next week for the Easter holidays.
I wish they were not quite so big, for they would be better
companions for you, but we must try and get some young
people in the neighbourhood together one day and then you
must all come too."

As the little girls walked home, Charity said:

"Sir George told me that in the summer holidays, there

would be picnics, and garden parties, and all kinds of nice
things, but he says his boys don't do much but fish when
they come home now. I think we have come to a lovely
place to live. We never had such treats in London."

"We sometimes went out to tea," said Hope; "but it

makes such a difference when there are big gardens to play
in."

Faith skipped gaily along the road.

"I like going out to tea anywhere," she said; "I like
having tea with Timothy, and he has no garden."

"I believe I know why we enjoy ourselves better in the

country," said Charity thoughtfully. "Grownup people are
kinder to us here. They have time to talk to us, and they
have no time in London. They are always so busy there, and
in such a rush!"
 Hope nodded.

"Yes, when Aunt Alice's friends came to see her they

always said, 'I've no time to stay, I don't know how to get
through!' Why do people rush about so in London?"

"They always shop so much," said Charity; "and there

are no shops here; and then I suppose the crowds of people
make a difference, they have so many friends to see."

"Well," said Faith, "we have friends here. I have

Timothy, and Charlie, and Sir George and Lady Melville, and
the Pirate, that's five, and perhaps we may have more."

"Timothy doesn't count," said Charity scornfully; "and

the Pirate is almost a stranger. We may never see him
again."

"He is going to have us to tea," said Faith eagerly.

But Charity tossed her head unbelievingly.

"He has forgotten all about it," she said.

Faith knew better, and three days after, as they were

doing their lessons in the tiny best parlour which had been
turned into their schoolroom, they saw through the window,
the Pirate ride up to the gate on a big brown horse. Aunt
Alice went out to speak to him, and she had quite a long
conversation at the gate.

Miss Vale, seeing how this distracted her pupils'

attention from their lessons, and how each of the little girls
would stare out of the window, promptly stepped across the
room and drew down the blind. Charity was the only one
who was brave enough to offer an objection:
 "You should control your curiosity," said Miss Vale
cheerfully. "You are very poor things, if you always let that
get the better of you. And your eyes must be on your lesson
books, don't let them run off anywhere else. Whilst you are
little, you must learn to be masters of your members. Do
you understand what I mean?"

The children shook their heads.

"Your eyes must not look away from what you are
doing. If your brain insists that they do not, you are the
master of your members, and the same with your hands
and your feet. Charity need not let her feet kick the legs of
her chair when she is impatient, nor need Hope bite her
finger nails, nor Faith slip her feet in and out of her shoes.
Don't say, 'I can't help it,' for that is letting your hands and
feet manage you, instead of you managing them!"

Miss Vale had successfully captured their attention now.

It was a new idea to all of them, that they had to manage
their hands and feet as well as their eyes and the other
parts of their body.

Lessons went on very quietly after that, but when Miss

Vale had gone, they rushed off to find their Aunt Alice.

"Well," she said, "I expect you have guessed already.

Mr. Cardwell is coming to-morrow to drive you over to the
Towers to spend the afternoon."

"Our dear Pirate, how lovely!" exclaimed Charity.

Faith got pink with pleasure.

"All of us are to go?" questioned Hope.

 "Yes. I think it is remarkably good of him to be troubled
with you," said Aunt Alice laughing.

The next afternoon at three o'clock a very high and

smart dogcart stopped at the gate, and the children walked
out most importantly to meet it.

"If only Mrs. Cox could see us!" said Hope.

They packed themselves in with glee.

"We don't feel a bit frightened of going with you now,"

said Charity; "but we were rather nervous the other day,
when you played pirate and pretended you were going to
take us prisoners. Even when you said you'd lead us to the
treasure, we suspected treachery."

"You are quite sure I'm to be trusted now?"

"Oh, yes, because you've seen Aunt Alice!"

They had the most delightful drive, and the Pirate was
most amusing.

"You seem to understand very well," said Hope, when

he had been condoling with them about the unhappiness of
monotony.

"Ah," he said, "I remember when I was a boy how I

loved all unexpected events, I didn't care how grown-up
people were inconvenienced. If a cistern burst, and the
water came pouring downstairs, if the wind blew a tree
down and smashed an open casement window, if a cook ran
off, and left us without any dinner, or any other domestic
disaster came upon us, how delighted and excited I was!"
 "Yes," chuckled Charity. "I think disasters are more
exciting than pleasures. I almost wish we could have some
at the Cottage. Mrs. Cox used to have a lot happen to her,
but we never did!"

"Would you like to be tossed by a furious bull? We have

one in a field by himself, he's a bad-tempered brute."

"Oh, no," cried Faith. "I don't like disasters at all; we

have come out to enjoy ourselves. It's when we're very dull,
we wish for accidents and things of that sort."

"I'll do my best to prevent you feeling dull," the Pirate

said.

The Towers was a bigger house than Sir George's, but

the children all agreed it was a gloomy looking place. The
shrubberies and evergreen oaks round it overshadowed it,
ivy crept up the stone walls, but no climbing roses or
jessamine or any sweet scented creeper. In front of the
house was a tiled garden with fountains and stone vases;
the weeds grew apace everywhere, and there were only
flowering shrubs, no bright flower beds.

Still it was lovely to explore, there were so many

winding paths and walled gardens.

For an hour the little girls were absolutely happy,

rambling about the grounds and seeing all that the Pirate
could show them. Then he took them into the house,
through a big stone hall, into a very comfortable smoking-
room, where, he told them, he always lived, and where tea
was now laid out on a square table.

"What a lot of rooms you have," said Charity; "don't you

use them all?"
 "No, most of them are shut up. It's a barrack of a place,
and wants a large family to occupy it."

"You've got too big a house," said Hope thoughtfully,

"and we have too little a one. We're dreadfully crowded. We
have to be so tidy, that it takes up all our time putting our
things away!"

"I wish I could cut off a slice of this house and stick it
on to yours," said the Pirate.

"Wouldn't it be fun if you could!" said Charity. "I see

you've a lot of books but not so many as Sir George. I
mean to have a house full of books when I grow up; a very
big house I shall have, and an enormous library!"

They chattered on and made a very good tea; in fact,

there were so many biscuits and cakes that Charity said she
did not consider it a war tea. When it was over, the Pirate
took Charity and Hope upstairs to a big picture gallery. He
left them there looking at the pictures, whilst he asked Faith
to follow him along a wide passage to a room at the end of
it.

"Now," he said, "come in and see my father. Remember

he is a poor sick old gentleman, and talk to him as you did
to me the other day, and tell him how he can be happy."

Faith shrank back, then fighting with her fears she took
hold of the Pirate's hand.

"I'm very afraid," she said, "and p'raps he won't like to

see me. And I can't talk to him like I do to you."

"Never mind, just talk to him about anything."

 And then the Pirate opened the door of a large sunny
room; there were four big windows in a row, and drawn up
to one of them, which was wide open, was a big couch. The
invalid was lying on it, but he did not turn his head when
they, came in.

An elderly man-servant was standing by his couch; he

was just taking away a small tray of tea which stood on a
table by the side of it, and old Mr. Cardwell was thundering
out:

"You clumsy fool! Can't you do your duties without

shaking the whole room with your heavy tread? And pull
down the blind—that confounded sun is—"

He stopped short, for he had caught sight of Faith. She

was promptly introduced:

"A little friend of mine, father, whom I am going to

leave with you for a short time."

Without waiting for a response, the Pirate hurried away,

the servant following him as quickly as he could.

Faith found herself standing by the couch, facing an

angry old man.

Faith's greatest friends always said her extreme

gentleness was her chief attraction. With her small heart
beating violently, she had self-control enough to place her
soft little hand on the old helpless wrinkled hand that was
restlessly moving to and fro.

"I hope I shan't disturb you," she said.

Old Mr. Cardwell looked at her tiny face with its earnest
eyes, and pointed chin, and sensitive little mouth, and was
speechless.

Her soft lisping voice, for most of Faith's "s's" sounded

like "th's," and her still softer touch made him say with a
short laugh:

"Disturb me! You've alighted in my room like a butterfly

or moth—a little grey moth, that's what you are!"

Faith wore a grey hat and coat, and the simile was apt.

"Now, what the d—ahem!—dickens, does Fred mean by

landing you here and leaving you here?"

Faith did not speak.

"Are you tongue tied, child?"

"No, I'm—a little afraid of you—not very much, for you

look a little like my dearest friend."

"And who is he?"

"Timothy his name is. He isn't ill like you, but he has a
beard, and his eyes are blue. I think I came to see you to
tell you about him."

"Sit down in that chair, little Miss Moth. Now tell me

about yourself, not about this old bearded Timothy."

Faith smiled all over her face.

"I do love it when people give me names. Sir George

calls me Curly, and Charlie calls me Ben. My real name is
Faith. Will you always call me Miss Moth?"

"Is there going to be an always? Have you come into

my house prepared to take root and stay?"
 "Oh, no, we're going home very soon, we've come to
tea with the Pirate. May I tell you?"

So the whole story was poured out, and the lonely,

irritable old man listened, and felt a faint interest in the
little speaker.

"Well," he said, when she had finished, "I'm a miserable

old man, a living, helpless log; and Fred, who poses to you
children as a gallant pirate, is my gaoler, and he hates his
job and I don't wonder at it!"

Faith looked at him with her great eyes. Then she bent
forward eagerly:

"Why don't you have Somebody I know come and live

with you? He would make you so very happy."

"Happy! That's a strange word to use, Miss Moth."

"Oh, it's all true!"

Faith threw off her shyness, she began to speak

eagerly:

"I've only been hearing about Him lately. Timothy told

me. Mrs. Cox used to say the world was an unhappy place—
a weary world she called it; she said we were born to
trouble—but she didn't know what I do. Nobody, not a
single person, need be unhappy, they've only got to send
for the Comforter. He's waiting, He wants to comfort, He
goes all over the world finding out the sad.

"Hasn't He ever come to you? It's what He stays in the

world for. Jesus sent Him when He went away from us. Do
you know about Him? You couldn't possibly be unhappy if
you have Him staying with you. Timothy told me thousands
of people have died in agonies of pain—they were burnt
alive, lots of them—and they only smiled because the
Comforter put His Arms round them and held them tight.
It's what I ask Him to do to me, to hold me so tight that I
only feel Him and nothing else. He wipes away tears, and
tells us it is all right, and He knows and He loves us. And
I'm getting to love Him so much since I've known about
Him. It's Timothy who teaches me. Oh, I wish you could
hear how he tells about it. He says if anybody is sick the
Comforter is ready to go to them at once."

She stopped. Old Mr. Cardwell gazed at her as if he had

never seen or heard a child talk before.

"Well, I'm dashed!" he said. "There, that's a harmless

exclamation! Where on earth do you get your gift of
eloquence from? You little insignificant grey moth, talking of
personalities that doctors of divinity are chary of
mentioning! So you think I could be made content and
happy. Will you take me in hand?"

Faith looked puzzled.

"Go on," he said, "talk away. I like to hear you. Perhaps

you had better describe this wonderful Timothy to me. Is he
a spirit, or is he flesh and blood?"

"Timothy is a shepherd. He has a dog and a little

cottage. He lives close to us. I sit on a stool by his fire, and
he sits in a big wooden chair and he smokes a pipe—oh, I
wish you knew Timothy. Would you like him to come and
see you?"

"Indeed I would not!"

There was a grim smile on the invalid's lips, the first

that had lingered there for many a long day.
 Half an hour later the Pirate came into the room, and
found Faith with a happy face chattering to his father as if
she had known him all her life.

He told her the trap was at the door, and Faith rose at
once and shook hands with the invalid.

"Good-bye, and thank you for talking to me," she said.

Mr. Cardwell looked at his son.

"I congratulate you on your discovery," he said. "She

can come again if she likes. I'll never shut my door upon
her."

The Pirate knew how many times his father's door had
been shut upon unwelcome visitors, and he took Faith away
with a glad heart.

Then the children were driven home, and chattered all

the evening to their Granny and Aunt, telling of all that they
had seen and done.

CHAPTER VIII
CHARITY PLAYS TRUANT

THE very next day the three little girls met Lionel and
Fairfax Melville at the village shop.
 Charity was shopping for her aunt, and she was doing it
with her most important air. Hope and Faith were outside
the door looking in at the window, and wondering if it would
be very wicked in war-time to buy two pennyworth of
sweets. Suddenly two cyclists dashed up and dismounted.
They were boys of fourteen and fifteen, and had come to
the shop to buy some machine oil. They did not notice Faith
and Hope, but stared at Charity, and then the elder, Lionel,
who had a very frank, easy way with him, said:

"I believe you're Carrots, aren't you? The Pater calls you
that."

"Yes," said Charity beaming, "and you're Lionel and

Fairfax. We've seen your pictures."

She had finished her shopping, and did not like to linger,
but as she was going out she said:

"If we were boys, we could chum up together, but we're

girls."

"Yes," said Lionel, with an awkward laugh; "I suppose

you don't fish? Girls never do."

"We could learn," said Charity. "Good-bye!"

Then she walked out of the shop; and wished harder

than ever that she was a boy.

"They're too big for us," said Hope dejectedly. "Charlie

is more our sort. I wish he would make haste and get well."

They did not see the boys again for some days, and
then Charity met with a nasty accident, and Fairfax came to
her aid. She was trying to get some marshmallows that
grew by the side of the river, and in stretching out for them,
she fell in. Happily a tree stretched over the water, and she
managed to get hold of a branch, and cling on to it, whilst
she called wildly for help. Fairfax and Lionel were fishing a
short distance off, and Fairfax came up and soon pulled her
up to the bank again.

"What a little duffer to fall in!" he said.

Charity stood and shivered in her wet clothes, but

resented his tone.

"Anybody may have an accident," she said loftily.

"Run home and change your clothes," said Fairfax.

Charity walked away trying to appear dignified, but she

was very near tears.

"I'll race you," said Fairfax. "Girls ought to be able to

run."

Charity prided herself upon her swiftness. Dignity was

forgotten. She sped away, and Fairfax could not outdistance
her.

"I say, you can leg it!" he said.

When Charity arrived at the Cottage she stopped, and

turned to him quite graciously, though she could hardly
speak from breathlessness.

"Thank you for pilling me out," she said. "You're the one
that likes books, aren't you?" Fairfax nodded.

"And you're the one who has been reading some of my

books in the library," he said, "and my Greek legend book is
missing."