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What is corporate social responsibility? The CBI position Case studies What is corporate social responsibility?CSR is the acknowledgement by companies that they should be accountable not only for their financial performance, but for the impact of their activities on society and/or the environment. Discussions surrounding the concept are still at an evolutionary stage, although the principles of CSR have long been part of business strategy. Business is already accountable for its activities over the diverse strands that now come under the 'CSR' umbrella – such as human resources and environmental issues, sustainable development, waste management, health and safety practices, through a wide range of existing guidelines at national, EU and global levels. But it is important to distinguish between these base-line standards and CSR activity which is voluntary, business-driven and often goes well beyond what is required by legislation. The CBI positionThe CBI believes that if CSR is to develop successfully, it should remain voluntary and market-driven. Companies must be allowed to define CSR according to their own activities and context. We are therefore extremely concerned that some individuals and interest groups favour the idea of legislating on companies' CSR activities. We don't believe it is possible to raise standards through standardisation, as this would remove the competitive incentive driving forward CSR activity and would place an unmanageable burden on SMEs. Public authorities should adopt a carrot-led rather than a stick-driven approach to CSR. Legislation in this area would simply constrain business activity and reduce CSR to a lowest common denominator. The CBI has strongly argued this position, and will continue to do so at UK government and EU level. Key issues in summaryFor the latest CBI thinking on CSR, see our business summaries.Case studiesThe CBI and Article 13 have teamed up to profile companies doing innovative work in CSR, from which CBI members can learn. Updated quarterly, these case studies examine why the company is implementing CSR initiatives, the successes and failures, and how the programmes are delivering the company's business objectives. The latest case studies cover initiatives from Cadbury Schweppes, Carillion, IBM and Kingfisher plc. Article 13 works in the area of business responsibility, governance and public accountability, identifying the key issues and emerging trends for CSR. Click here to view the case studies.  Click here to go to the Policy Work page. |
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