Significance of CSR
Significance of CSR
Significance of CSR
Kathrin Ankele
Sabine Braun
Jens Clausen
Project partners:
Initiative of Entrepreneurs
Sponsored by:
Federal Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation
and Nuclear Safety
the end of the 19th century. Large enterprises representing a significant concentration of power began to emerge
while smaller regional companies became less significant.
working conditions.
of their actions on society for ethical reasons. This construct effectively established the CSR idea and is the
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
Maximum Wealth
Charitable/
philantropic
3
Ethical
Be ethical
Expected
Legal
Economic
Make profit
Required
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
Interpretation of CSR
Being socially responsible, in the eyes of the European
management matters within Europe. Industry associations, trade unions, environmental and social NGOs and
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
on CSR (the High-Level Group of National Social Representatives on CSR or CSR HLG) was set up alongside the
EMS Forum in an attempt to ensure systematic knowledge
sharing between the Member States and the DirectorateGeneral (DG) for Employment and Social Affairs, which
is responsible for CSR matters within the EU [EUROPEAN
COMMISSION 2003G]. This body consists exclusively of
staff delegated from the ministries responsible for CSR
in the various Member States.
Assessment of the European CSR process
The European CSR process has led to an intensive
debate concerning the potential contribution of business
to sustainable development. The systematic exchange
of views and knowledge between the interest groups at
European level has revealed both, the common ground
and where the differences lie. A common understanding
as to which social and ecological sustainability problems
can be influenced positively by companies and their
operations is emerging.
Although the exchange of information was sucessful
the EMS Forums self-restriction on consensual issues
calls the impact of the process into question. Critical
issues like the development of an ISO-Standard to
CSR or a mandatory reporting could not be discussed
systematically.
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
TABLE 1: THE EMS ROUND TABLES [SOURCE: AUTHORS ORIGINAL BASED ON EUROPEAN COMMISSION, NO YEAR SPECIFIED]
Round Table
Topics
ILO standards
Fighting poverty
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
FIGURE 2: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CSR AND SUSTAINABILITY DEBATE (SOURCE: AUTHORS ORIGINAL)
Corporate Social
Responsiveness
Issue Management
World Conservation
Strategy
Environmental Debate
1950
1960
1970
1980
Stakeholder Theory
Implementation processes
CSR
Rio Conference
Brundtland Report
Corporate Sustainability
Agenda 21
Harmonisation
Union of social and
environmental goals
Stakeholder oriented
issue management
Johannesburg
World Summit
Sustainable Development
1990
2000
2010
devolopment.
10
The principle of sustainable development as it is understood today is usually traced back to the definition offered by the Brundtland Commission: sustainable devel-
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
11
Macro level:
society as a whole
Sustainable Development
Contribution of
the company
12
Micro level:
business
Corporate
Citizenship
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
Corporate
Sustainability
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
Definition
generally
accepted?
Term
Definition
Level
Sustainable
development
Society as
a whole
yes
Sustainable
management
Company
no
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
(CSR)
CSR is, a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business
operations and in their interaction
with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. [EUROPEAN COMMISSION
2001A:5]
Company
Corporate
Citizenship
(CC)
Company
Comments
13
Europe:
yes
international: no
no
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
14
NATIONAL 2001],
2004 FUTURE E.V. AND INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH GMBH (IW)
Specific requirements
Universal requirements
B.1 Credibility
B.2 Comparability
B.4 Communicative
quality
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CSR DEBATE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES: SUMMARY
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Contacts:
Sabine Braun
Ickstattstrae 26 (Mgb.)
Thomas Loew
D-80469 Munich
for companies.
D-10785 Berlin
www.ranking-nachhaltigkeitsberichte.de
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: +49 30 8 82 54 39
E-mail: [email protected]