CSR Climbing Higher On Business Agenda
29 November 2007 at 2:08 pm
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a more critical strategic issue for business, according to the results of a survey – and Not for Profit organisations agree.
The survey results were released at the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Annual Conference in the US.
Eighty-two percent of respondents at the event say they are optimistic that companies around the world will make CSR a core business strategy in the next five years.
The Conference is said to be the leading global gathering of private sector executives, Not for Profit organisations and policymakers focused on corporate responsibility.
Aron Cramer, the CEO of BSR says there’s a tremendous sense of optimism that sustainability – integrated, comprehensive solutions to urgent global challenges such as climate change, consumer product safety and the impact of rapid industrialization – is now firmly on both the business and public agenda.
Consumer behaviour and concerns about reputation top the list with nearly half (47 percent) of the 330 business leaders and others polled.
The survey also offers new insights about business strategies for addressing climate change. Nearly one-third of respondents (31 percent) said energy efficiency and renewable energy are at the heart of their corporate climate change efforts. Despite recent widespread attention to the practice of carbon offsets, very few – just 6 percent – said this was a focus.
Acknowledging the growing influence of emerging economies on the business landscape, an overwhelming majority of respondents (69 percent) said China is the country that will most influence the evolution of corporate responsibility in the next five years.
The participation of more than 1,350 leaders from nearly 50 countries – the largest BSR Conference ever – underscores the unprecedented attention to corporate responsibility issues globally.
Fleishman-Hillard International Communications conducted the in-person survey among more than 330 randomly selected participants at the BSR Conference
BSR is a non-profit business association that serves its 250 member companies and other Global 1000 enterprises. For more information, visit www.bsr.org.
