About: corporate social responsibility Archives

Many Europeans appear to have lost trust in the corporate world, with a significant proportion believing that companies are paying less attention to their impact on society and the environment than they were 10 years ago, says a Eurobarometer poll.

Lobbyists and vested interests have tended to hijack the European Commission's expert group on Social Entrepreneurship, put together by DG Internal Market. But the EU Executive has already scored some points and still has cards left to play, writes Filippo Addarii. 

Unilever, the European consumer products company, recently announced the first annual results of its Sustainable Living Plan aimed at improving efficiency in the full cycle of its product line – from production through consumption. Jan Zijderveld talks about how the plan – launched in 2010 – has changed the firm’s outlook.

SPECIAL REPORT / Conservationists who fear that the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro will fail to produce binding commitments to environmental sustainability may have some unsuspecting allies – big corporations.

An EU blueprint to increase businesses accountability on environmental and social matters has raised expectations among NGOs that welcomed the "change of tone" in the European Commission's approach but remained cautious on the implementation.

Since its inception in the 1990s, businesses have come a long way on Corporate Social Responsibility, says Stefan Crets, executive director of CSR Europe, a network of multinationals involved in CSR policies.

The European Commission is considering imposing "standardised mandatory reporting" on how companies communicate about corporate social and environmental issues, in an effort to rebuild citizens' trust in business ethics.

At a time of growing cynicism towards the EU, corporate leaders are pointing to the clear need to complete economic integration but are reluctant to delegate national sovereignty on social policy to the EU, according to a new survey of 2,000 business people released on Wednesday (29 June).

Current proposals for EU anti-discrimination legislation are too weak when it comes to disability rights and require strong action from the Swedish Presidency, European Disability Forum (EDF) Director Carlotta Besozzi told EURACTIV in an interview.

The EU's current anti-discrimination proposals are too weak when it comes to disability rights and require strong action from the Swedish Presidency, European Disability Forum (EDF) Director Carlotta Besozzi told EURACTIV in an interview.

The first half of 2009 will determine not only whether the EU is successful in leading the global response to the financial crisis, but also what is required to make the European social model work in the 21st century, according to former European Commissioner Viscount Etienne Davignon, president of both Friends of Europe and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Europe, who spoke to EURACTIV ahead of this week's EU summit.

Corporations should be held liable in Europe for human rights abuses and environmental damage incurred outside the EU, according to a new legal study presented by a civil society network in the European Parliament on 29 May.

Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimír Špidla discusses corporate social responsibility (CSR) and 'flexicurity' with EURACTIV Czech Republic. These concepts, while frequently promoted by the European Commission, are still relatively unknown to new member states.

The advantages of 'flexicurity' and corporate social responsibility (CSR) outweigh the costs of their implementation, as Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimír Špidla explains in an interview with EURACTIV Czech Republic. However, he says that the concepts will take more time to become "traditional" policies in central European states.

UK NGO ActionAid accuses big supermarkets of exploiting female workers in developing countries. The EU should establish EU-wide legislation to curb the damaging effects of supermarket buying power, the report recommends.

The 2007 Responsible Business Competition has been launched to encourage business leadership skills that take into account social and environmental responsibilities.

Euro MPs have backed a proposal aimed at guaranteeing the independence of auditors against the management of major listed companies in a bid to prevent further Parmalat and Ahold scandals.

Socialist and Green MEPs have pointed to the failings of the purely voluntary approach to CSR currently applied in Europe to urge the Commission to impose binding rules.

To do good and to talk about it – this simple phrase might be an effective description of the commitment of companies to the principles of sustainability and responsibility. But only few of them actually understand and implement Corporate Social Responsibility practices, says Antje Hoppe in Politik & Kommunikation.

A survey finds that since September 11, 2001 American CEOs think more about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but do not spend much more money for it.

On 2-4 October, CEOs and other corporate leaders will gather in New York to discuss the business case for corporate social responsibility.

Commission steps up efforts to formulate stricter EU labour law placing greater responsibility on companies undergoing restructuring