Corporate Social Responsibility: An Implementation Guide for Business
Parliamentary engagement Government interest in CSR issues takes many forms. Some governments have issued CSR guidance (see Appendix 5) and play a wide range of partnering, facilitating and profiling roles. In some countries, parliaments have also become engaged. On 13 March 2007, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on CSR in which it expressed the view that “increasing social and environmental responsibility by business, linked to the principle of corporate accountability, represents an essential element of the European social model…”24 The Australian government conducted two high-level enquiries into the relationship between business and CSR in 2006. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services enquiry “Corporate Responsibility: Managing risk and creating value” recommended the “wide adoption of corporate responsibility,” and urged industry associations to actively promote CSR to their members.25 The Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee report “The Social Responsibility of Corporations,” noted that CSR issues presented a conundrum—between the business imperative and wider societal pressure. “A balanced approach,” it concluded, “under which companies are judged according to their overall economic and other contributions and impacts, including how they manage social and environmental issues relevant to their business, is more productive and meaningful.”26 A Spanish parliamentary sub-commission also conducted a review into measures to promote CSR, and reported in 2006.27
“Part of the bargain, the social contract which allows companies to be as large as they are, is that they become engaged in the challenges the world faces, rather than dismissing them as someone else’s problem.” John Manzoni, Chief Executive, Refining & Marketing, BP plc
24 25 26 27
http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/parliament-criticises-commission-csr/article-162431. http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/corporations_ctte/corporate_responsibility/report/index.htm. http://www.camac.gov.au/camac/camac.nsf/byHeadline/PDFFinal+Reports+2006/$file/CSR_Report.pdf. Report of the Subcommission to Strengthen and Promote the Social Responsibility of Business.
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