Corporate Social Responsibility - Sustainable Business: Environmental, Social and Governance Frameworks for the 21st Century

International Bar Association Series 27 Corporate Social Responsibility – Sustainable Business: Environmental, Social and Governance Frameworks for the 21st Century explores the evolving field of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In a dramatic departure from its voluntary origins, CSR is rapidly shifting to hold multinational companies accountable for more than traditional shareholder performance. This CSR movement is embracing new environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks that promote global sustainability goals and enhance accountability for negative impacts businesses can have on ‘planet and people’. It also focuses on the positive role corporations play in supporting the international community’s efforts to achieve the UN Sustainability Goals by 2030. The collection of chapters by leading businesspeople, international civil servants, legal practitioners, academics and other experts offers a forward-looking and pragmatic perspective that illuminates the major themes in this movement towards increasingly sustainable, transparent and accountable business practices.

What’s in this book:

This book shows how CSR has evolved to account for societal pressures, environmental, climate change and human rights impacts, international policy imperatives and the practical challenges of regulating commercial activity that transcends borders. The chapters offer an in-depth examination of current issues, including:

• international frameworks and multistakeholder initiatives catalysing foundational change
• the shifting emphasis on corporate imperatives to avoid harm to third parties
• trends in CSR, focused on assuring the planet’s future sustainability and social stability
• regulatory initiatives around the globe, including Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, and
• extended accountability for activities of corporate group members and supply chains

How this will help you:

As the pressure and business case for companies to incorporate CSR into corporate governance is intensifying with each quarter, this book is intended as a reference tool for global business executives, in-house legal counsel, private practitioners and government officials seeking to discern the emerging legal parameters around these issues. This volume is an invaluable and pragmatic addition to the practitioners’ toolbox at this important juncture in an ever-more dynamic field designed to discuss each topic independently and to present a holistic survey of the scope of CSR issues, trends and impacts.