I’ve heard it said that responsible business is just corporate social responsibility re-branded but personally, I think there’s more to it than that…

‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ – or ‘CSR’, since it’s probably better known now by its acronym – has been around a long time. Back in the 1800s Cadburys recognised the benefits of paying workers (relatively) well, creating good working conditions, and even living conditions, promoting health and wellbeing and, providing education, not just to workers but to the community. The concept was genuine – a business should have ethics and be socially responsible – but somewhere along the line, I feel something changed.

Maybe it was in the 90’s or possibly later? I have a sneaky feeling us marketing people got hold of it. CSR seemed to morph into two less wholesome commitments. Firstly, doing (slightly) less harm to the environment. I hold my hands up, I’ve written the phrase ‘we do everything we can to reduce our impact on the environment’ many times over many years without being able to fully justify that claim. And secondly, doing some good through philanthropy – which has often been something employees were given a day off to do like a beach clean, an activity like an abseil or bike ride that a group of employees did for charity, or company sponsorship of an employee’s football team. I’m not knocking these initiatives but on their own, they don’t represent a responsible business.

So, call me cynical, but I feel that CSR became something businesses did on the side, something they did principally so they could report on it, something that was tactical and standalone. Responsible business means much more than that. For me, it is about having positive social and environmental impacts, and governing for all stakeholders. It is aspirational and strategic, starting with an organisation’s purpose and the goals it sets itself. It’s integrated, so it’s not what employees do on an allocated day but what the business and everyone within it does every day. And it’s lived and breathed. Yes, it’s reported – but not just the good things, the bad and the ugly as well, and how the business plans to address those bits too.

I look at what the likes of Unilever are doing, how Patagonia run their business, and how organisations large and small are focusing on the wider good whilst remaining financially strong – and I’m optimistic. Responsible business is not just a rebrand. It’s more genuine, authentic and transparent than CSR became. It sets a much higher bar and we at Not Sustainable are truly passionate about helping businesses to clear that bar. If this speaks to you and your business, get in touch with us.