中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

Date: 2007

Published by UNDP, European Commission (funding)

URL: europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public1/files/BASELINE_STUDY_ON.pdf

This research is part of a project for accelerating CSR in eight new EU member states and candidate countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey. It aimed at evaluating the state of CSR in these countries.

Main findings are:

Drivers for CSR: government, NGOs and media have limited roles

• Businesses appear to be the main agent of change, though there is a general perception, both within the business community and the general pubic, that social responsibility and welfare are the primary role of the government;

• No government is taking a lead role. No government has undertaken “systematic…incentives and initiatives for social and environmental performance”;

• NGOs are not a driver for CSR. The range of actions used by NGOs in their relationships with businesses is limited. Businesses are essentially a source of funding;

• Media do not hold businesses accountable for irresponsible business practices;

• As a consequence of the limited role for CSR played by NGOs and the media, there lacks a dynamic dialogue between business and society that is essential for CSR.

Company response to drivers for CSR

• Multinational seem the most engaged cluster of companies in CSR. They usually implement locally their global standards;

• Companies seem to be more open to CSR strategy designing and to engaging with stakeholders, but they show less engagement in CSR-related governance, disclosure, and performance management.

Recommendations for mainstreaming CSR

• The governments should take a bigger role for developing CSR practices and:

  • Identify a governmental body responsible for CSR;

  • Consult with stakeholders on CSR;

  • Develop national strategies;

  • Act in a responsible manner for their own activities (e.g. public procurement);

• The project initiators (UNDP and the European Commission) should enable stronger involvement of the civil society in CSR;

• The project initiators should initiate activities for developing CSR reporting within companies;

• The project initiators should encourage adherence to international standards and upgrading of CSR practices.

This document in different languages

• English: undpconference_26062007_brochure.pdf (1.6 MiB)