People are inspired by globally significant challenges, such as climate change, social injustice, and poverty to improve their communities and society. In addition, the global business sector has increased its involvement in driving social change.
A recent Harvard Business School article on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Tim Stobierski1 found that many business leaders understand that business is more than maximizing profits. They perceive a social responsibility to do what is “best for their companies, people, the planet, and society.”
Stobierski defines CSR as the idea that a business is responsible to the society around it. Firms that support CSR impact the world positively by behaving in socially responsible ways. These organizations are self-regulating through initiatives that are communicated to their stakeholders via CSR reports. They also often adopt the triple bottom line concept, committing themselves to “measuring its social and environmental impact, sustainability efforts, and profits.” They use the concept of “people, profit, planet” (3 Ps) as their driving force.
This paper will identify lessons from the theory and practice of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) to implement in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. However, these lessons are equally relevant to all entities worldwide.
The paper first addresses the concept of CSR as the broad concept within which CER is manifested, after which CER will be unpacked. This is followed by an identification of the practices of the following entities: United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Apple, Amazon, Citigroup, Panasonic, IKEA, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), Procter & Gamble (P&G), and PepsiCo. It concludes with potential lessons for implementation in the GCC (and elsewhere).
This report, however, is not a scientific document in the traditional sense, as it does not employ a scientific method of research. It should not be considered as such, and any conclusions drawn should be understood as a summary of observed practices. Instead, the method used to achieve the report’s aims is a systematic review and analysis of publicly available information. This includes, but is not limited to, the corporate sustainability and environmental reports of the featured organizations, as well as published documents from relevant international institutions. The report then synthesizes these varied sources to identify common themes, lessons, and best practices in the field of CER. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of how these organizations are approaching CER, highlighting their strategies and initiatives for the benefit of readers seeking practical knowledge and inspiration. The findings are intended to inform and guide policy implementation rather than to prove or disprove a scientific hypothesis.
