"Corporate responsibility" (also known as "Corporate Social Responsibility") reflects ethical business practices. A corporate culture, the shared values of the management, staff, and shareholders of a company, and the company's commitment to sustainability are benchmarks of the level of corporate responsibility that customers, suppliers, and communities can expect from the company.
For the last ten years the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) has tracked businesses for inclusion. The DJSI annual review is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, and assesses corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labor practices. Companies included on the DJSI are reasonably proud of their level of corporate responsibility. They are also market capitalization and profitability leaders in their economic sector
There is debate about whether a company can do well by doing good. A major benefit of the commitment to corporate responsibility is the innovation it inspires. A green solution to a business problem does not have to be unprofitable.
Many corporate responsibility projects are public relations efforts. A company can have a public face that pays lip service to sustainability while conducting business in an unethical way. Not every company with an active corporate responsibility effort is a good corporate citizen and not every effort to promote sustainability is rewarded. The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire is a good resource for self reported information regarding a company's level of social responsibility.
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