Comments for Vanessa Curney

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by Krista

Krista — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:57:25 +0000

It seems to me that these terms are largely synonymous and that CSR/ CR/ CSL/ CC etc. refers to what business does in the name of sustainability. To me, sustainability refers to what all sectors are working to achieve and is thus an umbrella term if you will. However, in academic and practitioner literature, sustainability tends to refer more to environmental (and related policy, systems and process) concerns, whereas CSR (etc.) refers to more social or more general concerns.

I understand that semantics are important and that terms move in and out of fashion, in particular with business. I do hope that as experts, we can spend less and less time on getting the definitions just right, and more and more time on moving a CSR/ CR/ CSL/ CC/ CA/ SD/ sustainability agenda forward.

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by Vanessa Curney

Vanessa Curney — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:35:06 +0000

Elaine – your definition makes good sense and is very useful. The number of executives I’ve heard protest at the phrase ‘corporate responsibility’ ! – but I can also see why and how, in the light of this differentiator, some far-sighted executives are now looking beyond CSR towards sustainability.
- Alex’s comment resonates: ‘In the end, the objective is to have a package that intuitively appeals to all organizations, big and small; public and private; profit and volunteer’ – Not only that but I have to keep reminding myself that when working with clients, especially corporate/business clients overseas, there’s not much use in getting hung up within rigid titles and definitions – a certain flexibility and lateral thinking is useful for communicating these issues. Thanks for your excellent feedback.

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by elaine cohen

elaine cohen — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:41:09 +0000

hi, i tend to work with the following differentiator:
csr is about taking responsibility for what we do as a business ie our direct impacts on all stakeholders. Sustainability is about collaborating with others outside the business to impact broader world social and envoronmental issues.
csr is more about what we do as a business within our immediate operating localities.
Sustainability is more about what our business does in the world.
In my view, csr is a prerequisite for sustainability.

For example:
Business X may implement a supply chain monitoring policy to ensure suppliers behave ethically. That is CSR.
Business X may join with governments, NGOs and community coalitions to support legislation to enforce elimination of child labor in Asian factories. This is sustainability.

elaine
http://www.csr-reporting.blogspot.com

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by Alex Mavro

Alex Mavro — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:39:13 +0000

Interesting, Vanessa. I hear a similar refrain – “CSR is dead; long live Sustainability” – from practitioners here in Asia.

CSR is the process, or lifestyle, required to achieve sustainability. It is as simple as that. CSR is not something you snap your fingers and say, ‘done.’ It is a strategic approach to conduct that aims to manage the impact of the conduct on the world around it.

Thus, there can be no such question as “is this CSR or is it Sustainability?” CSR is the path; Sustainability, the goal. One can *do* neither CSR nor Sustainability: one *can* pursue a CSR strategy towards a Sustainability goal.

I do agree with you on the unfortunate conflation of the process with a particular social group, the Corporates.

Why not further enhance Wayne Visser’s modified definition of “CSR?” He opts for “Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility.”

Why not “Civic Sustainability and Responsibility?” That opens up the action groups to everyone from Boy Scout Troops to churches to mom-and-pop enterprises to multi-national corporations. (Alernatively, Collaborative / Collective / Cooperative / Creative: I do love the internet!)

In the end, the objective is to have a package that intuitively appeals to all organizations, big and small; public and private; profit and volunteer. Given their disparate world views, we are talking about a gargantuan challenge.

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by vanessacurney

vanessacurney — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:21:08 +0000

Thanks for your comment Silvia. I’d be interested to hear others’ definition of CSR as opposed to sustainability…

Comment on Sustainability: discussion by Silvia Patrascu

Silvia Patrascu — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:56:43 +0000

I agree with you that sustainability and CSR are often considered to be the same, even if they are not. I am not a specialist on CSR, I’m only a student, but I consider that also CSR policies should be created on long term. Also, I think that CSR is only way to achieve a sustainability strategy, but also governments, important NGOs and, in the end, the individuals, have their part in creating and implementing a sustainability strategy