Why do Businesses Need to Target Sustainability and Not Corporate Social Responsibility?

Fortune 500 company, Unilever, does not have a corporate social responsibility department; however, Unilever is a world leader when it comes to sustainability.

Corporate social responsibility can often be seen as a side project in business. A commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability, however, lies with the organisation’s core values when it comes to business practices. While corporate social responsibility can often be seen as companies trying to balance out the negative impacts they have on the economy, our society and the environment, sustainability as a core value of business means that companies are genuinely working towards ensuring none of their business practices have these adverse effects.

Sustainability dives into finding alternative ways for businesses to make money, as opposed to corporate social responsibility which allows a business to continue in its practices, which may be harmful to the economy, our society or the environment, but to divert money to other projects to distract from this or balance this out.

By incorporating sustainability into the core values of your business, your approach to sustainability will be more streamlined, and your commitment will sit front and centre of your business operations. This makes it easier for conscious consumers to discover your business and what you offer people who are looking to commitment to sustainability through their purchasing decisions. This unified approach to sustainability makes it easier to communicate across departments within an organisation and ensure everyone is on the same page.

If you would like more information on how your business can move away from corporate social responsibility and towards a model of economic, social and environmental sustainability, contact us today!

This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants webiste.