Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept which shapes the way the corporate sector and the government deal with social interests. Corporate Social Responsibility means that organisations want to take responsibility for the consequences of their activities for consumers, the general public, staff members, suppliers, shareholders, communities and the environment. They want to extend their obligations beyond what they are strictly required to comply with. Organisations who include Corporate Social Responsibility in their company policy, aim to improve the quality of life of staff members, their relatives, the community and society.

In its 1987 report Our Common Future, the UN Brundtland Commission describes sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In Brundtland’s vision, sustainable development needs to be integrated into social and economic development. The values inherent in the Planet and the People are only maintained when a vigorous corporate sector succeeds in making a Profit, ensuring Prosperity. This vision was later elaborated for the corporate sector by John Elkington into the concept of the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit, which is now regarded as the founding principle of corporate social responsibility.

The Corporate Social Responsibility concept has existed for many years. Nonetheless it only became a fundamental part of strategic thinking in the corporate sector after the turn of the millennium. By now most major organisations have a CSR or Sustainability department and many companies issue a Corporate Responsibility or Sustainability report, which addresses the non-financial impact of their activities on the organisations.

Important factors behind the immense attention Corporate Social Responsibility is now receiving include: the pressure of shareholders, the need to regain trust, international agreements and standards (such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, UN Global Compact and the GRI), supply chain responsibility, ethical (green) consumers, climate change and the deterioration of biodiversity, globalisation and changing market forces, the rise in social awareness and education levels, the renewed focus on corporate ethics and responsible citizenship, and the development of sustainable products and services to prevent negative publicity.