Corporate Responsibility (or CSR, corporate accountability, corporate sustainability, corporate citizenship), has moved from the margins of the nice to do, to become a central focus in the drive for sustained competitiveness. This can be attributed to societal changes associated with climate change, the globalization of supply chains, and the multi-faceted implications of a networked society. These represent risks to those companies that fail to recognize the significance of these factors. At the same time, they also represent sources of potential opportunity and success to those whose products and processes are responsive to these dramatically changing business conditions.

The fundamental issue that we want to challenge, is that Corporate Responsibility is not about donating sums of money or carrying out projects for the under privileged and then crowing about it in the media. It is all about carrying out the entire business in a way that minimizes the negative impacts created on society and the environment as a result of its operations, whilst at the same time maximizing the positive long term benefits created for all stakeholders.