We are all aware that in order to create a sustainable society model, it is necessary to include companies as agents with the capacity to respond to the needs of humanity and advance social projects. Today, companies are the main drivers of the economy, the elements that feed the market and regulate the balance between supply and demand. However, companies are much more than that: we must not forget that in addition to the enormous social, labor and economic impact they cause on society, they also produce it at an environmental level. Therefore, it is essential to draw a line of actions for the sustainability of the planet.
The power of companies is increasing due to factors such as globalization, flexibility of markets or outsourcing of production. State laws in each country are increasingly insufficient and fall short of forcing large companies to reduce their environmental impact. Without the collaboration and express will of companies, government efforts are clearly ineffective. In this AgroCorrn article, we talk about the environmental social responsibility of companies.
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Social responsibility and sustainable development
- How climate change affects us
Index
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the result of the commitment by companies to respect the environment and promote sustainable development practices. Thanks to this commitment, small and large companies are committed to preserving environmental conditions and carrying out their activity in a responsible and sustained manner.
A decisive factor for taking initiatives by companies is social pressure, which is increasingly aware of the negative environmental impact. This makes it possible for companies to adopt unilateral and voluntary decisions such as, for example, the replacement of their polluting fleets with hybrid vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions. Society values this type of actions positively, recognizing it with the consumption of its products.
Actions of this nature have a two- way path:
- On the one hand, they serve as a “pull effect” for other companies to adopt the same commitment.
- On the other hand, when trying to improve its reputation, the client rewards the effort for its environmental commitment.
CSR is a perfect instrument to promote social progress , by which companies that really want to be competitive, must adopt excellence both with regard to their employees and with regard to the environment and surroundings.
Environmental commitment is an essential element for companies to innovate and modernize to achieve a more competitive and global economy, as well as being a social vehicle for promoting dignity at work and sustainable development.
Social responsibility and sustainable development
Already in 1972, the UN issued a first warning about the consequences of the environmental impact caused by human activity. In 1987, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Brundtland, officially defined what sustainable development meant, qualifying it as: “one that allows meeting the needs of the present without harming the possibility that future generations can meet their own demands.” Brundtland also defined the concept of a Responsible and Sustainable Company:
- Be economically viable
- Be beneficial to society
- Be environmentally sustainable and respectful of the environment
A year later, in 1988, the world population was alerted to the real dangers of global warming. The World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations for the Environment created an international association on climate change , through which the international community was asked to adopt the necessary measures to avoid or minimize the effects of overheating.
In 1997, in Rio de Janeiro the draft Reference of the Earth Charter was drafted for debate and consultation, which was widely supported throughout the world.
All these reminder data serve to demonstrate that in recent decades many companies and multinationals have joined the environmental sustainability, incorporating respect and maintenance of the environment into their strategies. Since the end of the 90s, there has been a business network committed to sustainable development made up of more than 160 multinationals who consider that CSR is vital to move towards a sustainable future through a responsible mix of economic growth, environmental balance and progress.
How climate change affects us
The effects of climate change and global warming are already beginning to be evident, although according to experts, the process can still be reversible if governments and companies take the appropriate measures. Global warming does not affect everyone equally, since the poorest and most populated areas of the planet are and will be the most affected and vulnerable.
- Heating causes an obvious increase in temperatures. This is undoubtedly the first direct consequence of climate change. If the current trend continues, the temperature on earth will have increased by as much as 4º in 2050.
- Melting of the poles. The thaw at the poles is becoming more and more evident and rapid. This causes avalanches and instability on the surfaces. The sea level has risen significantly in recent years as a result of the thaw.
- Increase in sea level and temperature. This means that many localities located on the banks of rivers or on the seafront are seriously threatened.
- Increase in the virulence of atmospheric phenomena , danger of extinction of animal and plant species and devastating effects on agriculture and forests.
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