What is CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility?

CSR encompasses all the practices put in place by companies in order to uphold the principles of
sustainable development. And what does it mean to be a sustainable or responsible organization?
It means that companies need to be economically viable, have a positive impact on society, and
respect and preserve the environment.

Lego
Lego will invest $150 million over the next 15 years with a focus on addressing climate change and
reducing waste. It has reduced their packaging as well as investing in an alternative energy source
and plans to source 100% renewable energy by 2020. To accomplish this the company will hire a
team to support its commitment to using sustainable materials and plans to reach a 90% recycling
rate.

Google
Google is trusted for its environmentally friendly initiatives Google also earned RI’s highest CSR
score much in part due to their data center using 50% less energy than others in the world. They
also have committed over $1 billion to renewable energy projects and enable other businesses to
reduce their environmental impact through services such as Gmail.

Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola’s massive fleet of delivery trucks contributed 3.7 million metric tons of greenhouse
gases to the world. They have made major changes to their supply chain practices including
investing in new alternatively fueled trucks. Their initiatives are intended to create a 25%
reduction in their carbon footprint by 2020

Bosch
Half of Bosch’s research and development budget is invested in creating environmental protection
technology. By 2021 the company will have invested €50 million to support universities and
research programs that are focused on the environment, energy and mobility in Germany, India,
the U.S and China through Bosch Energy Research Network, otherwise known as BERN

Netflix and Spotify

From a social perspective, companies such as Netflix and Spotify offer benefits to support their
employees and families. Netflix offers 52 weeks of paid parental leave, which can be taken at any
time whether it is the first year of the child's life or another time that suits their needs. This
compares to 18 weeks at other tech companies.
Spotify offers a similar program, although for a shorter duration of 24 weeks of paid leave.

Starbucks
With an eye to hiring, Starbucks is looking to diversify their workforce and provide opportunities
for certain cohorts. By 2025 it has pledged to hire 25,000 veterans by 2025 as part of their socially
responsible efforts. This hiring initiative will also look to hire more younger people with the aim of
"helping jump-start careers by giving them their first job'. While globally the company has joined
with the UN Refugee Agency to scale up the company’s support and efforts to reach refugee
candidates to hire 10,000 refugees by 2022.
The Walt Disney Company
Disney is committed to reducing their carbon footprint with goals for zero net greenhouse gas
emissions, zero-waste, and a commitment to conserve water. They are actively ensuring that they
set strict international labor policies to protect the safety and rights of their employees.
They are also active in the community and encourage employees to do the same. They also have
healthy living initiatives to promote healthy eating habits amongst employees.

TOMS
TOMS mission is to donate a pair of shoes for every pair they sell and has resulted in the donation
of over 60 million pairs of shoes to children in need. Profits are used to assist the visually-impaired
by providing prescription glasses and medical treatments, provide'safe' drinking water and build
businesses in developing countries to create jobs. They are also strong anti-bullying advocates and
work with several non-governmental organizations and nonprofits to set examples of ethical
behavior.
This list is just a small illustration of how companies are using corporate social responsibility to
protect the planet and make a commitment to improving the quality of life for the communities
they impact every day.