A National Action Plan for CSR

In June of this year, the German cabinet voted to officially adopt a National Strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility. The German CSR Forum comprised of 44 representatives from civic society, trade unions, academia, and government, was formed early last year in order to develop the case for this new strategy. The new Action Plan for CSR, which is housed in the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, constitutes official recognition that economic efficiency cannot be addressed as a separate issue from societal and environmental policy. The case in favor of this new policy cited that CSR strategically makes German companies more globally competitive while it concurrently promotes positive social and environmental impacts. The plan came  about in part due to the fact that CSR is already widely integrated into many German companies, but also as a response to the global financial crisis. A comprehensive strategy for the country overall would include broadening support within civil society as well as promoting "CSR friendly" public policies.

The Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ursula von der Lyen acknowledged that: "Successful business does not take place in a vacuum." As stated in the Action Plan: "Tapping the potential of CSR requires the combined efforts of society as a whole. Neither the political sector nor business nor civil society is able to master the enormous challenges of our times single-handedly. In today's increasingly globalised world, the limits of individual action are quickly reached."

The Forum first developed a "common understanding" of what CSR stands for which includes: social and environmental responsibility in operations and the supply chain; adherence to ILO core labor standards and human rights; positive contributions to communities; increased investment in education and training; adherence to tolerance and cultural diversity; institution of good anti-corruption measures; promotion of fair competition; transparency in corporate governance; honoring consumer rights and interests; and responsible use of natural resources.

Six working groups were set up in the following areas: 1. Increasing the credibility and visibility of CSR; 2. Promoting CSR in small and medium-sized enterprises; 3. Infusing CSR into education, training, and research related to current social trends; 4. Forging greater international cooperation with regard to CSR; 5. Applying CSR to societal needs and circumstances; 6. Creating an enabling environment for CSR to flourish.

The main sentiment of this Action Plan for CSR: "Mastering the enormous economic, social and environmental challenges of our times will require seeking solutions on a concerted basis and acting on a concerted basis." All of us working in this arena know this to be true. We also know that the political divisiveness in the U. S. poses a major impediment not just to developing a comprehensive plan for CSR, but for even coming to some common understanding of what the problems are and how to begin to pragmatically approach the solutions. Could a new vision of CSR bring us beyond ideological rhetoric into a new way of talking about these issues?

Photo Credit: by Dylan Ramos