What is meant by corporate social responsibility and how does it differ from the related theme of sustainability?
For HEFCE, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about “how we take account of the impact of our work on the economy, society and the environment.” HEFCE published its first CSR policy in 2006, and more recently issued a policy for 2008 - 14. A key element of this policy is to seek to use its influence to promote sustainable development in higher education in England.
Sustainability or sustainable development has come to the fore since the 1980s as a necessary response to a range of global environmental and social issues, in particular the tremendous growth in the world’s population, accelerating climate change and increasing pressure on food, water and energy resources. The most widely quoted definition of sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” For many, sustainable development also includes a range of ethical, moral and social issues.
Higher education is widely seen as having an important role to play in sustainable development (through institutional policies and actions as well as through teaching and research, and more generally by providing leadership to the community), and there have been a number of international events and declarations involving universities, including:
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