What is CSR? The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication Making Good Business Sense by Lord Holme and Richard Watts, used the following definition.
“Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large”
CSR may also be referred to as “corporate citizenship” and can involve incurring short-term costs that do not provide an immediate financial benefit to the company, but instead promote positive social and environmental change.
Corporations can have enormously detrimental effects on the environment. Oil spills are some of the most conspicuous examples, but industries as varied as chemical manufacturing, mining, agriculture and fishing can do permanent damage to local ecosystems. Climate change can also be attributed in large part to corporations.
Money and influence that enable large companies to inflict damage on people and the environment allows them to effect positive change. At its simplest, a corporation can give money to charity. Companies can also use their influence to pressure governments and other companies to treat people and resources more ethically. They may also do everything possible to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment.
One may be wondering what CSR has to do with self storage. Our work provides plenty of opportunities to affect our environment and the community we’re a part of, and this is why we try to do as much as possible when it comes to ‘corporate social responsibility’.
Knowing exactly how we are getting on with our green and community oriented efforts helps us do more in the future. Most self storage firms will have have motion sensored lighting; most packing boxes sold are made from 100% recycled cardboard and are 100% recyclable, saving thousands of trees from being unnecessarily felled. Some storage firms even have solar panels installed at their sites.
Environment: One primary focus of corporate social responsibility is the environment. Businesses, both large and small, have a large carbon footprint. Any steps they can take to reduce those footprints are considered both good for the company and society as a whole.
Philanthropy: Businesses also practice social responsibility by donating to national and local charities. Whether it involves giving money or time, businesses have a lot of resources that can benefit charities and local community programs.
Ethical labor practices: By treating employees fairly and ethically, companies can also demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. This is especially true of businesses that operate in international locations with labor laws that differ from those in the United Kingdom.
Small details can make a big impact and we appreciate every small effort towards a ‘greener’ environment.
Many CSR initiatives may seem more like a dream in the beginning. But when careful planning and hard work is done and the result can be seen, we know that even the bold dreams may come true and that we’re on the right path.