Words by Smiley Team
Increasingly, companies are creating and producing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies and initiatives. This self-regulating business model is adopted so corporations can hold themselves accountable to communities and the environment, contributing in a positive way rather than having a negative impact.
Although accusations from campaigners have exposed some of these as farce, other initiatives have taken the lead, providing ambitious examples of how the corporate world could operate in more socially beneficial and eco-friendly ways.
While 2020 saw a whole host of positive corporate efforts emerge, here's a selection of the multinational companies striding ahead of the rest.
One of the most eco-ethical companies for CSR endeavours is Patagonia, according to a global survey of experts. The American outdoor apparel company focuses on environmental CSR in particular. Its clothes are sustainably made and employers prioritise workers’ rights. However, what sets the company apart is its ‘anti-growth’ business model, encouraging customers to stop buying products they don’t need. It also provides financial support to grassroots activists campaigning for tangible change such as to end new fossil fuel extraction. In 2020, for example, it funded climate-related groups such as Extinction Rebellion, even encouraging employees to join the protests and supporting them with legal aid.
Learn more about their CSR efforts here.
[Read More: These 7 companies remove plastic from our oceans]
As one of the companies most highly regarded for its CSR, IKEA is certainly a company setting standards for others to follow. It goes by its founder Ingvar Kamprad’s motto that, “No method is more effective than the good example.” In 2020, as it achieved many of its sustainability goals, the furniture company launched a new ambition to go ‘climate positive’ by 2030. This means it intends to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than it emits, supporting forests as natural carbon sinks, aiming to divest entirely of fossil fuels and opting for more eco-friendly production processes and materials.
Learn more about their CSR efforts here.
[Read More: The vegan wine brand removing plastic from our oceans]
Unlike other companies jumping on the bandwagon by opting for safe, consumer-friendly causes to support, cruelty-free cosmetics company Lush is another example pushing for more courageous efforts to support those at the forefront of social change. In June 2020 when protests over the death of George Floyd reached their peak, the company took a bold stand against racism. It released a statement expressing support for Black Lives Matter and pledging to fund grassroots groups tackling the root causes of structural racism.
Learn more about their CSR efforts here.
As the owner of Body Shop, Avon, Natura and Aesop, Natura &Co is another of the most sustainable companies in the world, according to experts surveyed by Globescan. Like many companies, in 2020 it pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Where it stands out from others is in its commitment to animal rights. This is evident in the way it produces cruelty free cosmetics, but also in its support for campaigns. For instance, last year it drove forward a campaign to ban animal testing across the whole of the EU.
Learn more about their CSR efforts here.
[Read More: These 5 companies plant trees for every product you buy]
One of the world’s largest manufacturers of commercial carpet, Interface is a lesser known company heralded by experts for its CSR strategy. Flooring may seem quite a niche sector but the built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. Interface is doing more than its fair share to change that as the only company to have made every single Globescan ranking for its sustainability work. In 2020 they bolstered their efforts by launching a range of carbon negative carpet tiles.
