The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

With more than 60,000 multinational corporations in the world today — along with more than 800,000 subsidiaries and millions of suppliers — the web of private enterprise is wider and more connected than at any other time in history (Ruggie 2004, 510). At the same time, concerns are mounting about the sustainability of the world economy, as well as our ability to address global challenges such as climate change, pollution, poverty, disease, and inequality. While in the past people have often looked to government to protect society from such threats, today it is clear that government cannot do the job alone. Harnessing the power of business to improve social and environmental conditions across the world has thus become a priority for policymakers and other stakeholders, and it represents a central aim of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement