Supportive Information and Links

There are a wide and quickly expanding range of sources for further information on the subject of corporate social responsibility and related concepts such as corporate sustainability, corporate accountability, corporate citizenship, corporate sustainable development, corporate stewardship, etc.. Some of these are very broad based and others are relatively focussed. There are many effective search engines that are capable of ferreting out information necessary to enhance a business perspective on the subject. Nonetheless, the following is a list (presented in three categories) of some more salient sources and links that can be used to provide further information on CSR:

Building the Canadian Advantage: A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector
The Government of Canada has announced a new CSR Strategy--"Building the Canadian Advantage" The CSR Strategy built on the work and recommendations from the multistakeholder National CSR Roundtables on the Canadian Extractive Sector in Developing Countries in 2006 and the former Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The CSR Strategy has four main elements. These new measures will help Canadian mining, oil and gas companies meet and exceed their social and environmental responsibilities when operating abroad.

Sustainable Consumption and Production

Thematic Profile: Sustainable Consumption and Production
Industry Canada, in close colloboration with several federal government departments, produced this report for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The next CSD meeting will take place in May 2011.

UNEP (RONA) - United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America
The new webpage highlights SCP success stories from North America and serves as a platform for information on SCP in the region. It showcases the work underway on SCP in the UNEP RONA office and in the North American region and provides links to work being undertaken both at the United Nations and by other stakeholders.

Environment and Business: Canada Business Services for Entrepreneurs

Canadian Business and Biodiversity Council

Recent CSR Studies Supported by Industry Canada

Canadian Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Best Practice Study 2008
Corporate Social Responsibility: An Implementation Guide for Canadian Business
This guide is intended to act as starting point for companies interested in implementing and operationalizing a corporate social responsibility approach in their businesses. The guide reviews key issues to consider, offers options for addressing them, and refers to specific tools which may be of assistance. It contains information on how to assess the effects of business activities on society, develop and implement a corporate social responsibility strategy with commitments, and measure, evaluate and report on performance. The important process of engaging with stakeholders is also described.
CSR: An Implementation Guide for Business
Adapted from "CSR: An Implementation Guide for Canadian Businesses", the IISD has produced a guide for international businesses. This guide provides an overview of the basic steps to and instruments for implementing a CSR strategy adapted specifically to your business or organizational context.
Stratos Sustainability Integration Report - 2007
Industry Canada sponsored a study by Stratos looking at the integration of sustainability into business processes. While many companies are struggling with how to better integrate sustainability into their business, a number of global and Canadian companies are well along the learning curve. This study looks inside a sample of these leading companies, to assess how they are integrating sustainability into their business processes. The results of this study demonstrate the range of processes and tools which can be used or adapted by other companies interested in further integration – at the corporate, divisional and operational levels. IC would like to thank Bell Canada, HP, Rio Tinto, Royal-Dutch Shell, Suncor, Vancity and Vodafone for participating in this study.