Abstract
The 2030 Agenda implies an important commitment that should be achieved by companies, countries, and governments, and the goals set should be worked on with the aim to boost the areas they address. Corporate social responsibility is a tool for organizations to act on behalf not only of the public but also of all stakeholders, as affirmed by the stakeholders' theory. Given the interest the stakeholders have in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to observe the attitudes and behaviors that the organizations develop to achieve their intended contribution. This chapter analyzes the companies´ attitudes and behaviors developed to fulfill five SDGs (from 1 to 5). The study is focused on the content analysis of the corporate social responsibility reports of 16 car manufacturing companies. At the end, the authors propose some future lines of research.
TopIntroduction
Sustainability is a very up-to-date and necessary topic in organizations, so it has been widely researched during the last years. Companies have been working with a new orientation in which the Triple Bottom Line perspective (Elkington, 2000) is crucial, so the social, economic, and environmental dimensions are the areas where organizations should act if they want to achieve sustainable development (Gallardo-Vázquez, Sánchez-Hernández & Corchuelo, 2013).
The strategy being used by the organizations to achieve sustainability is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Green Paper. Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (Commission of the European Communities, 2001, p. 7) defines CSR as “a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis”. Later, the European Commission (2011) remarked the responsibility of the organizations for their impacts on society, and they explicitly stated the need for interested parties to collaborate to “integrate social, environmental and ethical concerns, the respect of human rights and consumer concerns in their operations and basic strategy” (European Commission, 2011, p. 7).
The concern for sustainability has been a hot topic for international institutions, among them, the Global Pact for the Environment from which the Principles of the Global Pact are derived. Said principles originate from declarations of the United Nations about human rights, labour, the environment, and corruption, and have universal consensus. Later, the United Nations Programme for Development (UNPD) defined, in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), based on the opinions from world leaders reunited in summits. Countries assumed the compromise for a new global alliance to reduce poverty, and they established 8 goals and the limit of 2015 to reach an optimal development. After the implementation and development period, in 2015 the following improvements had been made: 1) the amount of people living in poverty had decreased by half; 2) the percentage of malnourished people in the regions in development had decreased to almost half since 1990; 3) the amount of children in primary school age who did not go to school decreased by half globally; 4) the death rate of children under 5 had decreased by more than half; 5) since 1990 the maternal mortality rate had decreased by 45% globally; and 6) infections of HIV decreased by 40% between 2000 and 2013.
As these results prove, it is evident that the efforts of governments, the international community and the private sector have decisively contributed to increase hope and opportunities worldwide. But that was considered insufficient, and in 2015 world leaders adopted another set of global goals, the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Again, poverty should be eradicated, the planet protected, and prosperity assured for all. 17 SDGs were proposed, with specific objectives, which should be reached during the next 15 years.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Sustainable Development Goals: Goals adopted by the United Nations Member States, set by the 2030 Agenda, aimed at achieving peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. They constitute an urgent call to action by all countries, developed and developing, in a global partnership.
Organizational Legitimacy: Social acceptance of organizations, which means that they should develop a collection of actions that are appropriate for communities because they are adjusted to a set of regulations, values and beliefs that determine their behavior and legitimate them in their market, sector and with the society they are set into.
Triple Bottom Line Perspective: Accounting framework with three parts (social, environmental, and financial). Some organizations have adopted this framework in order to evaluate their performance in a broader perspective to create greater business value.
Agenda 2030: Document that includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It brings together the commitments of 193 countries that pursue its fulfillment by the year 2030. The objectives pursue equality among people, protect the planet and ensure prosperity.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Voluntary integration by the organizations of social and environmental concerns in its business operations and the relationships with their interlocutors.
Sustainable Development: Development that satisfies present needs without compromising the capacity of future generations, guaranteeing the balance between economic development, taking care of the environment and social wellbeing.
Stakeholders: People, individuals, and groups of people that affect, can affect and can be affected by the activities of an organization. They are considered to be an essential element on the strategic planning of the organizations.