Corporate Responsibility

This summer the company I was working for released their first corporate responsibility report (they are a new company that has only existed since December of last year). Being a responsible citizen, I paid close attention to the content of this report and the information they released surrounding it. Overall I was not very impressed with the detail of the report, though that should be excused since like I said the company is very new, but what I did find interesting was what they chose to report on considering the timing of the release of the report itself — just following the first wave of Corporate Ethics International‘s 2010 summer campaign regarding the state of Alberta’s environment. The outline of what they chose to report is available here and I wanted to share this link because I feel like it is relevant to our discussion today regarding corporate social responsibility.

I know I came off more than a little neoliberal today in my support for private enterprise (I was even afraid of some of the things I was saying) but I did feel that certain organizations were getting a bum rep. When it comes down to it, most Canadian energy companies operate through a social contract that they are acutely aware of. There are many worthwhile ventures that have taken place in small towns across Western Canada that have shaped the landscapes of those areas, and given important opportunities to people who otherwise may not have had them.

I would argue that it is close minded and dismissive to assert that an energy company should not be given credit for its community investment simply by the virtue of its incorporation. These organizations establish specific guidelines to assure that the large amount of money they invest in the community is spent intelligently in their operating areas. At the end of the day, these contributions make a lasting positive effect on the landscapes in question.

Will