CSR and Going Green

Greenhouse gas emissions. Global warning. Climate change. What do they have to do with the workplace? Right now, a lot.

I know there’s still debate about whether there’s anything to all this, but the truth is that many companies–perhaps most–have decided there is something to all this and that it’s part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to take action. Thus, if you work for a big company, I’m guessing you have a committee on CSR. The committee may have developed a CSR position statement or an action plan for your employer. Even mid-sized companies are jumping on the bandwagon.

Invariably, human resources is part of this process. Your job is to communicate the company’s position on CSR issues to your employees, to obtain employee buy-in, and to let employees know of action the company has taken to implement its plan.

According to Wikipedia, CSR is a concept whereby employers “consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations.” Right now, the environment seems to be getting all the CSR attention.

Indeed, one of the biggest CSR issues for many companies is “going green.” It’s important or thought to be important for a company to take green actions to demonstrate its commitment to dealing effectively with greenhouse gases, global warming and climate change. HR is often involved with crafting and communicating this message.

There’s another aspect of CSR that HR may become involved in. Going green is expensive. In some instances, that means jobs will be lost to pay for the green effect. In some instances, depending on the company and its business, new jobs may be required. Either way, HR is involved.

The presidential election also has implications for this subject. All three candidates–Clinton, McCain and Obama–are pro-environment, particularly compared to the current administration. That means that whoever is elected is likely to cause this subject to become even bigger in workplaces across America and to work toward the enactment of legislation presently before Congress. For a look at what’s becoming a big workplace issue, click here to read an article in the Washington Post.