Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can refer to a wide range of actions that businesses may take - from supporting charities to ethical business practice. One key focus of CSR is reducing your impact on the environment.

What is environmental CSR?

Environmental CSR focuses on reducing the impact of your business on the environment. This may include:

• energy use
• water use
• waste management
• recycling
• emissions
• eco-friendly office and travel policies

Some of these actions can benefit both the environment and your business finances.

Advantages of environmental CSR

Green CSR can reduce business risk, improve reputation and provide opportunities for cost savings. Even small energy-saving steps can make a difference. For example:

• switching off lights and equipment when not in use
• reducing water use
• using less paper

Caring about the environment can increase revenue, too. Many customers prefer to buy from responsible businesses.

How to reduce your environmental impact

You can reduce your business' environmental impact in many ways. For example, you can:

• create products that can be recycled
• improve the life cycle of your products
• use responsible sourcing, eg recycled materials or sustainable timber
• reduce packaging
• buy locally to cut transport costs
• improve the efficiency of your distribution network
• work with environmentally responsible suppliers and distributors

For more ways to make an impact, see CSR activity ideas for your business.