The Executive’s Daily Green Briefing

March 19, 2008

Will Recession Derail Your CSR Efforts?

nyse_floor.jpgTwo major corporate social responsibility questions will be faced during the economic downturn, according to Ethical Corporation.

Will consumers continue to pay a premium for ethical goods?

One thing manufacturers have going for them is the consumer belief that ethical brands, while more expensive, often present longer-term savings and, depending on the product, energy-savings. Supermarkets, especially in the UK (think Tesco), have spent a lot of money building trust on corporate responsibility issues and are unlikely to cut down on their range of ethical products.

Will CSR continue as a core activity or be jettisoned as a cost-cutting measure?

Malcolm McIntosh, founding editor of the Journal of Corporate Citizenship, suggests that addressing climate change will continue to drive corporate responsibility into the mainstream, regardless of the economy. Companies that have invested in CSR will be reluctant to lose their competitive edge.

Others think green marketing campaigns will lose traction and energy management will gain favor.

We also might see companies that are actively addressing environmental, social and governance issues outperforming others in a recession.

Join the Discussion

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The Bottom Line

Marketing

Adam Werbach’s Answer To Consumerism’s Global Warming Blues

Green Marketing Campaigns Not Sticking

Green-Themed Email Marketing Sees Big Bump

Emissions

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Ford Racks Up Another Environmental First

Slower Trucks Could Save 31.5M Tons Of CO2 Emissions

Hi-Tech

Cutting The Internet’s Carbon Footprint

Report: Data Center Energy Efficiency Needs To Double By 2012

Motorola Releases 2007 CSR Report, Reclassification Doubles Haz Waste

Efficiency

EBay Tops List Of Largest Solar Installations In San Jose

IBM, GSK, Herman Miller See Healthy ROI From Green Purchasing

Colgate-Palmolive Improves Production Efficiency

Manufacturing

China’s Plastic Bag Crackdown Is Windfall For Cloth Bag-Makers

DuPont On Sustainable Packaging

NAM, ACCF: Lieberman-Warner Bill Will Cost U.S. Big

Carbon Offsets/RECs

Enel Buys $232 Million Of Carbon Credits From China’s Wuhan Steel

RGGI Cap And Trade To Go Online Sept. 10

REI’s ‘30% By 2009′ Goal Precedes ‘100% By 2020′

CSR Reports

Brazilian, Indian Companies Dominate GRI Reporting Awards

CSR: Chevron To Invest $2.5B in Alternative, Renewable Energy Tech

Ford, Timberland Win Ceres-ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards

Major Players

Food Services Industry Hammered On Climate Performance

HP Partners With Calif. On Print Cartridge Recycling

Exxon Bets $100M On Test To Clean CO2 From Natural Gas

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