Featured CSR Resources



Other Resources and Ideas We Find Interesting


Regularly updated, this section of the website contains resources on issues of corporate social responsibility authored by third parties. BSR has selected this content through an evaluation process that looks for information that is relevant and useful to practitioners of corporate social responsibility and that is in accord with BSR mission, programs and resources.

The content of these external CSR resources represents the views of the authoring companies and organizations and are neither created nor necessarily endorsed by BSR.

A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs

Get the knowledge you need to craft policy-smart strategies with the first one-stop guide to the U.S. Environmental Protective Agency's (EPA) 35 climate-related Partnership Programs, which have more than 13,000 participating companies and organizations.

Co-conceived and developed by BSR, this guide is an important resource for finding programs that address your company's climate, energy and emissions risks and opportunities. It takes a comprehensive view of how companies are investing in climate-friendly technologies to realize a range of business benefits. Download now.


10th Ethos International Conference | Sao Paulo, Brazil | May 27-30, 2008

The face of sustainability has changed over the last decade, with dialogue, initiation and action occurring throughout the global supply chain. Now, as the CSR movement ignites in Brazil, join us this May 27-30 in São Paulo for the Ethos International Conference.

ENDS Guide to Carbon Offsets

The ENDS Guide to Carbon Offsets is an independent assessment to help organisations to offset emissions effectively and with reduced risk. Its key benefits are clear guidance on how to assess the quality of carbon offsets and choose a quality carbon offset provider. Features include a comprehensive directory of offset providers world-wide, a user-friendly scoring system to identify quality offsets, explanation of different types and ENDS' pick of the top offset providers. The guide also includes an introduction to carbon offsetting, including specialist terms and understanding the pitfalls and difficulties with offset strategies. Learn more.

The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Complete Reference Guide to Concepts, Codes and Organisations

Compiled by the Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs and containing almost 400 terms, this reference guide covers everything from general concepts such as sustainability, stakeholder management, business ethics and human rights to more specific topics such as carbon trading, eco-tourism, microfinance, biodiversity, the Base of the Pyramid model and globalisation. Purchase a copy.

Global Young Leaders Programme - Ningxia Project August 16-30, 2008

The Global Young Leaders Programme (YLP) is an innovative executive training programme that incorporates cross-sectoral and experiential learning. The upcoming YLP Ningxia Project offers an exciting opportunity for young executives to participate in a sustainable development project in Beijing and in Ningxia Province, Northwestern China during the 2008 Olympics. Young Leaders will visit a winery and eco-tourism company which integrates anti-desertification and poverty alleviation efforts into its business model. They will work with the company to develop a business plan for its commercial expansion and look at the social impact of its operations. Please see the Ningxia YLP Prospectus to learn more.

What You Can Do to Fight Global Warming and Spark a Movement

Book cover "Ignition" brings together global thinkers and advocates to jumpstart the green revolution. Including celebrated writers like Bill McKibben and renowned scholars like Gus Speth, the authors draw on their experience in grassroots organization, education, law and social leadership. Learn how leaders turn challenges into opportunities and how passionate people working in their communities are fighting global warming. For anyone who feels compelled to do more than change their light bulbs or occasionally carpool, "Ignition" is an essential guide. Available now from Island Press.
Find out more...

World Premiere of CEO Climate Video

BSR encourages you to watch "Ahead of the Curve: Business Responds to Climate Change," a new 12-minute documentary on why so many Fortune 500 companies are reducing global warming emissions. Produced by Sea Studios, the film includes interviews with PG&E, DuPont and Johnson & Johnson. It’s a whirlwind tour of a major trend to watch in the business sector. Visit seastudios.org/ahead.php. For related info, read BSR’s recent reports on "Corporate Climate Strategy" and "A Business Brief on the Voluntary Carbon Market" online.
Find out more...

Is 2007 the End for Voluntary Standards?

Arvind Ganesan, Director of Business and Human Rights at Human Rights Watch, examines the challenges and possible futures facing four "signature" voluntary multi-stakeholder initiatives in several industries. Ganesan contends that these fluctuating initiatives must quickly respond to their challenges to maintain credibility and avoid increased pressure for regulatory and legislative measures. Download the article in PDF format (77 KB).
Find out more...

The Materiality Report: Aligning Strategy Performance and Reporting

"The Materiality Report: Aligning Strategy Performance and Reporting" calls on companies to move beyond basic compliance approaches and integrate social and environmental issues into their core business strategies and practices. The report, created by AccountAbility in association with BT Group plc and LRQA, includes cases from BP, Ford and Nike. It provides a toolkit for managers to work out which issues are 'material' to their underlying performance and encourages business to focus on these issues in their public reporting. For further information, please visit AccountAbility's web site.


Find out more...

Overcoming Barriers: EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency understands the importance of controlling landfill gas emissions while at the same time realizing the potential for beneficial use. In 1994 the EPA created the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). LMOP is a voluntary assistance program that helps reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas as an energy resource. LMOP forms partnerships with communities, landfill owners, utilities, power marketers, states, project developers, tribes and nonprofit organizations to overcome barriers to development of landfill-gas-to-energy projects. LMOP does so by helping these groups assess project feasibility, find financing and market the benefits of a project to the community. To read more about the program, visit www.epa.gov/lmop, and to read more about LMOP's international work, see www.methanetomarkets.org.
Find out more...

Ethos Institute and UniEthos Release Report on ISO 26000

Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility, along with UniEthos - Education for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, announce the release of "A Contribution for ISO 26000: GT Ethos -- ISO 26000," a report on the ISO 26000, a future international guidance standard for social responsibility that both organizations are involved in developing. The report examines the multistakeholder process through which ISO 26000 is being created, as well as the challenges and opportunities that the future guidance standard brings. Download a copy at www.bsr.org/EthosISO26000.
Find out more...

UN Secretary-General Launches Principles for Responsible Investment

Backed by a group of the world's largest institutional investors, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan released the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a set of global best-practice principles for responsible investment. Institutions from 16 countries, representing more than $2 trillion in assets, officially signed the Principles at the New York Stock Exchange in April 2006. The Principles were developed during a nearly year-long process convened by the UN Secretary-General and coordinated by the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the UN Global Compact. The six voluntary Principles are underpinned by a set of 35 possible actions that institutional investors can take to integrate environmental, social and corporate governance considerations into their investment activities.
Find out more...

A Climate Movie with a Happy Ending (Really)

A new four-minute movie on climate change has been released on the Internet by RenewUS, a collaborative partnership among Clean Air-Cool Planet, Earth Day Network, Stonyfield Farm and Joel Makower of GreenBiz. “Climate: A Crisis Averted” -- a “documentary” told from 2056 -- tells the story of how tens of thousands of citizens come together on the Internet to buy clean power. The movie is part of an ambitious campaign to mobilize citizens to take mass actions in response to climate change.
Find out more...

Interim Report of the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights

Dr. John Ruggie, appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as the UN's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, has released his Interim Report on human rights in relation to transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The report offers a useful overview to those wishing to understand the complex questions at the heart of the business and human rights debate, and the legal framework for identifying binding private sector responsibilities around this. BSR's CEO Aron Cramer has provided separate, additional commentary on the Interim Report here.


Find out more...

Survey Results: Corporate Social Responsibility in Serbia

A summary of the recent study "Corporate Social Responsibility in Serbia: Attitudes of General Public, Profit, Non-profit and Public Sectors in Serbia towards the Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility," which was conducted during 2005, is now available from Responsible Business Initiative Serbia. A strategic document entitled "Framework for the Development of Concept of CSR in Serbia" is also planned and will soon be publicly available through the same agency. The study can be downloaded from their website (PDF, 1.2 MB), or contact rbi@smartkolektiv.org to request a hard copy via regular mail.
Find out more...

Research Analysts Provide Guidance on Corporate Sustainability Reporting

Social research analysts from 23 investment firms have released a new brief that explains how companies can use the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to increase the credibility, comparability and utility of social and environmental reporting. The "Social Research Analyst Statement on Corporate Sustainability Reporting" also provides answers to companies' most frequent questions on reporting and suggests ways to enhance the usefulness and credibility of CSR reports. View or download the file here (PDF, 126 KB).
Find out more...

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's Free Weekly Updates

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is offering a Weekly Update service. These email alerts provide information and encourage companies to publicly address important human rights issues. For more information or to sign up for updates, please visit www.business-humanrights.org/updates.
Find out more...