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Blog | Wednesday March 18, 2020

An Update from BSR on COVID-19

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Dear BSR Members and Valued Partners,

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is presenting the world with a fast-changing and unprecedented global health situation. 

We hope that you and your families and communities are staying safe and healthy, and applying the values that underlie our collective work on sustainability to see us through this challenging time.

In addition, as a global business network dedicated to advancing sustainable business, we remain focused on our work while also adapting to address the ever-shifting environment in our offices around the world.

We remain very much open for business, with our teams working remotely (though in Hong Kong, some have been able to return to the office safely), at as close to regular capacity as the situation permits, and in accordance with the guidelines provided by relevant national, regional, and local health authorities. You can find us online, with all meetings conducted remotely via video teleconferencing platforms. 

Our work with you, our member companies and many partners, matters now more than ever. At moments like this, we welcome and encourage more dialogue with you, and more collaboration amongst our network.  

This week we will be rolling out new platforms and opportunities for engagement with BSR issue and industry experts, and for networking with other BSR member companies, partners, and thought leaders.  

We’ll also be offering a series of perspectives from our industry and issue experts, with the latest thinking on how business can continue to advance the sustainability agenda while navigating the challenge of the coronavirus. Our new COVID-19 content hub already features insights from BSR staff, including business lessons from the first phase of the pandemic, how to protect human rights while protecting public health, and the pandemic’s impact on workers and supply chains in China. We will be adding content in the days and weeks to come.

Finally, we will be encouraging additional engagement from you, our members, as we navigate this crisis together. This includes:

1. Information sharing and problem solving: We want to hear from you if you have perspectives to share on how this pandemic is affecting your business and your sustainability efforts; or support in solving particular challenges you face throughout your business, whether arising from the impacts of the pandemic or the long-term objectives that remain crucially important. In addition, as part of your BSR membership, you have access to high-level insights on how the coronavirus is impacting your digital (online and social media) profile through BSR’s reputation intelligence partner, Polecat. Please reach out to your relationship manager to learn more.
2. Project support: We will continue to support and work with members on one-on-one projects, using all of the remote tools at our disposal.
3. Networking: We will be looking at additional ways to enable you to share your experiences with other BSR member company contacts through online webinars or examples of responses to the pandemic via contributions to the new content hub. Reach out to your BSR relationship manager if you have ideas for a webinar, or an idea for a blog that you think may be of interest to the broader BSR network.
4. Collaboration: Our collaborative initiatives continue to operate with an immediate shift to virtual gatherings. If the systemic failures made apparent during this pandemic have inspired you to think more long term about how you can collaborate to build a more resilient business and a more resilient system, our collaborations offer a powerful platform. BSR’s CoLab, our incubator and accelerator of private-sector collaboration, works with companies and other partners on a range of sustainability issues, including global health. And BSR’s Healthy Business Coalition is a great resource for collaboration with private-sector peers on public health issues that affect companies and workers. Please reach out to your BSR contact if you’re interested in more information about this.
5. BSR Conference 2020: The Decisive Decade: The BSR Conference 2020 is still set for October 27-29 in New York, and the program will be launched formally later this spring. We will of course be monitoring the situation and re-evaluating the feasibility of hosting an in-person event as the pandemic situation evolves. We will provide updates as we learn more.

We are all facing a monumental challenge, which will undoubtedly have both short- and long-term impacts on the economy, and on the health and well-being of businesses, workers, and communities around the world. Our movement for resilient, sustainable business has never been more relevant, or important.

Our collective ability to achieve a world in which everyone can live a prosperous and dignified life within the planet’s natural boundaries remains fundamentally important. It is up to all of us to redouble our commitments, with urgency and kindness, to unlock the capabilities, ingenuity, knowledge, and resources of the private sector to achieve that vision.

Please stay tuned for further updates and visit this website and our social media channels for the latest information.

All of us at BSR wish you, your colleagues, and your families good health and safety during this challenging moment.

With thanks,

Aron Cramer
President and CEO, BSR

Audio | Thursday February 6, 2025

A Conversation with Mario Abreu, Group VP, Sustainability, Ferrero

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Mario Abreu, Group VP, Sustainability at Ferrero chats with BSR Managing Director, Transformation Christine Diamente, and host David Stearns about the cross-functional role of sustainability at Ferrero, how he maintains a focus on ambition, and why the nexus between climate change, people, food, and planetary limits should be humankind’s top priority.

Blog | Thursday November 2, 2017

Reflections from the BSR Conference 2017 (And How to Review Highlights)

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It’s been one week since the sun set on our 25th anniversary celebration at the BSR Conference 2017 in Huntington Beach, California. Since our 2016 Conference, which took place right before the U.S. election last November, a lot has changed in the world: Political volatility has increased, nationalistic sentiments are on the rise, we’ve experienced increased economic and technological disruptions, and policy changes around the globe are reshaping the path forward for business.

At the same time, in the past year, hundreds of businesses and leaders from the private sector, NGOs, U.S. local and state governments, and civil society have stepped up on an unprecedented scale and raised their voices on issues ranging from climate action to diversity and inclusion.

Last week at BSR17, we convened our member network and community to discuss how business can continue this momentum on sustainability leadership. Inspiration, positivity, and action-planning set the tone throughout our three days in Huntington Beach—in between sunrise yoga and al fresco meal functions, participants gathered to hear from changemakers on the plenary stage: Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore encouraged businesses to continue to take climate action, Microsoft’s Brad Smith described the company’s experience raising its voice on political issues and bridging the digital divide, and Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards urged companies to support women’s empowerment and health, specifically by committing to provide birth control regardless of regulatory changes in the U.S.

Breakout sessions on topics like engaging on public policy in uncertain times, futures thinking, and harnessing technologies for supply chain sustainability brought the brilliant minds of the BSR community together to discuss best practices and new ideas.

Here are five ways that you can re-live the highlights of our event—or catch the things you missed:

1. Watch plenary session videos: Almost every plenary session is now live on our YouTube channel, from Richards’ standing-ovation-receiving speech, to Morgan Stanley’s Audrey Choi’s presentation on inclusive growth, to a panel on how corporations can help solve the global refugee crisis, to National Geographic Photographer Annie Griffiths’ inspiring talk on the power of photography as a tool for telling stories and creating empathy.
2. See the social media highlights: Follow @BSRnews, @BSRherproject, and BSR staff on Twitter, and see what you missed on the #BSR17 hashtag. You will also find photo highlights on our Instagram accounts, @bsrorg and @herprojectbsr.
3. Find yourself in photos: We’ve uploaded photos from the week onto our Flickr account—head on over to see whether we captured you, or your favorite moment, in our BSR Conference album.
4. Share your thoughts: If you were with us in Huntington Beach, please take a moment to complete the Conference survey (available in the mobile app under “Surveys”). If you weren’t there, you can always tweet at us or email us your perspective.
5. Read our new insights: We launched several new publications last week, including our new report on The Future of Sustainable Business. And we published blog posts about a new UN Foundation report on how business can support women’s health and empowerment and Morgan Stanley’s new framework on embedding inclusive growth. Our new Climate Policy Tracker tool with We Mean Business is also now live.

Thank you for participating in our 25th anniversary event, whether you were stage-side in the ballroom with us or tuning in via Twitter and the livestream. You make our community strong, and the BSR Conference wouldn’t be as enlivening and inspiring without you—as Levi Strauss & Co. Vice President of Sustainability Michael Kobori proclaimed on stage during our BSR Alumni panel, “The BSR Conference has converted me from an optimistic pessimist to an optimistic optimist.”

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for November 6-8, 2018, when we head back to the East Coast for the BSR Conference 2018 in New York. We hope to see you next year!

Blog | Monday November 6, 2017

Top 10 Reasons to Be a BSR Member

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I’ve recently had a number of conversations with my colleagues and sustainability leaders at long-standing member companies about the value of BSR membership—why is it that more than 250 of the world’s largest and most influential companies have chosen to work with us on the business of building a better world? There are a wide range of answers. Different people, even within the same company, have different reasons that they most appreciate their BSR membership. Here’s a “Top 10” list of the reasons to be a member that I hear the most:

1. Access our global network: With a network that spans eight offices around the world, includes more than 10 major industries, and convenes issue experts on a range of sustainability issues, BSR offers members personalized access to our community. We help make connections and leverage trusted relationships across regions, functions, sectors, and issues. In fact, we often introduce colleagues within the same company who don’t yet know each other. Companies love how we can connect them not only to businesses across industries, but also to key NGOs and other noncorporate stakeholders. As one member put it, "You (BSR) can call Shell, and you can call WWF, and they both pick up the phone." 
2. Draw upon our expertise: Members benefit from our deep expertise in specific issues, as well as our ability to draw connections across issues.  For example, we don’t only view climate from a climate lens—we also understand the implications of climate change on human rights and women’s empowerment, and this is true across issues. While many organizations offer deep expertise in one or two topics, your company can use BSR’s knowledge across most of the issues you focus on—meaning we can serve as a one-stop shop for your sustainability needs. Moreover, our diverse backgrounds help us “speak the language” of your colleagues in other teams and translate your sustainability priorities across departments.
3. Participate in business-focused convenings: BSR brings together the leading sustainable business voices in a variety of formats so that you and your colleagues can learn, engage, and walk away with practical insights. BSR organizes more than a dozen webinars per year as part of our Sustainability Matters series. These webinars (and their recordings) feature thought leaders discussing trends and best practices and are usually made available exclusively to BSR members. BSR also convenes member companies for regular regional networking and best-practice-sharing events, including breakfast presentations, workshops, and executive-level dinners. We host one of the world’s leading sustainable business events in the form of our annual BSR Conference, which just celebrated its 25th year. 
4. Collaborate for systemic solutions: At BSR, we know that an individual company cannot solve systemic sustainability challenges alone. Through structured platforms, we bring together peer companies, stakeholders, and whole industry value chains in search of shared solutions—from sharing best practices to changing business norms and working with multiple partners to implement change on the ground. We provide members the opportunity to shape, develop, and scale these action-oriented collaborations.  
5. Phone a friend (us): We are there to support our members as individuals in their efforts to advance sustainability in their organizations. Whether you have a large team or a team of one, BSR is your extended team—we are in your corner providing resources, support, and advocacy. We don't just tell you want you want to hear: We are constructive partners, but we also bring credibility and stakeholder perspectives to the conversation. You can call on us to meet with one of your executives, help answer day-to-day questions (e.g. investor questions, preparing for executive meetings, etc.), or identify off-the-shelf resources before you spend time starting from scratch (e.g. examples of good policies, slides on topics, etc.). I always tell members to reach out more; after all, you don’t know if you don’t ask.
6. Take advantage of formal membership benefits: We’ve structured a number of ways to make sure you benefit from our experience—through your member engagement option, quarterly check-ins, and an annual member meeting, you can find out about our latest learnings from the field. In addition to responding to ad-hoc questions, BSR provides practical, regular support across sustainability issues informed by our decades of work with companies.
7. Stay ahead of trends and emerging issues: BSR members also benefit from the opportunity to stay ahead of emerging issues and plan for tomorrow. The biweekly BSR Insight provides an overview of BSR’s most recent thinking, research, and events. You can share this with multiple contacts across your company, so everyone can learn about sustainability topics relevant to their roles. Our new Sustainable Futures Lab will also provide you with even greater ability to anticipate how future changes might impact sustainable business.  
8. Drive visibility and gather input for your company’s sustainability efforts: BSR provides a well-respected, credible platform to showcase innovative practices and gather feedback on challenges. Our members speak at BSR events; they share practices and develop partnerships via our collaborations; and they are highlighted as case studies in BSR’s research, website, social media, blog, and reports and publications. 
9. Find your next colleague: This is perhaps the simplest but most underrated benefit of BSR membership—our jobs board: We’ve posted more than 1,000 job opportunities since 2001. Given that we have such a fantastic network, BSR members often tell us that they find the best job candidates via their (free) postings on our careers page. We all know how overwhelming the hiring process can be and how hard it is to find the right people, but we aim to simplify this for BSR members with our website.
10. Shape the future of sustainable business: We view our members as real partners as we work together to shape the future of our field. Over the past 25 years, our members have been central to defining our work, and as we look ahead, we invite you to collaborate with us on creating a new agenda, a new approach, and a new voice for business. We’ve recently launched a paper on "The Future of Sustainable Business" to initiate this dialogue, and we hope our members will join us in articulating, and then achieving, a new vision together.

Why is your company a BSR member? Are there any reasons that are missing from this list? Let us know on Twitter @BSRnews using the #BSRmember hashtag, email us, or join us for our upcoming webinar about BSR membership. 

Blog | Thursday November 7, 2019

Sustainability at AT&T: Q&A with John Schulz, Director, External Affairs, Sustainability

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For years, the impact of a company’s sustainability strategy has been reported through footprints or isolated examples. In today’s new climate for business, the expectations are higher: stakeholders are looking to understand the sustainability impacts of the entire company—including the products and services that generate its revenue.

BSR member AT&T is an example of a company driving greater impact by making sustainability part of its revenue model. John Schulz, director of sustainability integration at AT&T, will be joining the BSR Conference 2019 next week in San Jose to speak on this topic further during the session Beyond Case Studies: Measuring and Communicating Total Impact.

We had a few minutes to catch up with John to discuss AT&T’s sustainability efforts thus far and what it’s focused on as we enter the 2020s.

As we approach 2020, what is one sustainability achievement that you are proud of at your company?
I’m very proud of AT&T’s 10x Carbon Reduction Goal to enable greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings for our customers 10 times the footprint of our operations by 2025. It’s ambitious at a time when we need that kind of spirit. It requires us to work two sides of the equation: reducing our own emissions and developing technology that helps our customers do the same. Our renewable energy purchases—which will surpass 1.5 gigawatts of clean energy—are also helping us advance our goal and accelerate the transition to the low-carbon economy.

I’m extremely proud that since launching our goal, we’ve reduced our scope 1 GHG emissions by just over 24 percent from our 2008 baseline. Even more, our customer solutions have enabled GHG savings just over two times the footprint of our operations. This is great progress, but we will continue to stay focused on our goal to help advance global climate goals and address climate change.

It’s been four years since AT&T launched its goal to enable carbon reductions for our customers ten times the size of its own footprint. What have you learned in that time?
It’s all about the customer. Every time we talk to customers, we’re finding new challenges that they’re facing and learning how AT&T technology can be part of their path forward. Urgency is critical— to meet the goal and to address climate change—so it’s more important than ever that we get to know our customers’ business and dig in with them to identify ways that new technologies like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) can transform their business and drive efficiency and sustainability.

How is the work towards the 10x goal related to the transformation of AT&T’s business and services? 
AT&T is focused on delivering services to several key verticals. We’re developing technology solutions across industries that present big opportunities to drive emissions reductions. Technologies like IoT, 5G, video analytics—all backed by AT&T’s highly secure network—have the potential to greatly reduce the environmental footprint of the key industries we serve.

What has been the response from colleagues in the business and AT&T’s customers?
Initially, our 10x goal was met with some surprise. It’s an audacious goal. And it’s not necessarily obvious how AT&T can play a role in greenhouse gas emissions reduction for our customers. But as soon as we started telling real-world stories via the 10x case study series, people started to understand it.

By transitioning from a concept to an actual implementation story, complete with calculated impacts, the light went on for customers and AT&T employees. Once that started to happen, surprise changed into excitement. The ability to collaborate with a company with the scale and expertise of AT&T can give a sense of optimism to a project. Climate change is daunting, so knowing that a company like AT&T is in the fight with our customers can help give a sense of hope that we’re going to be able to figure this thing out.

What is the biggest evolution you have seen in corporate sustainability in the last decade?
The businesspeople are becoming more and more engaged in environmental issues and solutions. They are doing this because business can play a role in helping to solve environmental challenges and because investors, employees and customers are looking to business for action and solutions. At AT&T, we’ve seen significant business engagement in our connectivity and IoT solutions that are helping our customers reduce emissions and meet their sustainability goals. In this case, it’s an example of how environmental stewardship and economic opportunity can go hand in hand. 

Audio | Tuesday June 4, 2024

The Environmental Impacts of AI

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Ameer Azim, Climate Change Director, chats with David Stearns on the Environmental Impact of AI, exploring:

• Why it’s important to assess the environmental impacts of a technology like AI.
• Through what type of activities or upgrades does the use of AI increase a company’s CO2 emissions?
• Beyond carbon emissions, what are some of the other environmental impacts associated with the rise of AI that companies should anticipate dealing with as they embrace this technology?
• What are some of the steps that companies can take to address these negative impacts?
• Can AI be used to combat climate change?

Audio | Tuesday October 1, 2024

Reflections from Climate Week NYC: The Tension Between Pragmatism and Ambition

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Immediately following Climate Week NYC, BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer chats with David Stearns about some of the inconvenient truths facing sustainability leaders going into this annual gathering, observations that gave him cause for optimism, and a look inside some of BSR’s events, including a debate over whether American political leadership is needed for advancing global climate action and shaping climate policies. Aron also highlights two new BSR publications featuring guidance for sustainability leaders on navigating these turbulent times, and new insights from over 30 Chief Sustainability Officers of BSR member companies.

Blog | Monday July 10, 2017

Shape the Future of Sustainable Business at the BSR Conference 2017

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The BSR Conference 2017 will serve as the centerpiece of our 25th anniversary celebration. So much has changed since BSR launched in 1992. Our very first Conference, in Washington, D.C. in 1993, brought to the plenary stage a new president in his first year: Bill Clinton. President Clinton embraced a view of business that would make a meaningful difference in enabling people to reach their potential, of businesses that knew that a healthy environment was central to their success. He also knew that global trade could—done right—lift billions of people out of poverty.

While the view from Washington looks different in 2017, there is no doubt that in the previous quarter-century, we have developed an amazing ecosystem of sustainability leaders. I am exceptionally proud of the role BSR has played in building a real movement of changemakers in business.

At our 25th annual Conference this year, we certainly will celebrate what we have accomplished, in collaboration with our great network of member companies and other partners. But even more, we will take the opportunity this October to look resolutely to the future.

This year’s event will create the opportunities for networking and learning that so many have come to expect from the BSR Conference. 

In keeping with our approach to the 25th anniversary, we are taking the opportunity to redefine sustainable business—and the Conference as well. The venue itself will provide new opportunities for informal interaction in an inspiring beach-side setting. We have built an agenda that will take full advantage of the natural environment—from our opening night reception and dinner by the ocean to our closing 25th anniversary celebration overlooking Huntington Beach.

The theme for the Conference is “How Business Leads.” At this moment in history, business leadership is essential. More and more, sustainability leadership is crucial to successful business. Sustainability presents unique opportunities for innovation and value creation. Businesses lead through powerful collaborations that are fit for a world of distributed assets and diverse perspectives. And in today’s climate, the voice of business is crucially important, as other sectors often abdicate their leadership responsibilities. 

We have shaped a Conference agenda that will look to the future. This comes at a time when technology, economics, and politics are rewriting the sustainability playbook. We have dedicated a special track, “FastForward 25,” to sessions that will project the kinds of changes that business can create to make good on the promise of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Fitting with our location in California, from where so much innovation comes, we also will have multiple speakers looking at new business models, new collaborations, and new ways of engaging consumers.

BSR’s first Conference brought together a small but mighty band of believers who had a vision of a new way of doing business. Today, our numbers are greater, and the vision remains just as powerful as it once was. The scope of our opportunity is just as powerful, too.

Every year, I am excited by the prospect of being with many great leaders whom I consider to be friends and partners. This year, at the intersection of BSR’s 25th anniversary, serious disruptions affecting business, and the need for business leadership and voice, the question I have found myself asking is: “How will we meet this unique moment?” 

Come to BSR17 to shape the answer: Our shared future depends on it.

Blog | Wednesday December 11, 2019

The New Climate for Ever-Evolving Technology: Q&A with Patrick Browne, Director, Sustainability, UPS

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Artificial intelligence. Autonomous vehicles. Sustainable fuel technologies. New and disruptive technologies are being adopted across all industries, making nearly every company—from agriculture to logistics—a tech company. This development is just one factor contributing to ‘the New Climate for Business,’ the theme of the BSR Conference 2019, which took place in San Jose, California last month. At the conference, UPS Director of Sustainability Patrick Browne joined us to share how UPS, as a logistics company, is adapting to the new climate of ever-evolving technology.

I had a chance to connect with Patrick to dive deeper into the types of new technologies UPS has deployed, the impact they have had so far, and plans to further integrate tech into their sustainability strategy for 2020 and beyond.

How is new technology playing a role in UPS sustainability efforts?

UPS is using innovative approaches to leverage new and disruptive technologies for an environmental benefit. Skyrocketing e-commerce is increasing demand for logistics and delivery services. The challenge for UPS is to meet this need and grow our business without significantly growing our carbon footprint.

We use a range of technologies to help improve the efficiency of our operations. For example, investments in ORION, our groundbreaking route optimization software, helps UPS determine the most efficient delivery route each day. ORION is essential to reducing emissions by minimizing UPS’s total miles driven. In the United States alone, ORION enables us to avoid 100 million miles and 10 million gallons of fuel each year—translating into 100,000 tons of emissions.

Why is it important to leverage new technology in addressing UPS’ energy use?

Our business sits at the intersection of disruptive trends, such as rapid urbanization and e-commerce growth, and associated challenges, such as congestion and climate change. At UPS, we’re embracing these trends and innovating to shape a future in which more people prosper, enterprises run more efficiently, and resources are conserved for future generations.

New technology allows UPS to stay on the cutting edge of sustainability. We’re investing in a range of technologies that could help reduce the environmental impact of last mile delivery, address urban congestion, and optimize daily routes. These shared value initiatives are good for the environment, our customers, and our bottom line.

What new, upcoming technologies is UPS looking into to achieve sustainability goals?

UPS is committed to developing and deploying technologies that improve service and enable more efficient operations of our global logistics network. In August, we announced a minority investment in autonomous driving company TuSimple, which is testing self-driving tractor trailers on a route in Arizona to determine whether the vehicles can improve service and efficiency in the UPS network.

We have long believed autonomous technologies would play an important role in the UPS Global Smart Logistics Network and the company’s transformation. We estimate that autonomous trucks will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 15 percent. The reduction of fuel consumption leads to a reduction in millions of metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHG). We are eager to determine how new technologies like this will help us increase efficiencies and reduce emissions.

What sustainability challenges require collaboration across industries/systemic responses? How is UPS engaging with partners on these issues?

Addressing global threats like climate change requires UPS—and all actors—to collaborate within the value chain and across industries. At UPS, collaboration is within our DNA. One great example is our Rolling Lab—our fleet of more than 10,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. Our involvement with BSR’s Future of Fuels working group has helped accelerate our work in this area.

Another example is related to sustainable e-commerce solutions and final-mile deliveries, especially in dense urban areas. Cities are growing more crowded every day, and people are becoming more reliant on deliveries of everyday goods directly to their doorstep. This convenience creates impacts people may not think about—more miles, more fuel, more emissions. So we’re working with customers, cities, vehicle manufacturers, and other partners to create innovative last-mile delivery solutions. We now have around 30 projects underway in cities around the world. To stay up to date on UPS’s sustainability initiatives, you can subscribe to the UPS Horizons newsletter.

Blog | Tuesday June 14, 2016

Sustainability and CSR: A Word about Terms

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If you came to BSR’s website looking for information on corporate social responsibility or to ask, “What is CSR?”, only to find a lot of talk about sustainability, you may be wondering why this is so and whether you’ve come to the right place (you have!).

So why does BSR focus on sustainability vs. CSR? And what’s the difference, anyway?

First, a quick qualifier: As a global nonprofit business network and consultancy, we take a flexible approach to the use of terms in our project work, reflecting the diverse needs and understanding of our members and partners in different parts of the world. In our experience, CSR, sustainability, sustainable business, corporate citizenship, and the like are all generally used to describe the same thing, and so we are happy to use whatever terms resonate most in a given place and context.

For purposes of our own branding and thought leadership, however, we see value in consistency and have made some clear choices based on what we are trying to achieve—and we recommend that our members do the same. In our case, the language of sustainability wins out over CSR for a number of reasons.

Sustainability conveys greater ambition because it focuses on what we need to achieve, rather than where we are today. The original definition of sustainable development, from the first Rio Earth Summit in 1992, focused on “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

The language and tools of CSR, at least in its early forms, tended to focus on meeting—or balancing—the needs of stakeholders today. Additionally, the term is often confused with philanthropy. As BSR and the broader field have come to focus more on long-term systemic issues, such as climate change and the inclusive economy, we felt that the ambition conveyed by sustainability better captures the objectives of our work.

Sustainability emphasizes a common agenda for all sectors of society, while the “C” in CSR calls out corporate practices more exclusively. BSR’s above-mentioned focus on critical systemic issues has come with a greater commitment to multistakeholder collaborative initiatives, in which business, government, and civil society all have critical roles to play.

Sustainability is a holistic concept that encompasses the full range of environmental, social, and economic issues addressed by our work. While the same is true of a good CSR strategy or program, the “S” in CSR is too-often construed to mean a narrower focus on social issues. That is also why we now go by “BSR” instead of our original moniker, “Business for Social Responsibility.”

Sustainability represents a concept that, in our experience, is more easily integrated into the core purpose of business than “responsibility,” which is often perceived as a check or counter-balance to business-as-usual activity. As the field has evolved from an exclusive focus on risk management and avoidance of harm to also encompass innovation and value creation, sustainability provides a more attractive and inspiring framing.

In short, “sustainability” reflects the ambition, reach, and inspiration required to achieve BSR’s mission of working with business to create a just and sustainable world. And although some may argue it’s just semantics, to us, sustainability—and what comes with it—is core to everything we do.