Useful CSR resources: Europe & Worldwide

The following European and international websites and sources are particularly useful in providing further information on CSR / BSR to promote and encourage a socially-responsible culture within organisations.

Europe

CSR Europe (http://www.csreurope.org/)

CSR Europe is a leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with many multinational corporations as members. It has an impressive selection of resources such as CSR tools, case studies, impact maps, reports, etc. and provides global updates on CSR topics.

EUROPA (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=331)

EUROPA is the official EU website that provides access to information published by all EU institutions, agencies and bodies. EUROPA carries out peer reviews to determine CSR approaches by organisations at a European Union level as well as many other useful resources, including case studies.

European CSR Awards Scheme (http://www.europeancsrawards.eu)

This is the first European CSR Award Scheme to celebrate international CSR partnerships. The scheme promotes impactful and innovative collaboration based on socially-responsible initiatives.

Worldwide

AccountAbility (http://www.accountability.org/)

The Institute of Social and Ethical Accountability is a useful site for the professional development of accountability practitioners and the home of the self-created ‘AA1000 standard’.

CSRwire (http://www.csrwire.com/)

A regularly-updated news feed available to members of the organisation. Through its expansive online and social media network, it aims to communicate an organisation’s CSR message to millions of readers while enabling opportunities to engage in real-time dialogue, seek instant feedback and launch long-term partnerships.

Ethical Investment Research Services (http://www.eiris.org/)

Ethical Investment Research Services is a global provider of independent research into the social, environmental and ethical performance of companies.

India CSR (http://www.indiacsr.in/en/)

This website contains a wide range of resources and practical insights into the world of CSR in India, in particular a news feed in terms of CSR happenings in India.

Pro Bono Australia News (http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news#)

This site provides news items centred on the volunteering initiatives of business people and professionals as pro bono services. While the news release items are typically local in nature, the potential learnings can be applied internationally. 

US Department of State - Diplomacy in Action (http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr/)

The CSR team in the Bureau of Economic & Business Affairs leads the Department’s engagement with US businesses for the promotion of responsible and ethical business practices. It publishes a number of resources that can assist organisations in becoming more socially-responsible.

Volunteer Canada (http://volunteer.ca/blog)

Volunteer Canada represents and advocates volunteering in Canada. The Corporate Citizenship section of its website focuses specifically on needs related to employee volunteering and giving, including information on Volunteer Canada’s consulting services as well as topics such as capacity building, knowledge exchange, and community engagement.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (http://www.wbcsd.org/home.aspx)

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led organisation of forward-thinking companies that encourages the global business community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment. Through its members, the WBCSD applies its respected thought leadership and effective advocacy to generate constructive solutions and take shared action to drive business initiatives on sustainability. 

Extracted from BUSINESS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: CSR FOR SMEs by Sana Khan, #53 in the NuBooks series.