On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Proxy Measurements to Assess Sustainable Development Goals at the Company Level through CSR Indicators

Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez,Luis Enrique Valdez-Juárez,Flavio Hourneaux Junior,Marcelo Luiz Dias Da Silva Gabriel

doi:10.3390/su13020914

Abstract

In recent years, we have witnessed dramatic changes in the following two regards: First, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices have become ubiquitous in companies, and second, the challenge that Sustainable Development (SD) presents to society and to the planet has been illustrated in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context, this study aims to identify the extent to which companies address the SDGs through their CSR practices. We conducted the present research by first performing a content analysis to determine the communalities between CSR practices and the SDGs. Then, we performed a quantitative analysis to assess the performance of various companies in terms of common aspects of CSR and SDGs. The main findings are as follows: (1) Not all SDGs are related to CSR practices; (2) companies perform differently in their CSR practices and, consequently, make different contributions to the SDGs; and (3) there is little difference among company profiles regarding their performances in CSR practices towards the SDGs. The main contributions of this study are, first, that it provides a new perspective on the relationship between CSR and SD and, second, the creation of a list of what can be considered the minimum requirements for CSR practices if the SDGs are to be reached.

Highlights

The increasing importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for companies and society, and the need to identify and measure the results that have been achieved by organizations are major current issues in business
The following fundamental research question is addressed: Are companies on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based on their CSR actions? In seeking to answer this question, we examined regional companies in the Extremadura region of set of companies in Extremadura (Spain)
Academics and practitioners have developed several frameworks, guidelines, and initiatives to identify the real impact of companies in society

Summary

Introduction

The increasing importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for companies and society, and the need to identify and measure the results that have been achieved by organizations are major current issues in business. Agenda, defining the most critical aspects related to sustainability worldwide In this way, each organization will naturally focus on the SDGs that are most attractive, closest, or most accessible in accordance with the CSR actions that they have implemented. Each organization will naturally focus on the SDGs that are most attractive, closest, or most accessible in accordance with the CSR actions that they have implemented From this perspective, our intention is to facilitate the intensification of CSR actions by businesses, with the goal of achieving the 17 SDGs from the UN’s 2030 Agenda. CSR was seen only within large companies, in which the implementation and monitoring of CSR may be easier [26,27]

Methods

Results

Conclusion