Sustainable Development as a New Component of Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

Purpose is to study the essential basis of the concept of sustainable development as a new component of corporate social responsibility.Methods: the research is based on a systematic approach to the understanding of corporate social responsibility. The analysis of the state and trends of sustainable development was carried out using the retrospective method, comparative and economic-statistical analysis, as well as the method of data visualization, which allowed us to form a holistic view of the essence and receptivity of Russian business to the ideas of sustainable development.Results: the article substantiates the importance of socially responsible business practices in terms of the concept of corporate social responsibility. Today, it is considered as an umbrella concept, the central place in which is given to sustainable development. A historical retrospective of the formation of the term "sustainable development" is carried out. The content of ESG factors used to assess the contribution of companies to achieving the triune outcome of sustainable development is revealed. The identified indicators of commitment of board members to sustainable development issues allowed us to state that most companies are taking measures to integrate sustainable development issues into the overall strategy of companies and issue non-financial statements. This has which generally positively affects the interest of the investment community in such companies. The special requirements for the content of non-financial reports are described, and the priority of the sustainable Development Goals for Russian companies is analyzed. The author draws a conclusion about the reasons for the weak involvement of Russian business in the selection and achievement of sustainable development goals and suggests solutions to promote the concept of sustainable development in the Russian business community.Conclusions and Relevance: the close attention paid to the sustainable development agenda by the world community and business proves the relevance of solving a whole range of environmental and social problems. The integration of sustainable development issues into the overall strategy of companies, covering an increasing number of companies, allows for strategic initiatives in the ideology of sustainable development with a tendency to expand the planning horizon. Taking into account the increased attention of the investment community to business projects based on the principles of sustainable development, the management of companies realized the need to issue non-financial statements with the inclusion of data that meet special requirements for the disclosure of ESG topics. In addition, the company's requirements for transparency of companies' activities and for their accountability on the results of their impact on the environmental and social situation are supplemented by new requirements in the field of disclosure of the quality of corporate governance. In these circumstances, the role of the top management of companies in promoting the ideology of sustainable development is undeniable. At the same time, the majority of Russian companies do not yet demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the connection of global environmental and social problems with their business, which is clearly reflected in the choice of sustainable development goals.