Diagnose and improve overall performance

The term "sustainable development" first appeared in the Brundtland Report, published in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. Initially confined to the political sphere, the idea has since spread widely into the economic sphere. Starting with the major multinationals in the mid-1990s, it is now emerging in all sectors and structures, whatever their size. This corporate contribution to sustainable development is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Implementing a CSR approach requires us to move away from the traditional vision – of a company serving its customers and being accountable for its financial performance to its shareholders alone – to a new one: the company is part of society, and must satisfy all its stakeholders in a balanced way, towards whom it bears a broader responsibility.

CSR therefore involves taking into account the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, environmental and social, with a view to overall performance.

But beyond the concepts, what motivates a company to implement a CSR approach? How can you measure your current CSR performance, and what tools and methods can help you improve it?