CSR: A British Perspective

When I tell people in the UK what I do for a living, the most common questions I get asked are, "But why do companies have to have these assessments? Who makes them? Do you work for the government?"

In this country, “Corporate Social Responsibility” is not a well-known phrase, and the idea that big retailers should behave in an ethical manner is often met with a cynically raised eyebrow. It is generally assumed that there are two reasons why companies would adopt a social audit plan: to look good to their customers, or because they are required by law to do so.

The first of those reasons was thrust into the public eye in 2006, when many high-street stores launched major advertising campaigns to raise awareness of their own ethical activities. The best-known of these is Marks & Spencer, who plastered their entire shop windows with their Look Behind The Label campaign, pledging that all their products are sourced and manufactured to the highest ethical as well as quality standards.

This is a good example of the local understanding of CSR, which in the UK is not limited to sourcing products from socially compliant factories; in fact this tends to be lower in the list of priorities than good employee relations, not using genetically modified food, and of course animal welfare.

Perhaps the highest priority of UK firms who wish to be seen to be ethical is environmental sustainability. Tesco, the UK's largest chain of supermarkets, has very recently set out their intention to minimise waste and encourage their customers to recycle everything from carrier bags to Christmas cards. Their rival Sainsbury has identified another area of responsibility, and launched an initiative to source from smaller, local suppliers. This again may have roots in the need to be seen to be green, as "food miles" are currently quite a hot topic.

Many UK brands take an entirely different angle, combining marketing drives with charity donations and involvement in the local community. The Persil 'Be my coach' campaign was developed by manufacturer Unilever to encourage parents to participate in sports with their children, by giving away free sports gear with their products; and McDonald's in the UK are very involved in youth football (soccer) at a local level.

So a British perspective on CSR is that it is not all about responsible sourcing; in fact, charity begins at home.