From Guest Blogger Michael Stoddard: Corporate Social Responsibility–Best Examples of Green Initiatives Provided By Big Companies

A few years ago, few people cared about protecting our natural resources. All people cared for was how they would exploit these natural resources and make more money, but the situation is changing after manufacturing companies realized: resources that were once deemed infinite were on the verge of depletion. This led to what is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) today. Although this campaign targets big organizations, individuals should also in their capacities adopt eco-friendly approaches in their dealings.

Companies should assess the damage they cause to the environment and develop mitigating strategies even if it will mean going beyond the requirements of environmental regulators. If you are working on a topic like this and you find yourself unable to write a good paper, there are hundreds of professional writers that can guide and assist you in writing an essay that will score you high marks in your exam.

Despite several calls for companies to adopt more responsible ways of protecting our environment, many have not heeded the call. In this article, I will list and discuss the five most notable corporate social responsibility examples that have so far been undertaken by big organizations.

1. Panasonic

Not many can understand what exactly Panasonic did to deserve praise when it comes to green business management but what follows here will change that perception. In 2013, the company took an unprecedented step by relocating its New Jersey headquarters from a prime suburban location to a downtown region in Newark.

Ordinary citizens cannot understand the wisdom behind this move, but environmentalists do. The move not only revitalized economic activities of this struggling city but also led to the reduction of the number of employees who used cars to commute to work from 88% to 36%. This was because the new location was more accessible due to its proximity to the region’s key transit hub where people could get public service vehicles.

Vehicles are cited as the major culprits of carbon emissions, and as a consequence, this move alone is estimated to have removed 500 vehicles from the roads, and this is a plus to conservationists.

2. Ford

Another organization that deserves a pat on the back when it comes to ecological management is Ford. This is an automobile company that is very popular in making classy and handy vehicles. Despite this popularity in the automobile industry, Ford has been on the receiving end due to its toxic emissions. As a part of its strategy to promote environmental conservation, it now uses recyclable fabrics especially in its Escape and Focus models.

Also, to increase fuel efficiency, it introduced a six-speed gear transmission system in its vehicles, and as a good social responsibility of business, the company also started recycling the paint fumes emitted from its Michigan industry into fuel.

It is also important to note that this company is one of the few industries that use geothermal green energy in their cooling systems. The industry has also installed several solar panels on its roofs to supply it with the much needed clean energy. It is because of all these steps that the company has managed to scoop the EPA Energy Star Award for two consecutive times.

3. Nike

The company is also doing well in corporate social responsibility as far as social and ecological sustainability initiatives are concerned. To demonstrate its commitment, Nike has been running ads to sensitize and popularize green initiatives.

It also demanded that its suppliers (650) across the world to commit themselves to the course by formulating environmentally sustainable policies and implement the same. Besides this, the company adopted the use of green energy to power its manufacturing plants.

4. Hewlett – Packard (HP)

This is yet another company which is also confronting the issue head-on by actively involving itself in ecological sustainability promotion campaigns by running ads that serve this purpose. HP is popular with making computers, printers and recently, smartphones.

It is the first company to openly admit to having been emitting toxic gases into the atmosphere. After this, they came up with strategies for reducing toxic emissions and other substances used in the manufacturing of cartridges. Their products are also recyclable.

5. eBay

This company too has not been left behind in championing for a paradigm shift. The company has come up with a program that encourages people to resell items they no longer need in their lives thereby easing the demand for manufacturing new but similar products thereby curbing wastage.

Apart from that, eBay agreed with its development postal services to see to it that products passing through their systems comply to green supply rules and it is this strict conformity to environmental policies that earned them a cradle to Cradle certification.

To win this fight, concerted effort to protect the environment should be made. Companies should adopt more ecologically sustainable strategies and mitigate the negative impacts of their actions. It is only by doing this that we shall realize the benefits of participating in this initiative.