Corporate Responsibilty

Companies have become increasingly more aware of the importance of Corporate Social and environmental Responsibility. Apple’s computers no longer contain many of the toxic metals once common in both laptops and desktops. Pepsi cola has started to open plants that are lead certified and reduce their carbon footprint. While many consider these moves to be green washing they are still welcomed and have proven to help a companies image and in some cases even help to create a new image. A great example would be GE and the environmentally proactive transformation that they made with their new CEO. In a business world that demands transparency it is essential for companies that want to find continued success to have a strong ethical, environmental, and social plan in place. These plans or guidelines must be part of their every day business and be an evolving part of their business plan to achieve long-term success.
Businesses should hold themselves to high moral and ethical standards while earning financial returns for their shareholders. The difficulty of serving the community both environmentally and socially is that in the short run profits can suffer due to the money spent on these sustainability projects. The company must have the ability to sell and educate the idea of sustainability to the shareholders in order become a successful socially reasonably company. In addition companies must be led by a CEO with the vision of what it truly means to be socially responsible and have the ability to achieve these goals. Companies should remember that we must live on this planet and that our resources, and plant’s health are more valuable and more important then any one companies profits. The final product of a socially responsible and sustainable company is one that is not a burden on the world and that returns a portion of their profits to help benefit the overall good of people and the earth.