MEDIA RELEASE PR42032
Business Leaders Remain Focused on Sustainability Despite Economic Uncertainty
NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Nearly All Plan to Maintain or Increase Spending on CSR
Despite continuing uncertainty about the world's economy, results from the "BSR/GlobeScan State of
GlobeScan_State_of_Sustainable_Business_Poll_2010_Final.pdf ) released today show more than eight in 10
respondents (84 percent) are somewhat or very optimistic that global businesses will embrace CSR/sustainability
as part of their core strategies and operations in the next five years. Nearly all (94 percent) of the 377 respondents,
list), also said that their companies plan to maintain or increase their budgets for CSR/sustainability programs in the
year ahead, and nearly three-quarters expect to increase the amount of internal and external CSR/sustainability
communications as well.
"When the recession hit with full force two years ago, we urged our members to stick with sustainability as a key
to achieving long-term business success," said BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer. "It's very encouraging to
see that, even in a world still marked by instability and change, they're staying the course."
"BSR member companies continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable business," said Chris
Coulter, senior vice president at GlobeScan, which conducted the survey on behalf of BSR. "These findings will
reinforce the direction that many leadership companies are headed, and prompt others to join them."
The survey was released today at the start of the BSR Conference 2010
leaders from the public sector and civil society are gathered to focus on integrating CSR and sustainability
practices into strategy and core business.
Top Sustainability Priorities in Year Ahead: Climate Change, Labor/Human Rights
The business leaders surveyed cite climate change, workers' rights, and human rights as the top priorities for
their companies' CSR/sustainability efforts in the year ahead.
Climate change remains an important focus of these efforts, with 63 percent of respondents selecting it more
than any other issue as either a "significant" or "very significant" priority. However, the urgency around climate
change appears to have decreased from last year, when the Copenhagen climate summit was approaching: The
proportion of respondents who considered it a "very significant" priority declined from 41 percent in 2009 to 27
percent this year-a drop from first on the list to third.
Social issues advanced in the rankings this year, with workers' rights taking the most notable jump, moving to
the top of the list of "very significant" priorities (selected by 32 percent) for companies' CSR/sustainability efforts in
the year ahead, followed by human rights (31 percent), climate change (27 percent), and water quality/availability
(19 percent) on the list of "very significant" priorities. Underscoring the increased attention to social and economic
questions, workers' rights and human rights are the only two issue areas among a list of seven where the
proportion of respondents who considered it to be a "very significant priority" has remained stable or increased
compared to 2009.
Drivers of Public Trust, Business Leadership, and Ongoing Success
Respondents believe that business continues to experience a lack of trust from the public and identified three
important actions companies should take to address this gap: "measuring and demonstrating positive social and
environmental impacts" (selected by 54 percent of respondents); "increasing the transparency of business
practices" (53 percent); and "responding promptly and effectively to accidents, product quality issues, and other
incidents" (43 percent).
Respondents were also asked to pick the three areas where companies are demonstrating the most leadership
today, and the three actions that will drive ongoing business success. Both questions yielded the same top three
responses: "creating innovative products and business models designed for sustainability" was selected most often
(by 40 percent for leadership, and by 66 percent for business success); followed by "measuring and demonstrating
positive social and environmental impacts" (selected by 39 percent for both); and "responding promptly and
effectively to accidents, product quality issues, and other incidents" (35 percent and 39 percent, respectively).
Cramer and Coulter will hold a private briefing for members of the press on the complete survey results during
the BSR Conference (Thursday, November 4, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). To join in person or by phone, contact Amon
Rappaport at arappaport@bsr.org or +1-510-435-2292.
About the Research
The "BSR/GlobeScan State of Sustainable Business Poll 2010" was conducted from September 29 to October
11, 2010, among a sample of 377 professionals from around the world drawn from 60 percent of BSR member
companies and organizations. View the full report (
10.pdf) for more detailed information on the topics above and others including: return on investment, sustainable
consumption, which industries are viewed as most responsible, the most significant developments last year and
next year, and more.
About BSR
A leader in corporate responsibility since 1992, BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member
companies to develop sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector
collaboration. With offices in Asia, Europe, and North America, BSR uses its expertise in the environment, human
rights, economic development, and governance and accountability to guide global companies toward creating a just
About GlobeScan
GlobeScan is an international opinion research consultancy. Companies, multilateral institutions, governments,
and NGOs trust GlobeScan for its unique expertise in reputation research, sustainability, and issues management.
GlobeScan provides global organizations with evidence-based insight and advice to help them build strong brands,
manage relations with key stakeholders, and define their strategic positioning. GlobeScan conducts research in
over 90 countries, is certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard for its quality management system, and is a signatory
to the UN Global Compact. Established in 1987, GlobeScan is an independent, management-owned company with
SOURCE: BSR
CONTACT: Amon Rappaport,
Communications Director, BSR,
+1-510-435 2292,
arappaport@bsr.org
NEWS 
