The Energy Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the practice in which firms voluntarily provide social and economic goods to communities affected by their operations. This chapter addresses several questions related specifically to CSR in the energy and natural resources sector. How is CSR in the energy sector unique relative to other sectors? What about the energy sector is likely to affect the way CSR among energy or extractive firms is conceived, implemented, and studied? This chapter provides a critical literature review and lays the groundwork for a research agenda in the area of CSR in the energy sector.