Making Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Happen

The time has come for global companies to pursue aggressively their environmental and social responsibilities. This paper poses and discusses six key questions that CEOs and senior leadership teams need to be asking themselves as they begin the long and challenging journey that lies ahead. The necessary commitments to environmental and social change must be rooted in ethical considerations, be springboards for innovation, and be built upon a solid base of corporate responsibility. These commitments must acknowledge the capabilities that will be required to fulfill them, the potential barriers that may arise, and the possibility of a dramatic change in the purpose and nature of the global corporations. There is an urgent need for corporate change and this paper provides a framework for discussions leading to making that change happen.