ABSTRACT
A comprehensive corporate responsibility strategy has typically involved a commitment to continuous improvement, to being near the best in class and to engaging stakeholders. In 2007 that changed as the scale and urgency of social and environmental challenges became more widely understood, as well as the risks and opportunities to business. Understanding the nature of the global step change requires a clear vision of what that sustainable economy will look like. Lifeworth suggested two goals to measure performance by–a situation where all global economic activity is: ‘Environmentally sustainable, by harvesting products and services within ecosystems'; and ‘Socially responsible, by delivering benefits to all affected by their operations and supply chains, and being subject to credible systems of mandatory accountability to anyone seeking redress’. Awareness of climate change drove the agenda, with many companies announcing specific targets as part of their membership of initiatives such as The Climate Group, the Carbon Disclosure Project, or the WWF Climate Savers initiative.
