Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important issue in contemporary business, management and politics, especially since the launch of the United Nations Global Compact in 2000 as an initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on them. CSR is essentially a concept whereby firms integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their voluntary and mandatory activities. With the world of business being as competitive as ever, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Suppliers must work harder to win contracts, so developing a CSR policy is a way of demonstrating your integrity, which can only reflect well on your customers. In fact, some customers don’t just prefer working with responsible companies, they demand it! This is particularly prevalent in the public sector, who are expected to set the standard. No surprises then to find that Government has set out its ambitions for Corporate Social Responsibility already. Reducing the amount of resources used and the waste produced isn’t just beneficial for the environment, it aids the bottom line by saving money. When you start to measure the amount of energy, water and other resources against what you need, cost savings start to become obvious. Engaging and giving back to the community is a good way of earning positive press coverage. From sponsoring a charity event, to hiring staff locally, your CSR efforts can boost your reputation massively, potentially leading to more customers. Understanding the wider impact of your business through initiatives like this can also help develop new products and/or services.