BMU brochure: Green Economy - Shaping change with CSR

Systematic management using corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a means of achieving the transition to a green economy. This not only entails observing ecological and social developments in the company's business setting and systematically adapting organisational processes, but also includes communication. The Federal Environment Ministry's new brochure explains the strategic approaches which CSR management can provide for transforming the markets on the road to a green economy.

Globalisation, climate change, demographic developments, the availability of energy and raw materials and the declining carrying capacities of our ecosystems will have a direct influence on markets, economic practices and our quality of life. Germany has responded to this trend with the Energiewende, the transformation of our energy system, which is the country's greatest economic challenge since the reconstruction following WWII. On top of these aspects, however, we need to comprehensively reform our economy in a way that allows us to manage energy and resources more efficiently, massively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop sustainable products and services.

CSR is gaining in importance especially in light of the results of this year's sustainable development conference in Rio, where the international community anchored the concept of green economy as a vital step on the road to a sustainable world in the outcome document. This transformation to a green economy can only succeed if governments, consumers, major enterprises and SMEs all play their part. CSR makes it possible for companies to tap their potential to the full and systematically integrate sustainable development in their corporate strategy.