Corporate Social Responsibility and the State

Public concern about corporate impacts on global environmental and
social conditions has been mounting. In response, many corporations
have engaged in voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR)
programs that aim to address sustainability issues across a wide range
of sectors. Such efforts are promising in principle, but in reality,
CSR participation has unfolded unevenly across the globe. This inequity
has led to increasing skepticism about the efficacy of voluntary CSR
efforts, and to increased pressure on governments to be more
involved.

In Corporate Social Responsibility and the State, Jane
Lister examines CSR governance through the lens of forest certification
in Canada, the US, and Sweden. Her comparative investigation draws on
more than a hundred interviews with key stakeholders to yield unique,
practical information on the governing of CSR. Lister ultimately argues
the importance of co-regulation, whereby private rule-making systems
serve as a complement to strong state regulation.

One of the first studies to directly address the role of the public
sector in CSR, this engaging book provides a theoretical perspective
and much-needed guidance on the new governance model of co-regulating
CSR to achieve effective social and environmental stewardship.

Janane Lister is a postdoctoral fellow at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia.