Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility through Public Policy
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as "a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis."
In recent years, public entities have recognised CSR’s potential as organisational innovation to improve social conditions and promote regional development and competitiveness. However, positive socio-economic impacts are limited by lack of coordination. While CSR should incorporate both social and environmental elements, public policy is often divided into disconnected segments.
COGITA groups 13 partners (PP) to improve public policy promoting CSR solutions, which combine social and environmental responsibility. Within this integrated concept, COGITA considers 5 sub-themes: raising CSR awareness and capacity; CSR in public procurement; CSR criteria in public funding; inter-firm collaboration / local supply chains; communication / branding.
All PP have CSR
experience, though activities and levels of intensity vary. COGITA provides an opportunity to share these experiences, to identify and implement tools that public authorities, intermediaries and other public stakeholders can adapt and adopt in order to promote an integrated CSR approach in their territory.
Within the context of promoting competitiveness through responsible behaviour, COGITA’s overall objective is to improve public policy to support uptake of an integrated concept of CSR in SMEs, with a view to promoting responsible and sustainable regional development and growth.
The specific sub-objectives are to:
• facilitate exchange among EU regions on good practices related to public policy for integrated CSR approaches in SMEs;
• promote an integrated concept of CSR among public authorities and regional stakeholders, with a view to improving related policies and tools;
• foster participative policy design and pave the way for effective policy implementation;
• design and test the
implementation of an integrated CSR concept into public policy and instruments;
• foster EU networking of public and private entities committed to promoting CSR.
Project activities are divided into 4 components, each with an allocated leader. Management and Coordination (PP1) and Communication (PP8) support implementation of technical activities divided into exchange of experience (PP2) and feasibility checks on implementation of integrated CSR initiatives (PP3).
COGITA improves 13 public policies and increases capacity of 39 partner staff members and 52 stakeholders, in addition to defining a model for integrated CSR policy. In the long term, COGITA increases effectiveness of regional policies on responsible economic development and organisation innovation, thus sustaining regional competitiveness. A multiplier effect is ensured through intense, targeted communication activities to other entities interested in promoting this form of responsible, innovative development.