CSR Tools

Companies interested in advancing corporate social responsibility and in improving their social and environmental performance as part of their business have a wide range of tools available for application. Tools can vary widely in terms of objectives, scope, costs, level of formality, partnerships, extent of stakeholder involvement, and many other characteristics. Tools can be applied to one or more of the planning, implementation, checking, and improvement facets of corporate operations.

Businesses have options in how they can use the tools. For example, companies can use the tools that have been developed by others or they can develop their own tools - either independently or in partnership with other stakeholders.

This module of Industry Canada's web site aims to introduce some of the more familiar tools that are available to companies for advancing and promoting CSR. The tools reflect activity at the domestic and international levels as well as initiatives by both the private and public sectors. In some cases the tools may be focussed on one element of CSR such as environmental protection and in others may be more comprehensive such as the Global Reporting Initiative.

For purposes of this site, CSR tools are clustered into the four following groups:

• principles, guidelines, codes of conduct
• approaches for developing management systems
• indicators, measuring, reporting, and benchmarking
• other (e.g. training and education, awards of recognition, promotion and communicaiton, facilitating forums etc.).