Corporate Social Responsibility

In recent years there has been tremendous increase in the awareness about environmental impacts due to the corporations or industries. Many companies have taken significant steps to decrease their carbon footprint in various ways through their corporate social responsibility initiatives. However these were unable to make a significant impact on the adverse effects of the changes in the environment. NGOs such as WWF and friends of the earth are taking initiatives to persuade companies to get involved more and more in CSR activities. Environmental organisations such as friends of Earth have campaigned to protect environment from destructive practices of many organisations or corporations (Perez, 2013). Another such organisation is WWF that has been taking short term as well as long lasting initiatives to protect environment by tackling the bio diversity challenges and environmental degradation.
DANONE is a French MNC that is into production of food products specialised in dairy products, plant based products, baby food nutrition and waters. DANONE has contributed immensely towards environmental sustainability through various social responsibility initiatives and sustainable goals framed not only to provide high quality organic products but also towards ethical consumerism. Its mission is to bring good health to as many people as possible through food. Some of its sustainable goals are
‘Zero hunger’- creating access to affordable and nutritious food ensuring sustainable food production system.
‘Clean water’ – by protecting water bodies and their related ecosystems and also by making available drinking water with good quality.
Good health wellbeing- by ensuring best quality nutritious food for infants and small children and also providing wide range of food products.
One of the many goals of the NGOs such as WWF and friends of the earth is to promote sustainable food systems to conserve environment and feed mankind. According to its report Food production and management in the world is threading wildlife where 7.3 billion people in the world consumer 1.6 times of world’s resources and by 2020 these numbers will be double. Therefore as per WWF in order to feed every individual in the planet and Zero hunger deaths it is important to curb the wastage of food where 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year. As per Friends of the earth through its non profit cooperation provides affordable organic good quality food for people (Payaud, 2015).
Most of the products that are produced by DANONE has effectively being followed its Sustainable development goals. It has also been responsible for environmental friendly production and sale of the products. Its sustainable goals to contribute to source, produce, sell and consume its products are
“Responsible consumption and production” – for better management of wastage and natural resources while producing products for the company
“Decent work and economic growth” – by providing safe and secure work environment
“Climate Action” – To reduce global carbon emissions by 31% by promoting agriculture
One of the prime objectives of Friends of the Earth NGO is “resource consumption and well being”; it deals with the allocation of resources and their effective usage to balance the resources consumption among people. Linking the impact of resource use and quality of life can also promote environmental protection and reduce the impact of carbon emissions. Relating this sustainable goal to its objectives, DANONE is also promoting resourceful consumption and production, fulfilling the sustainable goals of environmental activists effectively meeting its goals to that of the environmental protection. Economic growth through sustainability is also one of the most important factors that is being promoted by DANONE as in line with that of WWF and Friends of the Earth where they have started cooperation’s and cafe to not only promote sustainable food products but also to provide work to the people and promote economic development in the country by positively impacting environmental values (Waage,, 2016). Apart from that ecological peasant farming is also highly considered by these organisations to promote food sovereignty and also protect small peasants from industrialisation and land grabbing by large corporations. This is also considered by DANONE through Climate Action sustainable goal.
By initiating sustainable goals and corporate social responsibility initiatives, DANONE has committed to four values that will ensure environmental protection and for the good of the world. The commitments of the DANONE through sustainability goals are No poverty, Life on Land, Life below water and Peace, justice. Most of the NGOs have also been campaigning for No poverty and life sustainability along with protecting marine life.
References
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