Manufacturers Expand Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Efforts

Corporate social responsibility reporting grew from 2,000 in 2007 to almost 6,000 in 2011, according to Corporate Register. The increase in CSR reporting is more pronounced among manufacturers, which are striving to keep their customers informed about their sustainability efforts. Other manufacturers should learn from Apple's failure to fully disclose its CSR activities when it failed to reveal how it assesses its carbon emissions and how it keeps tab of the activities of its suppliers. In contrast, ice cream company Ben & Jerry's has been promoting environmental causes even before it became fashionable to do so, has complied with Fairtrade standards, and secured FLO-CERT auditing of its supply chain.