Social Responsibility dates back to the early days of capitalism when people like Titus Salt demonstrated that society should not be ruled only by market forces. Many events have been influential in shaping the social responsibility agenda:
1848
Yorkshire wool baron Titus Salt creates Saltaire, a model community
outside Bradford for his staff, where each home has running water.
1911
David Lloyd George introduces the National Insurance Act. It requires
businesses to make contributions to unemployment and sickness insurance for
all staff.
1969
Ralph Nader founds the Centre for Responsible Law in the US to expose
corporate abuses and lack of enforced regulation
1971
Anita Roddick opens the first Body Shop branch in Brighton. The company
operates according to a strict ethical and environmental policy.
1982
Business in the Community is set up to forge links between business,
trade unions, government and communities.
1992
Sustainable development dominates the Rio UN conference on Environment
and Development, addressing environmental damage and world poverty.
1995
Greenpeace calls for a boycott of Shell over its plans to sink its
oil storage platform Brent Spar. Shell’s sales, especially in Germany,
plummet and it backs down.
1999
The Turnbull Report, recommends that companies’ boards should
focus and manage the full range of risks including health, safety, environment
and reputation.
2001
The collapse of Enron, resulting from a lack of accountability and
transparency, causes an economic crisis.
2004
It is announced that from 2005 all listed
companies will have to provide an Operating and Financial Review with their
annual report, taking into account their social, environmental and economic
impacts.