1

CSRCorporate Social

Responsibility a strategic factor

for sustainable growth(also for laboratories)

2

IndexWhat is CSR?.....................................................................................................................................................3

Why is CSR a strategic development factor also for a laboratory?...................................................................3

Protect and improving the company's Brand...........................................................................................3

Engaging Customers.................................................................................................................................3

Retaining Top Talent.................................................................................................................................3

Developing a CSR strategy................................................................................................................................4

ISO 26000:2010................................................................................................................................................5

1. Accountability...................................................................................................................................5

2. Transparency....................................................................................................................................6

3. Ethical behaviour..............................................................................................................................6

4. Respect for stakeholder interests.....................................................................................................6

5. Respect for the rule of law................................................................................................................7

6. Respect for international norms of behaviour..................................................................................8

7. Respect for human rights..................................................................................................................8

Organizational governance...............................................................................................................................8

a) Human rights........................................................................................................................................9

b) Labour practices;..................................................................................................................................9

c) The environment................................................................................................................................10

d) Fair operating practices......................................................................................................................10

e) Consumer issues.................................................................................................................................11

f) Community involvement and development.......................................................................................12

The Sustainable Development Agenda...........................................................................................................13

How to Incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility into Your Business........................................................16

Conclusions....................................................................................................................................................17

3What is CSR?Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders.

CSR is a concept with many definitions and practices. The way it is understood and implemented differs greatly for each company and country. Moreover, CSR is a very broad concept that addresses many and various topics such as human rights, corporate governance, health and safety, environmental effects, working conditions and contribution to economic development. Whatever the definition is, the purpose of CSR is to drive change towards sustainability.

(Financial Time)

Why is CSR a strategic development factor also for a laboratory?The management of a laboratory, despite its peculiarities, is not different from the management of any other company. The essential factors are people, finance and the territory. The territory is characterized by specific social, economic and environmental conditions. The laboratory must prosper and develop in a sustainable way in relation to these conditions, helping to make the development of the territory sustainable too.This is in the interest of the laboratory itself. Here, immediately, some advantages of the adoption of CSR policies.

Protect and improving the company's BrandThe better a company does at protecting its reputation and building brand trust, the more successful it will be at gaining and maintaining competitive differentiation.Reputation can be defined as 'a stakeholder’s overall evaluation of a company over time. This evaluation is made up from the stakeholder’s experience of the visible behaviour of the company, as well as the images based on the company’s communication and, in addition, its symbolism in comparison with its major competitors.

Engaging CustomersDoing and communicating CSR.Statistics show that customers are more attracted to companies that are sensitive to sustainable business development and that consider the expectations of all stakeholders.No matter how much your company is doing to develop a sustainable business if you don't communicate them. Communicating CSR is important both for enhancing the brand and for spreading good practices.

Retaining Top Talent Positive Workplace Environment Laboratories who develop CSR culture, are more likely to provide employees with a

positive workplace. Consequently, employees feel engaged and productive when they walk into work each day.

Instilling a strong culture of corporate social responsibility within every employee from the top down, will help to create a positive and productive environment where employees can thrive.

Increase in Creativity

4 Employees who know that their employer is committed to bettering the local and global communities feel a stronger connection to the company. Because of this close relationship that employees share with their company, workers feel more inclined to be productive and creative.

Encourages Professional & Personal Growth

Looking at the overall management of the company the adoption of behaviours in line with the principles of CSR is strategic also for laboratories, as it may influence:

its competitive advantage; its reputation; its ability to attract and retain workers or members, customers, clients or users; the maintenance of employees' morale, commitment and productivity; the view of investors, owners, donors, sponsors and the financial community; and its relationship with companies, governments, the media, suppliers, peers, customers and

the community in which it operates.

Developing a CSR strategyCurrent world situation characterized by constant dynamic development and changes in all spheres enforced us to view the business not only as a profit creator but as creator of added value to the society.

The concept of corporate social responsibility can be understood as a business concept, which emphasizes the great potential in achieving sustainable development. Corporate social responsibility, however, should not remain merely a tactical and a marginal business concern largely controlled by marketing and public relations, but it must be a part of an overall corporate strategy, respectively it must be its core. The concept of sustainable development can be understood as a philosophical approach of the company that wants its stakeholders to behave in a sustainable manner.

Organizations around the world, and their stakeholders, are becoming increasingly aware of the need for and benefits of socially responsible behaviour and we can state that the final target of CSR is to maximize the contribution of the organizations in favour of the Sustainable Development.

An organization's performance in relation to the society in which it operates and to its impact on the environment has become a critical part of measuring its overall performance and its ability to continue operating effectively. This is, in part, a reflection of the growing recognition of the need to ensure healthy ecosystems, social equity and good organizational governance. In the long run, all organizations' activities depend on the health of the world's ecosystems.

There are several activities that can contribute to strategic management in terms of CSR and are based on two essential documents: the ISO 26000: 2010 standard and the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

The first expresses the principles of CSR and recalls intangible values, while the UN 2030 agenda sets seventeen concrete objectives on which each organization can make its contribution to promote sustainable development.

5ISO 26000:2010When approaching and practising social responsibility, the overarching objective for an organization is to maximize its contribution to sustainable development. Within this objective, although there is no definitive list of principles for social responsibility, organizations should respect the seven intangible principles outlined below.

1. Accountability2. Transparency3. Ethical behaviour4. Respect for stakeholder interests5. Respect for the rule of law6. Respect for international norms of behaviour7. Respect for human rights

as well as the principles specific to organizational governance:a) Human rightsb) Labour Practicesc) Environmentd) Fair operating practicese) Consumer issuesf) Community involvement and development

Let's look at each of them considering the principle, the action required and the benefit they entail.

Intangible principles

1. Accountability

PrincipleAn organization should be accountable for its impacts on society, the economy and the environment.Accountability involves an obligation on management to be answerable to the controlling interests of the organization and on the organization to be answerable to legal authorities regarding laws and regulations.ActionThe company and its managers and employees must be completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it. It consists in considering the overall impact of its decisions and activities on the stakeholders and environment.BenefitBeing accountable will have a positive impact both on society and employees who gain greater trust in the company and its ability to contribute to social well-being by operating in an ethical manner.

62. Transparency

PrincipleAn organization should be transparent in its decisions and activities that impact on society and the environment.ActionAn organization should disclose in a clear, accurate and complete manner, and to a reasonable and sufficient degree, the policies, decisions and activities for which it is responsible, including their known and likely impacts on society and the environment.BenefitOperating a transparent business demonstrates respect for employees and customers alike. When outsiders have the opportunity to see and understand how your business operates behind the scenes and the processes that are involved in all your business operations, they’re more likely to have respect for your organization.

3. Ethical behaviour

PrincipleAn organization should behave ethically. An organization's behaviour should be based on the values of honesty, equity and integrity. These value simply a concern for people, animals and the environment and a commitment to address the impact of its activities and decisions on stakeholders' interests.ActionThe first thing to do is identifying and stating the company’s core values and principles. These values must be shared and applied within the company who have to encouraging and promoting the observance of its values among the governance structure, owners, managers, personnel, suppliers, contractors.BenefitBehaving ethically can help your business to build customer loyalty, avoid legal problems and attract and retain talented employees.A company’s reputation for ethical behaviour can help it create a more positive image in the marketplace, which can bring in new customers through word-of-mouth referrals.

4. Respect for stakeholder interests

IntroductionIt is probably appropriate to introduce a definition of stakeholders.One of the most classic stakeholders’ definitions is probably the definition of the American philosopher, professor and the father of the current stakeholder theory, Edward Freeman, who says that stakeholders are “those who can affect or is affected by the achievements of the organization’s objectives”.

PrincipleAn organization should respect, consider and respond to the interests of its stakeholders. Although an organization's objectives may be limited to the interests of its owners, members, customers or constituents, other individuals or groups may also have rights, claims or specific

7interests that should be considered. Collectively, these individuals or groups comprise the organization's stakeholders.ActionFirst, the organization must identify its stakeholders to associate each group with its legal rights and the expectations that they can, legitimately, express towards the company. It is also important recognize which stakeholders can significantly affect the activities of the organization and consider what their interests may be influenced by a decision or an activity even if they do not have a formal role in the governance of the organization or are not aware of these interests. For this reason, it should be appropriate assess and consider the relative ability of stakeholders to contact and engage with the organization.Company cannot forget that it is not enough just to identify and classify its stakeholders, but it is necessary to be in constant interaction with them - to identify their expectations and demands on the company and involve them in decision making processes.BenefitThe benefits deriving from the respect of the rights of the stakeholders are of two types.A first benefit derives from the fact that this is the most convenient thing for the shareholders themselves.The underlying principle is that "good ethics is good business", or, in a win-win vision, "doing well by doing good". Stakeholders, as persons, are worthy of respect, they have an intrinsic value and, therefore, deserve to be considered in the decision-making process of managers.A second benefit derives from the possibility of avoiding, thanks to the attention given to stakeholders and their interests, protests or even class actions that would seriously harm the company both from an economic point of view and from a reputation.

5. Respect for the rule of law

PrincipleAn organization should accept that respect for the rule of law is mandatory: no individual or organization stands above the law. In the context of social responsibility, respect for the rule of law means that an organization complies with all applicable laws and regulations. This implies that it should take steps to be aware of applicable laws and regulations, to inform those within the organization of their obligation to observe and to implement those measures.ActionComply with legal requirements in all jurisdictions in which the organization operates, even if those laws and regulations are not adequately enforced. Keep the company informed of all legal obligations and periodically review its compliance with applicable laws and regulations.BenefitIt could be said that the greatest benefit is to avoid incurring penalties which, depending on the seriousness of the infringement, could cause serious damage to the company. Compliance with laws and regulations also guarantees a free market where competition between companies is entrusted to merit, skills and the ability to offer services in line with the needs of the reference market. In a responsible society, the respect of laws and rules by all competitors is an indispensable condition for sustainable development.

86. Respect for international norms of behaviour

PrincipleAn organization should respect international norms of behaviour, while adhering to the principle of respect for the rule of law.ActionIn situations where the law or its implementation does not provide for adequate environmental or social safeguards, an organization should strive to respect, as a minimum, international norms of behaviour. In countries where the law or its implementation conflicts with international norms of behaviour, an organization should strive to respect such norms to the greatest extent possible.BenefitRespect for this principle safeguards the integrity of a company with factories located in countries that have very different legislative limits with respect, for example, to the rules of work rather than to the limits of the concentration of pollutants released into the environment. Exploiting these legislative differences to gain a competitive advantage would seriously harm brand integrity and certainly does not guarantee the sustainable development of the company.

7. Respect for human rights

PrincipleAn organization should respect human rights and recognize both their importance and their universality.ActionRespect and, where possible, promote the rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights; respect the universality of these rights, that is, that they are indivisibly applicable in all countries, cultures and situations. In situations where human rights are not protected, take steps to respect human rights and avoid taking advantage of these situations; and in situations where the law or its implementation does not provide for adequate protection of human rights, adhere to the principle of respect for international norms of behaviour.BenefitRespect for this principle safeguards the integrity of a company who operate in different international social environment, especially in developing countries, where the lack of respect for human rights can be usual also due to the lack of controls. Exploiting the lack of respect for human rights in order to obtain a competitive benefit can cause serious damage to brand integrity and certainly does not guarantee the sustainable development of the company.

Organizational governanceOrganizational governance is the most crucial factor in enabling an organization to take responsibility for the impacts of its decisions and activities and to integrate social responsibility throughout the organization and its relationships.To define the scope of its social responsibility, identify relevant issues and set its priorities, an organization should address the following core subjects:

a. human rights;b. labour practices;c. the environment:d. fair operating practices;

e. consumer issues; f. community involvement and

development.

9Benefits from the observance of good organizational governance practicesApart from any moral consideration, the adoption of organizational practices adhering to the principles expressed by ISO 26000:2010 not only keeps the company free from legal actions or claims by workers, trade unions, public administration, but contributes to a business climate favourable to the achievement of objectives and, moreover, positively influences the perception of the brand by the market.

a) Human rightsPrincipleHuman rights are the basic rights to which all human beings are entitled. The primacy of human rights has been emphasized by the international community in the International Bill of Human Rights and core human rights instruments (adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948).Human rights are inherent, inalienable, universal, indivisible and interdependent:

they are inherent, in that they belong to every person by being human; they are inalienable, in that people cannot consent to giving them up or be deprived of

them bygovernments or any other institution;

they are universal, in that they apply to everyone regardless of any status; they are indivisible, in that no human rights may be selectively ignored; they are interdependent, in that realization of one right contributes to the realization of

other rights.ActionTo respect human rights, organizations have a responsibility to exercise due diligence to identify, prevent and address actual or potential human rights impacts resulting from their activities or the activities of those with which they have relationships.Specific to human rights, a due diligence process should, in a manner that is appropriate to the organization's size and circumstances, include the following components:

a human rights policy for the organization that gives meaningful guidance to those within the organization and those closely linked to the organization;

means of assessing how existing and proposed activities may affect human rights; means of integrating the human rights policy throughout the organization; means of tracking performance over time, to be able to make necessary adjustments in

priorities and approach; actions to address the negative impacts of its decisions and activities.

b) Labour practices;The labour practices of an organization encompass all policies and practices relating to work performed within, by or on behalf of the organization, including subcontracted work. Labour practices include

recruitment and promotion of workers;

disciplinary and grievance procedures; the transfer and relocation of

workers; termination of employment;

training and skills development; health, safety and industrial hygiene; any policy or practice affecting

conditions of work, working time and remuneration.

10PrincipleThe fundamental principle in the International Labour Organization institution and declaration of Philadelphia 1944 is that labour is not a commodity. This means that workers should not be treated as a factor of production and subjected to the same market forces that apply to commodities. The principles involved include the right of everyone to earn a living by freely chosen work, and the right to just and favourable conditions of work.ActionLabour practices are one of the fundamental principles of corporate social responsibility. There are several actions that the organization must perform and control and are related to five essential issues:

Employment relationship Condition of work and social protection Social dialogue Health and safety at work Human development and training in the workplace

c) The environmentThe decisions and activities of organizations invariably have an impact on the environment no matter where the organizations are located. These impacts may be associated with the organization's use of resources, the location of the activities of the organization, the generation of pollution and wastes, and the impacts of the organization's activities on natural habitats. To reduce their environmental impacts, organizations should adopt an integrated approach that takes into consideration the direct and indirect economic, social, health and environmental implications of their decisions and activities.PrincipleAn organization should respect and promote the following environmental principles:

environmental responsibility precautionary approach environmental risk management polluter pays

ActionThe company must consider what necessary to face four principal issues:

1. Prevention of pollution2. Sustainable resources use3. Climate change mitigation and adaptation4. Protection of the environment, biodiversity and restoration of natural habitats

d) Fair operating practicesFair operating practices concern ethical conduct in an organization's dealings with other organizations. These include relationships between organizations and government agencies, as well as between organizations and their partners, suppliers, contractors, customers, competitors, and the associations of which they are members.Fair operating practice issues arise in the areas of anti-corruption, responsible involvement in the public sphere, fair competition, socially responsible behaviour, relations with other organizations and respect for property rights.

11PrincipleBehaving ethically is fundamental to establishing and sustaining legitimate and productive relationships between organizations. Therefore, observance, promotion and encouragement of standards of ethical behaviour underlie ail fair operating practices. Preventing corruption and practising responsible political involvement depend on respect for the rule of law, adherence to ethical standards, accountability and transparency. Fair competition means to deal with each other honestly, equitably and with integrity.ActionTo comply with fair operating practices a company must consider these five issues:

Anti-corruption Responsible political involvement Fair competition Promoting social responsibility in the value chain Respect for property rights (including intellectual property)

e) Consumer issues PrincipleThe UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection and the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Right express principles that should guide socially responsible practices regarding the legitimate needs of consumers, including satisfaction of basic needs and the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions and availability of essential products and services, including financial. They also include the right to promote just, equitable and sustainable economic and social development and environmental protection. These legitimate needs include:

safety being informed making choices being heard redress education healthy environment

and, moreover respect for the right to privacy the precautionary approach promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women promotion of universal design

ActionCompany must consider these seven issues: Fair marketing, factual and unbiased

information and fair contractual practices Protecting consumers' health and safety Sustainable consumption

Consumer service, support, and complaint and dispute resolution

Consumer data protection and privacy Access to essential services Education and awareness

12f) Community involvement and development.Community in this clause refers to residential or other social settlements located in a geographic area that is in physical proximity to an organization's sites or within an organization's areas of impact.It is widely accepted today that organizations have a relationship with the communities in which they operate. This relationship should be based on community involvement so as to contribute to community development.PrincipleAn organization should:

consider itself as part of, and not separate from, the community in approaching community involvement and development;

recognize and have due regard for the rights of community members to make decisions in relation to their community and thereby pursue, in the manner they choose, ways of maximizing their resources and opportunities;

recognize and have due regard for the characteristics, for example, cultures, religions, traditions and history, of the community while interacting with it;

recognize the value of working in partnership, supporting the exchange of experiences, resources and efforts.

ActionThe Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development (1995) recognizes the “urgent need to address profound social challenges especially poverty, unemployment and social exclusion". The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action pledged the international community to make the conquest of poverty, the goal of full productive, appropriately remunerated and freely chosen employment, and the fostering of social integration overriding objectives of development.A socially responsible company should considerate these seven issues:

Community involvement Education and culture Employment creation and skills development Technology development and access Wealth and income creation Health Social investment

13The Sustainable Development AgendaAs we have seen ISO 26000:2010 expresses the principles of CSR and recalls intangible values; but, if we need any suggestions to identify concrete objectives on which to focus our attention, we can refer to the UN 2030 Agenda who sets seventeen concrete objectives on which each organization can make its contribution to promote sustainable development. The 17 sustainable development goals balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. This is good for the planet, but also for your company (even if it’s a laboratory!) and its stakeholders!

With its global and overarching political approach, UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development has been highly relevant for the Council of Europe, which has, from the outset, been contributing to the process which led to the adoption of Agenda 2030.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/un-agenda-2030

17 Goals to Transform Our World and give us the opportunity to contribute to our social well-being.

It is difficult for an organization, in our case, a laboratory, to find a way to respond to all 17 objectives, but some of these can provide us with some ideas that stimulate us to contribute to the sustainable success, in the long term, of our business and, at the same time, to maximize the laboratory's contribution to the sustainable development of the whole community.

Each of us can find the goals and solutions that best fit our company.The benefits deriving from these activities are the same as those already mentioned in relation to the intangible principles of the CSR: brand reputation, motivate and retain employees, improving the competitiveness of the organization, achieving savings associated with increased productivity and resource efficiency, preventing or reducing potential conflicts with customers and public administration, etc.

14Let's try to ask ourselves some of these pointsEach laboratory operates under conditions that depend on its objectives and, of course, on the economic and natural social environment in which it operates. It is therefore difficult to indicate which points of the UN 2030 Agenda can be applied in the sustainable growth strategy adopted by the management.We can ask ourselves what we can do, knowing that the 17 goals are strongly interconnected, so that by acting on one, we will probably also benefit others.

Here are some examples.Does our laboratory respect the health and well-being of workers and citizens on which, in some way, our activity falls? Are we avoiding the health risk not only for our employees but also for citizens? How do we handle waste materials? Radioactive materials, lubricants, chemicals, hood fumes, etc.How else could our activity affect the health of employees and citizens?

How can we help the education system to provide a good education to young people? How can we help students to choose the path that best suits their attitudes? Do we work with schools and universities? Do we offer internship opportunities? Do we host students to show our laboratories and to talk them about entrepreneurship and CSR?

Have we created conditions for equal opportunities for men and women?Are there conditions to encourage maternity and return to work?Are there women among our managers? Is there any difference between the remuneration of a man and a woman occupying the same position?

Is it possible and convenient to install solar panels to produce part of the energy needed by the laboratory?Could we optimize the use of our vehicle fleet? Could we optimize the commute of our employees?

Do we offer good working condition to all our employees?Do we perform salary benchmark checks?Do our employees have the opportunity to express opinions and suggestions about the work environment?

A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society. These inclusive partnerships built upon principles and values, a shared vision, and shared goals that place people and the planet at the centre, are needed at the global, regional, national and local level.

Are we able to develop partnerships between our suppliers, customers, public administration and interested parties in general? There are many sectors where these collaborations can contribute

15to the sustainable development of the company and to the indispensable social cohesion, a fundamental element for the sustainability of economic growth.

Sustainability reportIt is important to share with our stakeholders, efforts and results achieved. This because only a shared culture and then willingness toward sustainable development can make the difference. It isn’t matter of voluntary charity or good behaviour, it’s matters of long-term sustainable growth strategy applied to laboratory management.

Many companies, to demonstrate their willingness, commitment and achieved results, publish the “Sustainability report” and make it available to their stakeholders.A sustainability report is a report published by a company about economic, environmental, social and governance performances. It also presents the organization's values and governance model and demonstrates the link between its strategy and its commitment to a sustainable global economy.

Sustainability reporting is not just report generation from collected data; instead it is a method to internalize and improve an organization’s commitment to sustainable development in a way that can be demonstrated to both internal and external stakeholders.

Sustainability reporting can help organizations to measure, understand and communicate their economic, environmental, social and governance performance, and then set goals, and manage change more effectively. A sustainability report is the key platform for communicating sustainability performance, whether positive or negative.

Sustainability reporting can be considered as synonymous with other terms for non-financial reporting; triple bottom line reporting, corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, and more. It is also an intrinsic element of integrated reporting; a more recent development that combines the analysis of financial and non-financial performance.

Guidelines for preparing a sustainability report are provided by GRI (Global reporting Initiative), an independent international organization that has pioneered sustainability reporting since 1997. GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being. This enables real action to create social, environmental and economic benefits for everyone. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are developed with true multi-stakeholder contributions and rooted in the public interest. The GRI Standards represent global best practice for reporting publicly on a range of economic, environmental and social impacts. Sustainability reporting based on the Standards provides information about an organization’s positive or negative contributions to sustainable development.GRI guidelines can be downloaded a this link: https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/On the web you can find several examples of sustainability reports.

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How to Incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility into Your BusinessState and revise, together your employees, the shared values of the companyTo make CSR part of your company culture, consider establishing a set of values and a sense of relevancy that explains why your business is socially responsible. This can become the basis for any employees or talent who is onboarded as you grow. They can look at your values and better understand the reasoning behind behaviours that promote corporate social responsibility. You can relate these to health and wellness, education, diversity or anything else you value and want your team to believe in.

Goals, activities and resourcesIf you are slim on resources to participate in social responsibility programs, focus on those activities that can rely on your time and talent. This includes specific skills you can put to work within the company, as well as volunteer activities outside of the company. You might create a list of potential projects and determining what you and your team have the time and energy to do.

Identify potential projects for your companyKeeping your business running, always makes you busy. There will not be enough time to start a CSR project. This means that you can start taking time now. In this way, your decision will become a living example of the CSR values you are trying to promote.You can start creating a list of potential projects and determining what you and your team have the time and energy to do. You can narrow down the list of projects based on those that relate to the core of your business, or that you feel particularly passionate about.

Find the alliesDo what you can to identify the team members who are willing to participate in these types of activities, as you won't be paying them to join non-profit projects or volunteer. Try to work side by side with your team so they see you putting your words to work, knowing you share the same beliefs for the greater good.

Implement the project in small stepsRealistically, you may want to take small steps related to corporate social responsibility. Any action that helps the community, society and environment can make a difference. You can build on your CSR program as you develop and expand your company. You are imbuing your business with the spirit of doing more than just making a profit; you're also in business to make the world a better place.

17

ConclusionsSocial responsibility can provide numerous benefits for an organization. These include:

encouraging more informed decision making based on an improved understanding of the expectations of society, the opportunities associated with social responsibility (including better management of legal risks) and the risks of not being socially responsible;

improving the organization's risk management practices; enhancing the reputation of the organization and fostering greater public trust; supporting an organization's social licence to operate; generating innovation; improving the competitiveness of the organization, including access to finance and

preferred partner status; improving the organization's relationship with its stakeholders, thus exposing the

organization to new perspectives and contact with a diverse range of stakeholders; enhancing employee loyalty, involvement, participation and morale; improving the safety and health of both female and male workers; impacting positively on an organization's ability to recruit, motivate and retain its

employees; achieving savings associated with increased productivity and resource efficiency, lower

energy and water consumption, decreased waste, and the recovery of valuable by-products;

improving the reliability and fairness of transactions through responsible political involvement, fair competition, and the absence of corruption;

preventing or reducing potential conflicts with consumers about products or services.

In conclusion, the CSR represents the objective recognition, sharing and putting into practice of intangible values able to influence the results of the company and the sustainability of its business in the medium-long term.The adoption of CSR policies by companies can make sustainable the development of the entire territory by promoting social cohesion, economic growth and respect for the environment.