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Corporate social responsibility, governance, substainable development
CSR case studies archive

Article 13’s well known CSR case study series profiles innovative corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives. Each case study examines why the company is implementing CSR initiatives, the successes and challenges, and how the programmes are delivering to the company’s business objectives.

You can access past CSR case studies in our archive, by clicking on any of the following categories or simply by scrolling down the page.

Community Category
Community
  • Anglo American plc

    Leading natural resources company gets involved in stakeholder engagement and local business development to ensure good relations with its communities

  • Anglo American plc - revisited

    Engaging more effectively with local stakeholders to realise opportunities for economic and social advancement.

  • Barclays
    Reducing the number of unbanked and providing access to affordable credit through its growing Financial Inclusion programme.
  • BMW Group
    Focusing on education and the environment at BMW Plant Hams Hall.
  • BNFL

    A long standing engagement programme that helped to build trust and allowed the company to prioritise areas of greatest concern to its stakeholders.

  • Boots

    The UK’s leading health and beauty retailer has developed an award winning community investment programme that focuses on health promotion.

  • Cadbury Schweppes

    Cadbury Schweppes The You can make a difference community volunteering scheme and Enterprise in Schools are related parts of Cadbury Schweppes’ Community Investment Programme, which offers employees a number of ways to improve education and promote enterprise in their local community.

  • CE Electric

    “Stay Away – Stay Alive” Programme to educate young people about the potential dangers of electricity.

  • Centrica

    The Here to HELP programme helps to improve vulnerable customers’ household energy efficiency and identifies other areas where they may need support.

  • Corus Group and UK Steel Enterprise

    The establishment and long running support of an enterprise that provides support to businesses in steel areas demonstrates the company’s social responsibility long before CSR was an established concept.

  • Costain Group
    Employees’ strategic approach to upskilling brings community benefits and encourages development of a company-wide volunteering programme.
  • DHL Express

    DHL Express tackles employee development through a skills sharing arrangement with charity partners in their ‘Skills in Motion’ programme.

  • Diageo plc

    A long standing commitment to Tomorrow’s People, a charity addressing unemployment in the UK, that has resulted in helping hundreds of thousands of people, influenced government policy and inspired projects worldwide.

  • Ericsson
    Telecommunications for Millennium Villages - connectivity and CSR
  • H Marcel Guest

    Manchester-based SME raises local profile and increases its reputation through environmental, community and educational work.

  • HSBC Holding plc

    One of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world supports social enterprise through its office move to new headquarters at Canary Wharf, London.

  • IBM

    IBM’s On Demand Community is a global volunteering programme which supports its employees in becoming volunteers and provides them with IBM technology tools for use in non-profit community organisations and schools. The programme demonstrates IBM’s ability to deliver innovative solutions to so

  • InterContinental Hotels Group plc

    Leading hospitality group builds customer loyalty and strengthens employee commitment through a programme of charitable engagement with the multiple local communities in which they operate.

  • KPMG
    A Staff Charity partnership which involves capacity building, fundraising and employee development.
  • Marks & Spencer – CSR, social inclusion and work experience

    The Marks & Start programme gives the opportunity of work experience to a range of people including the young unemployed, people with disabilities, the homeless, parents returning to work, students who a

  • O2

    A global company thinking locally, working with local communities to make a difference in the “It’s your Community” initiative.

  • Pfizer Limited

    Pfizer’s Health Awareness Programme is a series of initiatives on important health issues such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, which aims to help people take responsibility for their health and ultimately lead longer and healthier lives.

  • Rio Tinto

    Stakeholder engagement leading to the development of global partnerships with environmental, educational and indigenous non-governmental organisations.

  • Sky

    Development of a strategy to increase the choice and opportunities for disabled people, making television more inclusive.

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Education Category
Education
  • 3M - revisited
    Streetwise, Worldlywise... technology and sustainability
  • Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

    Welsh Water, operates under a unique not-for-profit business model, and addresses and raises awareness of sustainability through its ‘Living and Learning with Water’ education programme.

  • EDF Energy
    EDF Energy's programme for greener schools, The Pod, is inspiring school children to reduce their environmental impact.
  • EMI - revisited

    EMI establishes an independent charity – the Music Sound Foundation – to support music education.

  • IBM

    Investing in staff development through the Global Citizen’s Portfolio to create leaders of the 21st century.

  • Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
    'Stamping out stigma'

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Environment Category
Environment
  • 3M

    Development of a life cycle management approach to improve the environmental performance of 3M’s products, manage potential risks and identify opportunities at all stages in the product’s life.

  • Alara Wholefoods
    Reducing, reusing and recycling waste to become the UK's first Zero Waste manufacturer
  • AMEC
    'Low Carb'(on) Diet... An organisational approach to behaviour change in carbon management
  • Anglian Water
    A comprehensive approach to tackling climate change, which recognises the importance of partnerships, behavioural change and communication.
  • Aviva

    Aviva’s environmental programme includes reducing its carbon emissions and offsetting all residual emissions by supporting innovative projects across the world.

  • AWG

    “RiverCare” programme a community approach to involving communities in cleaning up watercourses.

  • BAA

    A water management scheme at Terminal 5 reduces BAA’s reliance on mains water and economically harvests water from rainfall on campus and boreholes on its own land.

  • British Airways

    British Airways’ Climate Change Programme comprises its own voluntary actions, promotion of industry solutions to policy makers and support of research into areas of uncertainty in climate change science and aviation.

  • British Land Company

    British Land’s Sustainability Brief helps ensure that sustainable design and construction are delivered in developments

  • DHL Express UK - revisited
    Practical steps towards improving carbon efficiency by 10 per cent by 2010 and embedding the programme in the business.
  • EDF Energy

    Engaging employees to take action on the environment and climate change through a range of innovative Sustainable Future initiatives.

  • Ernst and Young

    The role of communications efforts to reduce environmental impacts through staff engagement and behavioural change.

  • FedEx - EarthSmart - sustainability strategy
    Communicating environmental sustainability performance and building a sustainable culture through a platform of EarthSmart initiatives
  • First Group

    Participation in the trial of hydrogen fuel cell buses with zero carbon emissions has helped develop a potential solution to mitigating carbon change.

  • Ford

    Investing in renewable energy generation on its operational site, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

  • HSBC - Global Environmental Efficiency Programme

    Involving staff in showcasing environmental innovation and sharing best practice to help achieve environmental reduction targets.

  • Learning & Skills Council
    Educating staff about sustainability to become a leader in sustainable development in the education sector
  • Liftshare.com

    This case study profiles the emergence of ‘climate change’ as a CSR issue which is also providing an opportunity for ‘social entrepreneurship’.

  • Michelin Tires - Environmental Management System
    Adopting innovating recycling schemes to minimise the impact the company has on the environment.
  • Pennon Group

    Reducing the company’s contribution to climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions from its operations.

  • Rockwool UK Ltd

    Making ‘values’ count. How a focus on environmental performance delivers a practical approach for Rockwool.

  • Severn Trent

    Severn Trent’s climate change programme includes the development of a carbon strategy to help to manage the threats arising from climate change.

  • SJ Berwin

    SJ Berwin’s carbon neutrality programme has lead to wider consideration of the environmental impacts of its operations.

  • State Street's waste-to-energy programme

  • Symantec - Green IT leadership

  • Taylor Woodrow plc

    A partnership approach in the supply chain has created a new industry in plasterboard recycling and reduced the homebuilder’s waste disposal costs.

  • Teck - ecosystem & biodiversity strategy & reporting

  • Unilever

    Establishment of a sustainable agriculture initiative to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials necessary to deliver the business and its brands.

  • United Utilities

    Establishment of a multi-partner sustainable water catchment management programme to deliver improved water quantity and quality

  • Yell

    The “Yellow Woods Challenge” campaign aims to encourage greater awareness of environmental issues amongst children through a fun, schools-based competition to recycle old Yellow Pages directories.

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Governance Category
Governance
  • Carillion

    Development of a sustainability strategy model as a tool to help the company deliver business solutions that result in continued profitable growth.

  • Co-operative Financial Services

    Development of sustainability reporting combined with customer-led ethical policies is achieving greater transparency and accountability, customer recognition and profitability.

  • GKN

    GKN’s founding values from the 18th Century still influence how the Group’s businesses express their corporate social responsibility today.

  • Kingfisher plc

    Development of a ‘ladder’ approach to help a diverse group to manage the social and environmental impact of its activities over a wide range of issues.

  • Norsk Hydro

    The Hydro Integrity Program is increasing the company’s focus on anti-corruption and human rights.

  • Workspace

    Economic, social and environmental actions by Workspace’s operations help deliver the Mayor’s London Plan, the blueprint for London’s sustainable development.

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New Product Development Category
New Product Development
  • GlaxoSmithKline
    GSK becomes a key player in anti-doping efforts ahead of London 2012.
  • Yellowfin

    New product development that is stimulated by an entrepreneurial desire and innovation to reduce waste and inefficiencies in marine leisure industry.

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Strategy Category
Strategy
  • AGL
    Creating a sustainable energy future for customers, investors and the community
  • Arup
    Developing and implementing a corporate sustainability strategy and framework which resonates with the company's founding values
  • BMJ Group
    A CSR strategy which brings commercial benefits and an awards scheme that aims to build influence and advocacy for CSR in healthcare
  • London City Airport - Take Off Into Work
    An employment initiative that means better skilled recruits for the airport and improvements to the local community of Newham.
  • Medtronic's strategy to reduce energy use
    Medtronic's CSR strategy involves employees in the company's efforts to achieve best practice and recognition in reducing its energy consumption.
  • NHS Suffolk Primary Care Trust
    Needs assessment to inform a healthcare social marketing campaign for minority groups
  • SABMiller

    The development of processes and policies by a multi-national company, comprising of several new acquisitions, to provide a sound basis from which to implement corporate social responsibility actions.

  • Sainsbury's

    How developing a website produced the information a supermarket store needed to build a strategic approach to CSR from an array of existing projects.

  • South East Coast SHA
    Stakeholder insight to address the level, quality and future development of patient care

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Supply Chain Category
Supply Chain
  • adidas Group supplier training programmes
    A comprehensive suite of training programs to help adidas Group achieve more effective and sustainable practice within its supply chain.
  • Rio Tinto
    Investigating the social and environmental footprint of the metal being used to produce the medals for the London Olympics
  • The Medical Fair & Ethical Trade Group
    Winner of British Medical Journal CSR awards 2009
  • Wolseley

    The development of an innovative new centre for the building and construction sector to showcase technology and products that are designed to address sustainability concerns.

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Workplace Category
Workplace
  • 02

    Voluntary health and well-being programme for staff.

  • Accenture

    Accenture Development Partnerships is a not-for-profit programme that combines the provision of employee development opportunities with helping NGOs, foundations and donor organisations in the international development sector.

  • Akzo Nobel Remploy

    Two–way customer supplier partnership providing employment opportunities for disabled people.

  • Alliance Boots

    Resolving contact centre staff shortages caused by space constraints by recruiting from socially excluded groups in an innovative home working scheme.

  • BMW

    Establishment of a mature modern apprenticeship scheme, to provide qualified personnel for electrical and mechanical maintenance at BMW’s Hams Hall engine plant and to reduce regional skills shortages.

  • BT Group Plc

    Leading telecommunications group manages risk and maximises the opportunities in the supply chain by taking a proactive ethical approach.

  • HMG Paints Ltd - revisited
    HMG, an SME with employee engagement at the heart of its business growth and performance strategy, has demonstrated progress on its CSR practices since it was previously profiled in September 2003.
  • National Grid - revisited
    Using employee engagement on safety to embed and integrate a CSR framework.
  • National Grid Transco plc

    UK’s largest investor-owned utility employs an innovative approach to staff safety. The financial benefits of improved safety performance are used to support charities.

  • Royal Mail Group

    Development of a social engagement strategy leading to charitable partnerships for recruitment from socially excluded groups.

  • SCA Packaging

    Openness and transparency promoted by SCA’s human resources department leads to minimum disturbance and optimum re-employment opportunities for staff during a re-structuring phase that led to three factory closures.

  • Serco

    Voluntary programme allows staff to improve literacy and numeracy in work hours.

  • Smith Aerospace

    Development of an environmental management programme for suppliers based on the practical experiences of delivering its own environmental programme results in environmental performance improvements.

  • TNT Express Services UK and Ireland

    Long-term commitment to charity through fundraising and personal involvement of staff delivers support to a worthy cause and helps develop strong team working ethics within the company.

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