A new resource from the Canadian Construction Association titled Corporate Social Responsibility in the Construction Sector: A Practical Guide to CSR is now available for free download to CCA members through the Member Login section in the organization’s website.
Published Oct. 31, the guide details the importance of CSR in the construction industry while providing practical advice on how to create or enhance CSR strategies.
“We see CSR as a business strategy,” said Stephen Coote, chair of CCA Business and Market Development Committee. “Although many construction companies may be practicing some aspect of CSR, we hope that with this easy-to-use guide, small, medium and large construction firms will be more encouraged to continue to develop, enhance or implement a CSR strategy.”
Coote also said that although firms understand that CSR is essential to business, they are often uncertain with how to implement it to their benefit.
According to the CCA, the public increasingly wants to see Canadian construction companies become transparent about the environmental and social impacts of their projects, as well as how these impacts are addressed. Tips on handling such sensitive matters are included in the guide to help firms learn to be articulate.
“Our current strategic plan identified promotion of ethical business practices within the industry as an objective,” shared CCA Chair Chris McNally, adding that their organization has been encouraging companies since 2015 to take initiatives that will enable them to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally-sustainable manner.
The CCA explains CSR as an aspect of business that includes initiatives or actions that are voluntarily taken by the firm to improve social and environmental performance. In most cases, it means going beyond codes and standards that construction firms are legally required to follow.
