I wish I had a crystal ball to check the state of CSR in ten years’ time.

 Just as universities are finding CSR (through the Universities That Count benchmarking), the business world already regards it as passé: Where were CSR managers when banks made their irresponsible lending decisions? Global Compact is deemed to be no more than “a promotional tool”. Suddenly climate change and all other ‘our corporate responsibility’ types of issues were not on companies’ radar, there were better things to do, such as surviving and saving the financial system – as if these two were not interlinked.

CSR has always been a visionary body of thought.  It has painted the picture as things should be and it has used a plethora of arguments to appeal both to business sense and warm hearts. Yet, it was along with the financial big bang that capitalism had to look at its not-so-enlightened-self-interest.

At the same time, CSR is transforming itself for the better.

Take consumerism, population growth, water scarcity, climate change and the very issue of redefining prosperity in new terms without growth (A report by Tim Jackson: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=914). All these issues are part of CSR’s remit now. In the past, it could focus on arguments about ‘competitive advantage’ and ‘a licence to operate’. Not anymore.

In a sense, CSR has grown up. Hence, (Corporate) Sustainability and Responsibility or CSR 2.0, a term  coined by Wayne Visser is a better translation. Although many challenges lie ahead – not least the role of education in creating a systemic change – this metamorphosis is promising.

This is good news to universities and CSR too:  better management of ourselves as organisations, better understanding of our role in society and, perhaps even more thinking around how teaching, learning and research further new sustainability and responsibility mindset and respond to the changing world.

“The expectation of CSR on your business is now your standard operating environment. Get on with it.”, writes Mallen Baker. Perhaps a crystal ball is not needed after all.

Anne Raudaskoski