Some interesting thoughts on CSR at Town Hall from Tom Borelli. I actually think it speaks more to how corporations are willing to use a mirage of CSR compliance to help their images than a problem with CSR in general, other than that it can be manipulated for brand cleaning. This is where regulatory penalties and global grading systems by third parties comes into place, which has yet to amount to anything substantial and qualitative. I fear that Borelli's arguments are more directed at shooting down any movement in strengthening the effectiveness of CSR monitoring, since it seems he doesn't see any need for CSR in the first place.

Global warming, the Holy Grail of CSR topics, provides the greatest cover for a distressed CEO. For example, under the leadership of John Browne, the giant energy company BP has enjoyed a free ride from activist attacks because of the company's aggressive advertising campaign promoting global warming concerns, carbon footprints and alternative energy.

Meanwhile, BP's record includes a deadly explosion at one of its refineries and a major oil pipeline leak in Alaska. Because of these incidents, the company is under investigation by an alphabet soup of federal and state agencies - EPA, OSHA, and DOJ - for possible law violations. More recently, the company has been accused of illegally controlling propane prices, which drove up cooking and heating costs for consumers - many of them poor.

Even though the company is responsible for the tragic loss of life, polluting the environment and potentially ripping off poor consumers, there is a deafening silence of criticism from social and environmental activists.

Instead, BP is heralded as an environmental leader for its position on climate change. For example, BP received the top score in a ranking of 100 Global Companies on Climate Change Strategies last March by Ceres - a coaliton of organizations that are working to advance environmental stewardship by businesses.

What do you think? Can CSR work or should it be abandoned?

Via the National Center Blog.

Some other CSR stories for today.

*The EU is going to try to steer companies into CSR standards. We'll wait to see if it works or not.

*From Ethical Corporation, more attention to SMEs required for Indian CSR to work.

*Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) launches Learning Series in San Francisco, Sept. 27-28, 2006, via CSR Wire.