Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is business's contribution to sustainable development. Today, corporate behaviour must not only ensure returns to shareholders, wages to employees, and products and services to customers, it must also respond to societal and environmental concerns. Local cultures are a countervailing force to the global economy and the struggle between the forces of global commerce and the interests of local cultures brings with it new politics. In overcoming the hurdles of social responsibility, all partners and sectors need to be committed to adhere to a coherent social strategy in the interest of society as a whole. Through partnerships with labour, NGOs, and communities, corporations contribute to tackling social exclusion and other inner city problems in order to define and implement innovative solutions for policy dialogue to meet the social challenges at the local level.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Corporate Social Responsibility experiences and practices at the local level. It illustrates that partnerships provide a powerful mechanism for helping firms become more socially responsible. It includes interventions from the Conference "Partners for Progress - Towards a new approach to Corporate Social Responsibility", held in Paris in November 2000 and is essential reading for policy-makers, NGOs, business, and all local actors involved in the issues of sustainable development.