Industrial/environmental crises and corporate social responsibility

Industrial and environmental crises pose major threats to human survival. These crises are rooted in corporate activities, products, and production systems. For corporations to meaningfully respond to such crises, we need a more adequate conception of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This article critiques the existing conception of CSR as being anthropocentric, Western-centric, and marginal to business practice. It proposes an alternative conception of CSR anchored in ecocentric management, sustainable development, and crisis prevention and management. Using the example of Union Carbide's responses to the Bhopal crisis, it examines the consequences of the company's not accepting broad social responsibilities.