Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development in China: Current Status and Future Perspectives

• Published in: Sustainability Vol. 11; no. 16; p. 4392
• Main Authors: Zhang, Dongyong, Morse, Stephen, Ma, Qiaoyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Cooperation; Economic development; Economic growth; Globalization; Human rights; Imports; Income distribution; Legislation; Plastic debris; Social responsibility; Sustainability; Sustainable development; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su11164392

With a long history, large population, rapid economic growth, and major social transformation in recent years and the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has increasingly become an important global player. However, the negative social and environmental consequences of such a fast and extensive economic expansion are becoming significant. A series of measures have been taken to tackle the current problems faced by the country, including the issuing of new laws and regulations, and the most recent is China’s ban on plastic waste imports. However, there is a significant gap between Chinese laws and their implementation. Therefore, more people are putting their hope in a combination of legislation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to help address the current social and environmental problems faced by the country. This paper discusses the drivers of CSR in China and compares them to the drivers of CSR in the West. The paper also explores the extent to which CSR can make a contribution to solving the sustainable development challenges faced by China and discusses possible solutions if the current CSR pattern fails. Finally, the paper makes suggestions for future research on CSR in China.