- English
The Swedish Government encourages all Swedish companies to follow the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and the UN Global Compact's 10 principlesin their operations and to createsocially and environmentally sustainablebusiness.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been a major issue for Sweden in recent decades. CSR is about companies’ active and systematic work with environment, labor, human rights and anti-corruption issues which means they take responsibility for the impacts on society and the environment. By integrating social, environmental, ethical and consumer interests in the business strategy, the objective of CSR is to maximize mutual benefits – to, in addition to the interests of shareholders, also create value for other stakeholders such as suppliers, customers and employees.
Swedish companies’ successful sustainability work enhances the image of Sweden and also the competitiveness of Swedish companies. CSR is therefore both a trade policy issue as well as a question about the promotion of Sweden. Sweden also sees opportunities in CSR from a development perspective. Enterprises are key players in the development of poor countries, and through an active and innovative work they can be drivers in environmentally, economically and socially sustainable development. Collaboration with the private sector is seen as an important way to reach the Swedish development cooperation’s goal of improving the living conditions of people in poverty. Learn more about opportunities for partnerships between businesses and Swedish development cooperation with co-financing opportunities at the development cooperation’s page.
For more information about Sweden and the Government's work and vision on sustainability and CSR, the joint work within the EU and the Nordic countries, see http://www.government.se/information-material/2014/01/sustainable-business---a-platform-for-swedish-action/ . Here you also find links to guidelines and tools.