<p>Public concern about corporate impacts on global environmental and<br>social conditions has been mounting. In response, many corporations<br>have engaged in voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR)<br>programs that aim to address sustainability issues across a wide range<br>of sectors. Such efforts are promising in principle, but in reality,<br>CSR participation has unfolded unevenly across the globe. This inequity<br>has led to increasing skepticism about the efficacy of voluntary CSR<br>efforts, and to increased pressure on governments to be more<br>involved.</p><br><br><p>In <em>Corporate Social Responsibility and the State,</em> Jane<br>Lister examines CSR governance through the lens of forest certification<br>in Canada, the US, and Sweden. Her comparative investigation draws on<br>more than a hundred interviews with key stakeholders to yield unique,<br>practical information on the governing of CSR. Lister ultimately argues<br>the importance of co-regulation, whereby private rule-making systems<br>serve as a complement to strong state regulation.</p><br><br><p>One of the first studies to directly address the role of the public<br>sector in CSR, this engaging book provides a theoretical perspective<br>and much-needed guidance on the new governance model of co-regulating<br>CSR to achieve effective social and environmental stewardship.</p><br></body><br></html>