SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Abstract

The challenges of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility are critically discussed through the current concept of unsustainable development of the economy and society, numerous manifestations of such development, as well as the causes and consequences of this phenomenon. Indicators of unsustainable development were analyzed, in particular: problems of global poverty, problems of ecology, climate change, energy, disease and lack of education. Changes in the direction of a new trajectory of development are necessary, i.e. action directed towards a new development paradigm. This requires a greater role of science, especially economic science. The new concept of the economy implies new patterns of behavior in terms of ecological business and green economy. A new paradigm of development, a new strategy for the development of the economy and society is necessary because the current concept of growth and development has led to a series of negative effects on the natural environment, society and people. There are many forms of manifestation of unsustainable development: the problem of global poverty and hunger, problems of ecology, climate change and energy. The basic message is that humanity faces great challenges and that it is necessary to move from unsustainable development to sustainable development of the economy and society, where corporate social responsibility plays a key role. Sustainable development is a way of thinking, i.e. observation of the world, which we must change for the sake of the present and the future. In order to achieve this, synchronized actions are needed at the local (national) and global (world) level in order to find solutions, where large multinational economic systems must play a special role.