CSR and Trade & Investment Promotion

This paper is the result of a scoping exercise in relation to this theme, carried out in collaboration
with IIED’s Environmental Economics Programme (EEP), which has a research interest in
investment for sustainable development. Previous work by CRED for the World Bank2 indicated
that trade and investment promotion is a key driver of pro-CSR initiatives by public sector agencies in developing countries. Examples are beginning to emerge of public sector activities to build capacity of local producers to meet requirements of voluntary CSR standards such as SA8000. The relationship between CSR and economic competitiveness is emerging as a prominent theme
within the CSR debate.