Skip to main content

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility

Members are increasingly asked about their approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues by clients, other buyers, and supply chain assessment schemes. This section includes templates that can help (mainly small to medium-sized) member companies to consider and produce policy statements covering relevant CSR and sustainability issues. 

What is Corporate Social Responsibility?

A free market economy, that runs unconstrained by any checks and balances, results in divisions and extremes of wealth and poverty, that is both detrimental to all individuals and to the growth and progression of society as a whole.

To demonstrate that a business, as a legal independent ‘person’ , is aware of its responsibilities in this respect, government, companies and consumers look to see the organisations they rely on, are socially aware and trade ethically.

Sometimes the free market fails and governments legislate to resolve the weakness in the capitalist system . Recent examples would include: The Modern Slavery Act and The Bribery Act.

Why it is important for your business

A company demonstrates, to its stakeholders (customers, employees, trainees, local businesses etc) that it trades ethically by ensuring its practices are compliant both with the letter of the law and its interpretation of its wider responsibilities. This is good business practice. Obtaining willing trainees, repeat customers and a good public relations image is vital for business survival and growth.

Embodying Corporate Social Responsibilities into a business, in a demonstrable form and in a fashion management can exert corrective control procedures, is achieved by creating suitable business policies, underwritten by viable and auditable control procedures.

Customers procurement systems (PQQ’s) are frequently expecting members to provide both their policies and demonstrable evidence to policies are being put into effect.

What is ECA doing?

ECA is committed to maintaining a positive image for building activity and improving working practices right across the building services engineering supply chain.

ECA support

Below are some links to key areas to help your business improve its CSR as well as create a CSR policy. 

Environmental Guidance and Sample Policy

Sustainability & Energy Saving

Renewable Technologies

  • Get the latest information on Renewable Technologies

Health & Safety 

Employee health and wellbeing

ECA Member discounts and offers