Spotlight: CSR Role Model The Walt Disney Company

Welcome back to our weekly Spotlight!

As usual, we display a weekly Spotlight and this time we’re focusing on one of the most famous brands in the world – The Walt Disney Company, the leader in the child entertainment industry.

Disney Citizenship: Acting responsibly

The reason we chose this specific company is because of their unwavering devotion to the society in which they thrive, and the environment in which they live. Disney Citizenship is a department of The Walt Disney Company whose goal is make sure that Disney remains the most admired company in the world. They have been very vocal about their commitment to children’s safety, and ensuring that we leave a better world for the children of tomorrow. They do this through their motto of “acting responsibly”, an integral part of their brand. Their corporate social responsibility strategy focuses on six crucial areas that outline the ethical manner in which they operate their business.

Six Pillars of Disney’s CSR Strategy

The first pillar of their strategy is “ethical conduct”, the promise that Disney will conduct all its business with integrity and honesty, will not cut corners and will abide by the respective laws of the countries they operate in. The second pillar is “responsible content” the idea that they do not act without deep thinking, that their every action is responsible and that they produce only high-quality products and content. The third pillar, and one of the most crucial ones for Copposium, is “environmental stewardship”. Walt Disney has incredible resources at its disposal and they have openly made a pledge to use those resources wisely and make sure that they protect the planet at every step of their company. The fourth pillar is “civic engagement”, to make sure that the communities in which they operate and have influence are receptors of positive and lasting change. As a company, Walt Disney sells the idea of the “American Dream” and it emphasizes the importance of community, so it is understandable, and expected even, that they should consider this one of their most important pillars. The fifth is the creation and upholding of “respectful workplaces” both in terms of employees and their welfare, but of the environment and its needs as well. And finally, the sixth pillar and another that is important for our mission is the “responsible supply chain” wherein Disney is focusing on creating Disney-branded products with the little people and not big corporations. This is Disney’s sort of fair trade and is incredibly important to them, as well as the respect of the environment that comes with these programs.

From guidelines to inspiring actions

The six pillars listed above are just guidelines that drive every decision and action that Disney makes, the actual steps they’ve taken have been awe-inspiring. If you go on Disney’s website and check out the six pillars, you will see everything they’ve done – their Disneynature ‘Bears’ were honored with an EMA award, they created a Conservation Fund to make sure that no harm comes to the ocean and its wildlife population, they’ve developed programs to look into international labor standards, product footprints, and product safety, and a lot more. They are truly impressive in their dedication and devotion to helping the environment and that’s why we chose them as this week’s Spotlight guests!

CSR as a business factor

In 2014, the Walt Disney Company tied for first place with Microsoft and Google to be the most influential company in the world in terms of CSR. They have earned this title thanks to their dedication not only to creating a better world for all, but ensuring that their actions are leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible. Most companies should strive to be as environmentally conscious as Disney is, as they are a great example of the steps that should be taken to ensure we leave a better world for the people of tomorrow.