Public concern about worsening global environmental and socialconditions has spurred corporate participation in voluntary corporatesocial responsibility (CSR) programs. Such efforts are promising, butCSR participation has unfolded unevenly across the globe, leading toskepticism about the efficacy of CSR efforts, and to increased pressureon governments to get involved.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the State examines CSRgovernance through the lens of forest certification in Canada, the US,and Sweden. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews with experts,Lister offers revealing new information on CSR governance, ultimatelydemonstrating the importance of voluntary CSR as a supplement to ratherthan a substitute for strong state regulation.

One of the first studies to directly address the role of the publicsector in CSR, this book provides much-needed theoretical and practicalguidance for understanding a vital new governance approach to effectivesocial and environmental stewardship.