Corporate social responsibility (CSR) – what does this mean to you? To me, it’s about building sustainable communities and environments by building responsibly.

A construction or engineering company’s impact on its surroundings are easily seen at every stage of a project, from the laying of the foundations to the final structure.

The entire lifecycle requires careful planning and innovative solutions to protect the ecosystems affected by a structure’s creation and presence.

But what about the less immediately tangible responsibilities business must take in communities where it exists?

Benefiting communities

The impact business has can be positive – creation of employment opportunities for young offenders and coaching schemes for disadvantaged children, for example.

Opportunities for staff to get involved in community initiatives are often enthusiastically taken up. Participation ranges from volunteering their time to raising funds for specific charities and causes.

As well as contributing to schemes benefiting local areas, employees’ morale and motivation increases. When applying for a position, charitable involvement is a key factor for many graduates and other applicants.

Get involved

The construction sector can, and must, get involved to improve things. Many businesses already are.

This is through a true sense of responsibility or, more likely, because clients and stakeholders are increasingly demanding it. But what are businesses doing? Can they learn anything from each other?