Dalla Corporate Social Resposibility alla Sustainability, alla Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

The article, in the context of the current debate between Shareholder and Stakeholder Capitalism, examines the idea that the traditional ethical concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is today shifting towards ESG-oriented business conduct and choices, guided by a link between sustainability and business profitability. It also addresses the question of whether, in the light of the new legislation, particularly from the European Union, and the new European initiatives, corporate responsibility can progressively become a civil liability in the field of sustainability, and how the idea of sustainable development, brought forward by the European Green Deal, reacts to the processes of deglobalisation triggered by the recent crises and can meet the challenges of a possible re-globalisation.

L’articolo, nell’ambito del dibattito attuale tra Shareholder e Stakeholder Capitalism, esamina l’idea che il tradizionale concetto etico di Responsabilità Sociale d’Impresa (RSI) stia oggi transitando verso condotte e scelte d’impresa orientate ai fattori ESG, guidate da un legame tra sostenibilità e “profitta- bilità” dell’impresa. Analizza, inoltre, se, alla luce della nuova legislazione, in particolare di fonte co- munitaria, e delle nuove iniziative europee, la responsabilità d’impresa possa progressivamente decli- narsi anche come vera e propria responsabilità civile nel campo della sostenibilità e di come l’idea di sviluppo sostenibile, portato avanti dal Green Deal europeo, reagisca ai processi di deglobalizzazione innescati dalle recenti crisi e possa affrontare le sfide di una possibile riglobalizzazione. The article, in the context of the current debate between Shareholder and Stakeholder Capitalism, ex- amines the idea that the traditional ethical concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is today shifting towards ESG-oriented business conduct and choices, guided by a link between sustainability and business profitability. It also addresses the question of whether, in the light of the new legislation, particularly from the European Union, and the new European initiatives, corporate responsibility can progressively become a civil liability in the field of sustainability, and how the idea of sustainable de- velopment, brought forward by the European Green Deal, reacts to the processes of deglobalisation triggered by the recent crises and can meet the challenges of a possible re-globalisation.