Social sustainability aims to implement a positive impact on people and communities. It is for this reason that it is important for companies to be able to identify the impact they have, enabling them to manage it accordingly. Through this proactive business approach companies identify how their activity impacts their employees, value chain workers and the local community where they operate. Companies that implement this strategy understand and recognize the significance and role their relationship plays in the community and society.
To start with, the social consequences of an organization’s operations need to be identified and managed, in order for it to contribute to the well-being of its employees, clients and local communities. In the past, we used to focus on environmental and economic sustainability, however today, topics such as the respect of the rights, security and safety of people have become central. To the point where, although the protection of citizens’ human rights remains the responsibility of public administrations, companies today are expected to do their part for the community’s well-being.
Essentially, social responsibility becomes part of a company’s core business strategy as they consider how their activities affect people.