A new book on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arctic

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arctic - The New Frontiers of Business, Management, and Enterprise has been published by Routledge. The authors are Professor Gisele M. Arruda from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and Professor Lára Jóhannsdóttir, University of Iceland. This book is the fruit of the authors’ passion about the Arctic, the ecological, social, and economic changes that are taking place in the Arctic, the impact that the changes have on the Arctic people and ecosystems and the role and responsibility of businesses in ensuring the sustainable development of the region. It is the product of the desire to make the Arctic a sustainable place where businesses, entrepreneurs, managers, scientists, society, and ecosystems can co-exist and thrive. The book considers the new trends and frontiers of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) studies that are shaping the future of global business strategy and business ethics.

The Book Launch will take place at the University of Iceland, Main Hall (Hátíðarsalur) on 14 September, 2021, at 15:00 GMT, and simultaneously streamed globally. The event is supported by the Environment and Natural Resources Graduate Programme and the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Iceland, The University of Aberdeen Business School, the University of Iceland Institute of International Affairs, the Centre for Arctic Studies, the Institute for Sustainability Studies, the Fulbright Commission in Iceland, Festa - Center for Social Responsibility and Sustainability.

The book authors participate in the event. Additionally, Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President of Iceland, Donald Hislop, Professor in Sociology of Work and Technology in Management Studies at the University of Aberdeen, Dr. Nathalie Hilmi, one of the leading-authors of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, from the Monaco Scientific Center, Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir, director of the Institute for Sustainability Studies at the University of Iceland, Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, managing director of Festa - Center for Social Responsibility and Sustainability and Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ON Power will also participated in the event. The moderator is Pia Hansson, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland.

The book is an important contribution to the global debate on the social responsibility of companies operating in the Arctic and the role of business in climate change adaptation. It benefits students, academics, company executives, governments, NGOs, educators, and other stakeholders interested in this fundamental topic. 

The book comprises 10 chapters which systematically approaches the CSR framework of internal and external factors and their impacts on the social responsibility of businesses within the sensitive environment of the Arctic. It presents traditional and contemporary models of CSR through case studies of the eight Arctic nations and explores the debates concerning social responsibility and ethical dilemmas related to social and environmental aspects of business operations, society, and ecosystems.

Arruda and Johannsdottir also review approaches for engaging stakeholders in social responsibility, socio-environmental standards, and sustainability, according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the Global Reporting Initiative, but also according to the new CSR strategy for the Arctic based on Arctic and Global citizenship, circular economy, blue economy, smart specialization, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, and new parameters for the 21st century education. Overall, this book examines the ways in which the changing climate and rich natural resources of the Arctic provide unique opportunities and great challenges for businesses and societies.