REINVENTING CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A TOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN EBONYI STATE

Abstract

Environmental degradation plaguing the world at large and Ebonyi State in particular is largely caused by man acting through corporate bodies. To curb it, human societies including Ebonyi State established legal and institutional frameworks on environmental protection. Notwithstanding these, environmental degradation persists in Ebonyi State. This necessitated this study’s search for solution to the aforesaid environmental degradation plaguing Ebonyi State. Therefore, this paper sought to establish the nexus between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental protection in Ebonyi State. Doctrinal legal research methodology involving the use of primary and secondary sources of data collection was adopted in this work. This paper found that, in Ebonyi State: no statute makes CSR obligatory for corporate bodies operating therein; and that voluntary practices of CSR by corporate bodies do not enhance environmental protection therein. Consequently, it concluded that environmental protection will flourish in Ebonyi State once statutes compel the aforesaid corporate bodies to execute CSR projects that boost environmental protection directly. Therefore, this study inter alia recommended the use of statutes to compel every corporate body operating in Ebonyi State to spend 2% of its annual profits or budgetary allocations on CSR projects directed at catalysing environmental protection in Ebonyi State.