International Journal of Green Management and Business Studies
Vol.5 No.1 June 2025
DOI https://www.doi.org/10.56830/IJGMBS06202506
Authors
Abstract
This paper investigates the shift from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to ESG
(environmental, social, and governance) frameworks with a focus on their importance in the
ethical oversight and environmental responsibility of international corporations. With global
investors becoming more sensitive to systemic environmental and governance issues,
traditional CSR models have relied upon are obsolete in favor of more integrated and
measurable ESG standards. This paper analyzes the evolution corporate governance should
undergo to shift from compliance and reputation wash to include safe systems, ecodependences, human rights obligations, and true sustainability. It also emphasizes the gap on
credible governance metrics and the dangers of greenwashing when ESG is superficially
applied. This study transforms ‘E’ and ‘G’ of ESG from mere operational imperatives into
strategic investment requirements arguing that ESG can be used as a transformative
framework aimed at long-term resilience, trust among stakeholders, and ethical leadership.
The study highlights that real structural accountability combined with real-time environmental
accountability for multinational corporations along with symbolic to systemic change defines
meaningful integration of ESG principles.
Keywords: ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR), Ethical Governance, Environmental Accountability, Multinational Enterprises, Greenwashing
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