Recursos naturais e sustentabilidade: a responsabilidade social, ambiental e jurídica das empresas

Abstract

This study presents analysis and reflections about the integration of social responsibility on the concept of sustainable development which, in turn, is implicitly covered in the article 225 CF/88. It should be mentioned that the 1988 constituent listed in the article 225, caput, the balanced environment as a fundamental right, arising from the right to life itself, and forbided any activity that could potentially jeopardize that - good environmental protection. Thereby, the social responsibility taken by companies as an ongoing commitment, ethically, must be understood as a part of the sustainable development concept, since it allows, among others, the prevention of future risks, such as environmental impacts or litigation. It should be noted that sustainable development consists of three pillars, which are: social, environmental and economic; if harmony and integration between them, are not checked, there is an imbalance that directly reflects on the quality of life of the species, besides affecting the activities and business decisions, as these will depend on many factors that go far beyond the ways of obtaining financial gain. Therefore, adjust the company´s activities to the concept of sustainable development is a matter of survival rather than competitiveness. Thus, both state power as the private power complement each other and do not overlap when they have common goals that, in this specific case, are the preservation and maintenance of an ecologically balanced environment. Although the corporate social responsibility is not expressed exhaustively in the legislation, when analyzing the concept of sustainable development it will be clear that the inclusion of social and environmental responsibility is a duty to be taken by the companies and can not be understood as mere effective means of minimizing the advances in environmental legislation, considering that should be considered in a complementary manner.