Corporate environmental sustainability and transitions: China's evolution and practice

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China has undergone an evolution. This evolution reflects China's economic transformation and global integration. Our chapter overview explores the corporate environmental sustainability landscape of CSR in Chinese businesses, emphasizing corporate roles in addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) related CSR issues. China's growing economy has spurred awareness of the importance of responsible business conduct. For over two decades, Chinese companies have integrated sustainability principles into their operations. Government pressures and initiatives have driven corporate environmental sustainability, motivating businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices and contribute to social welfare. Challenges remain. Improved communication, transparency, and deeper integration of principles into smaller enterprises are only some of the manifold issues. Given the complexity of CSR in China, we focus more on environmental corporate sustainability concerns, primarily touching on major issues related to governmental policies, current corporate environmental sustainability practices, and future directions. Exemplary literature across various topics is presented to help provide greater insight into past, current, and future concerns.