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Sustainability - Denmark

Updated 12/2012

Legal requirements

The Danish Financial Statements Act requires large companies to account for their social responsibility.

  • Financial Statements Act dansk

There are special Executive Orders concerning financial reports that apply to pension funds, insurance, credit institutions and fund brokers.

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is about businesses using their business activities to help meet social challenges, both nationally and globally.

  • Corporate social responsibility dansk

The Danish government has launched an action plan on corporate social responsibility. It consists of 30 initiatives distributed over four areas, of which the first three directly relate to corporate responsibility:

  • promotion of business-driven social responsibility;
  • promotion of CSR through state activities;
  • encouraging businesses to be environmentally friendly.
  • Action plan on corporate social responsibility dansk

Standards

The Danish government recommends adopting the UN principles for responsible investment (UN PRI) and the UN Global Compact.

The UN principles for responsible investment (UN PRI) are six general guidelines for investors' work on social responsibility. Every company that has investment activities can use the principles.

The Global Compact consists of ten principles on how a company can work responsibly in relation to human rights, employee rights, the environment and fighting corruption.

The law requires businesses to comply with minimum social and environmental rules.

Administrative procedures

Reporting on corporate social responsibility

Companies that have to account for their social responsibility work in their annual report must provide information on:

  • The company's social responsibility policies, including any standards, guidelines or principles relating to social responsibility that the company uses;
  • How the company turns its social responsibility policies into action, including any systems or procedures for this;
  • The company's assessment of what has been achieved as a result of its social responsibility work during the financial year, and the company's expectations for future work, if any.

If the company has not drawn up any social responsibility policies, this must be explained.

The social responsibility account must be inserted into the management report in the annual report. Alternatively, the company can insert the social responsibility account into a supplementary report to the annual report, or on the company's website. However, the management report must state where the account can be found.

  • Government website on social responsibility dansk
  • Government website on social responsibility dansk

Resources

Business-driven social responsibility incorporates social responsibility into a company's business strategy and helps improve profitability and enhance their competitiveness.

  • Practical guide to corporate social responsibility pdf [18 MB] dansk

The Social Index is a tool that focuses on a socially responsible working environment. It emphasises dialogue between managers and workers as a tool for achieving better social commitment in the workplace.

  • The social index dansk

The CSR compass helps businesses deal with their various obligations with regard to social and environmental responsibility.

  • The CSR compass dansk

The climate compass helps Danish businesses produce a climate strategy and calculate their CO2 emissions.

  • The climate compass dansk

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Act Amending the Financial Statements Act, Act no 1403 of 27 December 2008 dansk
    • Executive Order on financial reports for credit institutions, fund brokers, etc., Executive Order no 1305 of 16 December 2008 dansk
    • Executive Order on financial reports for insurance companies and lateral pension funds, Executive Order no 1310 of 16 December 2008 dansk

    Key documents

    • Practical guide to corporate social commitment pdf [18 MB] dansk

Living and moving in Europe

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Enterprise Europe Network - Contact points

The Enterprise Europe Network provides businesses with information and advice through its local contact points. 

Choose your nearest contact point for personalized help and advice:

Further help

The National Network acts as a driving force in the effort to limit social exclusion and promote integration into the labour market. Members of the network participate in the current debate on CSR and inspire other employers to become involved in promoting social wellbeing.

The regional networks aim to inspire businesses to enhance their social commitments. Businesses participate voluntarily and the networks are simple, efficient and unbureaucratic.

The Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility works on projects and initiatives to help businesses advance their social responsibility. Details on this and specific tools can be found on samfundsansvar.dk.

  • Samfundsansvar.dk dansk