Introduction

This monograph brings together original academic contributions and interdisciplinary research addressing the evolving role of business leaders and executives in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the green and digital transitions. The collected contributions aim to deepen our understanding of how corporate governance structures — and in particular the legal and ethical responsibilities of business leaders — can promote more sustainable, transparent and socially responsible corporate behavior. With a particular focus on the accountability of directors, the monograph examines both the legal framework and the practical challenges that shape the implementation of CSR at national, European and global levels. The contributions offer critical insights into the legal incentives, regulatory mechanisms and systemic barriers that influence how CEOs engage with sustainability, human rights, environmental standards and stakeholder interests. By situating the analysis within the broader framework of local and global sustainability goals and against the backdrop of the green and digital transformation envisioned by the EU, this monograph positions CSR not just as a voluntary initiative, but as a core element of responsible and legally accountable corporate governance. The monograph is particularly relevant for academics, lawyers, business leaders and policy makers concerned with shaping the future of sustainable business. It offers both theoretical considerations and practical perspectives on how leadership responsibility can serve as a driving force in building a more ethical, inclusive and sustainable economy. Monograph will also have an impact on legislation, companies, directors, to demonstrate good sustainability management practices in accordance with the new ESRS standards, in particular Area G of ESG (environment, social, governance). It will present what kind of business models directors are using to align with new legislation demands within EU towards green and digital transition. Special focus will be given to future research possibilities according to new EU Omnibus proposal for simplification of sustainability reporting demands and other topics, relevant to the themes in this call. It will be interesting to see changes in organizations and directors’ behaviour in daily practice because of changed legislation and market demands – in some countries, at EU level and globally.

Objective

This book aims to critically examine the evolving responsibilities of business leaders in the European Union, particularly in the context of the green transformation, the EU Green Deal and the forthcoming Omnibus Directive 2025. It seeks to contribute to academic and professional discourse by analyzing how business leaders are expected to lead organizational change in terms of sustainability, social responsibility and legal compliance. Through legal, theoretical and empirical contributions, the book explores how directors can and should lead organizations towards greener, more socially responsible business models to meet both market expectations and legal obligations. The book contextualizes corporate social responsibility (CSR) not only as a voluntary obligation, but also as a strategic and legal duty of modern corporate governance. The most important contributions to the monograph include: – A comprehensive analysis of non-financial reporting requirements and CSR obligations under EU law (including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)) and their implementation in national legislation; – Comparative experience and theoretical reflections on directors’ roles in embedding CSR and sustainability into corporate strategies; – In-depth study of due diligence obligations related to sustainability and human rights, including implications for directors’ legal duties and corporate disclosure practices; – Examination of the EU taxonomy and other regulatory instruments that govern sustainable financial and business behavior; – Discussion of future trends, innovative governance approaches and emerging best practices in the area of responsible leadership; Consideration of ESG-related compliance criteria and the intersection of legal mandates and ethical expectations of corporate behavior. By providing an integrated perspective on the legal, political and practical dimensions of directors’ accountability in the age of sustainability, this book fills an important gap in current research. It will be of particular interest to legal scholars, corporate governance experts, regulators, directors and policy makers concerned with shaping responsible corporate behavior in the EU and beyond.

Target Audience

Papers will be collected from different authors all over the world. Also researchers, experts and partners from Science and Research Centre Koper, Law Institute & EMUNI University & IRDO and their global partners will be invited to present their chapters. Key audiences are: • University professors & researchers, • CEOs of large companies and SMEs, • public policy managers, • legislators, • CSO’s – Chief Sustainability Officers, • Experts on Sustainability & Social Responsibility from different organizations, • Students, • and others … We invite authors to present some of their research results on digital and green transition – legal and practical issues, challenges and their future perspectives. In addition to theoretical sources, legislation and case law, the different legal and strategic bases will be used. Authors shall submit original contributions (scientific papers), which will be presented in this scientific monography, published at IGI Global. Most benefit from the research contained will be for organizations and state leaders, legislation authors and experts, consultants on CSR & Sustainability, students and many other audiences.

Recommended Topics

The topics that align closest with the research that will be contained within our monograph: – Business and Management – Computer Science and Information Technology – Education – Life Sciences – Library and Information Science – Medicine and Healthcare – Media and Communications – Security and Forensics – Government and Law – Social Sciences and Humanities – Physical Sciences and Engineering

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before May 4, 2025, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by May 18, 2025 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by July 6, 2025, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Investigating Directors’ Accountability in Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery^® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing (formerly Idea Group Inc.), an international academic publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2026.

Important Dates

May 4, 2025: Proposal Submission Deadline
May 18, 2025: Notification of Acceptance
July 6, 2025: Full Chapter Submission
August 10, 2025: Review Results Returned
September 7, 2025: Final Acceptance Notification
September 14, 2025: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

Maja Pucelj Euro-Mediterranean University of Slovenia maja.pucelj@emuni.si Rado Bohinc Euro-Mediterranean University of Slovenia rado.bohinc@emuni.si Anita Hrast IRDO Institute for the Development of Social Responsibility anita.hrast@irdo.si