Response to Profitabiity vs social responsibility?

I recently read a Blog by Carbon Trader called Profitability vs. Social Responsibility?  This is my response.

I think it can be easier for a small or medium size business to be social responsible.  The Carbon Trader used an example of a large bank making billions of dollars in profits and investing 100 millions in Social Responsibility.  Thats all great, but I think the real issue of Social Responsibility in Big business isn't so much what it does with its profit, but what it does to make those profits.  

If Hypothetical Manufacturing Inc has been building gidgets for 50 years but hasn't updated its factories in almost as long, they should have a social responsibility to clean up their carbon footprint.  Their factory may have lived up to the standards of the day but times have changed.  What if they can save money by buying carbon credits, or even paying the fines, instead of updating their equipment.  Digging into their own pockets and making the changes even if it is not the best option finically speaking, IS Social Responsibility.  Cleaning up their act without being forced to by legislation is Social Responsibility.  

In the case of a smaller business, updating equipment or changes methods is a smaller job.  The big company has Millions maybe Billions of dollars in upgrades where as a small company only has thousands or 10s of thousands of dollars in upgrades.  Now the profit levels aren't as high, but neither is the priority level.  

For example Hypo Manufacturing may have a carbon footprint of 250,000 tons/day and Joe Blow Contacting might have a footprint of 250 tons/week.  Hypo spends $25,000,000 on replacing the filtering system reducing it footprint by 10% to 225,000 tons/day.  Joe Blow might lease a Smart Car for $160 per month for driving from job site to job site and to meeting etc and reduce his footprint by 10% to 225 tons/week.  Same percent outcome for much less strain on the bottom line.  

Smaller companies should have just as much commitment to Social Responsibilities.  Every little bit helps.  Rocky Mountain Flat Bread is a relatively small business with Two restaurants, one in Canmore, Alberta and the other in Vancouver, BC.  They have chosen a Social Responsible way of operating by Composting food waste, using bio-degradable packaging, low flush toilets, buying "Ocean Wise," seafood, using recycled products in the restaurant, using waste wood as fire wood, and buying organic and local as much as possible.  This is one small business making Social Responsible decisions.

Social Responsibility goes far beyond environment issues of course.  There is always the issue of foreign manufacturing and human rights that go along with it, be it child labour or safe work environments with fare pay.  Or the issue of responsible use of natural resources or the effect on natural habitat.  Is it Socially Responsible to produce Nuclear if using a nearby lake for cooling is heating up the lake and killing off the fish stock?  Or to use the limited drinking water in a third world country for manufacturing?  Or is it Ok to use slave labour to make clothing in order to keep the cost of the product down, or the profits up?  

Every company, big or small, is responsible for its actions and the effect they have on others around them.