Abstract:

The article substantiates the role of social investment in the corporate social responsibility development and proves its influence on the investment and economic development of the European Union countries in the context of sustainable development. The purpose of the article is to analyze the directions of social investment in the countries of the European Union for the effective realization of corporate social responsibility in the conditions of sustainable development of the economy of these countries and to determine the possibilities of their implementation in Ukrainian practice. The methodological basis of the research is the data of the rating agencies as Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, CSR Europe, Center for Corporate Social Responsibility Development, Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen, data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, European Commission, European Fund and Asset Management Association, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. The article defines the essence of the "social investments" concept, defines their types, analyzes the dynamics of social investment in the countries of the European Union, and defines the main directions of socially responsible corporation development in these countries. The quality index of social investments of the corporations of the leading countries in the field of social responsibility (Denmark, Germany, France, and Sweden) was calculated and a comparative analysis with the Ukrainian leader was carried out, which allowed determining and comparing the effectiveness of the social investment directions implementation, based on the selected indicators. The findings outline ways to develop social investing that will allow companies to formulate an effective corporate social responsibility strategy and increase their financial profitability.