Public concern about worsening global environmental and social conditions has spurred corporate participation in voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. Such efforts are promising, but CSR participation has unfolded unevenly across the globe, leading to skepticism about the efficacy of CSR efforts, and to increased pressure on governments to get involved. Corporate Social Responsibility and the State examines CSR governance through the lens of forest certification in Canada, the US, and Sweden. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews with experts, Lister offers revealing new information on CSR governance, ultimately demonstrating the importance of voluntary CSR as a supplement to rather than a substitute for strong state regulation. One of the first studies to directly address the role of the public sector in CSR, this book provides much-needed theoretical and practical guidance for understanding a vital new governance approach to effective social and environmental stewardship.