Corporate social responsibility has become increasingly popular among the UK’s top companies, according to a report by Deloitte, the accountancy firm. Eighty of the UK FTSE-100 companies now issue corporate responsibility (CR) reports, compared to 56 five years ago, the study found.

Mike Barber, corporate responsibility partner at Deloitte, says: “The increase in CR reporting is a consequence of investors, pressure groups and other stakeholders demanding more information on social and environmental issues.”

Companies are also increasingly looking to third parties to validate their CR credentials, says Deloitte, with the number of companies receiving independent third party advice rising from 29 in 2002 to 53 in 2006.

The trend for companies to produce CR is likely to continue, says Barber. “It is likely that before too long, virtually all of the largest companies in the UK will produce CR reports,” he says.