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Corporate Social Responsibility Deficits and Governance Pathways of Food-Delivery Platforms: An ESG Perspective
Summary
This paper examines how food-delivery apps fall short on environmental and social responsibility, generating heavy plastic waste and food waste while underpaying and under-protecting delivery drivers, treating restaurant partners unfairly, and using unclear algorithms that make it hard to hold anyone accountable. For consumers, this matters because the convenience of ordering food comes with hidden costs: more single-use plastic (which can break down into microplastics that end up in our environment and food chain) and potential risks to your rights as a customer. The researchers call for stronger government rules and better company practices, like greener packaging and clearer algorithms, to
As the digital economy continues to expand, food-delivery platforms have generated substantial economic and social value. At the same time, shortcomings in their environmental, social, and governance responsibilities have become increasingly visible. Drawing on the ESG framework, this paper systematically examines the corporate social responsibility performance of food-delivery platforms. Environmentally, the platform business model contributes to single-use plastic pollution and food waste. Socially, platforms provide inadequate protection for delivery couriers' labor rights, maintain inequitable relationships with merchants, and pose potential risks to consumer rights. In terms of governance, opaque algorithms create further accountability concerns. On the basis of this analysis, the paper proposes a set of governance measures. Externally, government regulation and broader social oversight should be strengthened. Internally, platforms should reform their governance practices, promote green consumption, safeguard stakeholder rights, improve algorithmic transparency, and advance sustainable corporate development.