2012 in Retrospect: CSR and Sustainability News, Views & Trends

What will 2012 be remembered for? Elections that exposed a divided nation? The hundreds of companies that joined the Benefit Corporation movement? The year Apple had to face the impact of its choices? Another tepid Climate summit? Or the resounding voice of inspiration, innovation and progress?

The year was anything but quiet. As sounds of the Occupy movement died down, election fever took over our nation. Along with allegations and arguments, came disturbing signs of climate change with Hurricane Sandy taking the wind out of our sails and the Weatherization Assistance Program fizzled. On the corporate front, CSR reporting hit a new high and the dialogue jumped from "why report" to "how much to report" and materiality. Impact investing began to dominate discussions, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board [SASB] was officially launched, unemployment began to slowly dip and pundits took to the airwaves to debate the future of the American Dream.

So, what can business leaders, CSR champions, social entrepreneurs and changemakers look forward to as we step into 2013? CSRwire's Talkback looks back with:

• Aman Singh, Editorial Director, CSRwire
• Andrea Learned, Senior Social Media Strategist, Pyramid Communications
• Carol Sanford, Author, The Responsible Business
• Danielle Lanyard, Founder, The Green Breakfast Club
• Dave Wan, Community Gardener and Author of Affluenza and The New Normal
• Elsie Maio, CEO, Humanity, Inc.
• Francesca Rheannon, Senior Editor, Talkback and Producer of The Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon
• Hank Boerner, Chairman & CEO, The Governance & Accountability Institute
• James Temple, Director, Corporate Responsibility, PwC and Leader, PwC Canada Foundation
• Jeffrey Hollender, Founder, Seventh Generation and Founding Partner, Jeffrey Hollender Partners
• Joanne Bauer, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University
• Joe Sibilia, CEO, CSRwire
• John Perkins, Author, Hoodwinked
• Jude Rachele Smith, Social Entrepreneur, Business Ethics Specialist & Public Speaker
• Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner, Taiga Company
• Kirsty Matthewson, Marketing Manager, Expolink Europe
• Liz Gorman, Senior Vice President, Cone Communications
• Mal Warwick, Chairman, One World Futbol Foundation and Author Values-Driven Business: How to Change the World, Make Money, and Have Fun
• Marc Choyt, President, Reflective Images and Director, Fair Jewelry Action USA
• Marc Stoiber, Creative Director and Brand Strategist
• Pamela Hawley, CEO, Universal Giving
• Philip Monaghan, Founder & CEO, Infrangilis and Author How Local Resilience Creates Sustainable Societies: Hard to Make, Hard to Break
• Raj Thamotheram, Strategic Adviser, Investing As If The Long Term Matters
• Sanford Lewis, Attorney & Filmmaker, Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability
• Steve Pyser, Assistant Professor for Human Resource Management, Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University

And most importantly, YOU: Our readers, members, commentators and decision-makers. So don't forget to contribute your thoughts, predictions and analysis by leaving a comment, connecting with us on Twitter or emailing the Editors at CSRwire.