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In this week's CSR news, we'll be talking about the daily lives of CSR professionals and their sense of powerlessness, the right to disconnect, particularly during the vacations, responsible mobility leave, and many other topics.
Our weekly digest of CSR news!
A crisis of meaning and a feeling of powerlessness among CSR professionals
The new CSR and sustainable development professions are now clearly identified in the world of work. Now fully integrated into entrepreneurial production chains, a sizeable number of CSR professionals are experiencing a crisis of meaning, which they sometimes face alone.
"Greenwashing, lack of resources, disillusionment and doubts, eco-anxiety": these are the signs of a certain exhaustion felt by CSR managers. Their profile is generally that of a young woman, trained in the transition professions, and "coming up against the inertia of the system".
One of the recurring themes is the feeling of loneliness, which can be a source of discouragement: "Most people don't give a damn", says Diana, a sustainable transition professional.
The right to disconnect: a cornerstone of CSR
The right to disconnect, particularly during vacation periods, has become a fundamental element of CSR policies. For managers, the challenge is twofold: firstly, to understand the importance of this right, and secondly, to implement it effectively with realistic measures that respect employees' well-being.
This "right" is enshrined in the so-called El Khomri labor law of 2016, and requires negotiations on the subject between employee representatives and management in companies with more than 50 employees. The aim is to protect employees from the stress and burnout associated with hyperconnection.
Here, CSR comes into play in tandem with the challenges of managing technological and digital tools which, while facilitating and optimizing the company's work, can also prove to be vectors of occupational hazards.
Extending vacations for employees who travel green?
The association La Fresque du Climat is offering its employees extra time off if they adopt a sustainable means of transport for their vacations. These "responsible mobility vacations" are a response to the obstacle posed by the often longer travel times for less emissive means of transport.
The scheme is currently being tested within the association, with a view to measuring its effectiveness. It's an incentive policy that aims to rethink both the way we travel and the role the company can play in its employees' commitment to the environment.
In other organizations, travel time is seen as an opportunity to answer a few e-mails, or to think about more fundamental issues. A compromise which, while not conducive to disconnection, does reduce the carbon footprint of vacation departures.
Participative CSR: a way to establish a territorial base
Involving employees in CSR projects, in the form of solidarity actions, enables them to meet with local associations, and anchor their company in its local area. For example, encouraging employees to volunteer their skills, or financing skills sponsorship, are choices that bring many benefits.
As well as supporting sustainable and responsible initiatives, this gives meaning to the know-how of employees, who can invest it in impact projects.
"Rather than starting new battles to fight, why not save time by serving those already underway?". Such is the philosophy behind this approach, which puts local associations in touch with companies. This strengthens the company's local roots, while weaving a community of impact that values those who commit themselves to it.
SSE professionals' mental health at half-mast
A survey of 2,735 professionals conducted by Harmonie Mutuelle's SSE expertise unit examines the quality of working life in SSE structures. The results are quite alarming, with 91% of those questioned revealing that they are "affected by mental health issues at work".
Among them, a majority of two-thirds of professionals say they are stressed, 35% report "temporary unease" and 33% anxiety. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is excessive workload.
In response to these occupational risks, the "bulwark" cited by 57% of respondents is to improve relations with colleagues. This suggests that a healthy, interactive work environment is an essential point of attention for the management of SSE structures.
The AMF tightens up its policy and introduces sanctions
The French securities regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), is taking a closer look at the sustainable investment claims and promises regularly put forward by asset managers, and "initiating a repressive shift" towards greenwashing in finance.
In a recent publication, the AMF reminds us that the extra-financial sector is subject to the same obligations of clarity, accuracy and authenticity of information as the financial sector. In other words, objective, measurable indicators must accompany marketing announcements in green finance, otherwise there is an increased risk of unbridled greenwashing.
For example, at the end of June, the AMF signed its first agreement with a fund, which agreed to pay €400,000 to the Treasury to "put an end to the investigation" into its questionable sustainability communications.
Decarbonization of French industry, really?
The associations Réseau Action Climat and France Nature Environnement have published a report in which we learn that the observed drop in GHG emissions from the French industrial sector is the result of a fall in production, and not the fruit of ecological voluntarism.
The 7.8% drop in GHG emissions from French industry between 2022 and 2023 calculated by Citepa and widely reported in the media is a little misleading. In fact, "half of it is based on the drop in production during this period".
Cement and steel in particular have suffered from rising energy costs, a less dynamic construction sector and competition from Asia. The drop in production has therefore led to a fall in emissions, but this does not mean that the industry is decarbonizing.
1 billion project to produce green kerosene
Verso Energy has announced plans to set up a "green synthetic fuels production unit" in the Vosges region, for the aviation sector. The company's ambition is to raise €1 billion to complete the project by 2030.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAC) are derived from non-fossil resources, and offer a potential alternative to kerosene. The manufacturing process involves combining hydrogen obtained by electrolysis with Co2 from surrounding biomass.
For your information, the 2023 European "ReFuelEU Aviation" standard will gradually require airlines to incorporate ADC into their fuels, reaching a 35% share by 2050.
SRI label reform: what's new?
The label held by Bercy Investissement Social Responsable (ISR), which to date represents 800 billion euros, published specifications at the end of 2023 to respond to criticism of being too lax and not sustainable enough in its choice of investors. This reform came into force in March: what's new?
Firstly, the label displays "exclusions", i.e. funds that "can no longer invest in certain activities". They must therefore refrain from investing in unconventional hydrocarbons, as well as in new fossil fuel extraction projects.
The label also places greater emphasis on companies' extra-financial performance. Funds that have already been awarded the label must comply with these new requirements by January 1, 2025. To date, "between one in four and one in two funds" do not comply with the new standards.
Putting an end to weather/climate confusion
The temperatures recorded in France over the past few weeks are, for some, an opportunity to question the reality of climate change. In a sometimes conspiratorial tone, many online publications play on the confusion between weather and climate.
The difference between the two is simply in the time scale. Weather is the study of local phenomena over a short period of time. Temperature, rainfall, wind, pressure, etc. are measured in the short term to give an idea of the weather at a given moment .
Climate, on the other hand, is data that can be obtained over the long term: climatologists generally analyze climatic phenomena over 30 years. In other words, questioning climate change on the basis of meteorological observations is like saying that world hunger doesn't exist because your fridge is full!
Sources
Novethic "When CSR professionals are going through a crisis of meaning".
Carenews "Responsible mobility leave, a CSR innovation for vacations"
Carenews "How to strengthen your territorial impact through a participative CSR approach?"
Carenews "SSE tackles mental health issues in the workplace".
L'info Durable "Sustainable finance: the AMF still has work to do and is considering sanctions".
Le Monde "Decarbonation: the "difficult transformation" of French industry".
L'info Durable "Green kerosene: one billion investment planned in the Vosges".
Le Monde "SRI label: what has the reform changed for socially responsible investment?"
Green ""It's 15 degrees and they're talking about global warming": what's the difference between weather and climate?"
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