CSR news from 08/19/2024

Charles Lorin

August 19, 2024

In CSR news, we report on the latest interview with Brigitte Nivet, researcher and expert in responsible management, who proposes a shift from control-oriented management to one based on listening and recognition. While companies in the USA are adapting to the new net-zero laws, public opinion in France is increasingly concerned about responsible consumption. In this global context, the need for more humane and responsible management is becoming a priority for a sustainable future!
Find out more about the 10 CSR news items of the week in this article.

Moving from a management of control to a management of listening

Brigitte Nivet is an associate researcher at Cereq and professor of management at ESC Clermont. She holds a doctorate in management science and specializes in responsible management issues, and talks to Novethic.

She notes that there is a clash between a "mechanistic vision" of work on the part of managers, who think of it in terms of objectives and control, and the vision of "living work", in its fundamentally human dimension. Crises occur when "management's desire for control is at odds with workers' subjectivity".

According to her, to avoid this, management needs to take the path of listening, debate and democracy within the company, but also to tackle "the justice of remuneration" to rethink the balance of recognition.

U.S. companies take the net-zero plunge

A survey conducted by EcoOnline reveals that 8 out of 10 American companies have already launched net-zero development programs. This dynamic can be explained as a response to the implementation of SB 253 by the State of California, which obliges large companies to report on their extra-financial performance.

According to a survey by EcoOnline, 73% of US executives surveyed see sustainability as "an opportunity for revenue growth", and 94% admit that it "enhances the value of their brand". In other words, getting a head start on reporting obligations also enables these companies to reap productive benefits from sustainability initiatives.

Finally, the survey reveals that 84% of companies plan to use software to collect, analyze and report their CSR data "to meet legislative requirements".

Microplastics found in Schweppes and Coke

The association Agir pour l'Environnement has published a survey showing the presence of 6 types of plastic "in the form of micro and nanoparticles" in Schweppes and Coca-Cola bottles. After a series of readings, they warned health authorities and consumers.

Infrared analysis reveals 6 different forms of plastic, even though the company declares only 2 in contact with the drink. A "surprising" discovery, according to the association. One hypothesis is that the cap degrades, releasing microplastics as it is used.

The association Agir points out that the effects of ingesting micro- and nanoparticles by the human organism are still poorly documented, but that they represent "significant health risks".

The pretense of economic criticism of ecology

The two scientists Gilles Boeuf and Marc-André Selosse have written an article for Le Monde in which they criticize the rhetoric that blames political ecology for constraining people's purchasing power. In their view, the additional costs generated by the impact of chemical inputs on public finances "far outweigh the gains in purchasing power" that justify them.

Their argument is that pollution from agricultural and industrial activities poses public health problems that the State finances through its healthcare system.

According to a study by the European Commission, banning the most dangerous chemical substances would "save between €11 billion and €31 billion a year in public health costs in Europe", which would compensate tenfold for the loss of industrial earnings.

Ecological responsibility gains ground with the French

Ademe and Greenflex have published a barometer of responsible consumption. It shows how French attitudes to ecology and sustainability have evolved over the past 20 years. An interesting aspect of this study is that it assesses perceptions of ecology in the light of society's widespread awareness that a sustainable transition is a political imperative.

Whereas in 2004, ecological issues were often relegated to second place by those questioned, today 70% of them are in favor of responsible production and consumption methods that are also more frugal.

As a result, the notion of sobriety is becoming increasingly important. Over 80% of those questioned believe that companies "encourage over-consumption", and a feeling of mistrust towards them seems to be taking hold.

Thailand: €260 local consumption bonus

The Thai government has decided to pay out €260 (10,000 baht) to its poorest inhabitants. This investment in household consumption is conditional on local purchases, which finance the national economy. The aim of this measure is to "boost consumption, without falling into consumerism".

This consumer stimulus package would cost the Thai government over 11 billion euros, benefiting over 45 million people living in precarious conditions.

This endowment is a digital currency, which will only be valid for six months, to encourage recipients to spend rather than save. Economist Jean-Christophe Duval sees this as a good initiative, but regrets that Thailand is not going further by injecting "a debt-free currency, whose counterpart is ecological or social".

SpaceX satellite to monitor GHG emissions

The NASA-designed Tanager-1 satellite blasted off aboard SpaceX's Transporter-11 mission on August 16. It is being sent into orbit to detect and track carbon and methane emissions around the globe. The aim of the project is to provide precise, real-time data on the state of global warming.

Known as "hyperspectral", this satellite is able to measure data "across a wide range of wavelengths", and thus identify super-emitters from space with an accuracy never before achieved.

On the one hand, this transparency initiative is designed to help companies better understand and identify their environmental responsibilities. On the other, it will also serve to measure the impact and effectiveness of climate commitments and other international agreements.

Recycling noble metals: tomorrow's sustainable solution?

Present in very large quantities in electronic devices, noble metals are costly and their extraction emits high levels of greenhouse gases. The benefits of recycling them are twofold: on the one hand, to reduce the environmental impact of the mining industry, and on the other, to reduce our dependence on new raw materials.

For example, the Swiss association Swico Recycling collects and recycles almost 40,000 tonnes of electronic scrap every year, equivalent to 10 million electronic devices. Recovering the noble metals from this scrap satisfies 14 times the national demand for smartphones, for example.

In Switzerland, almost 90% of appliances are recycled: this represents 900 kg of noble metals and 21,600 tonnes of iron or copper every year.

Paralympic Games: Paris faces the challenge of accessibility

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (August 28 - September 8) pose the question of the city's accessibility to people with disabilities with redoubled acuity. In particular, the metro and its countless lift-less stations, long corridors and gaps between platform and footboard.

To date, only 29 out of 320 stations meet the accessibility requirements of people with disabilities. However, according to Île de France Mobilités, buses and streetcars are "100%" equipped. This situation remains unsatisfactory, and tends to marginalize some people from various public services.

Nicolas Mérille, national accessibility advisor at APF France handicap, denounces a situation where too many neighborhoods are not sufficiently accessible, and goes so far as to evoke "segregation".

Australian project for the world's largest solar power plant

The Australian government has announced the launch of the world's largest solar farm, to be installed over an area of 12,000 hectares. It will include solar panels, batteries and a large cable linking Australia to Singapore.

Once installed, the project is expected to generate 4 gigawatt-hours of energy to meet national demand and power 3 million homes. A further 2 gigawatt-hours will be sent to Singapore.

Highly affected by climate change, Australia is joining the international effort to gain greater independence from fossil fuels, which still account for the vast majority of its electricity production.

The sources

Charles Lorin

Head of Sales - EcoVadis expert