.svg){kind=logo}
.png)
Each week, we present an overview of the major social, economic and ecological issues of our time.
From the perception of discrimination in hiring in France, to the questioning of the carbon impact of the ultra-rich, to the challenges of climate adaptation, this article explores the major current issues in CSR. As climate and social pressures mount, who will rise to the challenge of turning promises into concrete action?
Read all the latest CSR news in this article.
Half of employees fear discrimination when hiring
Medef has published a national 2024 CSR & Equal Opportunity Barometer, surveying 1,800 French employees. Among them, 48% said they feared discrimination in hiring. This figure is slightly down on last year. The main source of concern is age (up to 81% among 55-64 year-olds).
In addition, the study shows that there is a significant gap between employees and their companies on certain CSR issues. Three subjects in particular are affected by this "hiatus": equal opportunities, the environment and employment of the over-50s.
This tends to generate a "feeling of disconnect" between employees and the company's stated values, the authenticity of which they are increasingly reluctant to accept, according to studies conducted on the subject in recent months.
"Performance has become a thing of the past in favor of robustness?
In an interview with Novethic , Olivier Hamant, a researcher in resource economics at ENS Lyon, develops his idea of robustness, a principle that should supplant performance in corporate governance.
He argues that the world's ecological, geopolitical and economic instabilities are considerably weakening business models organized exclusively around the imperative of financial performance.
In response to this model, he argues for robustness : "the ability to keep the system stable and viable despite fluctuations". The question is: who will take the longevity and sustainability of their business model at the expense of optimizing returns? Such an evolution requires us to rethink the economic system as a whole. For if we fail to do so today, economic and climatic hazards may well force us to do so in the future.
What ESG impact do influencers have?
Influencers and content creators online and on social networks are often veritable brands in their own right. With a fundamentally entrepreneurial approach, their business model is essentially based on commercial partnerships.
The Paye ton influence collective is working on the ESG impact of these commercial uses, denouncing "opaque" practices and "incentives to over-consumption". These considerations are based on the observation that marketing practices are similar to those of advertising, requiring the same vigilance and supervision on the part of public authorities.
In collaboration with Ademe (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency), the collective intends to publish a guide to responsible influence for influencers, with the aim of providing a framework for business models that often encourage lifestyles that are out of step with the climate emergency.
Returning to work after long-term illness: what are the challenges for the company?
According to studies carried out by the French National Cancer Institute, the incidence of long-term illness generates major professional inequalities. As such, the challenge of getting these employees back to work is a real one of inclusion for the company.
Poor supervision of the return to work is likely to weaken team morale and lead to breaches of contract. To counter this risk, CareGiver Conseil proposes a list of objectives to be met by management:
- Identify key contacts for better support
- Communicate appropriately and transparently
- Maintaining the link with the absent person for a smooth return
- Adapting workstations and schedules
Carbon inequality: billionaires emit 7,700 tonnes per year
Oxfam's latest report, published ahead of COP29 in November, focuses on carbon inequalities. In particular, it highlights the colossal gap between the GHG emissions of the world's 50 wealthiest people and those of the poorest.
On average, a billionaire emits 7,700 t of Co2 per year, while the poorest 50% of the world's population emit just 1 t each year.
It is also possible to consider the carbon footprint of these billionaires' financial investments, 40% of which are destined for carbon-intensive industries. In 2022, the impact of French billionaires' investments was 2.4 million tonnes of Co2.
As a result, socio-economic inequalities often overlap with ecological inequalities.
Lower emissions: 2.6% instead of the required 43%.
Just two weeks ahead of COP29, the UN climate organization has published a report according to which the climate commitments made by countries would currently only lead to a 2.6% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, as opposed to the 43% required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
These figures are the result of aggregating the emission reduction commitments of the 195 signatory countries to the Paris Agreement. They mark the "absence of significant progress" by countries over the past year.
UN Climate once again calls for this report to be a "turning point" in truly accelerating the impact of environmental policies on the climate: "We need global mobilization on a scale and at a pace never seen before, and we need it now, or the 1.5°C target will soon be dead" Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.
Consulting firms adapt to young graduates' quest for meaning
Consulting is the number one recruitment sector for young graduates of top business schools. Yet more and more new entrants to the job market are stressing their need for a meaningful profession, with a positive impact on society and the environment.
Driven by regulations and the ever-increasing demands of consumers, these firms have set up departments specializing in CSR and sustainable development issues. An ideal situation for young graduates in search of meaning.
At EY, for example, one partner claims that two-thirds of his team is under 30, and that he notes the "strong attractiveness of these professions to young people". In short, this situation offers some the opportunity to reconcile the consulting world with a positive impact.
Adapting to a +4°C world, really?
Last Friday, the French government presented its Plan national d'adaptation au changement climatique (Pnacc), a strategy for adapting to climate change. It aims to anticipate the IPCC forecasts which, taking into account the attitude of governments around the world, predict a 4°C rise in average temperature by 2100.
This series of 51 proposals has been sharply criticized by NGOs and ecological and environmental associations. Overall, they see the document as consisting of "too many incentives and too few means". However, it does include a measure that would make it compulsory for companies to publish vulnerability studies, foreshadowing a possible "monitoring obligation".
A number of political figures were also skeptical about the Plan's very content, arguing that it was impossible to "adapt to a +4°C world".
Tensions over biodiversity credits at COP16
The COP16 biodiversity conference currently taking place in Cali has sparked a lively debate on the supposed reliability of biodiversity credits. Indeed, this financial tool is widely criticized by many experts and associations who would like to avoid a repeat of the abuses associated with carbon credits.
Indeed, most of the follow-up assessments and surveys carried out on the impact of carbon credits have shown their ineffectiveness in reducing emissions on the one hand, and the tendency to have a negative impact on local populations on the other.
However, an international advisory panel, theInternational Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), has been set up and has issued a report designed to ensure the proper use and credibility of this much-contested scheme. Indeed, nearly 240 civil society organizations have signed a text warning of the dangers of drift and abuse associated with biodiversity credits, in particular greenwashing.
Severe flooding in Valence
Spain has been hit by violent flooding in the east of the country near Valencia. According to figures released by the emergency services, the devastating effect of the sudden torrential rains has left at least 95 people dead.
The violence of this extreme weather event is due to the phenomenon, well known to meteorologists, of the "gota fria" ("cold drop"). This "isolated high-altitude low-pressure system" is generally responsible for heavy rainfall over a fairly long period of time.
Impressive images show mounds of cars and devastated neighborhoods. A reminder of the dual importance of taking seriously the challenges of mitigating and adapting to the effects of extreme climatic events.
The sources
Youmatter "Half of French employees fear discrimination".
Carenews "Paye ton influence wants to change the codes of social networks".
RSE Magazine "Illness: a Serious Game to raise awareness when returning to work?"
Novethic "Billionaires and their carbon budget: the crazy figures from the Oxfam report"
Les Echos "Do young graduates who have chosen transition consulting feel useful?"
.jpg)