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This week, in the world of CSR, news is full of initiatives and challenges.
Discover the latest trends and issues, from LGBT+ inclusion to advances in the regenerative economy, from workplace safety challenges to new directions for Europe's leading companies.
Enjoy your reading!
LGBT+ inclusion, an underestimated CSR issue
In the latest CSR 2024 barometer published by Vendredi, we note that only 16% of companies train and sensitize their teams to issues of gender identity and sexual orientation. Yet the stakes are high, given that 3 out of 10 LGBT people claim to have experienced violence or discrimination at work because of their identity.
While they feel increasingly visible and integrated in their professional environments (6 out of 10 LGBT people), a study carried out by l'Autre cercle reveals the greater difficulties encountered by trans or non-binary people.
As such, processes can be put in place by companies to foster their recognition and inclusion. Administrative routines, for example, may fail to recognize their identity as such.
Occupational accident prevention: French companies lag behind
According to CNAM and MSA 2021 data cited by the government, 2 people die every day at work in France, and over 100 are seriously injured. In addition, 600,000 people each year are recognized as victims of work-related accidents or illnesses. These figures are a stark reminder that France is lagging far behind the rest of Europe.
At the end of April, the Ministry of Labor received an open letter from trade unions: "We cannot be satisfied with the current level of occupational accidents and illnesses in France."
The cause lies in "hasty" management, which prioritizes short-term deadlines, and the fragmentation of tasks superimposed on several projects at the same time. According to Dares, only "8% of French companies include work organization in their prevention policies".
CAC40: bosses earn 130 times more than employees
According to a recent report by Oxfam, in 2022 CAC 40 executives earned on average 130 times more than the average salary of their companies' employees. The NGO denounces a situation where, despite constant increases in the wealth produced, the distribution and "redistribution of wealth is inequitable".
The wealth gap is widening between executives and their employees: current figures show a 17% increase over 2019. What's more, in 1979 they earned "only" 40 times the value of the SMIC. The average remuneration of a CAC 40 executive in 2022 was 6.66 million euros.
Oxfam is campaigning for the introduction of a "living wage" on the one hand, and for a change in logic on the other: substituting financial performance for climate performance in determining executive remuneration.
Indexing employer remuneration to climate performance: a failure
The organization As you Sow has published its second report entitled "Pay for climate performance", which examines a new practice that is making news, but remains marginal. It consists of indexing CEO and executive remuneration to the company's extra-financial performance, in particular its climate objectives.
The organization focused on the 100 largest market capitalizations in the US, which together account for $28,000 billion. Two revealing facts emerge:
More than a third of companies have no incentive plan linked to executive compensation
Only 20 companies have "measurable climate incentives".
Thus, if the approach is non-measurable or not aligned with the 1.5°C objective, it seems ineffective in the vast majority of cases.
French start-up gets a head start with its mini-nuclear reactor
French start-up Jimmy has applied for authorization from the Mission de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection. This department of the French Ministry of Ecological Transition will then forward the application to the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).
With a thermal output of 10 megawatts, these mini-reactors are intended to supply decarbonized energy to an entire industrial site. A move in line with France's ambition for a green industry, as set out in the law enacted in October 2023.
Two elements characterize these mini-reactors: the use of well-known high-temperature reactor (HTR) technology and the use of Triso fuel, "reputed to be very safe and accident-tolerant". The French government has subsidized the project to the tune of €32 million. The start-up has also raised over €17 million in 2022.
What is the "regenerative economy"?
While every economic enterprise involves the necessary extraction and consumption of natural resources, some of them are calling for a shift to a "regenerative economy". This can be defined as "restoring, renewing and regenerating natural resources rather than depleting them".
The underlying logic is that limiting negative externalities is no longer sufficient as the sole method for reducing the impact of companies. To this approach must be added the ambition to produce a "regenerative" positive impact on ecosystems.
What's more, companies need to consider that they fully belong to ecosystems, in which they are integrated in concert with "natural environments and human communities".
Decline in CSR advertising
According to the CSR advertising barometer maintained by Kantar Media, there was a 20% drop between January and February. In fact, their results reveal a drop from 254 million euros (January) to 209 million (February) in investment by brands and companies.
As a result, financial investment in CSR communication "now represents 9.4% of the multi-media advertising market". Despite the decline in television advertising, it remains the largest single area of CSR spending, accounting for almost 12% of the total. The print media posted a remarkable +52% increase, bringing its share to 11%.
At a time when it is becoming increasingly clear that CSR is an engine of development for companies, the advertising and marketing emphasis placed on it raises the question of a certain commercial opportunism. In other words, it puts the issue of greenwashing into perspective.
G7 countries to end coal-fired power plants
This week, the G7 countries meeting in Turin announced a deadline of 2035 for the end of coal-fired power generation. A historic first step in line with the commitments made at COP28. This step is all the more important given that coal is the world's biggest emitter of CO2.
Arnaud Gilles, climate-energy advocacy officer at WWF France, says that agreeing a date is a strong signal to the G20 countries "who were expecting the richest countries to take the first step".
In terms of public policy, the challenge is to get countries around the world to adopt a roadmap for a global phase-out of coal.
Europe's single market boosts green innovation
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have published a study revealing the key role played by the European single market in driving innovation and clean technologies.
The EIB and EPO highlight two key factors in the stimulating role of the single market: economic integration on the one hand, and trade and investment facilitation on the other. What's more, France and Germany are proving to be key trading partners in this area. Between 2016 and 2021, there will be a "significant 33% increase in the number of new inventions in the field of clean technologies".
However, SMEs also point to financing difficulties: 30% of them "consider the lack of financing" to be an obstacle to bringing their innovations to market.
What is eco-responsible clothing?
According to ADEME, the fashion and textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world, accounting for 8% of annual global GHG emissions (or 4 billion tonnes of CO2). What's more, consumers buy "40% more clothes than they did 15 years ago, but keep them half as long". L'Info Durable proposes 3 criteria to refer to in order to be sure of consuming a sustainable textile.
The material: Cotton consumes a lot of water and is dangerous for biodiversity, given the intensive use of pesticides in its cultivation. Natural organic fibers are preferable.
Where they're made: The further away they come from, the harder it is to know under what conditions they're made. Not to mention the pollution generated by offshoring.
Labels: ADEME recommends 8 labels: Fairtrade, Ecolabel, Bluesign, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Ecocert textile, BioRé, Oeko-Tex and Demeter.
Sources:
Novethic "Paying CEOs on climate targets: still largely ineffective"
RSE Magazine "The European single market, a catalyst for the development of clean technologies".
Youmatter "How can we improve the inclusion of LGBT+ people at work?"
Le Monde "G7 countries commit to closing their coal-fired power plants by 2035".
Novethic "Occupational illnesses and accidents: the negligence of French companies"
L'info Durable "CAC 40 executives earned on average 130 times more than their employees in 2022, according to Oxfam"
The Media Leader "Kantar Media CSR advertising barometer: a drop of nearly 20% between January and February"
Les Echos "Jimmy start-up ready to build its mini-reactor".
L'info Durable: "The criteria that ensure a garment is eco-responsible".
Les Echos Entrepreneurs "Regenerative economy, the new CSR concept".
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