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Introduction
This week's CSR news is marked by a wave of criticism against corporate sustainability issues, but these topics remain more strategic than ever! The Observatoire de la RSE unveils its 2025 roadmap, offering concrete ways to support companies in their responsible approach. We also look at the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and innovative tools such as the "Fairly Score", designed to assess the ecological impact of cultural events. To sum up, here are 10 must-read news items to help you decipher the latest CSR trends.
Save CSR!
CSR experts Patrick d'Humières and Pascal Chalvon Demersay have written an article for Novethic, in which they express concern about a wave of criticism of corporate sustainability issues, and even the emergence of anti-CSR rhetoric.
They note that certain commercial and financial players are fuelling an argument aimed at discrediting the transformative ambitions of CSR. They argue that it is bureaucratic inertia, overloaded with standards, a brake on innovation, or even a fear of the stock markets.
However, the two experts strongly reaffirm the importance of continuing the effort to "reconcile development and responsibility" and of supporting sustainable public policies. The risk otherwise, in addition to accelerating unbridled globalization, would be the repulsive effect inspired in young people in search of meaning, and "taking the risk of desertion of the best talents".
New 2025 roadmap for the CSR Observatory
The Observatoire de la RSE (Orse) has published its roadmap for 2025. This is an action plan dedicated to supporting companies in adopting economic and entrepreneurial trajectories adapted to the major challenges of sustainability and social issues.
This year's major orientations are structured into 4 thematic areas:
- Sustainable governance
- Social dialogue
- Responsible finance
- Anticipating corporate CSR challenges
These support initiatives also focus on the issues of mental health and diversity in the workplace. Last but not least, the document's priorities include the importance of fostering healthy, constructive dialogue between employers and employees.
Update on the SDGs in companies
The United Nations Global Compact and the associated networks of 10 European nations have published a European Barometer of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). As far as France is concerned, we learn that companies are largely familiar with the SDGs (70%), and that 6 out of 10 are integrating them into their sustainable development strategy.
The 3 reasons why companies are integrating the SDOs into their business models are :
- Revitalizing CSR initiatives (44%)
- Meeting customer expectations (43%)
- Regulatory compliance (32%)
Once again this year, the SDGs that French companies are most involved in are :
- "Good health and well-being" / "Gender equality" / "Decent work and economic growth" / "Responsible consumption and production" / "Combating climate change".
A CSR indicator for culture?
Fairly, an SSE (Social and Solidarity Economy) company, is launching an environmental indicator called Fairly Score, designed to measure the impact of cultural events and venues. It is intended as a nutri-score for cultural events, to facilitate and enhance the sector's sustainable transition.
In addition to CSR needs, this approach meets a market challenge, since the vast majority of consumers of festivals and cultural events affirm the importance they attach to the ecological commitment of these productions (Bona Fidé / IFOP study).
This B2C and B2B software solution enables cultural professionals to collect, streamline and add value to their CSR data "in a dashboard of impact indices".
The three main impact categories used for data collection are: CO2 emissions, environmental impact and eco-social impact.
Soon 25% of caregivers in companies
According to a study by the Organisme commun des institutions de rente et de prévoyance (Ocirp), by 2030, family carers will account for 25% of working employees in France. In other words, one in four employees will have to negotiate a steady pace between "medical appointments and administrative hassles for a loved one, and their work".
Considering the obvious social benefits of the extra work provided by caregivers, companies cannot overlook this issue in their CSR policy. What's more, recent surveys highlight a large number of hidden costs for society and for the company itself: up to 10% of the payroll.
The average age of family caregivers is falling every year (from 39 to 33 as of 2021), and 63% of them say they haven't told their employer about their situation! Generally speaking, for fear of the "professional obstacles" this could generate internally...
Sustainability trajectories for large companies: a lag that is becoming a setback
The latest report from the Transition Pathway Initiative from the London School of Economics points to a strong recent trend among major international companies: an insufficient level of commitment to credible climate trajectories.
According to the report, only 30% of these major emitters "have set long-term emission reduction targets" to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreements. Yet almost all of them (99%) recognize the urgency of taking action.
Finally, another report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlights not a delay, but an outright decline in the CSR performance of major international companies: "In recent months, several large companies have reneged on their climate targets and lowered their ambitions".
CSRD: turning constraints into strategic assets
The MIND Chair at Montpellier Business School, headed by researchers Dr Maryline Meyer and Dr Mélanie Jaeck, aims to provide a forum for reflection and research on CSR for the benefit of inclusive corporate management. The Chair is currently working on a project to examine the adaptation of corporate social responsibility to the regulatory requirements of the European CSRD.
Thus, the key question of this program concerns the managerial and organizational adaptation of these constraints to a corporate strategy that successfully integrates social and environmental issues.
The results of this work will therefore be driven by the requirement of a company that integrates all its stakeholders into the "strategic and transversal dimension" of its adaptation and compliance approach. To be continued...
Paris judicial court creates a specialized CSR chamber
In a recently published press release, the Paris Court of Appeal announced the creation of a new division specializing in duty of care litigation. This marks the continuation of a trend towards the judicialization of CSR issues, begun by the Paris Court of Appeal on January 15, which also created a division dedicated to ecological responsibility.
As a result, this "chamber of social, economic and environmental regulation" will soon be in a position to judge CSR disputes and litigation. This step forward comes in the wake of normative inflation in the sector, necessitating the specialization of legal experts and judicial institutions.
Judge Laure Aldebert was appointed president of this 34th chamber.
Ecological planning: the Prime Minister's double game?
On October 1, the new French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivered his general policy statement to members of parliament at the Palais Bourbon. His emphasis on ecology raises a number of questions, given the political ambivalence his approach raises.
Indeed, his speech was particularly voluntarist, placing the environment high on his political agenda: "We can and must do more to combat climate change", he asserted.
However, Michel Barnier is planning to abolish the Secretariat of State for Biodiversity. What's more, major budget cuts are expected in the context of tighter public finances and the 6% deficit facing the new government.
Sulitest, a test that assesses employees' knowledge of sustainability
Sulitest was recently awarded "Innovation of the Year" by international media network The PIE. The Sulitest is a test designed to assess sustainability literacy. This "Sustainability Literacy Test" (Sulitest) is becoming increasingly popular in the corporate world.
It is essentially structured around knowledge of the SDGs, often "at the heart of the transition strategies" of both private and public players.
To date, over 300,000 tests have been carried out in 45 countries around the world, since the exam went online 1? years ago. Once completed and passed, it delivers a certification named TASK ("The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge").
The aim of this review is to disseminate sustainability knowledge while providing companies with reliable measures of skills within their teams.
The sources
Novethic "In the face of backlash, we must save the spirit of CSR".
Carenews "The CSR Observatory publishes its 2025 roadmap".
Youmatter "ODD: where do companies stand?"
Le Monde "Forgetting employee caregivers is costly".
Novethic "Climate: corporate action still lacks credibility".
Novethic "CSR: the courts acknowledge the growing importance of the duty of vigilance".
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