Introduction
This week, CSR news is marked by a wave of criticisms against corporate sustainability issues, but these topics remain more strategic than ever! The CSR Observatory unveils its 2025 roadmap, offering concrete ways to support companies in their responsible approaches. We will also discuss 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. In summary, here are 10 essential news to decipher the latest CSR trends.
CSR must be saved!
The two CSR experts Patrick d'Humières and Pascal Chalvon Demersay give a forum to the media Novethic, in which they are worried about a wave of criticism for corporate sustainability issues, or even the emergence of anti-CSR discourse.
They note that some commercial and financial actors are fuelling arguments aimed at undermining the transformative ambitions of CSR. By arguing bureaucratic inertia, regulatory overload, the brake on innovation or even fear inspired by stock markets.
However, the two experts strongly reaffirm the importance of continuing the effort to “reconciling development and responsibility” and to support sustainable public policies. The risk, otherwise, in addition to accelerating wild globalization, would be the repulsive effect inspired by young people in search of meaning and “take the risk of desertion of the best talent.”
The CSR Observatory's new 2025 roadmap
The CSR Observatory (ORSE) has published its roadmap for the year 2025. It 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, the main guidelines selected are structured into 4 thematic areas:
- Sustainable governance
- Social dialogue
- Responsible finance
- Anticipating corporate CSR challenges
Also, these support approaches give pride of place to issues of mental health and diversity in business. Finally, among the priorities of this document are the importance of promoting a healthy and constructive dialogue between employers and employees.
Update on the SDGs in business
The United Nations Global Compact and the associated networks of 10 European nations have published a European Barometer of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Regarding France, we learn that companies are largely familiar with the SDGs (70%) and that 6 out of 10 of them integrate them into their sustainable development strategy.
The 3 reasons that push companies to integrate the SDGs into their business models are:
- The revitalization of CSR approaches (44%)
- The response to customer expectations (43%)
- Regulatory compliance (32%)
Once again this year, the SDGs most mobilized by French companies 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 places. It is intended to be a nutri-score for cultural events, to facilitate and promote the sustainable transition of the sector.
In addition to the specific needs of CSR, this approach responds to 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).
Thus, this B2C and B2B software solution allows cultural professionals to collect, rationalize and value their CSR data. ” into a dashboard of impact indices”.
The three main impact categories selected for data collection are: CO2 emissions, environmental impact and eco-social impact.
Soon 25% of family caregivers in businesses
According to a study by the Joint Organization of Pension and Provident Institutions (Ocirp), in 2030, caregivers will represent 25% of active employees in France. In other words, one employee out of four who will have to negotiate a steady pace between “medical appointments and administrative hassles for a loved one, and their work”.
Considering the obvious social usefulness of the additional work provided by caregivers, the company cannot overlook this issue in its CSR policy. In addition, 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 caregivers is decreasing every year (from 39 to 33 years since 2021), and 63% of them say they did not inform their employer of their situation! Generally, for fear of “professional brakes” that this could generate internally...
Sustainable trajectories of large companies: a delay that is turning into a setback
The latest report of the Transition Pathway Initiative ofthe London School of Economics points to a strong trend that has recently been found in large international companies: an insufficient level of commitment to credible climate trajectories.
According to the report, only 30% of these large companies with the most emissions “have established long-term emission reduction targets” in order to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreements. However, almost all of them (99%) unquestionably recognize the urgency to act.
Finally, another report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlights not a delay but a downturn in the CSR performance of large international companies: “In recent months, several major companies have gone back on their climate goals and lowered their ambitions.”.
CSRD: transforming constraints into strategic assets
The MIND chair at Montpellier Business School, led by researchers Dr. Maryline Meyer and Dr. Mélanie Jaeck, is intended to be a space for reflection and research on CSR for the benefit of inclusive management in companies. The chair is currently carrying out a project that aims to question the adaptation of the social component of societies to the regulatory requirements of the European CSRD.
Thus, the main question of this program concerns the managerial and organizational adaptation of these constraints to a business strategy that advantageously integrates social and environmental issues.
The results of this work will therefore be driven by the requirement of a company that integrates all stakeholders into the “strategic and transversal dimension” of its adaptation and compliance approach. To be continued...
The Paris Judicial Court has appointed a chamber specialized in CSR
In a recently published press release, the Paris Judicial Court announced that it had created a new chamber, specializing in litigation on duty of care. This marks the continuation of a dynamic of judicialization of CSR issues, initiated by the Paris Court of Appeal on January 15, which also had a chamber dedicated to ecological responsibility.
Thus, this “chamber of social, economic and environmental regulation” will soon be in a position to exercise its powers to judge disputes and litigation in the field of CSR. An advance that follows the normative inflation of the sector, requiring the specialization of lawyers 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 Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivered his general policy statement before parliamentarians at the Palais Bourbon. On this occasion, the place he attributes to ecology raises a series of questions because of the political ambivalences that his approach raises.
Indeed, his speech was particularly proactive and placed ecology among the major challenges of his policy: “We can and should do more against climate change” he affirmed.
However, Michel Barnier planned to abolish the State Secretariat for Biodiversity. In addition, major budget cuts are expected in the tight fiscal context of public finances and the 6% deficit facing the new government.
The Sulitest, an exam that assesses employee knowledge about sustainability
Sulitest recently received the “Innovation of the Year” award by the international media and network The PIE. It is an exam designed to assess sustainability knowledge. This “Sustainability Literacy Test “(Sulitest) is becoming more and more important in the business world.
It is essentially structured on knowledge of the SDGs, often “at the heart of transition strategies” private and public actors.
Today, more than 300,000 tests have been carried out all around the world in 45 countries, since the exam was put online a year and a half ago. Once completed and passed, it delivers a certification called TASK (“The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge”).
This exam aims to disseminate knowledge about sustainability while offering companies reliable skills measures within their teams.
The sources
Novethic “Faced with a “backlash”, we must save the spirit of CSR”
Carenews “The CSR Observatory publishes its 2025 roadmap”
Youmatter “SDG: where are businesses doing?”
Le Monde “Forgetting helping employees is expensive”
Novethic “Climate: corporate action still lacks credibility”
Novethic “CSR: The Courts Are Taking Note of the Rise of the Duty of Vigilance”
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