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At Mon Entreprise Durable, we support CSR managers in their critical moments: awareness and commitment, audit and action plan, the implementation of 5 actions and certifications.
Key points of the article
Discover the essential steps for an effective csr approach!
CSR stands for corporate social responsibility. It refers to all the practices a company can put in place to meet sustainable development objectives.
Businesses are part of our ecosystem. They produce goods and services, play an active part in the economies of countries and territories, employ people and maintain partnerships with each other, but they also emit greenhouse gases and waste.
As an integral part of society, companies have a role to play not only in the well-being of their employees, but also in environmental impact, the reduction of inequalities, access to employment and regional development. The UN’s sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without them. These objectives are structured around 5 pillars: environment, social, economy, governance and territory.
This is the primary aim of CSR: to encourage participation and increase the contribution of companies to achieving the 17 goals set by the UN.
More than 30 organizations have already put their trust in us as they make the transition to sustainability. What if it were your turn? Take action and start your CSR process with us!
What is ISO 26000?
The official definition of ISO 26000 is “an organization’s responsibility for the impact of its decisions and activities on society and the environment through ethical and transparent behavior”.
This standard was published in 2010 and developed by experts. The aim of this standard is to provide guidelines for companies wishing to commit to CSR. It sets out 7 core elements: respect for human rights, working conditions, the environment, fair practices, respect for consumers and local development. It can help companies take an effective and useful approach in all areas. It has been designed to be relevant to all types of companies and associations.
This standard does not lead to certification, but many others do! Seeking certification enables you to set precise objectives and, above all, to prove to your employees and customers that you are indeed committed to a CSR approach and that you have achieved results.
In fact, some labels are based on the ISO 26000 standard to assess a company’s CSR approach. When you obtain certification, you receive an attestation of your CSR approach, reinforcing the credibility of your actions.
Why implement a CSR approach?
There are many arguments in favor of a CSR approach. This approach is beneficial for a company, not only for its internal operations, but also for its attractiveness and the well-being of the society in which it operates.
Firstly, French employees often expect a CSR approach and more commitment from their company on environmental and social issues in particular. In a 2016 survey published by Cone Communication, 58% of respondents said that implementing a CSR approach was an important criterion when choosing a job. And, 51% said they would not want to work for a company that was not socially or environmentally committed.
This approach enables companies to build employee loyalty and enhance team spirit and a sense of belonging. It also enhances the company’s attractiveness for recruitment, as well as for customers and potential partners.
Identifying the impact of your activities on the environment and society helps you to work towards making them positive. What’s more, it helps raise awareness among your employees. Thanks to the CSR approach, you can make a positive impact on the environment and on the region in which you operate. You can also see it as an opportunity to evaluate your company’s production methods. You can derive financial benefits and enhance your image as a brand.
How do you deploy a CSR approach?
A CSR approach can be implemented in any business sector. Hotels, consulting firms, restaurants, insurance companies, real estate agencies – all companies can implement a CSR approach. Currently, 50% of SMEs have implemented a CSR approach according to a 2017 survey by bpi France. However, only half of them have established a structured approach.
To make a success of your CSR approach, we recommend that you follow a number of steps. These steps will help you build a project that is viable and sustainable over the long term. Once your CSR approach has been put in place, it’s important to communicate on your actions and, above all, to monitor your performance.
Step 1: What is your goal?
The first step is to set clear objectives. You need to define your priorities. For example, do you want to improve the well-being of your employees above all else? Do you want to limit your greenhouse gas emissions? Do you want to contribute to the economic development of your region?
Once you’ve listed your objectives, you’ll need to decide who will be involved in the project. You can involve your employees, suppliers, contractors and partners, and even your customers. It’s best to involve all your employees and communicate with everyone you interact with. You can start with a few employees and then expand your approach as you go along.
At this stage, you can take the opportunity to ask your employees about their expectations and ideas in relation to this CSR policy. According to a 2020 study on employees and responsible companies carried out by the Occurrence polling institute, Des enjeux et des Hommes and Ekodev, 70% of workers want to get more involved in CSR, and 75% want to put forward ideas. Yet they are involved in only 21% of cases.
Next, you need to decide who is going to lead this process. You can call on a consultant or specialized consultancy outside your company, or recruit internally. In all cases, you need an internal CSR referent to monitor the process and ensure its feasibility.
Step 2: Preparing the ground
The second step is to gather the information you need to draw up your action plan. To do this, you can take stock of all your activities as a company. This ranges from your purchasing and production methods to waste management and employee travel. Ideally, everything is taken into account.
You can also find out about the CSR initiatives of your partner companies.
With this information, you can carry out a diagnosis (audit) of your current performance. This audit can be carried out in-house or by a specialist company.
This study must be detailed. Its aim is to enable you to identify the actions that will help you achieve your objectives. The inventory of your activities and the audit should enable you to identify all your environmental, social and societal impacts, and make it easier to identify areas for improvement. Your objectives must be adapted to your current performance. The audit also enables you to assess your financial, human and material resources.
Current performance needs to be assessed both internally and externally. Obviously, you need to ensure your economic sustainability. You can also focus on social performance, by assessing your organization, the skills of your employees and your reputation, for example. On the environmental side, you can measure your impact on biodiversity, your greenhouse gas emissions or your consumption habits.
Step 3: Set precise objectives
With the results of the audit, you can establish quantified objectives. This will give you a better chance of achieving them. For example, if you’ve estimated that 14% of the waste generated by your company is recycled, you can set yourself a target of 50% by the end of the year. Similarly, if you want to make a commitment to your local area, you can set a percentage of local partners with whom you work.
Are you aiming for certification such as EcoEntreprise ? Put your trust in a company that has gone through the same process. We can also assist you with B-corp, CSRD or Ecovadis.
