CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility and its 3 pillars for sustainable development

What is CSR?

CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that refers to the set of practices and commitments that a company takes into consideration in order to contribute positively to society, sustainable development and the environment as part of its business activities.

CSR aims to integrate social and environmental concerns into a company's decision-making and daily operations.

‍ CSR in 3 pillars

The main dimensions of corporate social responsibility generally include responsibility to society, environmental responsibility, and economic responsibility.

Responsibility towards businesses

This means that the company must respect human rights, support local communities, promote diversity and inclusion, and act ethically.

It can occur in several ways:

• Respect for human rights : Companies committed to CSR must ensure respect for human rights in all their activities. This means they need to ensure that their practices do not infringe on the fundamental rights of workers, customers, and the communities in which they operate.
• Support for local communities : Businesses should strive to contribute positively to the development of the local communities where they are located. This may include funding social, educational, or cultural projects, creating local jobs, and partnering with local organizations to solve specific problems.
• Diversity and inclusion : A socially responsible company promotes equal opportunities and diversity among its staff. She strives to create an inclusive work environment where every individual is respected and valued, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or ability.
• Business ethics : Corporate social responsibility also involves ethical conduct in all business activities. This means that the company must avoid corruption, unfair practices, child labor, and any other behavior that could harm society or its stakeholders.

Environmental responsibility

Businesses need to take steps to reduce their ecological footprint, protect the environment, and promote sustainable practices in their production and distribution processes.

Some examples for sustainable development:

• Reducing the carbon footprint : Businesses should implement measures to reduce their impact on the environment by minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting more climate-friendly production and logistics practices.
• Responsible management of natural resources : CSR requires the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources such as water, energy, raw materials, etc. Businesses should implement practices for the efficient use of these resources and seek sustainable sources where possible.
• Preservation of biodiversity : Companies committed to CSR must take into account the impact of their activities on biodiversity and seek to protect fragile ecosystems by avoiding any irresponsible exploitation of natural resources.
• Waste management and recycling : Businesses should adopt waste management policies that reduce waste generation and encourage recycling and responsible waste treatment.

Economic responsibility

This concerns how a company manages its finances, contributes to economic growth, ensures responsible and ethical governance, and ensures the sustainability of its activities over the long term.

To do this, it is enough to follow a few recommendations:

• Responsible governance : A socially responsible business must be managed transparently and responsibly. This involves effective corporate governance, informed decision-making, responsible procurement, and the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making processes.
• Creating shared value : Corporate social responsibility aims to create value not only for shareholders, but also for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, and communities. A shared value approach promotes balanced economic growth and sustainable development.
• Financial fairness and ethics : Socially responsible businesses should manage their finances ethically, avoid tax evasion, and ensure fair remuneration for their employees.
• Responsibility to customers : CSR also includes taking into account the interests and safety of customers by providing high-quality, safe and environmentally friendly products and services.

The CSR strategy is linked to the 3 pillars of sustainable development, namely the economic, societal and environmental challenges. It aims for companies to act responsibly by taking into account the impacts of their actions on society and the environment, beyond their legal obligations and their short-term financial interests.

The importance of having CSR commitments in business for sustainable development

64% of companies with 50 employees or more have heard about CSR. (source: INSEE)

However, only 52% of them are actively involved in this process, showing that they have not only become aware of CSR, but that they also believe that they are taking concrete actions in this perspective.

Although the approach is understood, it is true that employees are not or not very well informed on the subject and especially do not feel involved.

Implementing a CSR approach has multiple advantages.

Beyond being a commitment to strong pillars and values, this initially allows promote the employer brand.

Indeed, this gives credibility to the company among its employees. Today, consumers will more easily find a brand that matches their values.

A company that takes a stand

65% of French people choose to buy a brand based on its positions.

From the point of view of employees, CSR commitments are just as important. The current generation needs to feel valued in their work and to share common values.

In addition, it allows retain employees : in fact, in addition to attracting new talent, this will create a feeling of belonging and importance that goes beyond their work (ecological actions, social commitments...).

A company that retains its employees

15% of employees are involved in their company's CSR strategy, 70% want to be more involved.

Finally, implementing a CSR approach allows to increase the profitability and performance of a business.

By taking measures such as saving energy, reusing materials or reducing waste, the company reduces its costs.

From a social perspective, if commitments are well implemented, this plays a role in the performance of employees and logically that of the company.

It also makes it possible to provide a form of stability in the well-being of the office and to maintain sustainable development over time.

Good CSR practices to adopt

73% of employees say they are disappointed not to be able to engage in their company.

Training: the basis of corporate social responsibility

One of the first actions to take within your company is to train your employees on the subject.

Many of them know little or nothing about the subject, which is why it is important to inform them and involve them in this process.

If we focus on the societal and ethical aspects, there are several types of measures that you can put in place.

For example, promote the short circuit and local products (materials used, suppliers, etc.).

This makes it possible to develop the local economy and allows you to have a certain transparency on the origin of the products.

Obviously, the simplest actions to deploy are often linked to the ecological pillar. This may include various actions ranging from waste sorting to the establishment of an environmental charter.

Recycling and waste: a beginning

Today, among companies, the CSR approach is mainly based on recycling and the mass production of waste.

They are looking for innovative solutions while being responsible.

Establishing ecological actions can also be done on the means of transport to get to work (promoting cycling, public transport, etc.) or the communication media used which, in general, lead to overconsumption of paper.

Business cards are a typical example.

Essential tools for a successful CSR strategy

Setting up corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions may seem difficult at first glance.

It is often thought that this involves additional costs for the business and requires a lot of time. Moreover, it is common to think that these measures are reserved for large companies.

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However, WEMET presents 5 CSR actions accessible to all companies:

1. Raise awareness among your employees

The essential step to get started is to Raise awareness among your employees about the importance of CSR. This allows them to become aware of the challenges and to be more involved in the actions put in place.

You can organize collaborative workshops on the subject or interactive conferences led by professionals. These initiatives can address high-impact topics and promote employee engagement.

Selective sorting

Selective sorting is an action that is often overlooked, yet it is the easiest to implement.

Start by learning about different types of waste present in your business such as paper, plastic, organic waste, etc. Then, set up specific trash cans adapted to each type of waste.

Do not forget to raise awareness among your employees beforehand in order to inform them and help them to carry out effective selective sorting. Prevention is essential to encourage good sorting practices within the company.

Support local actors

Social aspects are also important in CSR commitments.

You can support local actors by encouraging the purchase of raw materials from local businesses, by choosing services provided by local providers or by involving you in the development of local projects.

Local recruitment is also an effective and economical solution that helps to support employment at the local level.

Reducing paper consumption

Paper consumption is a major concern for businesses.

Promote The use of digital tools is part of a CSR approach by reducing paper consumption.

You can promote the digitization of documents, opt for connected business cards rather than paper business cards, and implement other digital solutions to minimize the use of paper and contribute to sustainable development issues.