Corporate social responsibility results from an awareness that a company's performance is not only measured by its financial results but must also take into account the effects of its activity on its employees, business partners, the environment and more generally on society as a whole.
The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach, initially voluntary, is becoming more and more regulated and a "requirement" (law relating to Due Diligence). Large companies must put in place measures to prevent environmental, social and governance risks (e.g. corruption). As suppliers or subcontractors to these companies, SMEs are also encouraged to adopt such an approach. This can be seen for instance in the calls for tenders or purchasing policies of clients who are increasingly more demanding with regard their suppliers, thus selecting the most virtuous ones. Since 2018, Ellisphere has been sending its own Responsible Purchasing Charter to its main suppliers, which describes the mutual commitments of the company and its partners.
Ellisphere has gradually structured its CSR approach over the past ten years:
- implementing annual indicators to measure its actions and their impacts. They thus make it possible to measure the company's social policies, particularly in terms of diversity/equality (age, gender, disability) or environmental issues, with, for example, the results of the recycling of office waste. We have noticed the "success" of plastic recycling, but let’s not forget that the ideal waste is the one th
at we do not produce; so we are promoting as much as possible the use of cups provided by the company to our employees
- signing important texts: the Global Compact (human rights, labour standards, environment, anti-corruption), the Diversity Charter, the SNCD (professional union) Sustainable Development Charter...
But signing these texts is not enough, it is necessary to regularly report on, prove and measure the progress made. This is what we have just done by publishing our COP (Communication on Progress) (2017/2018) on the United Nations website, by submitting a file to the SNCD as every year, and soon by renewing our membership of the Diversity Charter.
Finally, to measure its overall performance, Ellisphere uses an external organization EcoVadis. Its latest score of 70, obtained in October 2018, places it in the top companies of its size and sector of activity, above the average of French (51) and European (48) companies.
A very good result that should convince all companies that business and ethics are more than compatible.
We have a question for you, in the decision making process of working with business partners, would you or your company be interested in using a tool that would highlight ethical aspects of your counterparts? If yes, please comment our LinkedIn article!