Implementing a Comprehensive CSR Strategy: Key Steps for Success

Much more than a trend, CSR is today essential to take into account and integrate into your company’s strategy. So much so that the Grenelle II Law has required, since 2010, French companies listed on the stock exchange and public limited companies with more than 500 employees to publish an annual report on their environmental and social performance. It represents a beneficial approach for the present and the future, going beyond concerns about profitability. CSR strengthens the company’s image while meeting the growing expectations of customers, employees and partners. Since 2018, the Legrand group, a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures, has made this its top priority under the direction of Benoît Coquart who is quick to put the subject “at the forefront” informs us Virginie Gatin, Director CSR of the same group.

1. Promote diversity and gender equality in the company

Fostering an inclusive environment is essential. To do this, it is imperative to implement non-discriminatory recruitment policies, provide equal training opportunities, and promote fair compensation policies. Employee awareness and education are crucial to creating a diverse and inclusive company culture. Encouraging female leadership and active participation in decision-making is also essential. Diversity promotes innovation, strengthens the company’s reputation and creates a fair and harmonious work environment.
In terms of inclusion and diversity, the objectives at Legrand are clear “ 30% of women in managerial positions in 2024. The longer-term vision is to have ⅓ of key management positions occupied by women by 2030. We are therefore setting so-called short-term annual objectives to meet those over time. long terms » explains Virginie Gatin.
To ensure that these objectives are achieved, Legrand decides that 20% of the bonus of “ patrons pays » or managers of the various entities abroad, will be indexed to the success of this CSR roadmap.

2. Carry out your carbon footprint

To reduce your carbon impact “you have to start by knowing it” insists the CSR Director. Today several software programs accessible to all allow this calculation on the three scopes that include the carbon footprint, “ this calculation is essential to understand where the main emissions are located and to then put in place an action plan and clear reduction objectives ».
There is no simple and obvious solution as reducing one’s carbon footprint requires “a combination of things which then allows this objective to be achieved,” she explains.

3. Extend the lifespan of your industrial equipment

For the French industrial group, which ranks among the world leaders in electronic products and systems for electrical installations, the stakes are high. In terms of direct emissions (scope 1), i.e. what the company consumes on site, several measures have been adopted to improve energy efficiency. Once a machine reaches the end of its life, we do not replace it identically but rather choose to repair it or find one that consumes less energy. This is part of a responsible approach to reasoned consumption. ».

4. Deploy a waste management strategy

To deploy a CSR waste management strategy, start by auditing your company’s waste sources, “ set reduction, reuse and recycling goals. Collaborate with responsible partners and suppliers to optimize your waste management », suggests Virginie Gatin.
The Legrand group is committed to a circular economy. According to definition given by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the circular economy consists of producing goods and services in a sustainable manner by limiting the consumption and waste of resources and the production of waste. It is about moving from a completely disposable society to a circular economic model. “ Eliminating 100% of single-use plastic in our packaging is one of our big goals”declares the Director.

5. Adopt an eco-design approach for your products

With the objective by 2024 of getting rid of its single-use plastic packaging, the Legrand group uses eco-design at all stages of the product life cycle. “ Currently we are working on the redesign and our approach to eco design, since the key principles of the circular economy consist of designing products with separable components. This promotes repairability and recycling, as products that are easily dismantled and made from a single material can be reused more efficiently at the end of their life. », Says Virginie Gatin. It is therefore this global eco-design approach which is fundamental through the circular economy.

6. Train and raise awareness among your employees about CSR commitments

« Implementing awareness training and CSR commitments is essential to establishing a responsible corporate culture », declares the CSR Director. This allows employees to be involved in CSR issues and encourage them to make concrete commitments. These training courses can include workshops such as the climate fresco, biodiversity or even digital, for example, conferences and online modules. The goal is to create a common understanding of company values ​​and CSR initiatives. Employees can then get involved by participating in projects, adopting responsible practices on a daily basis, and being CSR ambassadors. This strengthens the company’s alignment with its CSR objectives and promotes real cultural transformation.
It is also important to offer specific training to people directly involved in the subjects “ultimately we hear a lot about CO2 but few people really understand what is hidden behind this notion. We are talking about scope 1, 2, 3 but does everyone know what that entails” adds Virginie Gatin.

Why implement a CSR strategy for your company?

Beyond the question of turnover, CSR guarantees the viability of the company, “ to ensure the sustainability of the company we are always very focused on its profitability on a daily basis, which is logical because if a company is not profitable it is not sustainable. We at CSR will look at what will make it successful in the long term. » specifies the CSR Director of the Legrand group.
In addition to meeting the new expectations of many consumers, Corporate Social Responsibility CSR offers a competitive advantage by differentiating the company in the market. Additionally, it reduces operational costs through sustainable practices, while minimizing risks related to the environment, social and ethical aspects. It opens opportunities in international markets and strengthens employee engagement.

How to define a CSR action plan?

For Virginie Gatin, it is essential to start by “defining clear, long-term objectives. At Legrand, these objectives are translated into what we call CSR roadmaps setting out a strategy for the next 3 years. In these roadmaps, a good number of weak signals are set out in part on which the company can work. Among them, ” diversity and inclusion, the climate or even the circular economy or the well-being of employees…» if these points are not taken into account, continues the CSR Director “you continue to live in the short term but I am convinced that in the long term, the company will not be sustainable because it will not have responded to the expectations of society, of these internal external stakeholders and to the societal change we are facing.”

Finally, the CSR Director of the Legrand group concludes by saying that to be a good responsible actor you must “look at CSR in its entirety, on an environmental, social and societal level. It is also the duty to anticipate the future. With a changing society, climate change which is very present, and real social risks, how can we prepare for tomorrow? » she questions.
When asked about the future of CSR, Virginie Gatin is rather positive about the new laws and regulations in force, “This approach is the right one, it makes it possible to make CSR a competitive asset for businesses. This should not prevent working together, on the contrary, but this competitiveness will force us all to do things better and I hope faster,” she concludes.