Caroline Véran
Published on 29 April 2024
Integrating social and environmental impact into their business model is now inevitable for every company, according to Caroline Véran, founder of Croissance bleue in 2018. To support all types of companies in their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach, Croissance bleue is both realistic and ambitious. Interview.
What are the societal challenges facing companies today?
The major energy, climate and social challenges are here to stay. Companies no longer have a choice: they have to take action and make a commitment. It’s no longer an option: the economic model, the way we produce, the whole life of the company, cannot function without integrating these CSR issues. I’m convinced of this.
There are two main areas of focus for companies: on the one hand, the environment, with its focus on global warming, resource conservation, the elimination of single-use plastics, water optimization, etc. I should point out that these issues are both ethical and economic (cf. the price of raw materials, insurance, etc.). The other major axis is linked to changes in the world of work, where the key challenge is to set up a work organization geared towards skills enhancement, physical and mental health prevention, stimulating teamwork, both face-to-face and remote, professional equality… There’s no doubt that today’s corporate performance levers are social and environmental!
How do you approach the companies you work with?
We start from the manager’s point of view, working closely with him or her. Together, we define the CSR approach and actions that are most useful to his or her business project. After all, the starting point is the company’s reality. After interviews with key people, we carry out an in-depth diagnosis. We need to understand where we’re starting from, in order to propose a realistic strategy. Acculturating managers and teams is at the heart of our mission: convincing them of the value of the approach, explaining what it entails and reassuring them.
Who are your customers?
Historically, we have worked with growing SMEs and ETIs, as well as a number of large groups. Our customers come from all kinds of sectors: datacenters, the wine industry, the accountancy professions, industry… Which makes for an exciting challenge. We’re constantly on the lookout for new ideas. For our customers, we train, we read, we decipher market trends as well as increasingly technical subjects. The diversity of our customers’ activities and geographical locations enables us to develop a perspective and quality of advice that reflect the richness of the French economic fabric.
What is Atout RSE©?
It’s a program aimed at a collective: several managers in the same sector, or in the same region, who have an interest in working together. A company can also take advantage of this scheme to evolve in harmony with its major account. The aim is to unite the players. When several companies operating in the same territory focus their commitment on that territory, if they work together on the same issue – water, for example, or transport, waste, etc. – then the results promise to be rapid and concrete. This shared governance can also meet the community’s requirements and create a dynamic that benefits everyone.
What are your tools?
We provide our customers with roadmaps in the form of reference manuals, guides, charters, dashboards, etc., all of which enable them to adopt best practices step by step. We also provide companies with internal sharing tools. We monitor and benchmark our activities. We also emphasize value creation: this CSR approach represents an investment for the company, and we help it to build a discourse of proof: how to make its efforts visible, through indicators and stories.
Do you see social change as an opportunity?
Exactly: global warming and the changing world of work are also extraordinary opportunities for innovation. Take, for example, the “impact companies” created to address a specific issue: they launch themselves where new markets are to be seized. To encourage all companies to commit to CSR, Croissance bleue also offers sponsorship. Once a year, we select an initiative and put our skills at its service.
What sets you apart in your sector?
Experience first. I’ve been involved in CSR for 10 years. And the Croissance bleue team has a wealth of expertise in the field. We also know how to talk to managers. We speak the same language, which enables us to understand their management problems. We like to take the temperature in the field, collect first-hand data, and listen to the teams, creating links. We take the time to get to know the company. Proximity is one of our strengths. It’s also important for convincing, reassuring and engaging our customers.
You speak of commitment…
Our raison d’être is to serve and accelerate the sustainable transformation of companies, industries and regions. We serve our customers like we serve a cause. And we want it to work! The CSR concerns of managers, the demands of the market and their clients, and the maturity of their teams can vary greatly from one company to another. That’s why we place ourselves at the service of each company, applying the principle of one-stop shopping: we help set up an organization and take action to move forward on issues as diverse as they are varied (carbon footprint, packaging transformation, responsible purchasing, mobilizing employees, responsible digital, professional equality, drafting charters, CSRD…). Croissance Bleue’s latest projects include a collective, financed program to help suppliers to key accounts integrate CSR, actions to prevent climatic risks to occupational health in the wine industry, and an original tool to better detect and act on situations of stress in the workplace. There’s no shortage of projects to get things moving!