Corporate Social Responsibility – Supporting Companies with Strategies to Develop Sustainable Growth and Increase Their Resilience
Supporting companies in integrating concrete actions for progress and value creation in social, environmental, and governance matters into the heart of their business models and strategies to develop meaningful sustainable growth and increase their resilience. That’s the ambition behind the actions of Bpifrance’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department.
“The aim is to give coherence to the various actions already implemented and those to be developed, and to ensure there is a real alignment with the company's strategy,” says Philippe Kunter, Director of Sustainable Development and CSR at Bpifrance.
Why CSR?
The objective sought in the implementation of a company's CSR approach is to better manage and reduce its risks, as well as create value from the actions deployed, which are closely linked to:
- Innovation;
- overall performance;
- Improving the clarity of actions; and
- Generating meaning for both employees and stakeholders.
An interesting example is the support provided as part of a company's ecological and energy transition.
“It is not only a question of financing or investing in development projects but also helping the company with advice and extra-financial diagnostics to bring about a change of mindset,” shares Mr. Kunter.
To achieve tangible results and a fully integrated approach by business leaders, the CSR dimension must be linked to its business model and based on concrete "business" achievements. The link between the implementation of environmental/social actions and an increase in overall performance must be explicit. A concrete example of this is making it possible to win a call for tenders.
Biggest Achievements of Bpifrance
A big achievement of the company is its internal work with the business lines to disseminate as widely as possible CSR’s importance for partners on studies or events as a key player, as well as for raising awareness and direct trainings.
“Our active participation in steering Bpifrance's Climate Plan, a central dimension in the recovery plan, to position Bpifrance as the Climate Bank for businesses, is major,” shares Mr. Kunter.
This approach is, first and foremost, a genuine corporate project carried out by the general management who are very innovative in the subjects dealt with – a fact highly motivating for both employees and business lines.
Connection with InvestHorizon
Today, CSR actions are essential in all businesses. They do that by integrating concrete actions for progress and value creation in social, environmental, and governance matters to develop meaningful sustainable growth.
Investors are increasingly looking for specific CSR actions from SMEs, especially during their growth phase.
“InvestHorizon is a very helpful project for every deeptech company and gives SMEs an invaluable connection to the European ecosystem,” concludes Philippe Kunter.