Business Forum | Social responsibility becomes a social necessity

The media tell us about global warming, the scarcity and increase in the price of resources and the degradation of our natural ecosystems. There are many entrepreneurs I meet who are worried about this climate emergency and who are trying to find the best ways to provide their share, within their means. What if our social “responsibility” now becomes a “social necessity”?

Each company, regardless of its activity, pollutes on various levels. We are part of it, especially through our use of wood materials. During the month of August, our assembled canvas business sets itself the challenge of planting as many trees as possible. In order to compensate for our use of wood, this initiative allows us to do what we consider to be the obligation of an entrepreneur today: to reflect on its social and environmental impact and to give ourselves the means to change things. We also know that this action is only the beginning of our initiatives in this area and we want to continue to evolve in this direction.

The initiatives that every entrepreneur can explore and launch, right now, are endless! And don’t tell me about the extra costs these efforts entail, because in many ways that argument doesn’t hold water.

It is often not more expensive to reduce the ecological and social impact of one’s actions, but only a question of habit and behavior on the part of each member of our teams.

The possibilities are there: use promotional boxes and seeded leaflets, reduce the presence of paper inside the products, think about the possibilities of carrying out plastic-free advertising campaigns, favor local products, offer the collection of products sold in stores rather than delivering it with a harmful impact on the environment, etc. These are small actions that reduce your carbon footprint and ultimately contribute to the well-being of future generations.

The law of 1%

Do you know this law? It applies to businesses with an annual payroll of $2 million or more. This law obliges organizations to invest, during the same calendar year, the equivalent of at least 1% of their payroll in the training of their personnel. What if we proposed a new “1% law” that would encourage all companies to invest in reducing their ecological impact? Why not consider a budget equivalent to 1% of your profits in “ecological responsibility”? It is so little to achieve a real impact, but it would already be a step in the right direction.

Corporate social responsibility becomes an increasingly decisive element for the consumer, when he has the choice between a similar product from two distinct brands. Customers are better informed and the carbon footprint of their habits is now part of their thoughts. Consider a certain frozen home delivery company that was recently reprimanded by consumers for overconsumption of plastic… Conversely, organizations like KaseMe work hard to invest in social causes. A list of causes in which the company is active is posted on its website. Solios, manufacturer of B Corp solar watches, was founded on a philosophy of eco-responsibility, no matter what. Such positive examples are numerous around us. These are the companies that challenge me to do more and better within my company, every day.

And you, dear entrepreneurs, when do we take a real turn and invest in our environmental impact? We bet that you will even save money…