What is a CSR policy?
Simply put, a CSR policy sets out your company’s commitment to sustainable development. Human rights, governance, working conditions, environmental impact, loyalty, respect and honesty towards customers – CSR, which stands for corporate social responsibility, is all of these and more.
Most often, the aim of a CSR policy is to affirm a company’s internal commitments and guide its decision-making for a more engaged world. Sometimes, a dedicated CSR team is tasked with implementing these charters with a clear plan of action and objectives that engage all employees.
How to ensure socially responsible business travel and meetings
As mentioned earlier, managing business travel for a company with a CSR policy can be more complex than it seems. Particularly as business travel accounted for 33% of corporate CO2 emissions in 2017* – a significant figure. Hence why it’s so important to help you better manage your employees’ travel while also respecting the environment and meeting your carbon footprint goals. To that end, here are two essential solutions.
Go by train instead of plane
This might seem like an obvious solution, but it’s not always the one companies go for. OK, if you travel abroad a lot (we’re talking to other continents), then taking the train can be a bit more complicated. In general, however, most business trips by French and Swiss companies are within Europe, and Europe is easily accessible by train! The number-one argument in favour of taking the train is obviously lower CO2 emissions, but there are other advantages. The train offers more flexibility and, by taking you straight to the city centre, gets you to your meetings quicker. It’s also more comfortable. Most business travellers work on the train, which offers a far more pleasant environment in which to pore over your files.
What’s more, with the corporate travelcards offered by many companies, the train is also an economical, premium, comfortable and environmentally friendly means of transport.
More sustainable ‘bleisure’ travel
We know that some business trips regularly turn into ‘bleisure’ travel – that is, they segue from work into a weekend of leisure pursuits. Often, employees decide to stay on for a few more days and make the most of the various destinations in which they find themselves.
This is when their carbon footprint can really spiral out of control. By thinking ahead and working with the company’s policy and internal benefits, you can make them some offers they can’t refuse, such as discounts with carsharing services or on other trains, discounts with Bolt or other electric bike hire companies in Europe, an eco-friendly meal voucher card (e.g. Ekip, Coup de pousse) that they can use in restaurants and shops in France that prioritise the planet. Basically, there are plenty of solutions out there!
While we’ve focused on corporate and business travel in this article, the CSR policy also applies to the work commute and all the company’s daily dealings. The company educates its teams, involves them in decision-making to do with this policy and, above all, enables them to participate in implementing it to continue making a positive impact on society. This also applies to travel!
* WWF report, 2017