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17 April 2024Unlike Covid, there is no vaccine against climate collapse
From November 11 to 22, 2024, the 29th UN Climate Change Conference will be held in Bacou under the Azerbaijani Presidency. It's a worrying fact that should spur us on to take action, even if the context is not the most favorable.
As the "COP29" opens today under a cloud of uncertainty following the US election, and a study published by The Lancet this month highlights the extent of eco-anxiety among young people, a number of companies and organizations seem to be putting their foot on the brake. In its 2024 « Guide to sustainability », study, published last September, strategy consultancy Bain highlights a worrying drop of almost 30% in executives' interest in sustainability. The health crisis had created a craze for more resilient models, but the current downturn is notable, fuelled by a number of factors: inflation, geopolitical tensions, and the development of artificial intelligence. The idea that CSR is above all a source of costs, with an uncertain return on investment, is gaining ground. In Europe, new voices are being raised to delay the conditions and deadlines for implementing CSRD for small and medium-sized businesses, on the one hand, and to review European rules on carbon emissions by automakers, on the other. Last but not least, many companies that have initiated their transition are reluctant to communicate, for fear of being accused of greenwashing !
This decline in corporate CSR is all the more paradoxical in that it is totally out of step with the many concerns and expectations of our customers and employees. My conviction is that, if we are to get through the current environmental crisis, we need to stand firm on our commitments by adopting a resolutely solutions-oriented, pragmatic and evidence-based stance, rather than a problem-oriented, aspirational stance based on the new narratives that inspire us, guide us and, above all, experiment with new business models that prepare for the future and mobilize us. To achieve this, let's dare to become "Imagin'acteurs", a term that combines imagination and action, so we can get out on top.
