“CSR is more than ever a powerful transformation lever”
Corporate Social Responsibility has been part of who we are and how we work from the beginning. Since 1966, Sodexo has had a twofold avant-garde mission: to improve the quality of life of its employees and all those we serve, and to contribute to economic and social development and environmental protection in the territories in which we operate. In 2009, the Company again positioned itself as a forerunner: it was one of the first organizations to anchor sustainable development at the heart of all its actions with an ambitious roadmap. This founding vision continues to guide our development; for us, CSR is more than ever a powerful lever for sustainable and profitable transformation.
Our experience has taught us that there are 3 fundamental elements when it comes to activating the transformative potential of CSR.
First, measure: this is a prerequisite to know where you are, set goals, and evaluate continuous progress. Thus, in 2019, we made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 34% by 2025 in scopes 1, 2 and 3 (baseline year 2017). This is also what we have done in terms of diversity: this approach has been successful and we are pursuing our proactive policy with ambitious goals, such as achieving 40% women in our Top 1,600 by 2025.
Secondly, giving meaning is an essential condition for onboarding employees: the human being is, and will remain, the alpha and omega of our transformation, of our ability to adapt to the reality of the rapid evolution of our markets, our customers and our teams. This conviction has fueled our thinking around a proposal of differentiating value for our employees, echoing our purpose that was unveiled last December. Joining Sodexo means being proud to help deliver vital, essential services to 100 million consumers every day.
Finally, mobilizing all of our stakeholders means multiplying our impact. It is as much about putting in place partnerships as supporting our clients and consumers to steer them towards more sustainable choices and raising their own standards. We can no longer ignore this ecosystem logic. We will not be able to bring about change by acting alone, in a silo.
We are confident for the future. The road is certainly long, but we have identified several promising signals. Beyond the progress already made, there is unprecedented momentum, both at the individual and collective levels. It is up to us, together, to show courage by articulating our long-term vision and ambitious, concrete, and tangible actions in the short term. Because it all starts with the everyday.
« mobilizing all of our stakeholders means multiplying our impact.”