In your Climate Positive strategic plan, don't simply seek to reduce your carbon footprint. Take the lead in terms of environmental responsibility. The example of the conversion of the Swedish H&M group is a good one.

Adopting a Climate Positive strategy is happening through a "resilience to climate change" approach; an allusion to the psychological resiliency required to bounce back after a shock. In practical terms, all of the initiatives undertaken must reduce the carbon footprint in creating products and services. It is equally important to accompany the implementation of these initiatives and the changes they engender.

What steps should be undertaken?

• An integrated strategic framework to manage impacts from climate change within the organisation.
• Measurement and analysis of the carbon footprint at all levels (operation, products, services).
• Positive communication to contribute to the public debate about the risks and interventions.
• A published report.

A practical example

At the beginning of April, H&M published its 15th sustainability report for 2016, the opportunity to unveil its objectives set for the future, such as its commitment to use 100% recycled or sustainable materials by 2030 and the desire to become a Climate Positive company throughout its entire supply chain by 2040.

The phrase "entire supply chain" is essential. Today, many companies are making strong promises – 100% renewable or 100% carbon-neutral at such and such point in time – but without always involving the entire chain. However, if the changes concern the whole supply chain, they will have a global impact on the organisation and will strengthen the sincerity of its message.

In the case of H&M, the ultimate goal of the transformation is an entirely circular fashion industry.

"Our long-term objective is to become a 100% circular economy through close collaboration with experts and stakeholders. This will enable us to get closer to our objective: initiating the change towards an entirely circular and sustainable fashion industry."
Anna Gedda, Sustainable Development Manager at H&M.

To this end, the H&M Foundation launched the Global Change Award in 2015, an annual competition aimed at discovering innovative ideas promoting eco-friendly fashion.

How can we turn the constraints of the energy transition into a strategic opportunity? “With rigour and pragmatism,” says our partner Climact.

"We support and advise businesses so they can take action and achieve more climate maturity. This includes addressing climate-related obligations, such as the sustainability reporting required under the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)," explains Jerome Meessen, Associate Partner at Climact. "We ensure they get real added value from this, the most tangible result being a reduction in their energy bills or improved resilience of their supply chain and customers in the face of the climate transition. Our approach is both rigorous and pragmatic. Rigorous because we base ourselves on figures and use standardised methods, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, for calculating a company's carbon footprint, thus avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing. And pragmatic because we always adapt to the company's reality. "

A 5-step process

So, how does Climact support businesses and public organisations?
Jerome Meessen: "Firstly, we help them understand the effects of climate change they are or will be facing. We do this by mapping opportunities and risks, such as flooding of a production site or the risks associated with high carbon prices. We also assess their current impact, i.e., the carbon footprint of their operations. The next step is their vision for the future, in which we define sustainability goals with them, referring to the international standards of Science Based Targets initiative where relevant. We then help them develop a detailed transition plan and implement it on the ground, allowing them to define the content and details of a green energy purchase agreement, for example. Finally, we provide support for communicating their commitment, in line with the CSRD requirements."

CSRD: burden or strategic opportunity?

Many businesses are subject to the CSRD, which enters into force this year, and its reporting process. “The directive aims to provide maximum transparency on how businesses manage their sustainable transition,” says Jerome Meessen. "The reporting focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects. "This also allows stakeholders and especially investors to get an objective idea of the progress made, as well as a company's climate ambitions and its exposure to climate change risks."
“The CSRD sustainability reporting is a significant burden for companies,” adds Jérémy Robinet, who coordinates the partnership with BNP Paribas Fortis. "You must adhere to a specific methodology and standards, fill in forms, provide indicators... But it is also an opportunity to develop a solid, well-founded transition strategy that will benefit the company, including its reputation. Businesses can save time with our support, knowing that their reporting complies with regulatory constraints and that their ESG approach creates value and is meaningful."

Climact, a partner of BNP Paribas Fortis

Climact is one of several partners selected by BNP Paribas Fortis to support its corporate customers with non-financial issues. “At the initiative of the bank’s Relationship Manager, we meet companies who want to make progress in terms of their energy and sustainable transition, more specifically for their decarbonisation strategy and to draw up their carbon balance sheet,” explains Jérémy Robinet.
Gilles Roumain, Sustainability Program Officer at BNP Paribas Fortis who oversees the partnership with Climact, says: "The collaboration with Climact allows us to provide solutions to our customers, support them in decarbonising their activities, and continue to build our expertise on these decarbonisation issues. By offering this support, we also reduce our carbon footprint."

“The companies that the bank has referred to us come from all industries,” says Jérémy Robinet. "They are larger companies, e.g., with a turnover of at least 25 million euros or a complex supply chain. This partnership has already led to fifteen collaborations, including with garage door manufacturer RE Panels.

We initially assisted them with drawing up a carbon balance sheet in line with European CSRD requirements.  Management then realised the strategic interest of our work and asked us to perform more specific analyses by product and production site. This, in turn, allowed them to identify best practices. RE Panels really appreciated our approach. We calculated the cost, gains and investment amount for each carbon footprint improvement objective. They also commended us for our rigorous alignment with international standards, a key element to avoiding greenwashing pitfalls."

Can a fashion company be successful even if it forgoes the excesses of fast fashion? Definitely, as Jean Chabert proves with Stanley/Stella, which produces custom-made clothes from organic cotton.

The Brussels-based scale-up Optimy brings together corporate volunteering, donations, patronage and sponsorship activities all on one platform. On it, their impact on society is concretely measurable.

"Originally, I didn't think of myself as a social entrepreneur, even though I was involved in sponsorship. At the request of our customers, my partners and I have developed an entire provision of services that has become the most comprehensive platform on the market," says Kenneth Bérard, CEO of Optimy.

One of these customers was the BNP Paribas Fortis Foundation, which wanted to make a greater social difference and also give these actions more visibility. "It's a must for companies to contribute to society. This generates added value for the company and fuels a positive spiral. But that social impact has to be measurable. How many children have been helped? How many trees have been planted? What effect does this have on employee satisfaction, image and turnover? Our model offers all of this. This means that companies don't have to purchase new modules every time they want to add additional activities. I think that’s our great success factor. We are the market leader in Europe in our sector and the only company operating in both Europe and North America."

Personal support

"Many companies are full of good intentions. They want to have a positive impact on society, but they often lack a good method to do this efficiently," the entrepreneur notes. "They tend to see all their efforts in isolation. The Optimy platform offers a solution for this. It's easy to put together and it's service-oriented. We adapt to the processes of each business unit and company. It doesn't work the other way around," assures Bérard. "Our customers are not looking for technology; they're looking for guidance. We invest in personalisation, and it's paying off, as a customer satisfaction survey shows."

Structuring actions

The first piece of advice that Optimy always gives companies is: don't shred your efforts, they should form a whole. "We recommend that companies structure their actions using our tool. The corporate social responsibility policy must be in line with the company’s values, DNA and broader strategy. And of course, the actions must be transparent and well executed."

The right partner

From the beginning, the connection Optimy had with BNP Paribas Fortis was decisive for the company’s growth. "The fact that the bank follows us has increased our credibility with our partners, investors, customers and also internally. Now it's setting up a factoring service for us to further support our growth."

Optimy's growth was initially supported by cash flow, which is unusual for a technology company. Financing came into play beginning in 2019. That's when a Canadian fund specialising in software as a service (SaaS) companies and affiliated with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) became a shareholder.

Multicultural enrichment

As with increasingly more companies, one of Optimy’s biggest challenges is recruiting new talent. “We've been able to convert that challenge into an asset,” concludes Bérard. "We attract talent from abroad. Sixty people from twenty nationalities work in our Brussels branch. This multiculturalism is a huge enrichment and has helped us break through internationally."

“The corporate social responsibility policy must be in line with your company’s values, DNA and broader strategy”.

The health and economic crisis has affected all aspects of every sector. Among them, mobility, for both private individuals and for companies.

Mobility is evolving every day. And it has been driven further as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Many people have been locked down and working from home has been widespread in many parts of the world.

The coronavirus crisis has changed concerns about transport

We are no longer moving around in the same way. And concerns are no longer the same. According to a BCG Consulting report, social distancing and vehicle cleanliness are the most important aspects for 41% and 39% of respondents, respectively, when choosing a mode of transport. There is also pre- and post-Covid mobility, with respondents being more likely to choose walking, their own bicycle or scooter, or their car than before the crisis.

Sustainable and alternative mobility in the years to come

Mobility has not necessarily waited for the coronavirus crisis in order to evolve. And, according to the same report, the share of more environmentally-friendly vehicles will continue to increase. By 2035, more than 35% of new vehicles will be electric cars, becoming the predominant form of motorised transport worldwide. Autonomous cars will also become more common, with 10% of vehicles being level 4 vehicles (able to travel without a driver, for example), and 65% level 2 or higher.

Customised mobility for employees, right now

The future of mobility is also relevant now, especially for businesses and the self-employed. The need for alternative modes of transport does not only concern private individuals, but also employees. There is no longer a single mode of transport for all situations, but a range of means depending on the need at a given moment. Electric cars, hybrid vehicles, electric bicycles, a public transport season ticket, car sharing, leasing, etc. These modes can take different forms and be combined in a mobility card, for example. There are benefits for the employees and managers of a company but also for the company itself through cost reduction, optimisation and fleet management.