Programme of FEDERE 2009
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CSR, a performance lever to overcome the crisis

The way out of the crisis that is affecting the world economy involves sustainable development. Green business, new markets, better financial responsibility, mobilisation of employees: CSR contributes towards improving the performance of enterprises and inventing new growth models on all these fronts. What is the best way of exploiting the potentials of CSR? What management tools will be helpful? How to control an efficient sustainable development strategy? What are the most promising innovations and sectors? More than 600 leaders and managers of enterprises, NGOs, international institutions, and experts will attend the eighth FEDERE Forum to discuss these challenges. With the Grenelle Environnement (national convention on the environment), measures to boost the recovery such as the premium for scrapped cars, sustainable development is expected to help out key sectors such as buildings and transport. The impact study of the Grenelle Environnement estimates that the number of jobs created or maintained will be 535,000, not to mention the effects of actions to protect biodiversity and reduce chemical risks, which are difficult to measure. In the United States, President Obama has emphasized the need for a "green recovery". Undoubtedly, the results of the Poznan conference and the vote on the European climate and energy package have disappointed NGOs and developing countries. All types of resistance, lobbies and short term interests have not yet said their last word. But as Jeffrey Sachs recently emphasized in Les Echos, the only way to escape from the crisis is through clear leadership and sustainable solutions. Micro-economically for daily management, public incentives such as the carbon balance (which will be compulsory for enterprises employing more than 500 employees), renovation of tertiary buildings and the recycling of professional waste will help companies make savings. But CSR is becoming a performance lever in many other respects. It is a source of innovation and therefore competitive advantage, through new markets (green technologies, eco-design, bio or fair trade products, micro-finance, etc.). A sustainable development policy will also help to motivate employees in a company and give meaning to their work, and externally will consolidate the company’s image. Conference members and participants will debate challenges such as the ROI of sustainable development, biodiversity and company strategy, responsible finance, mobilisation of employees, eco-design, purchases and supplier relations, responsible marketing, regional roots are all at the heart of the concerns of enterprises, and they will have frank discussions on their experience and practice. The annual study Federe - La Poste will also allow to evaluate the practices of French companies