Sustainability games that support corporate responsibility
Company action for the environment
By definition, CSR — Corporate Social Responsibility — is an approach that puts sustainable development into practice within a company’s vision and strategy. According to the European Commission, it refers to companies voluntarily integrating social and environmental concerns into their activities and into their relationships with stakeholders.
Officially published in 2010, the ISO 26000 standard provides the reference framework for CSR strategy. This international standard sets out guidelines for putting the concept into practice, though it does not yet offer certification. On a voluntary basis, any company can therefore make efforts to protect the environment. A CSR policy can also take the form of initiatives with a positive societal impact. It may equally reflect a desire to reassess and improve the wellbeing of employees and teams.
Behind these various goals of embedding CSR and sustainability in the workplace lie a range of actions and values to adopt, depending on each company’s means and needs. To identify and understand them properly, CSR training or a sustainability game is an essential step. Delivered as training, this responsibility-driven approach can focus more closely on the strategy to adopt, as well as on the pillars of CSR, for a better grasp of the concept.
What stakeholders expect from CSR
The pillars of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, refers to how companies contribute to the challenges of sustainable development. It represents the commitment of economic players to initiatives that respect the environment and sustainability, but also benefit employees, clients and partners, and the wider community. The main aim is to have a positive impact on society while remaining an economically viable company.
CSR was originally built on three fundamental pillars:
- Economic responsibility,
- Social responsibility,
- Environmental responsibility.
For each of these three CSR pillars, a range of actions can be taken on the ground. The economic dimension, for instance, can be expressed through better service quality in partnerships with local producers and suppliers. As for environmental responsibility, a company can choose to use resources more responsibly or significantly reduce the carbon impact of its activities (responsible purchasing).
Sustainability games, offsites or workshops raising employee awareness of environmental issues can all be put in place. Respect for workers’ rights, diversity and equal opportunity, and improved employee wellbeing are all objectives tied to social responsibility. A company committed to a CSR strategy must therefore balance these three pillars in practice to become a genuinely sustainable and responsible business.
The ISO 26000 standard for corporate responsibility
The ISO 26000 standard is an international standard defining the scope of CSR strategy. It sets out the seven core subjects of social and environmental organisation that a company can address. They are:
- Organisational governance,
- Human rights,
- Labour practices and working conditions,
- The environment,
- Fair operating practices,
- Consumer issues,
- Community involvement and local development.
Around these three broad dimensions, and through the seven core subjects of the ISO 26000 standard, CSR strategy pursues one guiding aim. It seeks to make companies accountable for the environmental and human impact of their activities. A company committed to CSR contributes to better development of the organisation, both socially and in terms of health and safety.
Beyond this ethical dimension, CSR strategy also acts as a lever for overall performance. Today, consumers and employees value companies that are genuinely committed to socially and environmentally responsible practices. The more you communicate and deliver environmental and equitable action plans, the more attractive your company becomes. And that translates directly into more customers and stronger revenue. So what about CSR training as a way to make the concept your own?
Sustainability games: an easy way to make CSR strategy your own
Whether you’re a large company or a small one, CSR training is a key part of taking ownership of CSR. A sustainability game or an event-based session is both playful and educational — a way to train your teams, or any audience, on the many facets of sustainable development. Delivered in a more playful, participative and original format, messages about social and environmental issues hit home far more effectively. With properly informed employees, CSR commitments can lead to genuine environmental management.
In game-based CSR training or a sustainability game, the scenario can highlight the various challenges involved in protecting the environment. Activities can teach waste recovery or recycling techniques. Serious games, awareness-raising games and co-creation workshops on CSR strategy are all ways of getting employees to think about sustainable development and to take on board the core concerns and questions of CSR. During these activities, everyone can share their point of view, which sparks realcollective intelligence.
Event agencies such as Arcane Experience offer bespoke game design for CSR training, as well as serious games raising awareness of environmental protection. The possibilities are endless, and every one of them is built around your company’s internal policy.
CSR reporting and economic performance
A corporate social responsibility report summarises a company’s actions and economic performance on environmental matters. Some companies are legally required to publish an annual report. CSR reporting gives a clear measure of the environmental impact of subsidiaries and groups, supporting a genuine social responsibility policy and raising awareness of the consequences of irresponsible purchasing.
