CSR issues at the heart of Res publica

The consultation processes that Res publica organizes for its public and private clients most often address issues related to the ecological and social transition (climate policies, urban planning, housing, public transportation, waste management, water management, professional integration policies, social policies etc.).

Our contribution cannot be limited to supporting our clients without applying the requirements of the transition to ourselves : limiting our carbon footprint, contributing to a better functioning society, and building a work environment that prioritizes the well-being of its members. This is how we exercise our corporate social responsibility.

For Gilles-Laurent Rayssac, President of Res publica, “all companies, regardless of their size, are responsible for their means as well as their ends . They must account not only for what they do, but also for how they do it and the impact they have on their human and physical environment .”

Res publica's environmental actions

Since 2020, we have conducted an annual carbon footprint assessment to enable us to take action to reduce the carbon footprint of all our activities. The citizen climate conventions we organize, both nationally and locally (Rouen, Grenoble Metropolitan Area, etc.), clearly demonstrate that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is everyone's responsibility. We would be cynical if we didn't strive to do everything possible to limit our own emissions.

This is why we commissioned the Sami to carry out our carbon footprint assessment.

A carbon footprint assessment is a carbon accounting method created in France in 2004 by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Other calculation methods exist, such as the GHG protocol dating from 1998 and ISO 14064-1, created in 2018. These different methods provide a framework for data collection, as well as a database of Emission Factors (EFs). Once the company's activity data is collected, the corresponding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are quantified for each activity data point using this database. This database allows a coefficient (emission factor) to be applied to each data point to calculate the emissions for that activity.

The carbon footprint assessment is carried out across three "scopes," which define the different areas of GHG emissions:
- Scope 1 : direct GHG emissions, primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels for heating or company vehicles.
- Scope 2 : indirect emissions associated with electricity and heat production.
- Scope 3 : all other indirect emissions across the company's value chain (travel, purchases, waste, etc.). This scope typically encompasses the majority of emissions.

A carbon footprint assessment is mandatory every four years for companies with more than 500 employees in Scopes 1 and 2, and strongly recommended in Scope 3. The Citizens' Convention for Climate , which Res publica supported, proposes extending this obligation to all organizations and all Scopes . Since 2020, we have therefore decided to conduct our carbon footprint assessment annually. To have a basis for comparison and to gain perspective on the effects of the pandemic, we chose to calculate our 2019 footprint in addition to that of 2020.

In 2019, Res publica emitted 85 tonnes of CO2e (CO2 equivalent: a unit created by the IPCC that allows for the combined accounting of different greenhouse gases (GHGs), the main one being CO2). In 2020, due to lockdowns and the significant decrease in travel related to Covid-19, our emissions fell to 66 tonnes of CO2e .

Establishing our carbon footprint allows us to define an annual action plan to reduce our emissions . This plan consists of two parts .
Firstly, we will continue the actions already underway : limiting energy consumption in our offices (programmable thermostats), purchasing 100% renewable electricity supplied by the Enercoop , reducing the impact of our employees during their commute and business trips (Sustainable Mobility Package and reimbursement of subscriptions to bike-sharing systems, prioritizing the use of public transport over cars, etc.), and optimizing the hosting of our data and digital services.
Secondly, we are implementing new actions to further reduce our carbon footprint : conducting our carbon footprint assessment annually, raising awareness among our team about eco-friendly digital practices and waste prevention/reduction, establishing a zero-air travel policy (except in cases authorized by management), training the entire Res publica team in the Climate Fresk workshop, and offsetting our CO2 emissions .

Our social commitments

One of the challenges of our work is organizing dialogues that involve everyone concerned by the subject of the consultation (a project, a strategy, or a policy). Without careful attention, only those who are most "at ease" (often men, well-educated, and without social difficulties) participate or speak up. What is true for the consultation processes we organize is also true for everyone's participation in social life.

Kodiko association by participating in its mentorship program and assisting it in co-creating its advocacy and the participatory training of the program's mediators.

In 2021, we decided to deepen our commitment by becoming one of the founding members of the Work with Refugees .

Kodiko is a non-profit organization dedicated to the public good, founded in 2016. Its mission is to support refugees in their journey to and within employment through an innovative corporate mentoring program. To achieve this, the organization builds partnerships with companies whose employees participate in the program, hosting a pair of refugees from the Kodiko cohort every two weeks at their workplace.
Work with Refugees collective comprises eight members: six associations (Kodiko, ActionEmploi Réfugiés, Singa France, Konexio, JRS France, and Les entreprises pour la cité), one social enterprise (Simplon.co), and Res publica. The collective's objective is to promote the professional integration of refugees by fostering a shift in perspective, dismantling existing prejudices, and valuing the skills and unique contributions that refugees bring with them. The collective is particularly committed to raising awareness among businesses about the recruitment and integration of refugees, as well as intercultural issues.

Furthermore, during our projects, we implement actions and tools adapted for people with disabilities. All our web services and multimedia productions comply with the recommendations of the General Accessibility Improvement Framework (RGAA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), especially for people with visual or hearing impairments.

Finally, we adhere to the Charter for Participation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MTE), which sets out the values ​​and principles of a virtuous participatory process .

An HR policy aimed at reducing the mental workload

Res publica's work takes place in the human sphere: we facilitate dialogue between very different people. We strive to make these dialogues productive by ensuring everyone has a real voice and is heard in the exchange. We must manage disagreements, not to erase them, but to move beyond or resolve them. This requires that all members of Res publica feel comfortable in their work so that they are supportive and the mental workload is manageable.

Within the organization itself, this involves recognizing the place and role of each team member in the company's operations, a policy of mutual trust, attention to gender parity and diversity within our teams, and the practice of equal pay for equal responsibilities between women and men.

This also involves a recruitment policy that invests in the long term and favors permanent contracts (often immediately after an internship for junior consultants), an internal training policy, and the creation of teams that facilitate the dissemination and sharing of skills, particularly for junior consultants (but not exclusively!).

In terms of employee benefits, we have implemented a range of programs: an employee savings plan (PEE, PERCO) allowing them to prepare for their future and retirement with "socially responsible" investments, a profit-sharing agreement that allows them to share in the company's profits, compensation above the legal minimum for interns, and so on.

Finally, regarding work organization, we have implemented "open bar" teleworking for the past two years to facilitate a better work-life balance so that each team member can organize their time more easily.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a voluntary action by companies to respect the environment and better recognize social rights. For us, CSR consists of commitments and practices that reinforce Res publica's mission and purpose. We work to expand democratic practices in everyday life: our professional credibility depends not only on the competence of our teams and the quality of our actions, but also on our individual and collective ability to uphold the highest social and environmental standards. All members of Res publica are spontaneously committed to this objective.