{"id":1219,"date":"2025-05-14T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/?p=1219"},"modified":"2025-07-01T11:02:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T09:02:07","slug":"how-can-companies-reconcile-sustainable-management-of-natural-and-human-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/2025\/05\/14\/how-can-companies-reconcile-sustainable-management-of-natural-and-human-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"How can companies reconcile sustainable management of natural and human resources?"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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\n How can companies reconcile sustainable management of natural and human resources? <\/h2>\n
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How can we shift from a volume-driven economic model to a more frugal and equitable economy\u2014one that is mindful of both natural and human resources?<\/strong>
\nAmid societal expectations, environmental constraints, and new regulatory frameworks, the working group co-led by Ecofi held its second workshop, featuring rich discussions on key drivers of transformation and remaining barriers.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n

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Participants opened this second workshop with a brief recap of the key takeaways from the first session, which focused on assessing corporate impacts and dependencies on natural resources.<\/p>\n

Several needs had been identified at the time, including the importance of education, access to reliable data, and the strengthening of regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

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They then addressed the issue of rare metals, emphasizing in particular their environmental impact. \u201cThese are metals whose extraction is highly polluting and consumes enormous amounts of water,\u201d recalled Camille Richard, Head of Impact at Alter Equity. While recycling is essential for the proper management of these resources, it remains very limited: \u201cToday, less than 17% of electronic waste is recycled worldwide,\u201d she specified, highlighting that much of it ends up in open dumpsites, \u201cprimarily in Africa,\u201d with severe environmental consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Camille Richard, one of the main obstacles to better resource recovery is the widespread lack of eco-design among electronic device manufacturers. Simply put, manufacturers do not design their products to allow for efficient recovery of the metals they contain, while sometimes promoting misleading marketing claims about the durability of their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the sector, recycling should be considered only as a last resort, reminded Yann Fradin, Project Director at the Espaces Association and Vice-President of Emma\u00fcs: \u201cThe priority is to design durable products from the outset that are easy to repair and reuse.\u201d To illustrate his point, he cited the textile industry, where overconsumption has intensified in recent years: in less than ten years, the number of garments sold per person in France has increased by 75%, \u201ceven though reflections on sustainable design and reuse remain very limited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, \u201cpublic authorities have a huge role to play,\u201d emphasized Camille Richard, citing the example of the universal charger mandated by the European Union to reduce electronic equipment waste. \u201cThis is a tangible result of legislative action. Yet today, one can question: why are second-hand devices subject to the same levels of taxation as new products?\u201d she wondered. Better regulation could help reduce pressure on natural resources\u2014whether rare earths, precious metals, water, or other critical resources\u2014and therefore significantly reduce the associated pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing Models<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is essential to shift from a volume-based economic model to an economy of sobriety, promoting better management of natural resources and waste,\u201d continued Fanny Demulier, Director of Purpose and Stakeholders at Veolia. To achieve this, she stressed the need to involve the entire ecosystem\u2014\u201cfrom companies to consumers, including regulators\u201d\u2014to collectively rethink resource use. \u201cRegulation plays a key role because without a binding framework, few actors voluntarily commit to sobriety,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yann Fradin drew attention to the need to reconsider profitability expectations, \u201cwhich are often too demanding of private companies.\u201d \u201cThese excessive demands can lead to deteriorating social conditions and poor resource management,\u201d he explained, advocating \u201ca profound change in the production model by aligning with the natural functioning of ecological cycles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe shift we must undertake is complex,\u201d acknowledged Fanny Demulier, noting that Veolia has adopted a more holistic approach to performance for several years now\u2014\u201ca plural performance that integrates, beyond financial indicators alone, environmental, social, and societal aspects.\u201d Successfully making this transition also requires involving all decision-making levels, from shareholders to operational managers. \u201cIt is essential to demonstrate that this plural vision drives sustainable long-term performance,\u201d she specified. Despite its complexity, integrating ESG issues can be a driver of innovation, transformation, and, above all, engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants also stressed the need for companies to clearly prioritize their actions by precisely identifying their most significant impacts and dependencies. This prioritization would enable the implementation of concrete and effective initiatives and thus reduce the risks of greenwashing. \u201cCompanies must focus on their core issues. For example, Veolia has established a regular dialogue with a committee of external experts precisely to challenge our ESG policies and verify their relevance,\u201d illustrated Fanny Demulier. Formalizing a corporate purpose can also help companies structure these efforts and go further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transparency Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite recent regulatory developments, investors still often find it difficult to concretely assess how sustainable resource management issues are integrated at the core of business models, pointed out Aur\u00e9lie de Barochez, Head of Consulting at Moonshot: \u201cThe main difficulty when opening a report is to precisely determine how natural resource issues are genuinely incorporated into strategy.\u201d However, she praised an inspiring initiative: a Danish company that, in its first CSRD report, systematically details all incoming and outgoing resources necessary for its activities. \u201cThis enables concrete measurement of the real resource consumption evolution year after year,\u201d she emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ecofi, integrating natural resource issues is a key criterion in company selection. \u201cOur ESG analysis methodology overweight the most material issues depending on the sector, and we exclude companies that have not developed sufficient policies on these strategic issues,\u201d explained Cesare Vitali, Head of ESG Research and SRI Development at Ecofi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Issues and Value Chains<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussion then broadened to sustainable management of human resources, starting with the notion of a \u201cjust transition.\u201d This concept refers to \u201cthe necessary coordination between ecological transition and social issues,\u201d recalled Cesare Vitali. Practically, a successful energy transition requires considering aspects such as \u201cjob creation, respect for human rights, gender equality, and more broadly all social issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speakers emphasized the need to monitor social issues throughout value chains, particularly regarding human resource management and fundamental rights. \u201cSince 2017, the French duty of vigilance law requires large companies to implement a plan covering notably the social conduct of their suppliers,\u201d reminded Cesare Vitali, noting \u201ca growing awareness among companies regarding their partners\u2019 conduct.\u201d \u201cPreviously, companies were mainly concerned with reputational risks, but with this law, they are also exposed to legal risks,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the geographical zones where companies operate, Ecofi applies additional criteria, especially when companies or their suppliers are based in countries with higher risks concerning labor law or human rights. In the absence of sufficient public information, a dialogue is initiated to ensure these issues are properly addressed. \u201cThis is a very important issue for us,\u201d continued Alix Roy, ESG analyst at Ecofi. \u201cWe regularly encourage companies, through our dialogues, to improve traceability in their value chain.\u201d According to her, two main problems persist: \u201ceither companies have poor knowledge of their own value chain, in which case we push them to make efforts on traceability; or they lack transparency and limit themselves to publishing the list of direct suppliers only.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The asset manager also encourages companies to engage with local governments to strengthen human and labor rights regulations in certain regions. \u201cThis is part of responsible companies\u2019 duties: they should not simply establish operations to benefit from very low costs but also contribute to improving local regulations,\u201d insisted Cesare Vitali, who regrets the relaxations introduced by the \u201cOmnibus\u201d legislative package, which reduces requirements of certain directives such as CS3D, the European equivalent of the duty of vigilance law. \u201cWhile the original directive version required an in-depth assessment of the entire supply chain, the amended version limits this obligation to direct suppliers only (level 1),\u201d he specified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human Resources and Value Sharing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For companies, good human resource management also involves internal policies, particularly regarding education and training. \u201cThere is sometimes a lack of awareness and understanding among employees on these issues, which can lead to poor decisions or insufficient consideration of these challenges at the highest levels,\u201d highlighted Fanny Demulier. Veolia notably launched two years ago Terra Academia, a school for \u201cecological transformation,\u201d relying on institutional and local partnerships. \u201cIt is essential to carry out this reflection at the territorial level, to anticipate, in particular, the needs of the local industrial fabric,\u201d she added. In the same spirit, Yann Fradin also stressed the importance of relying on local actors and associations: \u201cThis is where change really happens, so we must provide tools to these structures.\u201d He emphasized the need for \u201cmore connection, understanding, and anticipation,\u201d especially regarding training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context of stakeholder involvement, the question of value sharing was also addressed. \u201cToday, 90% of our revenue is reinvested locally, whether through employment, subcontracting, inclusion, training, or innovation,\u201d explained Fanny Demulier. According to her, this local dynamic allows companies to have a more tangible impact: \u201cIt pushes us to work differently, adapting our projects to the territory, local skills, and necessary expertise, but also reflecting on how we train our teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, companies will also need to adapt to the expectations of new generations, notably concerning meaning and working conditions. \u201cThe relationship to time and hierarchy is completely different,\u201d highlighted Camille Richard. Yet today, \u201corganizations are not always ready to manage these new expectations and must find solutions to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They then addressed the issue of rare metals, emphasizing in particular their environmental impact. \u201cThese are metals whose extraction is highly polluting and consumes enormous amounts of water,\u201d recalled Camille Richard, Head of Impact at Alter Equity. While recycling is essential for the proper management of these resources, it remains very limited: \u201cToday, less than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1060,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essential-resources"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1219"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1220,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1219\/revisions\/1220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2030investirdemain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}