The holding of COP27 in early November is a high point on the global climate agenda. All the attention of the media and citizens will focus on the actions undertaken by the States to work towards achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The private sector, primarily concerned by the development of regional and national regulations that may result, will also be attentive to the announcements that will be made at the end of the COP.
Businesses: what evolution on the consideration of climate issues?
Regardless of its size or sector of activity, no company can now ignore the climate issue. The role of the private sector in achieving the objective of planetary carbon neutrality is no longer disputed (at least in public) by its most important actors, although the implementation of the famous sequence “Avoid – Reduce – Compensate” is extremely uneven.
The novelty on this subject is the consideration of climate issues is no longer limited to simply trying to reduce its volume of greenhouse gas emissions. A company’s vision must increasingly integrate a strategic reflection on the future of its activity in the world of tomorrow, whether we are heading towards a carbon-free society or towards a planet at +2, +3 or +4°C. This better understanding of the complexity of the climate subject is reflected in particular by:
Reflections on the necessary adaptation of activities or supplies with regard to climate change in its territory;
The stated desire to go beyond risk management so that the company becomes a creator of “positive impacts” on its environment;
Gradual recognition of the intrinsic links between climate, biodiversity and human well-being, etc.
Our solutions for rethinking the integration of issues into corporate strategy
These awarenesses require rethinking the way in which climate issues are integrated into the company’s overall strategy. At Kinomé, we support our private clients in creating solutions with a high positive impact for people and the environment by acting on different levers:
By working with them to identify the company’s theory of change
How do the management team and its employees project themselves beyond the boundaries of the company? What is their vision of a desirable future for society and the environment? How does the company act, or can it act, to contribute with its capabilities to the realization of this future – in other words, what is its strategy for success?
By supporting the consideration of the impact of climate change on the company’s value chain
This support takes the form of the identification of risks and vulnerability factors on the one hand, and the implementation of adaptation and resilience measures on the other. Kinomé has thus worked for a long time to improve the sustainability of the forestry and agricultural sectors of the countries of the South (cocoa, vanilla, wood, vegetable oils and butters, etc.), in order to create sustainable models that create value for all. the links of the chain.
By promoting the mobilization of employees and the creation of common ground
If the conviction of the leaders is a prerequisite for transforming a corporate vision, the support of the employees will be the factor of success in its implementation and can make the company a leader in the evolution of its ecosystem. Through consultation workshops or training in climate issues, Kinomé ensures that all the actors involved in the mission share the same common vision and become aware of their individual power of action. Our Forest & Life environmental educational program is also a very concrete opportunity to strengthen the awareness and commitment of employees who will participate with the children in the plantations carried out near their workplace, from Tarn to Hauts-de-France.
By encouraging the creation of climate projects, contributing to planetary carbon neutrality.
Despite the many weaknesses of the current carbon market, carbon finance represents a major opportunity for many territories to access the resources essential to the protection of local natural resources. Long involved in West Africa in mangrove conservation projects or in the development of moringa agroforestry, Kinomé is positioning itself as a project leader to catalyze the funding needed to protect these carbon sinks. These projects also represent for private actors the possibility of going beyond the pure logic of securing carbon credits by investing in the long term in a project with strong social and environmental co-benefits.
“Climate issues” represent today much more for the company than a problem of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. For Kinomé, this is the key to rethinking the company’s purpose and putting people and nature back at the heart of its model, according to the principles of Ethical Leadership© and the approach we have been carrying since 2005 with our private partners. Each new COP reminds us of the urgency of accelerating our efforts to speed up the paradigm shift of the entire economic fabric.
