CSR and Transformation: When Sustainability Becomes an Organizational Matter

A conversation with Jean-Loup Crété

Some words evolve over time. They wear out, accumulate connotations, and sometimes become blurred after being used in too many contexts.

I believe CSR is one of them.

It is often associated with visible, sometimes symbolic actions. We talk about initiatives, charters, labels. We communicate. We tick boxes. Yet behind the term, we sometimes forget that it addresses something deeply structuring for organizations.

This is precisely what led me to approach CSR from a different angle: that of transformation.

Not as a peripheral topic, but as a shift in practices, priorities, and sometimes even business models. Not as a standalone project, but as a dynamic that may—or may not—take root in the way an organization truly operates.

To explore this dimension, I spoke with Jean-Loup Crété, a sustainability consultant who primarily supports industrial SMEs in structuring their CSR initiatives. His experience offers a concrete perspective on how these topics enter organizations—and what makes them stay.

CSR or Sustainability: The Importance of Words

At the very beginning of our conversation, Jean-Loup emphasizes the importance of terminology. He prefers using the term sustainability rather than sustainable development or even CSR.

The expression sustainable development, he explains, can still carry a connotation of economic growth, sometimes disconnected from social and environmental externalities. Sustainability, on the other hand, more directly refers to continuity—and even survival.

“Sustainability truly reflects the real challenges our society faces today: there is a question of survival for the environment as we know it. And we should not forget that without the environment, there is no market. And without markets, there are no businesses.”

CSR then becomes the translation of these broader issues at the corporate level: how can an organization concretely contribute to addressing climate, social, and biodiversity challenges?

This attention to language is not anecdotal. It shapes how deeply the issue is addressed.

A Contextual Perspective: Which Companies Are Concerned?

Before going further, it is important to understand the context in which Jean-Loup operates.

He mainly works with SMEs—often industrial companies—whose CSR maturity is still relatively low when the first conversation begins. Many have heard about the topic and understand its general importance, but do not know where to start or how to structure their approach.

The triggers are rarely ideological. More often, they come from external pressures: requests from major clients, requirements from supply chains, or regulatory developments.

More rarely, the initiative is driven by the personal conviction of a business leader.

This is an important point: transformation does not always begin with full commitment. Sometimes it starts with constraint. The real question then becomes: how does a reactive approach evolve into genuine ownership?

From One-Off Initiative to Real Transformation

One of the strongest insights from this conversation is the difference between a CSR initiative treated as a short-term project and a dynamic that truly transforms business practices.

Jean-Loup observes that many organizations approach CSR as a temporary effort: a program lasting a few months, perhaps a few years, after which the topic is considered “handled.”

But sustainability does not work that way.

“CSR is really about changing the way organizations operate—permanently.”

Initiatives that last over time share several characteristics: strong commitment from leadership, integration of sustainability into the strategic plan, clearly identified responsibilities, and structured governance.

These are classic organizational transformation mechanisms. CSR does not require exotic tools. It requires consistently mobilizing levers that companies already know well: strategy, resource allocation, portfolio management, and governance.

Jean-Loup even suggests linking CSR initiatives to existing project management structures so they are managed at the same level as quality, cost, or delivery projects.

In other words, moving CSR away from symbolic gestures and embedding it into the operational fabric of the organization.

Engaging Teams: A Deeply Human Challenge

As with any transformation, ownership is central.

Jean-Loup distinguishes between two types of initiatives: those that are highly visible but have limited impact, and those that are more structural, affecting operational activities and requiring more substantial investment.

Balancing the two is delicate. Too many visible initiatives risk drifting into greenwashing. Too many large, invisible projects may weaken collective momentum.

Beyond this balance, he highlights another recurring factor in successful transformations: understanding.

“Ownership comes through understanding the issues that people are being asked to engage with.”

In that sense, communication alone is not enough. Concepts such as climate change, circular economy, or biodiversity can be complex. Without a genuine effort to make them understandable, they remain abstract—and without understanding, long-term engagement is unlikely.

This observation echoes a broader principle: whatever the nature of the change—digital, organizational, or environmental—transformation always happens through people. Processes may evolve, but individuals carry the change.

Blind Spots: Biodiversity and Investment Consistency

When asked about the major blind spots in current CSR initiatives, Jean-Loup immediately points to biodiversity.

Many companies believe they are not concerned unless they operate directly in sectors linked to natural resources. Yet their supply chains rely on materials such as metals, plastics, or wood, whose extraction has significant ecological consequences.

The responsibility may be indirect, but it is real.

Another blind spot lies in the consistency of investments.

Jean-Loup draws an interesting comparison between investments in IT and those in sustainability. Companies often invest heavily in digital technologies—even when the returns remain uncertain—while the risks linked to climate change and ecosystem degradation are already widely documented. Yet investments in CSR and sustainability remain relatively limited.

This contrast does not suggest opposing digital transformation and sustainability. Rather, it raises questions about the implicit hierarchy of priorities.

Transformation in the Service of Sustainability

What this conversation reveals is that CSR is not an isolated technical issue. It relies on the same drivers as any deep organizational transformation: vision, governance, resource allocation, change management, and education.

Addressing sustainability superficially leads to visible but ultimately limited initiatives. Embedding it in everyday practices means accepting that it may reshape the organization itself.

Perhaps the real question is not how to “do CSR,” but how far organizations are willing to let these challenges influence the way they make decisions, allocate investments, and operate.

---

✨ About Jean-Loup

Jean-Loup Crété has been supporting Quebec-based SMEs since 2022 in implementing CSR and responsible sourcing initiatives, as well as conducting greenhouse gas emissions inventories. His ten years of experience in project and portfolio management within the manufacturing industry have given him a strong understanding of how organizations operate and which levers can help sustain CSR initiatives over time.

The approach he applies—developed by COESIO, a Quebec-based sustainability and environmental consulting firm with which he collaborates—relies on the co-construction of strategies and action plans with clients. Workshops organized throughout the engagement take place in an open and collaborative atmosphere where any question can be raised, helping to surface and address common biases around sustainability topics..

👉 Learn more: https://www.coesio.com/