Civic responsibility highlighted by the health crisis
ISABELLE JUPPÉ
Corporate Social Responsibility Director, Lagardère group
Initially an unprecedented shock with considerable consequences for the Group, over time the pandemic has come to reveal our civic responsibility and our shared values. Our priorities related first of all to our employees and ensuring their safety and protection, putting in place support measures and organising working from home wherever possible. However, the civic aspect of our responsibility also came to the fore during the crisis. This is one of the lessons learned from the LL Network’s survey of its members on “the post-pandemic world”, launched after the first lockdown in France.
At Hachette Livre, with the growing need for reading during the lockdowns and the official recognition of books as an essential item, the division has played more of a key role than ever in access to education, freedom of expression and promoting cultural diversity.
The results achieved at the end of 2020, attesting to the remarkable resilience of the publishing business, also demonstrated the central role played by reading in ensuring a work-life balance.
At Lagardère Travel Retail, where the main priorities were the health and safety of employees as well as cost-cutting plans, taking account of CSR was also regarded as an essential part of recovery.
The expectations expressed by people during the crisis for a more environmentally responsible society have already been addressed by the efforts made by the division in areas such as food safety, preventing food waste, the circular economy and short supply circuits.
Lastly, at Lagardère News, there was no respite in performing its duty of providing information and creating a sense of connection. The priorities of our media publications (Paris Match, Le Journal du Dimanche, Europe 1, Virgin Radio and RFM) were to explain the situation to citizens and reassure them by providing reliable information, as well as entertaining them to help them to understand and make it through the crisis.
They also played an essential civic role from the start of the crisis.
Excerpt from the LL Network’s internal survey of its members conducted after the first lockdown in France in spring 2020.
En matière sociétale, par lequel de ces enjeux vous sentez-vous le plus concerné.e ?
- 42% La promotion des patrimoines culturels et locaux, l’accès à l’éducation, au divertissement, à l’information, à la connaissance.
- 30% L’engagement solidaire de l’entreprise (y compris en accompagnement les actions solidaires des salariés) en faveur de différentes causes.
- 28% La relation avec l’ensemble des fournisseurs, soustraitants et partenaires tout au long de la chaine de valeur, y compris sur le sujet des droits humains.
“Over time the pandemic has come to reveal our social responsibility.”
Isabelle Juppé