EVS Pro: An Example to Follow!

At Auum, we took advantage of the lockdown period to interview several CSR Managers and Directors. The goal was to better understand the work and responsibilities of the people leading CSR initiatives within companies in 2020.

Today, it’s Guillaume’s turn. He has been working at EVS for the past year and is responsible for all of the group’s CSR initiatives. Every day, he works to change employee habits and move towards Zero Waste across all of the company’s offices in the Île-de-France region. Guillaume is based in Rungis, but the CSR initiatives apply to all of the group’s branches: Rungis, Lyon, Strasbourg and soon Bordeaux.

Guillaume talks to us about the impact of lockdown on companies’ CSR initiatives and shares his vision. We would like to thank him for taking the time to speak with Auum.

Can you tell us about your background?

After a first experience in HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) at Total in Mexico, I decided to specialise in CSR by joining EVS-pro. It is very important to me to be a genuine driver of change within the company and, through my work, to have a real and positive impact on the environment.

As CSR Manager, what is your main mission?

One of my priorities is to make employees’ break areas cleaner and more responsible, by reducing single-use products with the long-term objective of creating zero-waste spaces.

I am also currently working on reducing unnecessary travel and encouraging remote work and video conferencing. The aim is to reduce, among other things, costs, CO₂ emissions and employee fatigue.

What are your proudest CSR achievements?

In less than a year, I’m quite proud to have introduced some significant changes within the company.

For example, our main branch in Rungis switched to a cleaner energy supplier. This is a change that we plan to gradually roll out across the other branches.

I have also introduced initiatives to reduce waste: we banned the use of paper cups. To make the transition easier internally, we challenged employees to bring their own mug to work for one week.

They took part, approved of the idea… and ultimately kept the habit. A great success!

How can you make a real impact within a company when you are the only person in the CSR department?

You have to start by setting a good example. It is very important for employees to be able to take inspiration from good practices.

I am fortunate to have the support of the various managers in this approach. The objective is to communicate the right messages so that everyone can take simple actions: reduce waste, consume less, adopt more responsible habits…

What impact has the lockdown had on CSR in general?

We are fortunate to have a CEO who is very committed to the subject. He is convinced that CSR remains a key issue despite this difficult period.

A successful recovery will depend on the environmental initiatives introduced in the past and maintained in the future. This is not always easy, because the impacts of CSR initiatives are often not very visible in the short term, while business pressures are significant.

The health crisis will inevitably have an impact on hygiene, and we will need to remain vigilant to ensure that we do not return to an entirely disposable model.

Do you have your own independent CSR budget?

There is not really a specific budget allocated to the CSR department.

When I propose a project or initiative, I have to demonstrate its relevance and anticipate both its financial and societal impacts. If management considers it worthwhile, we can move forward very quickly.

The decision therefore depends more on the benefits of implementing the project than on managing a budget that must be spent every year.

However, CSR is still considered a secondary area of expenditure in the event of a major crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing.

In your opinion, what advantage does innovating through CSR bring to your company?

CSR is a powerful communication tool, both internally and externally.

New employees are increasingly committed to these issues: they want to work for a company that takes concrete action when it comes to sustainable development.

Speaking of sustainable development, can you tell us more about Neshu?

Neshu is a company focused on workplace well-being and social interaction through the management of break areas.

Today, the break area is a key part of the workplace and plays an important role in a successful working day — at least, that is what we are striving to achieve!

We are committed to providing employees with the highest-quality products and services while also taking into account the environmental and social challenges associated with these spaces.

What is the group’s external CSR position?

It is obviously a very important subject for EVS, and we aim to reduce the waste generated by our sales at our customers’ premises.

Cups are, in a way, the most visible symbol of waste and one of the first things we need to tackle if we want to reduce waste.

All of our suppliers and partners are carefully selected according to their values, particularly those relating to CSR.

We work with Nespresso, which, despite some criticism regarding capsule recyclability, has a very mature CSR policy and works tirelessly to reduce waste.

We have also developed the NUNSHEN tea brand with our responsible sourcing policy; we work with Castalie for its bottle-free water fountain solution; and we offer the NU! solution, connected fridges designed to reduce lunchtime waste.

The choice of our partners and the efforts they make in terms of sustainable development are at the heart of our growth strategy.

Of course, the “Auum” solution fits perfectly with the direction EVS is currently taking.