1. How can banks help promote CSR?
#1 Audencia’s Rn’B World Tour – New York City – July 2014

2. Agenda
1. CSR in Western France
2. Audencia’s CSR Chair
3. Three action research projects on banks and CSR
① Offering low interest loans to SMEs committed to CSR
② Using local employees savings for local SMEs
③ Integrating CSR criteria in risk-rating of companies
4. Conclusions and next steps

3. CSR in Western France
Multiple CSR initiatives involving private and public
actors
Region recognized as a pioneer in CSR: In 2013,
Nantes was Europe’s Green Capital
Local CSR standard defined with the support of
Audencia: 15 priorities equally shared among 5 areas
① Social responsibility
② Environmental responsibility
③ Economic responsibility
④ Local responsibility
⑤ Governance

4. Audencia’s CSR Chair
Chair financed by KPMG, Caisses d’Epargne, Nantes
Métropole and 6 local SMEs
Chair contributing to academic publications and
doctoral training
Platform aiming at developing action research
projects to promote CSR at the local level & beyond
① Strategy and governance
② Marketing
③ Finance

5. Local governments, local banks and local branches of
national banks offer low interest loans to SMEs
To access the loan, the SMEs have to undergo a CSR
rating and to commit to make progress
Experimental budget of 500.000 euros for 2014;
currently 135.000 euros used for 5 SMEs
Audencia’s role:
① CSR evaluation of the candidates
② Impact evaluation of the experiment
Low interest loans
for SMEs committed to CSR

6. Local employees savings
for local SMEs
Local banks and local branches of national banks
offer promote employees savings for local SMEs
To access the funds, the SMEs have to undergo a
CSR rating and to commit to make progress
Project aiming at developing employees savings
Audencia’s role:
① CSR evaluation of the candidates
② Tracking the flow of investments
③ Impact evaluation of the experiment

7. Integrating CSR criteria
in risk-rating of companies
The cost of loans depends on the risk-rating of the
company that is currently based on financial criteria
The French Central Bank aims at integrating CSR
criteria in the risk-rating of companies
Audencia’s role:
① Proving that a CSR strategy limits financial risks
② Defining relevant CSR criteria to include in risk-rating

8. Conclusions and next steps
Importance to use the same criteria in the various
initiatives aiming at promoting CSR
Importance to use operational criteria selected in
cooperation with the relevant stakeholders
Need to bring the experiments to the end and to
evaluate their impact
Interest in a comparative project with other regions
and countries

9. asobczak@audencia.com
#1 Audencia’s Rn’B World Tour – New York City – July 2014

10. Local CSR standard (1/2)
1. Favour employees’ well-being
2. Develop the skills of all employees
3. Promote diversity and equal opportunities
4. Reduce energy, water and raw material consumption
5. Reduce emissions in air, soil and water
6. Favour the reduction and reuse of waste
7. Guarantee the company’s economic performance
8. Respect customers’ interests
9. Establish long-term relations with
suppliers and respect their interests

11. Local CSR standard (2/2)
10. Contribute to the region’s economic and social development
Prefer local suppliers
11. Fight against obstacles to recruit and insert excluded people
12. Develop continuous improvement and innovation for CSR
13. Report in transparent manner on aims, actions and results in
the field of CSR
14. Promote social dialogue with employees and their
representatives on the implementation of this standard