risingSUD dévoile son plan d’action RSE

risingSUD, the Region Sud’s economic development and attractiveness agency, has officially unveiled its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) action plan.

The ambition is clear: to become a model economic development agency that inspires positive change and supports the emergence of new approaches to development. This will help the South of France become a land of excellence, innovation, and environmental transition with its sights firmly set on the future.

CSR is now an essential pillar of sustainability, profitability, and competitiveness, so risingSUD has decided to incorporate a CSR action plan into its roadmap. After taking part in the CEC initiative for businesses to fight climate change in 2023 and carrying out its first carbon audit, the agency has now set itself the ambitious target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 75% by 2032. The agency’s highly pragmatic action plan is being deployed both internally and externally, and it will be applied to all its missions to support the region's businesses, local communities, and sectors of excellence. The South of France has everything it takes to attract forward-looking investment and make environmental and social change a catalyst for developing a more resilient and inclusive economy that can make a positive impact.

1. An exemplary and influential agency

The year 2023 was marked by a major initiative on the part of the agency and its 50 employees to create a collective, realistic, and engaging CSR policy.

As a first step, risingSUD followed the guidelines from the CEC climate convention for businesses in Provence and the Mediterranean. More than 60 organisations took part in this convention, which reconsiders business models in the context of the planet's limits.

risingSUD has appointed a CSR manager and put in place a comprehensive in-house awareness-raising strategy, including the creation of a climate fresco, a summer seminar that explored environmental themes, dedicated time to consider CSR issues, and targeted training courses.

With the support of Bpifrance's Décarbon'Action program, risingSUD has carried out its first carbon audit: in 2022, its direct and indirect activities generated 572 tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of travelling around the world 6000 times by high-speed train. Above all, the agency has identified priority actions to reduce its emissions, with the ambition of lowering its impact to 144 tons of CO2 by 2032. As of 2024, it has begun implementing sustainable accounting, a responsible purchasing and subcontracting policy, and a digital sobriety plan.*

The agency has also developed and tested its scorecard for assessing the impact of projects and companies in the region, which is based on four criteria (economic, social, environmental, and territorial) so that it can prioritise support for the most socially responsible initiatives.

In 2024, the agency will be supporting individual and group volunteering initiatives, such as the 10-month training program for a seeing-eye dog, which began on 1 January.

2. A region of excellence, innovation, and transitions

In 2023, risingSUD supported the growth of more than 450 companies, 40% of which declared that they had taken steps that were in line with the Region Sud’s official climate plan.**

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SUCCESS STORIES SUPPORTED BY risingSUD

• CARBON SOLAR: The #1 European gigafactory for solar panels and photovoltaic products is being built in Fos-sur-Mer and will create 3000 jobs by 2027.
• INALVE: The company raised €2 million in investment for the production of microalgae in Nice for animal health and nutrition.
• BRAD TECHNOLOGY: The company is developing its agricultural technology solutions internationally, particularly in the Mediterranean and Africa, enabling farmers to adjust their practices in response to soil conditions in real time.
• MARSEILLE IMMUNOLOGY BIOCLUSTER: The cluster received a €97 million grant through the France 2030 program to become a global hub for the fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The agency is now integrating environmental and social transition measures into all its activities (territorial and financial planning, investment, export support, economic attractiveness, etc.) and all its programs (SUD Accelerator, PSI 4.0, Carbon, European programmes, etc.).

risingSUD also assists local authorities with their promotional and economic development strategies, and with their land issues. In particular, it has launched a platform that lists turnkey sites for attracting new businesses, and is actively working on the redevelopment of brownfield sites throughout the region.

In the words of Bernard KLEYNHOFF, Regional Councillor and Chairman of risingSUD, "The South of France may be a land blessed by the gods, but it is not resting on its laurels. At risingSUD, we are proud to identify and support the necessary transitions for businesses and local authorities. Whether they are start-ups, SMEs or mid-sized companies, local municipalities, townships, or metro areas, they are the driving force behind the change in our region's model towards sustainable and responsible growth."

"Our CSR action plan is ambitious. Environmentally friendly practices, responsible purchasing, sustainable mobility, awareness-raising workshops, a decarbonisation plan, changes to the agency's traditional way of doing business, a scorecard to measure the impact of every project coming into the region... We want to make a real difference, to show that it can be done, and to play our part in the collective effort of a region that is preparing for the future," added Audrey BRUN RABUEL, the CEO of risingSUD.

risingSUD contacts: Virginie VIAL-ISNARD, Project Manager for Communication and Media Relations, and Benjamin BOIS, Planning and Financing for the Smart Tech sector & CSR projects

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** Figures currently being consolidated. The risingSUD 2023 annual report will be published on 30 May 2024.