As the scope of the European CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) expands to include ETIs (companies with over 250 employees, sales of over €50m and balance sheet total of over €25m) on January 1, 2025, CSR labels – which can sometimes make a significant contribution to the drafting of extra-financial reports – continue to flourish. Whether they are general (Lucie, B-Corp, EcoVadis) or sector-specific (Print’Ethic in the graphics industry, ASKOR for visual communications, SHOP! Skor in the POS advertising sector, among others), certifications don’t necessarily get everyone on the same page, between advertisers anxious for legibility and uniformity in the standards apparatus, and suppliers wishing to rely on standards more specific to their businesses. Faced with this maze of standards, the French government even entrusted AFNOR with the task of harmonizing standards by 2023, with the creation of yet another label – the Triple E (European Environmental Excellence) standard – intended to serve as an umbrella for the multiple and scattered CSR certifications. A standard that has yet to see the light of day. So, in this context, who benefits from standards?
