By putting people at the heart of its approach, the Group confirms its belief in common ethics shared by all – customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders – but also in human values such as team spirit and respect for each individual.
More than just a statement of intent, DESCOURS & CABAUD’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy is a day-to-day reality.
Having worked with ECOVADIS, the world’s leading CSR organisation, for more than 10 years, in 2022, DESCOURS & CABAUD obtained a Silver ranking for 2021, up by six points, reflecting the relevance of the long-term sustainable development initiatives we have taken.
Our Group is now ranked in the top 4% of the best-performing companies in our sector in terms of CSR, as assessed by EcoVadis.
DESCOURS & CABAUD is ranked in the top 10% best-performing companies in terms of CSR across all sectors of activity.
Encouraged by this award and, convinced of the performance of the initiatives already taken, we are determined to continue and intensify the deployment of our roadmap, with a view to achieving continuous improvement.
Our Declaration of Non-Financial Performance (DNFP) covers all the French sites within the DESCOURS & CABAUD Group’s scope of consolidation, and partly includes the European subsidiaries (outside France) and North-American subsidiaries.
This declaration has been constructed in such a way as to enlighten our stakeholders in a fully transparent manner about the social, societal and environmental effects of the Group’s activity.
Since we are aware that the path to sustainable development is a long one, this approach is part of a continuous improvement strategy.
All our customers’ business sectors are at the heart of the fight against climate change:
Irrespective of their sector, we support their eco-responsible initiatives by building a responsible offer that combines technical competitiveness with energy efficiency and environmental performance. We co-build this offer with our supplier partners and evaluate it according to of sustainable development criteria, throughout the product life cycle.
We have been committed to reducing our environmental footprint for several years and are constantly stepping up our efforts and multiplying our initiatives to significantly reduce the carbon impact of our business.
Guided by the values of unity, transparency and daring, DESCOURS & CABAUD ensures that these values are embodied in the daily activities of each of its employees. From our attitude to our actions and the statements we make, to the decisions we take, we have a collective responsibility to our shareholders to guarantee the integrity, fairness and honesty of our actions. This holds true for our teams, our customers and our partners, but also for territories, citizens, local players and, of course, our environment.
Our code of conduct confirms our values and ethics in business and in the world around us.
Access to the DESCOURS & CABAUD Supplier Code of CSR Commitments
More than 40 years ago, DESCOURS & CABAUD founded its own professional academy, Tech’up, which trains more than 4,500 employees every year. The young talents who join Tech’up benefit from a tailor-made curriculum: for 9 months. They alternate periods of theoretical learning with weeks working in the field, in one of the Group’s 450 outlets. During this programme, which is entirely paid for by the Group, the young recruits, who are mentored by an experienced employee, discover various areas of specialisation, with a guaranteed permanent contract in one of the subsidiaries of our DEXIS, PROLIANS or HYDRALIANS brands.
It is the ideal way to acquire skills, learn a trade and join a Group that offers many opportunities for career development.
Tech’up also offers the Group’s employees the possibility of following training throughout their career, with a catalogue of more than 170 courses. These courses aim to meet the specific needs of each branch, facilitate retraining and enable all employees to continue on the human adventure that the Group offers.
Reflecting the Group’s belief in the values of solidarity, social commitment and proximity, DESCOURS & CABAUD’s patronage policy supports initiatives in the fields of training, culture, social integration, the economy and health.
The Emergences foundation encompasses a community of 49 Lyon-based companies that support the sponsors of entrepreneurial projects (i.e., creators of social bonds and employment) through voluntary skills transfers and networking. It aims to motivate and encourage entrepreneurs to take stock and to help them to expand, by supporting them in both their successes and their difficulties. The Group participates in certain projects by engaging with these entrepreneurs throughout their adventures. By participating in the emergence of innovative and cross-sector initiatives, the Group demonstrates its commitment to the expansion of a responsible and sustainable local economic landscape.
Founded in 1875, the Catholic University of Lyon was initially established in the Place Bellecour, in the centre of Lyon. Nearly one and a half centuries later, in 2010, it moved to the former Saint Paul prison, which had been converted into a university campus. The Group supported it in this major project combining humanism, the ecology and respect for our heritage. Since 2015, the campus has also offered a range of tools and events to encourage meetings between students and entrepreneurs. This is a means of promoting a taste for innovation and a spirit of initiative, both of which are dear to DESCOURS & CABAUD. The Catholic University of Lyon currently has 12,000 students, including 8,000 students on courses that lead to a qualification.
Founded in 1804 under the terms of the Chaptal Decree that aimed to create collections of paintings in 15 cities in France, the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon has become one of the major French and European cultural institutions over the decades. As a long-standing member of the Club of the Saint-Pierre Museum, DESCOURS & CABAUD has contributed year after year to the enhancement of its collection and its educational programmes. Initiatives such as the restoration and acquisition of works of art, the publication of catalogues and the creation of theme-based programmes all help to preserve an exceptional heritage and contribute to the cultural influence of the city of Lyon.
Returning human values to the heart of the healthcare process for both patients and doctors. This is the challenge that the Fondation des Hospices Civils de Lyon has taken up. With the backing of DESCOURS & CABAUD ever since its creation in 2013, the HCL Foundation, which was recognised as an organisation that serves the public good in 2017, has multiplied its initiatives by donating latest-generation equipment and innovative infrastructures to the second-largest university hospital in France. These facilities include gardens for the elderly, open-air terraces for terminal patients and a 3D biology unit. Everything is designed to “reinvent” medicine and develop new techniques for accommodating, supporting and treating patients.
“Sport dans la Ville” is the leading association in France for social integration through sport. The range of sporting initiatives and programmes for guidance and integration into the world of work enables young people from underprivileged districts of the city to find the route to success. Through its local initiatives and its personalised assistance, the association helps to promote equality of opportunity by providing preferential access to training and employment. This educational framework enables young people to develop values that are vital for their social and vocational integration, such as respect, commitment, open-mindedness, perseverance, discipline and hard work. Since 2012, DESCOURS & CABAUD has been engaging with this association to provide support for the 7,000 young people who are registered members.
