The key player in green spaces in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region had already taken the challenges of climate change to heart. The 150-employee company has been committed to the issue for many years, and wanted to go even further by enlisting the support of its stakeholders. By awarding it an average score of 4.31/5, these stakeholders have congratulated the company on its sustainable approach and are committed to the future.
Green Style recently underwent an assessment of its sustainable practices by all its customers, employees, partners, suppliers, associations, the media and local communities on more than 80 pillars of sustainable development.
The company, which redevelops public parks, sports grounds, school playgrounds and head offices, is at the heart of biodiversity and well-being issues.
In terms of the environment, the company's activities call for vigilance in a number of areas: consumption of water resources, preservation of natural habitats, reduction of CO2 emissions from machinery, etc. From a societal point of view, the local communities are mainly concerned, but Green Style wants to reinforce the family values that have been ingrained for over 40 years. The company also faces a major challenge: recruiting and training in a demanding sector.
Over the last few years, Green Style has gone through all its impacts with a fine-tooth comb. Gary Radix, Head of CSR, has helped management to formalise a number of concrete approaches to improvement. In particular, the company has been praised by customers for its innovation and adaptability to the challenges on the ground: by anticipating climate change, each project calls for a specific plant palette.
During the CSR audit by Rate A Company, numerous customer testimonials praised the company's expertise, such as this one from customer auditor #5711*: "In my regular discussions with both Green Style employees and management, I have observed an attitude and behaviour that is dignified and respectful both of nature and customers. They are proud of their company, which shows solidarity in the company's values at all levels. I congratulate them. Congratulations".
Or #5748: "A company that listens to its customers. Constantly looking for innovations"
With 77.12% of maximum scores, the criterion of the quality and durability of the service is the 2nd best-rated criterioń by Green Style's customers. The most popular criterion was the quality of service and customer relations.
Among the customers are a number of local authorities, who are aware of these issues. While some might doubt the impact of a CSR approach on sales, in the case of Green Style, 61.2% of customers say that ‘Green Style's CSR commitments have a very strong influence on their loyalty’.
Customers are not the only ones to recognise these efforts.
Employees gave a score of 3.77/5 to all our sustainable initiatives. These figures confirm the company's determination to stand out for its convincing CSR approach. 61.77% of employees gave a good mark to the criterion of solutions implemented to preserve biodiversity, and some pointed out areas for improvement to go even further. With 83.58% very good responses, the criterion of access to learning and training was the best rated by all employees.
They went even further by praising Green Style's social role. With 64.29% good marks, the criterion ‘the company plays an active role in education and/or takes part in community work’ is the 3rd best-rated criterion by employees.
Green Style has a strong commitment to local communities and takes part in a number of awareness-raising initiatives, in particular with local schoolchildren and rehabilitation communities to whom it offers work experience placements. Unsurprisingly, the schools and associations consulted awarded Green Style the highest overall average of 4.64/5 for all its initiatives.
The stakeholder audit was an opportunity to get honest feedback on a number of sustainable initiatives. It was also an opportunity to review operations and priorities in order to have an even more positive impact in the near future:
"As a manager, you get a lot of signals... but they're not always straightforward or audible. Anonymous consultation breaks down masks, hierarchies and filters. It gives you access to raw, authentic, sometimes disturbing... and therefore precious, information. It's an unvarnished mirror held up to our organisation.
I saw confirmations, blind spots, weak signals. Clear expectations that had previously remained silent. This feedback enables me to realign our strategic vision with the realities on the ground, to adjust our priorities, and to stay true to our raison d'être and our culture. It's a compass that encourages me to lead not by flying over, but by walking at the heart of the team". Says Guillaume Lachana, co-Managing Director of Green-Style.
"At Green Style, CSR isn't an abstract concept, it's a way of life. It's an approach rooted in reality, in the earth, in people. I've pursued this policy by putting the emphasis on doing before measuring, convinced that we need to act first to get the whole group on board. In just a few years, this project-based approach has strengthened our economic resilience, enabled us to absorb major social shocks and, above all, cultivated a strong commitment to our environmental and social mission.
The stakeholder audit was an invitation to step back from the day-to-day and look at our progress. It enabled us to put words, figures and facts to what we had achieved, but also to identify what we were missing. Thanks to this genuine feedback, we are now building a CSR roadmap that is structured, shared and measurable, and that commits us to going even further, with renewed rigour, in line with the major challenges of our time". Gary Radix, Head of CSR
*In order to obtain the most honest feedback possible and in compliance with the provisions of the Sapin 2 law on whistleblowers, auditors may remain anonymous. All the testimonials have been published on Rate A Company's Green Style page.
Find out more about Rate A Company's methodology and its CSR certification, as well as Green Style's values.
