Can you introduce your project to us?

While citizens have access to more information regarding climate change and social struggles globally, their mindsets and expectations evolve; the new generations now favor companies that embody values and with which they can identify. Having that in mind, we have launched a platform that allows them to participate to a transparent and responsible economic world, rating companies based on their CSR involvement. We hope that this public display of ratings and comments will motivate companies to improve their efforts in that department.

Why have you decided to start this new adventure?

Globally, we have noticed social discontent partly due to the fact that companies now consider their employees as production units rather than human beings. The 6^th continent is spreading and CO2 levels are over the roof. Today, multinationals are more powerful than governments and should take honest action to preserve what we have. If no one takes action, it is likely that we will either end up depressed or worse.

To act concretely and quickly, one must not wait for a miracle solution coming from the world of politics. Everyone must feel responsible what is ahead and act accordingly with their purchasing power. If we really express our eagerness to change our buying habits, the firms will be the first ones to adapt to these new needs and expectations.

Which message do you wish to convey through this action?

We wish to say that every opinion matters. Despite what we hear nowadays in France, we can make a difference if our energy is focused. If you think that a certain company has lost its moral compass and disregard ethics, nature and people in general to only value profits, you should be able to say it and share pointers on domains that can be improved.

Your experience and feedback as clients, employees, investors, subcontractors, suppliers, sales representatives, candidates for a job, journalists, and members of associations are invaluable to improve the firm’s performances. Companies that are truly dedicated to build a better world support our project, as it gives they an additional way to communicate about their righteous initiatives.

We also wish to say to CEOs that human values, transparency and the preservation of the environment will soon become as important as quality, value and service and that they should look into CSR to keep their competitive advantage in the future. Their CSR initiatives will not only seduce more consumers or attract the best students wanting to work for meaningful companies, it should also allow them to save money and create new jobs thanks to the implementation of recycling/circular economy principles and new work ethics.

Thanks to the search tool available on our website, users can find companies matching certain criteria (organic product, made locally, solidarity economy, etc.). We wish to give visibility to small though responsible entrepreneurs: they can register their company for free and appear in our search results to be visible to anyone trying to purchase responsibly. So if you have a charitable or sustainable business that lacks marketing money; don’t hesitate to register your company!

One last word?

While rating, we can ignore the criteria that we don’t know about. Several people mentioned that they had no idea about the social or environmental impact of the companies they purchase from. If you don’t know or can’t find this information, it’s probably because the company is not doing much in that regard or does not communicate enough about these actions. An honest communication on these worthy initiatives should also brighten our mood and encourage more actions individually. In general, we want to trigger a virtuous circle.  

To know more, follow Rate a Company on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.