Responsibility Europe, a New International CSR Label

Responsibility Europe is the label for companies and organisations that gives international recognition to their social and environmental commitments. Created on the initiative of AFNOR Group (France), INDR (Luxembourg) and Ecoparc (Switzerland), Responsibility Europe brings together leading CSR labels that are both challenging and pragmatic, demonstrate real added value and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

A multiplicity of labels in the field of corporate social responsibility and developments in the reporting of non-financial information call for a greater visibility and a more assertive positioning of CSR-labelled companies and organisations that go beyond self-assessment, rating, reporting or sectoral assessments.

The Responsibility Europe CSR Label

The Responsibility Europe CSR Label stands out through its demanding commitments:

• It is based on international standards such as ISO 26000, the international reference for corporate social responsibility, and on the 17 sustainable development goals set by the UN.
• It guarantees that the labelled company or organisation has been assessed according to a transparent methodology and subjected to on-site quality control by an independent third-party body.
• It assesses the level of CSR maturity and performance of companies and organisations, which takes into account society’s expectations and stakeholders’ interests.

Issued by AFNOR in France, INDR in Luxembourg and Ecoparc in Switzerland, it adds international recognition to companies that have been awarded the label in their respective countries, by reinforcing the legibility of their overarching actions and their social and environmental impact. Thus, the Responsibility Europe label becomes an argument of credibility and international competitiveness. To date, more than 500 companies and organisations have been awarded the label, and 2,500 are engaged in a CSR labelling process.

How to obtain the Responsibility Europe CSR Label?

To obtain the Responsibility Europe CSR Label, companies and organisations need to have been awarded one of the following labels or certifications: Engagé RSE in France (AFNOR); ESR – ENTREPRISE RESPONSABLE in Luxembourg (INDR); EcoEntreprise RSE in Switzerland (Ecoparc)

Responsibility Europe – The Network

Responsibility Europe brings together trusted third-party institutions that share European values and the conviction that CSR is a real issue for companies and other organisations in terms of competitiveness, sustainability, innovation and resilience. For more information: www.responsibility-europe.org

“We want to create a European movement with our partners. We invite institutions that have developed a label to assess the social and environmental impact of organisations to join us in order to combine our expertise and firmly establish a European vision of CSR labelling. This concert of European voices will enable us to raise our companies and organisations towards better CSR practice and will bring them to the international stage in an exemplary manner. We are starting discussions with other actors to join us.”

Alain Jounot, Chairman of Responsibility Europe, Head of the CSR Department of AFNOR

The non-profit association was created in 2021, notably with the support of the Luxembourg Ministry of Economy.

“Companies are a key player in sustainable development, and corporate social responsibility is the strategic tool that helps them to actively contribute to it. We support the Responsibility Europe CSR Label as an important instrument in the transition to the economy of tomorrow that respects natural resources and serves the common good.” Franz Fayot, Minister of Economy, Luxembourg.

AFNOR Group (France)

AFNOR Group is an international association with offices in 14 cities in France. It designs and implements solutions based on voluntary standards, which are consensual documents drawn up by and for market players, to promote economic development and innovation. For more than ten years, the AFNOR group has been supporting and promoting organisations in the field of social responsibility, based on the ISO 26000 standard. In 2021, more than 600 organisations will be involved in its Engagé RSE (Committed to CSR) solution and more than 250 companies will be awarded the Engagé RSE label.

Press contact : Anne-Lise François – +33 01 41 62 85 55 – presse@afnor.org

INDR (Luxembourg)

INDR is the reference in CSR in Luxembourg, promoting CSR at the institutional level and offering comprehensive support to companies. As a competence centre, it plays a normative role, brings together the main players and disseminates knowledge on CSR. INDR works with sustainability stakeholders to co-create relevant solutions for companies in the framework of the national programme ESR-ENTREPRISE RESPONSABLE. It offers a full CSR training programme. To date, 200 companies have obtained the ESR label and over 1,300 have been made aware of CSR.

Contact presse : Norman Fisch – presse@indr.lu

Ecoparc & Globalité Management (Switzerland)

The EcoEntreprise Programme was developed in Switzerland by the Ecoparc Association and Globalité Management. The Ecoparc Association, a pioneer in facilitating and implementing sustainable development since 2000, is a key player in Switzerland in supporting public authorities, companies and civil society in integrating SD/ CSR issues. Globalité Management and a network of partners are in charge of the deployment of the Programme Entreprise, the Swiss benchmark for the assessment, enhancement and certification of the SD/CSR processes of companies and other types of organisations. Ecoparc and Globalité Management collaborate with numerous training institutions, certification bodies, professional associations and coaches/consultants in order to provide concrete, credible and recognised solutions through the national EcoEntreprise RSE Programme. Currently, 90 companies are certified EcoEntreprise RSE and more than 500 are engaged in the process.

Contact presse : contact@ecoentreprise.ch