Paris Can B: Paris La Défense joins the global Cities Can B movement
Paris La Défense becomes the first French region to join Cities Can B, a global movement that brings together public and private players to think and implement an ecological and social transition on a regional scale.
With the launch of "Paris La Défense Can B", Europe's leading business district joins the existing network of : Asunción (Paraguay), Barcelona (Spain), Mendoza (Argentina), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Santiago (Chile) and recently São Paulo (Brazil).
A program to transform the region
By involving all the area's stakeholders in its objectives to reduce CO² emissions, Paris La Défense aims to unite them around its strategic course to halve the area's carbon emissions by 2030. Although the players in the Paris La Défense Can B program are not intended to obtain certification, this approach will enable the creation of a territorial community of players committed to the district's transition.
Through this program, Paris La Défense intends to support companies, both public and private, in their environmental, social and societal impact assessment processes, in order to define a path for progress, but also to reflect collectively to accelerate the transformation of the area. To this end, Paris La Défense Can B will cultivate cooperation between local players, the sharing of best practices and collective emulation, so as to co-construct new projects in the area and accelerate its transformation.
Participating companies
The Paris La Défense Can B program will initially comprise two classes: the first from September to December 2023, and the second from February to May 2024. Each class, made up of around 10 local players (Afflelou, Allianz France, Aquarys, JLL, Mama Shelter, Pandora, Pôle Léonard de Vinci, Covivio, Spaces and Paris La Défense for the first class), will meet for six working sessions, led by UTOPIES and B Lab France, around the five areas of impact defined by B Corp: governance, employees, community, environment and customers, and will also receive expert advice. An individual self-assessment questionnaire, inspired by the B Corp reference framework and designed specifically for this program, will be made available to the class. This will enable each participant to assess his or her strengths and identify areas for improvement. Paying particular attention to climatic aspects, it is particularly well-suited to the challenges facing the region.
See you in a year's time to discover the concrete actions proposed by the collective to help achieve the goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions at Paris la Défense.
B Corp, a frame of reference for companies
Paris La Défense now boasts 12 B Corp-certified companies that place positive impact at the heart of their strategy: Cojean, Dynamo, Engie Rassembleurs d'Energie, Holson, Laboratoires Expanscience, Médiaperformances, Naturalia, Nature & Découvertes, Nespresso, Osiris, Redman, Rituals.
The B Corp movement works to transform the global economy, so that it benefits all humans and living things. An active, open community, it engages all willing companies in a process of transformation to give life to a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. Today, B Corp spans 88 countries and federates more than 6,400 companies of all sizes and sectors, including 300 in France. B Corp provides free steering and impact-measurement tools, promotes corporate best practices and business model evolution through an internationally recognized label, and offers collective mobilization programs. Among these, the Cities Can B international network mobilizes and federates all local players (public, private, associations, citizens, etc.) in a progress-oriented approach that contributes to the UN's 17 sustainable development goals.
