Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani’s testimony at the annual ORSE conference

This conference was intended to promote the publication of a guide on the theme "ESG Criteria: Integration in Financing, Investment and Services for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - The Approaches of Financial Actors".

This guide lists the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) processes implemented by the various finance professions (insurance, capital investments, bank financing and market financing) and by the main actors accompanying the companies (agencies extra-financial rating, accounting experts, etc.) to evaluate the CSR practices of SMEs and micro-enterprises. Around twenty hearings were held with these actors to identify good practices in this area and make recommendations to the financial sector.

Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani testified the commitment of the banking industry in this area: "Today, banks support clients in their CSR initiatives, because there is a mutual interest for companies and their finance-providers to address this issue: ESG criteria are an easy fit with bankers' in-house risk models and, for the company, taking account of ESG issues is a pro-growth factor that reinforces the longevity of its business model."

Find the publication of the ORSE: click here

ORSE: Observatoire de la Responsabilité Sociale de l'Entreprise