Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement joins the Impact France movement

The Impact France association represents 15,000 organizations, entrepreneurs and business leaders for whom environmental and social impact are a key part of their strategy. Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement is the first economic development agency to join the Impact France movement.

For two years now, the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement agency has made impact a key part of its strategy. By joining the Impact France movement, we demonstrate our commitment and ambitions in terms of impact to drive sustainable development in the Nantes and Saint-Nazaire region.

Our mission is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all." 

A benchmark to measure the impact of the businesses that we help to set up operations in the area

Our goal is to attract and encourage businesses to relocate to the area, not just organizations in our priority sectors, but also those capable of sustainably driving growth. In order to do this, we began by measuring the maturity of the impact of the businesses we help. This has enabled us to double the number of impact businesses operating in the area.  Among the 82 new organizations that began operating here in 2021, 32 stood out for their social and environmental commitment, and most of them were in the strategic sectors of sustainable industry, digital technology, creative industries and healthcare. By becoming a member of Impact France, we are committed to supporting businesses that will bring added value to the region. 

Improving our social responsibility   

A second project focused on improving our own social responsibility, to continue leading by example. In order to join Impact France, we had to examine the impact of our actions to prove our positive societal and environmental impact. By joining the movement, we commit to respecting the movement's manifesto, which is based on 4 pillars: social impact; ecological impact; value sharing; power sharing. 

"I would like to tell the entrepreneurs in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire not to be afraid of the ecological transition, but to see it as a lever for transformation and improving the social responsibility of their company, as a way to participate in the common effort. It is a way to build a better company that has a positive impact on society and on oneself," says Eva Sadoun, co-president of the Impact France movement. 

Nantes: a region committed to sustainable economic development

Nantes is the leading city in France in terms of CSR, with a strong ecosystem where nearly 40% of local businesses have a CSR policy (source Oïkos 2019). "Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement's membership in the national Impact France movement demonstrates its desire to lead the way in attracting positive impact businesses and supporting sustainable economic development. It also reflects the long-standing commitment and determination of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire region and local businesses to tackle these issues," says Johanna Rolland, President of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement Agency.

Find out more about Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement's Impact strategy 

Find out more about the Impact France Movement