CSR at the Heart of Summer

Top Priorities to Launch Right Now

As Europe faces its first summer heatwaves, the impacts of climate change are impossible to ignore. These events are no longer isolated abnormalities. Across sectors, they reinforce a clear message: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer a strategic add-on. It is an operational necessity. A key component for resilience, credibility and long-term impact.

Summer may feel like a slower season, but it can be a powerful moment to act. A time to reaffirm commitments, reinforce values and prepare for the months ahead. In this issue of the SEAM newsletter, we explore how CSR can stay active and relevant—even in summer.

CSR & INDUSTRY
Keeping commitment alive – even in summer

In our sector, summer often brings sharper focus to existing stress points: energy demand, work health risks, and infrastructure resilience. This is exactly where CSR must move from planning to practical action.

Rising temperatures call for immediate practical adjustments – rescheduling work hours, improving ventilation, reorganizing tasks. The challenge is to implement solutions that are both effective and energy-efficient. In other sectors, companies are also experimenting with thermal inertia in buildings, shared cooling areas, low-energy equipment, or restructured production flows to avoid peak heat.

Summer can also act as a testing ground. With leaner teams and a slightly slower rhythm, there’s space to trial new ideas. Why not test a new CSR reporting tool, pilot a recycling effort on one line or run a practical workshop on reducing water use?

This quieter season is also a chance to take a step back. It invites reflection:
Are we addressing the right issues with the right tools? Can we better engage our value chain? What would it take to go further?

What summer ultimately reveals is an organization’s ability to keep CSR alive—even when routines shift. And that capacity often separates surface-level efforts from lasting commitment.

Summer Checklist

Laying the Groundwork for a Strong Year-End

Summer is a great time to take initiatives.

Here is a checklist of actions that helps you take advantage of summer and prepare for impactful CSR outcome later in the year.

Actions to launch this summer

  • Audit water and energy use to identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Identify outdated or high-consumption equipment and plan replacements.
  • Adjust work schedules to reduce employee exposure to extreme heat.
  • Pilot measures to reduce consumables (paper, plastic, single-use PPE).
  • Diagnose by-products streams to identify recovery or reuse potential.
  • Build or train a CSR team with operational grounding.
  • Explore recycling opportunities and circular product development.
  • Assess whether your facilities align with CSR goals or certification standards.

Actions to prepare for year-end

  • Use summer findings to update your CSR action plan.
  • Refresh your site-specific risk map.
  • Plan the transition to lower-impact raw materials.
  • Finalize 2026 CSR objectives and align them with your roadmap.
  • Anticipate non-financial reporting needs and strengthen monitoring.
  • Improve supply chain traceability and maintain regular audit efforts.
  • Maintain momentum with the SEAM Carbon Footprint Project.
  • Develop a credible, focused communication strategy to share progress.

A pilot site can be an effective starting point to measure impact, refine methods, and generate internal momentum before scaling up. This “test-and-learn” mindset helps integrate CSR into daily operations without overwhelming teams or disrupting workflows.

With a strong grasp of industrial realities and hands on experience, the SEAM label is here to support CSR strategies that are both ambitious and achievable.