{"id":1813052,"date":"2011-04-27T14:07:24","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T13:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/entreprises-un-discours-durable-mais-contradictoire\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T09:53:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:53:17","slug":"entreprises-un-discours-durable-mais-contradictoire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/entreprises-un-discours-durable-mais-contradictoire\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporations: Sustainable Rhetoric vs. Contradictory Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can companies discuss sustainable development without being accused of demagoguery? The Ujjef association and the Inf\u00e9rences firm have just conducted a semantic analysis of corporate discourse regarding sustainability. An interview with Jean Laloux, Director of Inf\u00e9rences, who led the study.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether by necessity or choice, companies deploy abundant corporate messaging through annual reports and websites. But what, exactly, are they trying to communicate? This is the question addressed by Ujjef and the firm Interf\u00e9rences in a semantic analysis conducted in September 2009, based on a panel of 45 companies representing 19 different industries. According to Boris Eloy, President of Ujjef\u2014an association specializing in corporate communications\u2014sustainable development is indeed a reality in corporate discourse. “Regardless of what may be said, it has become an operational priority for large corporations rather than a mere branding issue,” he notes.<\/p>\n

*What defines the corporate discourse on corporate sustainable development?*<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Jean Laloux:<\/strong>\u00a0From a semantic perspective, their discourse reveals a landscape of control, measurement (20%), and proactive intent (20%). For instance, terms such as “develop,” “engage,” and “continue” are frequently cited. However, in the face of this proactive stance, the discourse bypasses the inherent contradictions of sustainable development. First, companies are still far from a paradigm shift. They want to change, yet they remain focused on economic performance. When they speak of sustainable development, they are mostly thinking of development in its simplest sense. Furthermore, executives are hitting the limits of short-termism: there is a desire to move toward something new, but there is a lack of a true “sustainable development” strategy.
\n
\nIs the era of “greenwashing” over?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

J. L.:<\/strong>\u00a0Companies are launching genuine initiatives. Previously, they displayed commitment without concrete or measurable proof. Today, an analysis of semantic fields reveals a focus on “standards,” “monitoring,” and “measurement.” The era of “greenspeaking” may now be coming to an end. While executives clearly demonstrate the will to adopt a sustainable development strategy, these may ultimately prove to be mere “token gestures.” This is evident in the language used: additive connectors are the most frequent in their discourse (70%), such as “and,” “furthermore,” and “in addition.” This represents more of an accumulation of points than a true demonstration of impact.
\n
\nWhat type of communication do you advocate for?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

J. L.:<\/strong>\u00a0Stop doing what has always been done; that is the new mandate. Today, companies must embrace their contradictions and justify their choices. We are reaching the end of this flat, timid form of communication, moving toward something much more audacious. It is time to establish clear positions, engage in strategic communication and political discourse, and stand by them. I urge companies to ground their communication and not to hide their paradoxes. Otherwise, we end up in a state of “paralysis.” There is a genuine expectation for this shift.<\/p>\n

The Ujjef website<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How can companies discuss sustainable development without being suspected of demagoguery? The Ujjef association and the Inf\u00e9rences firm have recently conducted a semantic study of corporate discourse regarding sustainable development. An interview with Jean Laloux, Director of Inf\u00e9rences, who led the study. Whether driven by regulatory constraints or voluntary initiatives, companies deploy abundant corporate discourse through annual reports and websites. But what, exactly, are they saying? This is the question Ujjef and Inf\u00e9rences addressed by conducting a semantic analysis in September 2009, based on a panel of 45 companies representing 19 different sectors. For Boris Eloy, President of Ujjef\u2014an association specializing in corporate communication\u2014sustainable development is indeed a reality in corporate discourse. “Regardless of what is said, it has become an operational issue for large corporations rather than a mere branding concern,” he notes.<\/p>\n

What characterizes corporate discourse on sustainable development within these companies?<\/p>\n

Jean Laloux: From a semantic perspective, their discourse reveals a universe of control, measurement (20%), and voluntarism (20%). For instance, terms such as “develop,” “engage,” and “continue” are frequently cited. However, in the face of this voluntarism, the discourse avoids addressing the inherent contradictions of sustainable development. First, companies are still far from a paradigm shift. They want to change, but remain focused on economic performance. When they speak of sustainable development, they are mostly thinking of development in its simplest sense. Furthermore, executives are hitting the limits of short-termism: there is a desire to move toward something else, yet there is a lack of a true “sustainable development” strategy.<\/p>\n

Is the era of “greenwashing” over?<\/p>\n

J. L.: Companies are undertaking real initiatives. Previously, they displayed commitment without concrete or measurable proof. Today, in the analysis of semantic fields, we see themes of “standards,” “control,” and “measurement.” Moving forward, the era of “greenspeaking” may be upon us. While executives clearly demonstrate the will to adopt a sustainable development strategy, it may consist of mere “token measures.” This is evident in the language used: additive connectors are the most frequent in their discourse (70%)\u2014”and,” “furthermore,” “in addition.” It is more an accumulation of points than a real demonstration of impact.<\/p>\n

What type of communication do you advocate for?<\/p>\n

J. L.: The order of the day is to stop doing what has always been done. Today, companies must embrace their contradictions and justify their choices. We are reaching the end of this flat, timid communication, and must move toward something more audacious. It is necessary to create clear distinctions, to engage in strategic communication and political discourse, and to stand by it. I invite companies to ground their communication and not to silence their paradoxes. Otherwise, they will find themselves in a position of “I can no longer do anything.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1813053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[225,234],"tags":[350,313,351],"class_list":["post-1813052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-interview","tag-developpement-durable","tag-entreprise","tag-ujjef-cabinet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1813052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1813052"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1813052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1814192,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1813052\/revisions\/1814192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1813053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1813052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1813052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newzyexecutive.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1813052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}