Interview with

Estelle de Caneva

Group CSR Director

“The WeTHOM plan sets out concrete commitments and objectives that will achieve the Group’s transition.”

CSR is part of the Group’s DNA. THOM is convinced that there can be no sustainable business in a world without a future, without happy employees and without fully satisfied customers. As Group CSR Director, Estelle de Caneva drives and coordinates an ambitious sustainable development approach built with the input of all the Group’s stakeholders.

What is THOM's CSR roadmap?

In 2023, the Group has set out an ambitious responsible development plan, the WeTHOM plan Horizon 2028, based on a comprehensive diagnosis – a materiality analysis and a carbon assessment – which involved all our stakeholders and enabled us to analyse and prioritise our CSR issues. WeTHOM’s roadmap spans the next 5 years and sets out concrete commitments and objectives that will achieve the Group’s transition. To take effective action, we have launched 20 projects, which are steered on a Group level and supported by our subsidiaries in every country. For each project, we have defined an action plan, governance, resources, a schedule, and monitoring indicators.

What are the Group's goals and projects?

The WeTHOM plan is based on 3 major goals.

Our 1st goal is to bring out the best in our employees. Since its creation, THOM has always been committed to creating a working environment that fosters the skills development, success and well-being of its employees. Valuing our employees is therefore a key ambition for THOM. We are constantly working to ensure the well-being of our employees and enable them to realise their full potential. We have set ourselves concrete and measurable objectives in terms of well-being at work, equal opportunities, training and employee shareholding.

Our 2nd goal is to develop a responsible business model. The climate emergency has changed everything… THOM has measured its greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain and is therefore committed to significantly reducing its scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. This commitment is not without consequences and will force us to re-evaluate our strategies and processes to build a value chain committed to respecting humans and the environment. For example, we will accompany ou suppliers in their low-carbon trajectory and reduce the energy consumption of our own sites (headquarters, stores and warehouses) by 40% by 2030.

Our 3rd goal is to offer sustainable products. Our continued development will only be possible if our products and services fully satisfy our customers and, in particular, respond to their desire to buy more responsibly. We therefore need to evolve our model, ranges and market. We are committed to moving towards 100% of our supply in recycled gold by 2030 and providing a second-hand product offering to contribute to preserving non-renewable resources and to the circularity of the jewellery market. We are also committed to continually improving the quality of our products and offering a range of services to lengthen their lifespans.

What is your method for involving the Group's stakeholders and rolling out the WeTHOM plan?

First of all, we have adopted a voluntary approach to co-construction, involving all our stakeholders over the long term. Customers of all our brands, employees in every country where we operate, suppliers, partners and investors were all involved in our sustainability study. The commitment of our ecosystem and the support provided by experts guarantee a sincere and rigorous approach.
We have also put in place a strong governance structure to guide our CSR approach. We have a CSR Committee, which integrates CSR into the company’s strategy at the highest level. We have a CSR department whose role is to drive strategy, coordinate action plans and mobilise teams, and a steering committee that oversees the progress of projects carried out by the business units.
Last but not least, we have set up a network of project managers and contributors from all our countries because this transition will only be possible if all the company’s functions and businesses are on board. Regular meetings are scheduled with project sponsors, managers and the Supervisory Board to ensure that our CSR projects are firmly anchored in the strategy of the company and its businesses.
THOM has also launched an awareness-raising programme for all employees, with the Climate Fresco and the CSR Fresco. Employees are regularly informed of the Group’s actions at national conventions, country road shows and via internal communication media.
In this way, THOM will gradually involve all its businesses, departments, countries and stakeholders in its CSR transition.

What are the most significant achievements and initiatives already launched?

Some of our 20 CSR projects are already well advanced, while others are still in the launch phase.
For example, we are beginning to roll out the expertise of our corporate university – THOM Academy – in the countries where we operate. THOM has been developing a highly ambitious training policy in France for a number of years, and we want to leverage this expertise to accelerate skills development in other countries.
We have rolled out the WeTHOM@Work and WeTHOM@Store projects, with the aim of improving our work organisation, improving well-being at work and work-life balance for our head office and store employees. We have also recently launched the THOM For Me project, offering personalised assistance to all our employees in France, to help them better manage difficulties in their lives.
On the environmental front, we have implemented voluntary measures on scopes 1, 2 & 3 by: implementing an energy reduction plan to optimise electricity consumption at our sites; redesigning our packaging to make it more eco-friendly; reviewing our professional mobility policy as well as working on the eco-design of our stores…
Regarding product sustainability, THOM is working on optimising product lifespan by focusing on quality, second-hand and repair, and the development of recycled materials. All these issues have now become priorities in the construction of our brands’ offer.

Will the WeTHOM plan profoundly change the company and its businesses?

Yes. THOM has firmly and sincerely committed itself to an ambitious CSR approach that is gradually permeating all the company’s functions and businesses. CSR thus encourages the emergence of a new mindset and the development of cross-functional and cross-country actions that will profoundly transform our practices and business model.
But above all, the WeTHOM plan is also about creating new opportunities for the Group, new drivers of competitiveness and innovation, at every level of the company, in every function and in every department.