As part of the 15th anniversary of the EVE Program, the “Practice” section continues to explore the trajectories of those who are redefining leadership. This month, we meet Elisabeth Laville, founder of Utopies and a pioneer of sustainable development in business.

Her journey, her commitments and her vision of leadership challenge us to rethink our power of influence, in a company, territory or society as a whole. This is a fascinating and inspiring interview covering commitment, collective action and the ability of each and every one of us to make a difference.

We often hear that everyone has a role to play in stepping up to combat the environmental crisis through the choices we make every day. What part of the answer do you think is really about individual responsibility? And what are the limits of “every little helps”?

Elisabeth Laville: I think we need to move beyond the idea that it’s either one or the other. Both individual action and collective action are essential.

I firmly believe in the power of individual examples. Our daily choices, particularly in consumption, are also political choices. So, we should keep that in mind. Firstly, because it brings a form of coherence and calm. Secondly, because it is necessary, even though it isn’t enough. The challenge is to transform these individual choices into a capacity to take collective action and drive people to change brands, offers, or even public policies.

The Faire sa part (Do your bit) study by Carbone 4 showed that a highly committed individual could reduce their carbon footprint by up to 45%. In reality, it’s closer to 20%. And yet to achieve our climate goals, we need to reduce our emissions by around 80%. In other words, even though 20% is already a considerable effort, a large part of the contribution lies with businesses, infrastructure, energy systems, and public policies. 

But just because an individual can’t do it all, doesn’t mean that their role should be minimized. Because beyond the numbers, there is a key point to consider: active minorities. As Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” The entire history of social change shows that transformations often begin with a determined minority. When a certain threshold is reached, between 10 and 20% of a population according to some studies, norms change, behaviors spread and a tipping point becomes possible.

Ultimately, this is a reason to be optimistic. The power of the individual is real, even though it isn’t enough on its own. And at a time when we sometimes feel that political or economic progress is slowing down, we must hold firm and never give up: not on individual commitment, nor on active minorities, nor on the forms of collective action that they can bring about.

Going further with this idea of empowerment, why is local action so strategic in dealing with environmental challenges?

Elisabeth Laville: Local action is strategic for environmental issues because the small scale gives people control and the power to act. Bruno Latour explained it very well. Faced with a global problem like climate change, everyone ends up feeling insignificant. That disproportion fuels powerlessness, even eco-anxiety.

But it shouldn’t, because every ton of CO₂ that isn’t emitted counts. Climate change is an accumulation problem: every ton that doesn’t go into the “bathtub” of greenhouse gases makes a difference. The effort we make today will benefit society in the long term, even though we may not be there to enjoy them. But that doesn't mean local effort isn’t necessary.

Especially because local can mean many different things. A building, a neighborhood, a city, a region… There is no single right scale, but these are all places where we can start to take concrete action. I often think back to Wangari Maathai. She started by planting trees in her corner of Kenya before getting millions of women involved in the Green Belt Movement. And that’s often how things happen. Transformations begin locally before moving to a bigger scale.

I believe your local area is the best place to start changing the world. Don’t wait for someone else to do something elsewhere. 

Can we really make a difference without being in the rooms where decisions are made? Should we be taking seats around those tables to have greater impact?

Elisabeth Laville: We can make changes without being at the top. The entire history of active minorities is proof of that. Even so, we shouldn’t conclude that the presence of women in places of power is secondary. If we imagined a world where 89% of heads of state and 94% of the leaders of large companies were women, it would seem absurd to us. However, we are experiencing that exact situation in reverse right now. And we have to do something about it.

I’m not saying that women would naturally be better. Although I do think that sometimes, particularly in relation to future generations and interdependence, women have a particular sensitivity. But diversity in perspectives and experiences definitely leads to better decisions. A world ruled almost exclusively by men deprives itself of half of the collective intelligence and probably fails to grasp the complexity of the challenges we all face.

This is especially true today, in a world that is capsizing, where multiple transitions are intersecting and jostling with each other. We need diverse perspectives to understand and act. Many studies back up these points. Companies with balanced gender diversity are also, overall, better in terms of growth, innovation and performance. I’m still amazed that this is one of the best-kept secrets in the contemporary economy! 

On a more personal note, what made you want to take action on a larger scale?

Elisabeth Laville: I don’t think there was a specific moment; it built up in stages. At first, I was just looking for a job that had meaning for me. Then I realized something: that type of company didn't really exist. So, I created UTOPIES.

I was also very inspired by pioneers like Anita Roddick, because they demonstrated that it was possible to act on a large scale starting from almost nothing. That's actually why I wanted to translate her book. What strikes me about The Body Shop is that the company had a turbulent history. But it has shown that it’s not always the company that matters most, but the influence it exerts. Everything Anita Roddick brought to the industry lives on today. Fair trade, natural cosmetics, certain sourcing practices, and a different way of speaking to women have spread far beyond The Body Shop. Many brands now apply these principles without even knowing where they come from.

Over time, I realized that there were different ways to have an impact. We can take action through our employer, but also through the ideas we spread, the stories we build, and the people we inspire. There are also all the effects that we don't see. Years later, François Lemarchand told me that one of the first sustainable development reports produced with Nature & Découvertes had contributed to a conversation that led to one of the first French laws on corporate reporting. I was completely unaware of that. We never really know what the ideas we put into circulation will produce. That is why I agree so strongly with this quote from Victor Hugo: “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

Once in power, how do you think women will truly transform a company’s business model? 

Elisabeth Laville: What strikes me about many female leaders, with all the exceptions that this entails, is their willingness to make their convictions the very driving force of their economic model, and not simply a bonus. Their values are not separate from the business, they are more integrated into daily decisions and arbitration. It doesn’t mean they don’t have dilemmas or make mistakes, but their convictions often permeate their leadership style more deeply.

That’s exactly what we are trying to promote at Utopies and, in a way, through the B Corp movement. The challenge is not just to make companies less bad by reducing their negative impacts while continuing business as usual. The ambition is rather to become a genuine force for positive change, which implies rethinking the model itself. And this leads to another idea that I think is key: no company can rise to the challenges we face by itself. This is also becoming increasingly important in B Corp standards, with a growing emphasis on collective action. 

Faced with systemic challenges, the answer often lies in cooperation rather than individual performance. And I think women are sometimes better at thinking in that way. Men are often socialized into a mindset where they must succeed alone, stand out, and be better than others. Of course, that can also apply to women. But I have the feeling that many female leaders more readily accept the idea that certain transformations can only be achieved collectively. However, when we look at the scale of the environmental and social challenges we have to overcome, it seems quite obvious to me that no individual will be able to succeed alone. If we don't work together, we won't succeed.

In conclusion, what message would you like to send to women who still doubt their ability to make a difference?

Elisabeth Laville: Deep down, we often underestimate our power to influence. We don't always see the consequences of our actions. But the power of setting an example is immense. So of course, we have the right to make mistakes, to be inconsistent sometimes. But we shouldn’t wait until we have all the skills, all the certainties, or all the permission before we stand up and do something.

It also means cultivating your uniqueness, rather than trying to silence it. That’s often where each person’s most useful contribution lies. It also means surrounding yourself with the right people, choosing those who give you the momentum and the energy to move forward. And the specific message I would like to pass on to women would be: dare to take your place. Because the world will not change if those who want to transform it remain on the sidelines.

Interview by Elise Assibat

Translated from French by Ruth Simpson