Responsibility and Economic Performance: Moving Beyond a False Trade-off
This article was first published on the edhec.edu website - 29/07/2026
In recent years, the debate surrounding ESG has become increasingly polarised.
Particularly in the United States, responsible business practices have at times been criticised for distracting companies from what is perceived to be their primary objective: financial performance.
Against this backdrop, the INNOVA Europe 2025 Barometer seeks to move beyond an often ideological debate by bringing data, long-term perspectives and tangible business trade-offs back into the conversation.
A Misleading Opposition
Presenting responsibility and economic performance as opposing forces oversimplifies the realities of business.
In practice, responsible business practices are neither a guaranteed route to success nor an inherent obstacle to financial performance. Their impact depends on how they are embedded within a company's business model, its level of organisational maturity, and the strategic decisions made over time.
When approached as a peripheral initiative or a purely declarative exercise, responsibility rarely generates meaningful business outcomes. However, when it is treated as a genuine business trajectory, underpinned by clear priorities, informed trade-offs and measurable evidence, it can become a powerful driver of resilience and competitive differentiation.
Whilst the sustainability backlash has fuelled much of the political and economic debate over recent months, the persistence of environmental and social challenges further intensified by today's geopolitical context is reshaping the way sustainability is viewed. The transition should no longer be seen as a constraint, but rather as a strategic shield and a driver of future growth.
This lies at the heart of Ring Capital's investment strategy: backing 'vital solutions' companies addressing fundamental needs such as healthcare, accessibility, climate action and nature preservation, where demand is structural and markets are deep. Artificial Intelligence is now accelerating this competitiveness by providing a powerful productivity lever capable of scaling these solutions more efficiently than ever before.
Victoire Cruanes-Lubrano, Head of Marketing and Communications, Ring Capital
Materiality, Measurement and Credibility
One of the Barometer's key findings is the central role of materiality.
Multiplying ESG indicators or making broad commitments does little to strengthen a company's credibility. By contrast, identifying a small number of genuinely material ESG issues—aligned with the company's product, market and strategic priorities—helps create a responsible business approach that is both meaningful and actionable.
This requires companies to:
- prioritise rather than accumulate initiatives;
- measure rather than simply communicate commitments; and
- embed responsibility within a continuous improvement journey that reflects the company's stage of development.
Zilo Energie, makes renewable energy accessible to households through a solar panel rental offer. For each client, we measure both the kilograms of CO₂ emissions avoided and the financial savings achieved by switching to solar energy. These KPIs are central: they not only guide our impact strategy but also help us build trust with prospects and customers. Externally, the only stakeholder requesting formal ESG reporting so far has been our impact-focused VC fund.
Building Credible Pathways Rather Than Taking Positions
Responsibility is neither a "nice-to-have" nor simply a compliance exercise. It becomes a strategic choice when it is grounded in:
- clearly identified material issues;
- indicators monitored over time; and
- deliberate trade-offs between impact, cost and business performance.
The most resilient companies are those that embrace complexity, avoid ideological shortcuts, and focus on building credible pathways capable of reconciling growth, operational constraints and long-term value creation.
Far from being an optional consideration, responsibility is increasingly emerging as a key driver of business resilience.
The Structuring Role of the Ecosystem
The Barometer also highlights another decisive factor: start-ups do not develop responsible business practices in isolation.
Those that receive active support and expectations from their ecosystem—whether incubators, investors, customers or strategic partners—are twice as likely to monitor ESG indicators as those operating without guidance or external incentives.
This finding points to a shared responsibility: the credibility of responsible business trajectories depends as much on external expectations as it does on internal strategic choices.
Further Reading
To explore EDHEC Entrepreneurs' and the INNOVA Europe coalition's broader perspective on responsible entrepreneurship across Europe, discover:
Responsible Start-ups: Building Sustainable Growth Pathways Across Europe
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