Corporate Social Responsibility at Production Type

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CSR

Foreword

As a small business with a niche trade, our direct environmental impact may be questionable. However, as CSR goes beyond sustainability criteria, we accept that our imprint is a compound of accessible and less accessible measures in social and economic fields, as well as the promotion of similar initiatives within our social ecosystem.

Instead of establishing this document as a “list of good deeds”, we tried to contextualize and criticize wherever possible. We marked with a checkmark ✔︎ when the actions undertaken are in strict compliance with regulations. When we exceed regulations, or comply while it is not required (usually because Production Type categorizes as a Small Business), we have marked it with an asterisk ✶. Last, we also tried to mention possible next steps and ideas for enhancement.

Do you have ideas or suggestions on how we can improve? Feel free to drop us a line at csr@productiontype.com.

Environment

Energy

Production Type’s website produces annually about 33.57kg of CO₂ equivalent and consumes about 88kWh, according to Website Carbon. This is a significant drop from the 2020 figures (746.7kgCO₂E/1,500kWh) which enables the website to move from a F-rating to a B-rating.

The Paris office consumes about 19,800kWh. It is powered by Enercoop, from 100% renewable sources. Offices have recent insulation and low-consumption light bulbs are in place. Heating is electrical. The Shanghai office consumes about 12,000kWh. It is powered by fossil fuels.

Objectives:

Seek energy consumption information from digital third-party service providers
Achieve a carbon-negative status for Production Type’s offices and website
Enforce a hard-19°C max office heat in Winter. Where A/C is present, enforce a hard-25°C max.

Transportation

In Paris, unsurprisingly no team member uses thermal engines to commute. Walking, public transportation, bicycles, or e-bicycles are the norm. Production Type is not eligible to apply to certification as a pro-bicycle employer.

Conference travel has been reduced by half over the period 2018–2023. Rail transport is preferred whenever possible. If travelling cannot be avoided, carbon emissions are compensated annually.

Resources

Waste: Production Type practices selective waste sorting on both sites.✶
Proofing works on paper is a consuming practice, which we have reduced to under 1,000 pages/year. (2020: under 5,000 p/y) For promotional printed goods, PEFC/FSC papers are preferred over recycled papers; and vegetable-based, low-solvent inks are specified for any new printed good since 2018.
Textile products from organically sourced and traceable cotton are preferred. For the Western part of our communication, all goods are sourced in Paris, France, or Europe; by order of preference.
Reconditioned and upcycled hardware and furniture is preferred.
Data: Production Type uses cold data storage and prioritizes hyperlinks over e-mail attachments.
Staff favours meal providers which provide reusable containers. Single-use cutlery, disposable cups and tableware, are the exception.✶
Our 2020 exhibition material has been upcycled as laptop sleeves with our partner Cahu Paris.

Objectives:

Improve on systematic use of reconditioned hardware

Economy & Governance

Clients

Production Type’s prices for the main category of licenses are publicly displayed on its website. We offer a 30% discounts for students. Discounts for NGOs and charity are discretionary.

We do not (and cannot) practice dumping on prices and competition fees ✔︎. Our delivery turnaround time is from null (direct download) to a contractual given date. For more than 9 years, we have met our deadlines with a 2% tolerance margin for projects of more than 6 months.

Production Type is GDPR-compliant. We do not sell client data to anyone, in any manner whatsoever. Third-party sales and monetary services are located in the EU.

Suppliers and designer relationships

Supplier invoices are settled net 30 days ✔︎. Production Type-issued RFPs/RFQs do not require production work to be delivered (no “free pitching”).✶ Font royalty reports are provided real-time, royalties are settled quarterly.

Whenever possible, font credits mention attributed designers, contributors, script experts, consultants, and interns.

Certification & Ethics

Production Type’s annual accounts are certified and officially registered.✶ Certificates of tax residency, compliance, and settlements on social contributions are provided on request to suppliers. Production Type provides guidance to good practice to font licensing for design agencies within the framework of its membership at Association Design Conseil. It is also a member of Société des Auteurs d’Images Fixes and Alliance Française des Designers which both foster and ensure fair compensation for designers.

Regulations

Production Type is affiliated with collective labor agreements in its branch. ✔︎
Annual work safety and health checks are performed by an independent agency. ✔︎
Health protection package includes complementary health care insurance policy. ✔︎ ✶
50% of the public transport annual pass is covered. Production Type provides access to the “Sustainable mobility Allowance” program to employees in Paris.✶

Working at Production Type

Production Type guarantees a safe work environment, with ergonomic furniture, optimal lighting conditions, minimum sound nuisance, and a convenient break room. Production Type does not make use of “permalancers” (aka “full-time freelancer”) ✔︎ and respects work-life balance. Internships are compensated.✶ While being a very small team, parity is monitored.✶

Production Type subscribes to a continuous external training program for employees✶. Annual interviews are conducted.✶

NGO, Charity, Not-for-Profit and Community Actions

Patronage: Musée du Louvre, Bibliothèque Nationale de France Mazarine, Musée Carnavalet, Société des amis de la bibliothèque Forney.
Environment: Agir pour l’Environnement, Greenpeace.
Social & charity: Red Cross, Reporters Without Borders, Max Planck Institute, L’Enfant Bleu.
Community: Paris En Selle.

Only current patronages and sponsorships are listed.

Education: Workshops, Students, Interns

People at Production Type regularly lecture on type and typography. Some of us maintain teaching positions, and give workshops. This is not particularly exceptional in the typographic community, which has a strong tradition of training and interning. Production Type is also member of various professional organizations: Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI), Type Directors Club, Letterform Archive and Club des Directeurs Artistiques.

Do you have ideas or suggestions on how we can improve? Feel free to drop us a line at csr@productiontype.com.

This document is dated 2024/06/20. Latest update: 2024/06/20.