Industrial activities and corporate social responsibilities in San-Pédro city : Practices, challenges and outlook[Activités industrielles et responsabilités sociétales des entreprises dans la ville de San-Pédro : Pratiques, enjeux et perspectives]

In recent years, economic urban governance in secondary cities has focused a great deal of attention on corporate social responsibility (CSR), particularly in industrial cities. However, it seems that in Africa's secondary cities, where industrial activity is evolving, public authorities are struggling to achieve the desired objectives. These include the application by industrial units of several mechanisms aimed at protecting the urban environment and coastline or reducing pollution factors. This contribution analyzes the mechanisms used by industrial players in secondary cities to implement corporate social responsibility. Through the case study of the city of San-Pédro, the aim is to show how this policy is operationalized and what is really at stake in its implementation. To achieve this, the methodological approach used was structured around a mixed-method analysis. The method used integrates a literature review, a questionnaire survey of local industry players and interviews with public authorities and bodies in charge of the sector. The results of the study show that CSR remains a weakly applied initiative by industrial operators as a whole. However, they are taking some steps to promote sustainable management of the urban and coastal environment. Finally, the public authorities, through awareness-raising and the introduction of a specific regulatory framework, are working hard to reorganize industrial practices so that CSR is better taken into account.