In a world where global businesses are being called to do more than just generate profit, Carine Kraus stands at the forefront of redefining leadership in sustainability. As Executive Director of Engagement and member of the Group EXCOM at Carrefour, the French retail giant with over €94 billion in annual sales and a workforce of 330,000 people, Carine has taken on the formidable task of steering an industry titan toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible future.
From Policy to Purpose: A Career Anchored in the Common Good
Carine’s journey through government corridors, infrastructure giants, and now retail, is one woven with purpose. “I have always been driven by a desire to serve the common good,” she reflects. Starting her career at the French Ministry of Finance, she focused on corporate restructuring and economic growth. At Veolia, she immersed herself in the vital ecosystems of water, energy, and waste management. Now, at Carrefour, her mission revolves around one of the greatest global challenges: food security.
Her cross-sector experience has sharpened her leadership approach—grounded in long-term vision but fueled by measurable, systemic action.
Retail as a Catalyst for Climate and Biodiversity Action
Few corporations carry the sheer operational scale of Carrefour—and Carine views that as a responsibility, not a constraint.
“Our scale is our opportunity,” she asserts. One of her most bold moves has been the Top 100 Suppliers initiative: Carrefour’s top partners must align with a 1.5°C climate pathway by 2026, or face delisting. “It’s not symbolic. It’s structural,” Carine says. “That’s how we drive decarbonization at scale.”
This is systemic sustainability in action—embedding climate accountability into the supply chain, backed by firm deadlines and real consequences.
Sustainability by the Numbers: When KPIs Drive Change
While passion is vital, Carine is just as insistent on precision and accountability. Carrefour’s CSR Index—tracking 17 auditable KPIs across emissions, plastic use, food waste, product sourcing, and D&I metrics—is the backbone of its ESG efforts. Updated every six months, it’s not just a dashboard—it’s directly linked to executive compensation.
“If you want action, tie it to performance. That’s how you turn strategy into culture,” she explains.
Inclusion as a Non-Negotiable Pillar
For Carine, social equity is inseparable from sustainability. “You can’t credibly promote sustainable products while ignoring inclusivity,” she says. Carrefour has committed to hiring 15,000 people with disabilities by 2026 and recently rolled out a groundbreaking women’s health policy in France—granting up to 12 days of leave annually for employees affected by endometriosis.
These initiatives aren’t add-ons—they are woven into how Carrefour defines leadership, care, and corporate responsibility.
Incentives and Accountability: A Balanced Framework for Stakeholders
Driving change across such a vast ecosystem requires more than goodwill. Carine speaks openly about using both “the carrot and the stick.”
She shows operational teams how sustainability creates value—through energy savings, reduced waste, or attracting health-conscious consumers. But she also insists on ambitious targets and firm consequences. “We set expectations. Then we follow through,” she says, referencing again the climate-linked supplier delisting plan.
Health: The Next Sustainability Horizon
Carine believes the next frontier of CSR lies in consumer health. “The definition of sustainability is evolving,” she notes. “It’s no longer just about carbon. It’s about what we eat, how it’s made, and the impact on our well-being.”
Carrefour was early to this shift with its Act for Food campaign—offering more organic, clean-label, and nutritionally transparent products. She’s proud to see health becoming central to consumer trust and ESG conversations globally.
Rethinking Leadership Without Labels
Despite being recognized among the most impactful women in sustainability, Carine resists assigning different leadership traits by gender. “We shouldn’t say women lead differently. That keeps roles gendered,” she says.
Instead, she defines impactful leadership as the ability to pair strategic clarity with relentless execution. “In ESG, bold visions are easy. Delivery is the real work.”
A Message of Urgency—and Hope
To the next generation of women stepping into sustainability, Carine offers a grounded message: “We’re facing complex headwinds, yes. But the mission hasn’t changed. Climate change, inequality, and public health still demand bold action. We need your voice, your vision, and your leadership.”
Carine Kraus doesn’t just speak of transformation—she architects it. Through data, discipline, and a deep commitment to public good, she’s helping Carrefour prove that when business aligns with purpose, real impact follows.
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