APC 2010 Annual Report Download - page 48

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ATTHEHEART OFOURSTRATEGY
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1. Sustainable development
attheheart ofourstrategy
Social and environmental commitments, governance, reducing
CO2 emissions, launching serious solutions that respect the planet,
social changes, local and regional footing, civic attitude, ethics,
business and poverty, etc. Sustainable development has never been
more central to Schneider Electric’s customers’ and stakeholders’
concerns.
The Group is committed to meeting energy challenges while
acting civically and responsibly in all its locations, with measured
improvement plans, based on international corporate social
responsibility standards, whose results are shared openly internally
and externally.
1 A concrete, innovative, human commitment
Responsibility has always been a part of Schneider Electric’s culture.
Since the Sustainable Development Department was founded
10years ago, this commitment has evolved in line with the Group’s
continuing innovation. The Group’s sustainable development policy
initially focused on in-house issues, plus initiatives for the professional
integration of French youth; today, it also accounts for solutions that
help meet the energy challenges of our time (energy effi ciency and
access to energy) as well as worldwide environmental and societal
responsibility.
Schneider Electric’s commitment to offering sustainable and
responsible solutions for its customers aims to:
•bring products and solutions to the market that waste less
energy and promote environmentally sound production and
consumption;
•bring energy to the 1.4 billion people who have no access to
electricity and sustainable economic development.
Besides, Schneider Electric’s corporate commitment means dynamic
societal and environmental responsibility, based on the Group’s
employees:
•responsible, ethical governance;
•sites and products which respect the environment;
•fostering employee well-being;
•a policy that supports and develops the communities where it
works.
2 A commitment to action
Schneider Electric has set out four principles to put its commitment
into action:
•a continuous improvement process driven by the dynamic Planet
& Society Barometer;
•open dialogue with stakeholders (quarterly customer and
employee satisfaction surveys, regular meetings with investors
and shareholders, participation in working groups and local and
international organisations on our industry’s stakes, etc.);
•regular, transparent communication (a quarterly letter to break
down the results of the Planet & Society Barometer, available on
the Group’s website and sent to requesting stakeholders);
•an approach based on international standards (Global Reporting
Initiative – GRI, ISOcertifi cations, UN Global Compact, etc.).
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