APC 2011 Annual Report Download - page 46

REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2011 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC44
2SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE HEART OF OUR STRATEGY
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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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 – the challenges of sustainable development
have never been as signifi cant to Schneider Electric’s customers
and stakeholders as they are today.
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, whose results are audited and shared openly internally
and externally.
1.1 Schneider Electric’s approach to sustainable development
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 internal 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 1.3billion(1) people who have no access to
electricity and provide 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
Schneider Electric operates.
A commitment to action
Schneider Electric has set out four principles to put its commitment
into actions (details on following pages):
•a continuous improvement process driven by the dynamic Planet
& Society Barometer;
•regular and transparent communication (quarterly
Planet&SocietyBarometer newsletter);
•open dialogue with stakeholders;
•an approach based on international standards, codes and
globalpolicies.
Schneider Electric uses its global human resources policies (see
pages  70-80 ), external commitments (see pages  47-48 ), ethical
code of conduct and the associated professional alert program
(see pages 57-58 ) to especially strive for respect of human rights
in all its aspects: non-discrimination, abolition of forced labour,
prohibition of child labour, freedom of association and the right
to collective bargaining, health and safety, training, remuneration,
social coverage, etc.
The Company extends this commitment to civil society through its
community support and development program (see pages 81-89 ):
the right to decent living standards (access to energy program,
Foundation emergency relief programs), the right to education and
training (training program for the poorest populations, integration
program in France), local economic development (social investment
funds, entrepreneurship support).
Schneider Electric works to share this vision with its partners
(see pages  56-57 ), starting with its suppliers by encouraging
as many of them as possible to sign the United Nations Global
Compact.
(1) Source: International Energy Agency – World energy poverty 2010.