APC 2015 Annual Report Download - page 58

2015 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC56
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ATTHEHEART OFOURSTRATEGY
Internal referentials
The Group has written referentials that promote an ethical framework
and strategic roadmap in which the activities of Schneider
Electric are carried out: the Principles of Responsibility, which are
supplemented by directives and related policies. Consequently, the
Group’s desire to dynamically implement its commitments gave rise
to the Responsibility & Ethics Dynamics program in 2010 (R&ED
program).
Our Principles of Responsibility
As a global corporation, Schneider Electric continuously interacts
with local and international partners. The Group’s borders are
expanding, its environment is constantly changing, and its societal
responsibilities and activities are growing. In this international
context, reprehensible behavior may be seen when the ethics
inspection and prevention processes are fragile. The Group is
responsible for implementing its resources to support employees in
the event of an ethical dilemma.
Our Principles of Responsibility, published for the fi rst time in
2002 and updated in 2009 and again in 2013, is a summary
document inspired by the 10 principles of the Global Compact,
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and standards issued
by the International Labour Organisation and the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development. They provide guidelines
for conduct that the Group is committed to following, which
includes consideration and respect for the various stakeholders.
The document is available in 30languages and is distributed to all
employees.
By adopting Our Principles of Responsibility in 2002, the Group has
an individual and collective reference point. This document outlines
the Group’s commitments to all of its stakeholders: the Company’s
employees, its business partners (mainly clients and suppliers),
shareholders, civil society and the planet.
In 2009 and in 2013, the Group updated Our Principles of
Responsibility to set out its standards on ethics. This document
incorporates updated Group and employee commitments on the
following:
•the respect of law, the limits established by each employee to
ensure full compliance with the laws of all the countries in which
Schneider Electric is present;
•the code of ethics that all employees must follow in line with the
professional regulations of the Group;
•Group societal responsibility – what all employees must do to act
responsibly towards society and the planet.
In2010, the Responsibility&Ethics Dynamics program put these
ambitions into practice by setting up an organization, procedures
and tools for the Group, so that its employees could:
•provide team members with effective support in their daily actions
and decision-making, primarily through access to the necessary
resources (policies, procedures, tools&best practices);
•help team members identify the appropriate individuals to guide
them in their eco-citizen approach and in each of the areas
covered by the principles;
•know how to notify the authorities of breaches of ethics, with
respect to current laws and regulations.
See pages65-68 for more details on Ethics & Responsibility.
Global policies
In order to implement these principles, Schneider Electric has
published a series of global policies. These reference documents
are distributed throughout the Group so that all team members can
embrace Schneider Electric’s eco-citizen approach and apply it in line
with local culture and legislation: Quality policy, Environmental policy,
Human Resources policies (Diversity & Inclusion policy, Health and
Well-being policy, Travel policy, etc. ), Security policies, Safety policies,
Social Media policy, Data governance and protection policies,
Business integrity policies, Competition Law policy, Stock-market
code of ethics, etc.
Environment
The fi rst version of Schneider Electric’s environmental policy
was published in 1992, modifi ed in 2004 and confi rmed in
October 2007. It aims to improve industrial processes, reinforce
product eco-design and incorporate Group customers’ concerns
for environmental protection by providing them with product and
service solutions. It applies to the Group and is accompanied by
global action plans.
Social
The Group’s Human Resources policies cover the following:
diversity, employee engagement, recruiting, international
mobility, training, human capital development, talent identifi cation,
total remuneration, social benefi ts, health and safety, and well-
being. These apply to the Group and are accompanied by global
processes.