A long-term commitment to fostering genuine development
We were the first French banking group to assert our commitment to sustainable development by integrating the international definition of this concept into our business.
In our view, sustainable development is "development which meets present needs without compromising those of future generations, through a responsible approach that takes the interests of all stakeholders into account, namely: shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, civil society and the environment. It involves the balanced and integrated combination of three core components: the economy, social issues and the environment".
This stance is only meaningful in the form of practical action in an international context. In 2001 we signed the UNEP Statement by Financial Institutions on the Environment and Sustainable Development, and in 2003 we joined the UN Global Compact initiative.
Our Group is also a member of the CNDD (French National Committee for Sustainable Development).
In September 2007, Société Générale adopted the Equator Principles, a voluntary set of guidelines for managing environmental and social issues in project finance.
We have carried out a wide range of actions in the CSR field, and they are set out on our CSR site. Some examples are given below.
Microfinance
Microfinance is an effective tool for local development in many of the countries in which we operate. Our subsidiaries cannot always serve customers who do not fulfill the traditional criteria of banks. This is precisely where the expertise of microfinance institutions is needed - their operations complement those of traditional commercial banks. Through their carefully targeted actions, they distribute some euros 320m to more than 730,000 beneficiaries.
Today, we are refinancing 32 institutions in 15 countries. We provide overdraft lines and short and medium term credit. The aim is to help institutions of this type to grow, and give them the opportunity to build up a credit history that strengthens their credibility.
Fighting AIDS and malaria in Africa
Alongside local campaigns to raise awareness of AIDS prevention and screening (Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea), we are carrying out an action plan to fight AIDS and malaria through our local subsidiaries. We organize educational and preventive programs, while also financing health care for our employees and their families.
Actions concerning disabled persons
The actions engaged by the Group are part of a long-term strategy aimed both at customers and employees with disabilities
- A program allowing physical access to all branches, DAB as well as improving access to our websites is undergo
- Société Générale continues its support to many associations promoting equal opportunities for disabled people and renew, for example the 2003 sponsoring agreement with the French Federation of Disability Sports
- At last, the 4th of may 2007, Société Générale has signed an Agreement concerning disabled persons employment in order to increase our ongoing commitment on 3 main themes: recruitment, adjustments and improvements in the workplace, training
Find out more about actions taken to help the disability in the workplace in France
Fondation Société Générale
The Fondation d'entreprise Société Générale pour la Solidarité (Société Générale Corporate Foundation for Solidarity), created in 2006, essentially contributes to the integration of young people and to the battle against illiteracy. The Société Générale Foundation supports projects on a national scale as well as local initiatives, especially in France.
Société Générale also supports Talents & Partage, an association set up by Group employees in 1994. It pays the Foundation an annual contribution which is used to fund charity projects sponsored by current and retired employees of the Group. Talents & Partage is essentially involved in projects targeting disadvantaged children, education & training, disabled people and healthcare, the priority generally being given to local projects.
Health and employee protection
The Société Générale Group is committed to the protection of its employees in France and around the world, and has a proactive policy of prevention, care and retirement which goes beyond local legal requirements and practices.
Green electricity
Since 2005 the power supply for our headquarters at Paris - La Défense has been 100% sourced from green electricity to help cut greenhouse gas emissions.
As a result of this measure, we have become one of the 25 largest buyers of green energy in Europe.
CITIZEN ACT: a business game based on social development and environmental protection
How could Société Générale enhance the company's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility for its clients, employees and shareholders? This is the theme of the online business game CITIZEN ACT intended for engineering, business and university students from across the world.
Each team of students develops its project via a wikiblog, interacting with a Société Générale "ambassador" from the group's personnel.
After 3 weeks of gaming, the top 6 teams qualify for the CITIZEN ACT Final Contest, during which they present their projects to a Jury who selects the winners.
The winners will be given the opportunity to embark upon an eco-friendly trip or have their project put into action within Société Générale Group.
Finding and fostering potential. Our Group has 163,000 employees of 122 nationalities, operating in 82 countries and working in more than 150 professions covering the whole spectrum of banking and finance.