2 Strategy The action: a strategic plan based on six priorities www.saint-gobain.com SAINT-GOBAIN UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2021 62 Embedding CSR at the heart of the business model 3.4 Approaching CSR as 3.4.1 a long-term commitment CSR is at the heart of Saint-Gobain's strategy, in line with its corporate purpose, "Making the World a Better Home". It draws on a double pledge: minimizing the Group's footprint as regards with women, men and the environment, and maximizing its positive contribution as regards with climate, social and societal challenges. It is thus in sync with demands that are now paramount throughout the Saint-Gobain ecosystem; it is estimated that more than 80% of investors already have a structured approach in terms of environmental, social and governance issues, or are in the process of developing one(1). The Group maintains the highest Corporate Social Responsibility standards, emphasizing its culture and values, so that it can constantly set an example for compliance, respect for the environment and the health and safety of everyone. Saint-Gobain is constantly strengthening its requirements in the areas of diversity and inclusion, supporting the training of its staff, with the aim of creating the conditions for their involvement in all aspects of the Company’s life. The Group sees this integration of Corporate Social Responsibility as being the heart of its strategy and a continuous improvement process: 2003: Saint-Gobain signs the United Nations Global ■ Compact and adopts the Principles of Conduct and Action (see chapter 1, section 2.2.2); 2009: formalization of the compliance program; ■ 2015: setting of ambitious environmental targets for ■ 2025 (reduction of CO2 emissions by 20%, reduction of water discharges by 80%, reduction of non-recovered waste by 50% compared to 2010 at equal levels of production); 2020: development of the roadmap to carbon ■ neutrality by 2050 and formalization of new environmental objectives for 2030. The Group sees this commitment as a real differentiating factor compared to its competitors. Saint-Gobain has long since built its credibility in the fight against climate change, through the impact of its solutions on reducing GHG emissions in the construction and mobility sectors and through its action to reduce emissions from its industrial processes, a twofold action that is a source of long-term growth for the Group. In addition, the Group sees the various dimensions of its social responsibility as a source of attractiveness for talent recruited and support for the Saint-Gobain brand. Integrating CSR at the heart 3.4.2 of the model Saint-Gobain, in line with the concept of integrated thinking, aims firstly to integrate ESG criteria into the Group’s management methods. CSR Committees have been created within the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Saint-Gobain. It then orchestrates, at the global level, the acceleration of the implementation of the CSR roadmaps adopted by the entities at the local level. To this end, no less than 22,000 employees are part of more than 40 internal CSR communities; an internal CO2 price was established in 2016 and revised upwards in October 2021, to €75 per ton for capital expenditure, and €150 per ton for research and development decisions; lastly, a capital investment budget of €100 million per year has been allocated to initiatives (including research and development) to reduce the Group’s carbon footprint. Finally, it contributes to shaping the CSR outlook for all business sectors in which Saint-Gobain operates. The Group collaborates with NGOs and semi-public bodies such as EFRAG; the Group is also developing partnerships with other members of its ecosystem, such as the WBCSD; it increasingly nurtures close relationships with start-ups to leverage open innovation (see, in this chapter, section 3.3.1.4). (1) PwC, «The Economic Realities of ESG », octobre 2021 - https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/audit-assurance/corporate-reporting/esg-investor-survey.html.
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