Objective :

• Heighten awareness and encourage the sharing of information on sustainable development topics

Priority for 2009 :

• Assist the different business lines in implementing CSR policy and initiatives

• Conferences and exhibitions on various themes, including a fortnight of events devoted to Climate Change during the Copenhagen Summit (photo exhibition on "climate refugees", information leaflets during the Summit, articles, etc.),
• Testing of a CSR self-appraisal tool in 5 entities in Brazil and a subsidiary in France (around one hundred participants),
• Setting up of CSR training modules, the Carbon Plan with reduction targets for each business line (energy, office paper, business travel) and the Group Green-IT programme,
• Overhaul of the Sustainable Development intranet, Planethic©. whitespacer

• The new Planethic© intranet which went online in August 2009 and which is designed to allow employees to find out more about sustainable development and better understand the Group's CSR policy. Planethic© features practical tip sheets and posters on eco-friendly initiatives in the workplace,
• An information centre entirely dedicated to Sustainable Development in the Société Générale tower in La Défense: topics are presented in different formats and are intended to enable employees to discover more about sustainable development, understand what it implies and pass on what they have learned,
• An exhibition made up of nine panels on sustainable development issues which is displayed in different subsidiaries and branches, both in France and abroad,
• Talks for staff during their lunch hour which are held at the Société Générale tower auditoriums and are available on video. These talks cover different themes, such as: microfinance (speech given by Maria Novak, Chairman of the French Association for Economic Interest (ADIE), in January 2010); human rights (talk by François Zimmeray, French Ambassador for Human Rights in February 2009 on "Les Droits de l’Homme: quel rôle pour l’entreprise?" (Human Rights: Where do companies come in?); and climate change (see below).
• During the Conference of Parties on climate change, Société Générale also organised a series of different events. In 2008, the bank interviewed various scientists, politicians and members of society and, in 2009, marked the end of the Copenhagen Summit with its "quinzaine du changement climatique Société Générale" (fortnight of events devoted to climate change) organised around a photo exhibition by Argos association reporters on the theme of climate refugees. It also organised a series of debates. In April, Patrick Criqui, Research director at the CNRS (National Center for the Scientific Research) gave a talk on the implications of climate change on energy resources and the economy. In October, Hervé Le Treut, professor at Ecole Polytechnique and the University Pierre et Marie Curie, and director at the Institute Pierre Simon Laplace gave a talk on the scientific diagnosis of climate change and the issues at stake. In December, two films (short film "Water Diary") by Jane Campion of film 8 and a report by Argos association reporters on climate refugees were followed by a debate on "l’Homme au cœur du changement climatique" (Man at the heart of climate change), with the Group also providing daily in-house feedback on the Copenhagen Summit (leaflets, articles),
• Each year, Société Générale takes part in the Sustainable Development Week organised by the French Ministry for Ecology and Sustainable Development. In 2008, several Group events were included in the "nationwide programme" (talk with the Head of Sustainable Development open to all members of staff, organic food at the canteen in Nantes, gift packs of fair-trade products for Investors Services Department customers, etc.). whitespacer