Ethics

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT’s ethics policy was designed to promote a Group culture that encourages responsible conduct among all employees (in accordance with ethics values and applicable regulations). It is based on three key features:

• a charter and procedures,
• governance supervised by the Ethics and Sustainable Development Committee and the network of ethics managers in particular,
• instruments for ethics reporting.

A consistent and strict ethics policy

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is committed to its values, and to being competitive in the long-term. “SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has made ethics a key vector in improving its overall performance,” insists Marie-Ange Debon, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT’s General Secretary and Compliance Officer.

The Group’s ethics policy applies not just on the human level, but also on the financial, legal, social and environmental level. It concerns the three circles in which the Group carries on its activities:

• The Group itself, including the staff, shareholders and entities of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT,
• The marketplace, where the company carries on relationships with its customers, suppliers and competitors,
• All the countries in which the Group is present.

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT thus strives to implement the highest standards. In addition to the rules laid down by the financial market oversight authorities, the Group is particularly careful to treat all shareholders equally and fairly and to provide accurate, transparent, honest and verifiable financial information within the required time periods. Lastly, as a reaffirmation of its commitment to Ethics, it adheres to the United Nations Global Compact and is a member of the Water Integrity Network (WIN).

The Ethics and Sustainable Development Committee serves as the Group’s Corporate Governance and Ethics body. This committee ensures compliance with and deliberate implementation of the Group’s ethics policy. It is supported in its activity by a network of 25 to 30 compliance officers. They drive the Group’s ethics policy within each entity and serve as the relay for promotional, awareness and audit actions.

An Ethics Charter based on the Group’s four compliance principles

This ethics policy is detailed in the Group Ethics Charter. It is based on four founding principles that guide employee conduct:

• Acting in accordance with laws and regulations,
• Establishing a culture of integrity,
• Behaving fairly and honestly,
• Respecting others.

This charter also sets out the principles that are applied to the Group (staff, shareholders, entities), to its markets (customers, suppliers, competitors) and to its environment (community, planet). It is supplemented, on a daily basis, by a practical guide and procedures aimed at ensuring that the Group’s ethics policy is properly applied, as well as by reporting and alert mechanisms.

> For any questions or to obtain the charter documents, contact: ethics@suez-env.com