sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

Sustainable development guidelines
Our business model is based on a set of strong internal
values backed by publicly-stated sustainable development
commitments.
These commitments are set out in Saint-Gobain’s Principles
of Conduct and Action, which were drawn up in 2003 as
a formal expression of the values that guide and inspire
the Group.
The values of professional commitment, respect for others,
integrity, loyalty and solidarity represent a unifying force
and shape the conduct of each and every member of
Saint-Gobain, from senior management down to junior staff.
Respect for the law, the environment, worker health and safety
and employee rights guide the actions of all executives
and employees in the performance of their duties.
The Principles explicitly refer to International Labor
Organization («ILO») conventions, OECD guiding principles
and the OECD Anti-bribery Convention (see section IV for more
information). They require subsidiaries to “actively protect
the environment” and to “take all necessary measures to meet
the highest standards of workplace health and safety”
for employees and for contractors working on our sites.
The Principles have been rolled down in the Environment,
Health and Safety (“EHS”) policy, which is based on respect
for individuals and their environment. The Group’s
commitment to these EHS principles was reaffirmed
by the Chief Executive Officer in a letter to all employees
published in the March 2008 issue of the in-house magazine,
The Month.
The EHS policy encourages all employees to work towards
meeting the objectives of zero work-related accidents, zero
occupational illnesses and zero non-recovered waste. These
objectives are listed in a charter displayed at all of our facilities
and currently translated into 34 languages.
OUR COMMITMENTS
In 2003, we demonstrated our responsible and sustainable
development approach by pledging to support the United
Nations Global Compact and undertaking to comply with
the Compact’s ten principles in the areas of human rights,
labor standards, the environment and anti-corruption.
This commitment was taken a step further on December
10, 2008 – the 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights – with the signature
by Pierre-André de Chalendar of the declaration
of management support for human rights, an initiative
organized by the United Nations.
How this section is organized
The table below presents a broad outline of the Group’s
sustainable development challenges.
The first part of the section then goes on to discuss
Saint-Gobain products and solutions that contribute
to sustainable development, while the second part sets out
our commitments on environment, health and safety issues.
The last two sections examine the Group’s values, its Human
resources development and corporate social responsibility
model.
Indicators mentioned in the text are listed in a table
at the end of the section, along with details
of the methodology used to collect and compile the data.
Challenges, achievements and outlook
As a first step towards integrating sustainable development
concerns into our strategy, we have identified a number
of challenges in the areas of environmental protection,
Human resources development, corporate social responsibility
and business practices. Guided by the Group Principles
of Conduct and Action, which serve as a blueprint for
all employees, we have defined policies and action plans
to address these issues. The table below summarizes
our priority challenges, which are described in greater
detail in the main body of the text.
MANAGEMENT REPORT
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Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report