sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

COMPETITION LAW:
ACQUIRING THE RIGHT REFLEXES
Viewpoint of the Head of International Legal Affairs
in charge of competition issues:
“It was very important to improve employees’ awareness
of this issue, especially those who occupy positions
of responsibility, or who work in sales and marketing.
In addition to ensuring they know the rules, the course
aims to remind participants of the position of risk
they may put the company at by acting illegally. There are
the obvious financial risks and the risk of tarnishing the
company’s reputation, but in some countries employees
also run the risk of facing personal legal action.”
Source: The Month, July-August 2008.
Responsible procurement
The responsible procurement process launched in 2006 is
based on a Buyers’ Charter that provides guidelines for routine
purchasing practices. In 2008, the Purchasing Department,
in association with the Responsible Development Department
and the Environment, Health & Safety Department,
recommended to Group senior management that
the approach be taken to the next level by including social
and environmental criteria in the supplier selection process.
The process has been gradually rolled out within
the organization:
• The responsible procurement strategy has been
communicated by Group senior management.
• Sustainable development clauses have been inserted
in the general conditions of purchase.
• Risks have been identified and methods defined
for the pilot projects concerning industrial gases,
temporary staff and transportation.
• All of the buyers have received the Purchasing Charter
and been asked to sign for their copy, thereby emphasizing
the charter’s importance. The 2008-2010 Purchasing Action
Plans also include sustainable development initiatives,
to reduce energy and raw materials use, optimize logistics
flows, and manage the corporate vehicle fleet’s carbon
footprint.
• Suppliers have been encouraged to improve
their environmental performance through the introduction
of a self-assessment questionnaire and a Suppliers’ Charter,
which were tested on a small group of suppliers before
being deployed more widely. The documents are designed
to raise supplier awareness of our commitment to selecting
partners that demonstrate the highest compliance with
sustainable development principles.
More generally, to improve risk identification and prevention,
sustainable development considerations are being built
into all of the internal control and audit processes.
(For more information, refer to the section on internal
control procedures at the end of this report.)
Contributing to the development
of local communities
Our decentralized organization, spanning nearly
60 countries across the globe, means that we can act as
a good corporate citizen in all of our host communities,
by effectively responding to their specific characteristics
and needs.
We have long encouraged non-profit initiatives at the most
appropriate level (Delegation, company or site). Local
organizations are empowered to determine the most
effective type of initiative, which may include setting up
a dedicated structure, working with non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) on a specific project or on a regular basis,
or supporting employee involvement in outreach programs.
In 2008, nearly €3 million was invested in non-profit initiatives,
while employees were actively encouraged to get involved
as volunteers.
Some of these initiatives are organized and coordinated
by dedicated structures:
• In North America, the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
is managing three programs to provide funding to NGOs
and to support or organize charitable initiatives based
on the needs of local facilities and employee wishes.
• In India, the Saint-Gobain Foundation supports
educational projects as part of the local Delegation.
• Since 1999, the PAM Foundation in France has assisted
young people experiencing social or financial difficulties
by offering them mentoring support by Group employees.
• Also in France, the Gypsum Division’s Fondation Placoplatre®
prepares young people for jobs in the construction industry
and supports local environmental initiatives.
These are just a few examples of the broad array of programs
underway within the Group.
MANAGEMENT REPORT
73
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report