21st July, 2008
France Telecom publishes its 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report
France Telecom has published its 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report, which
reviews initiatives undertaken in 2007 in terms of corporate responsibility in
the fields of economics, social responsibility and environmental protection. The
report highlights a new phase in the Group's approach to corporate responsibility
that has been deployed in over twenty countries in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa. This approach is based on the Group's code of ethics as well as on common
issues and challenges, action plans and dedicated management tools.
"As a global telecommunications operator, we have a key role to play in helping
our customers meet the challenge of sustainable development. This challenge brings
with it opportunities for innovation and value creation," says Didier Lombard,
France Telecom's Chief Executive Officer. For the Group, the aim is to provide
innovative solutions in order to respond to the new challenges of sustainable
development and set an example as a responsible company.
The report, which underlines key issues for the Group in terms of its social
and ecological footprint, is based on the principles set out in the international
standard AA 1000* (completeness, materiality and responsiveness). France Telecom
is one of the first companies, among those listed on the Paris stock exchange,
to apply this standard. Nine issues based on the expectations of the Group’s stakeholders
have been identified. These include innovative solutions contributing to sustainable
development, developing access for all, supporting community involvement and fighting
climate change.
The report provides details on each of these issues and describes the main achievements
to date. In particular, the following best practises are highlighted:
• the launch of Orange Healthcare, a line of services dedicated to e-healthcare,
with the development of solutions in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland,
Spain and Poland
• the deployment of an optimised ventilation system in 400 technical sites in France.
This system, developed by Orange Labs, considerably reduces energy consumption
• the installation of solar power units in Senegal to extend mobile network coverage,
with a reduced environmental impact. This project will be extended to the Ivory
Coast, Madagascar, Guinea and Mali by the end of 2009
• measures in favour of child protection. This includes the provision of a free
parental control service for Internet usage in several European countries and
a set of guides adapted to each country promoting a reasoned approach to Internet
and mobile phone usage
• the development of widely-accessible mobile banking services in the Ivory Coast.
This will be extended to other African countries and the Middle East in the near
future
The "roadmaps" indicate the level of achievement of the 2007 targets as well
as details on the Group's targets for 2008 and beyond in the case of longer-term
objectives, such as reducing the carbon footprint per customer. These targets
cover areas such as the Group's aim to make its internal and external web sites
accessible to visually-impaired people by 2010 and its aim, in collaboration with
teachers, to promote the safe use of converged technology throughout Europe.
The reporting process, together with a selection of achievements and corporate
responsibility indicators, has been audited.
The report is available at the following address: http://www.orange.com/en_EN/responsibility
*Accountability AA 1000 Assurance Standard: the AA 1000 principles enable companies
to better identify, understand and respond to material issues based on stakeholders'
needs and concerns. External assurance based on AA 1000 AS adds credibility to
the sustainability report.
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