JCDecaux gets Gold from EcoVadis for its environmental and corporate social responsibility performance

JCDecaux SA , the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced it has achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis – the internationally recognised rating agency present in 160 countries with a network of 75,000 rated companies – for its CSR performance and sustainable procurement with a score of 71/100.

This detailed assessment measures the maturity of policies as well as the actions undertaken based on 21 criteria grouped into four main themes: Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

This year’s Gold Medal awarded to JCDecaux puts it in the Top 3% of the best performing companies assessed by EcoVadis. Indeed, the company is just two percentage points away from the Platinum Medal, the highest distinction awarded by EcoVadis.

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JCDecaux is now among the Top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis in the ‘Advertising and Market Research’ category, having obtained a score greater than or equal to 71/100.

This new distinction recognises the Group’s actions in terms of environmental and corporate social governance, confirming the commitment of JCDecaux, the soundness of its strategy and transparency in terms of sustainable development. It further illustrates JCDecaux’s long-standing commitment to a sustainable business model which respects the environment and society.

The Group is stepping up its initiatives in the four main thematic areas assessed by EcoVadis:

• Environment
  • JCDecaux has set a target of covering 100% of its electricity consumption needs with electricity from renewable sources by 2022. By the end of 2020, the Group had already achieved a coverage rate of 91% with 50% of its countries already at 100%;
  • The long-term approach of ecodesigning street furniture is an integral part of circular economy principles.
• Labour and Human Rights
  • JCDecaux’s International Charter of Fundamental Social Values, published in 2012 and updated in 2018, outlines the Group’s commitment to respecting human rights and strengthening the protection of fundamental social rights in the 80+ countries where it operates.
  • A survey of local practice compliance with the principles enshrined in the Charter has been conducted every two years since 2013. 77 countries took part in the most recent survey at the end of 2019. This ensured 99% coverage of the Group’s full-time employees.
• Ethics
  • As early as 2001, in its Ethics Charter, the Group documented the ethical principles and rules for compliance in conducting Group business in all of its locations.
  • A whistleblowing procedure has been made available for Group employees and deployed in all Group subsidiaries since November 2018 through a variety of channels. Alerts raised are handled by the Ethics Committee with the assistance of the respective departments or an external counsel. 
• Sustainable Procurement
  • JCDecaux has had a Supplier Code of Conduct since 2014 that sets out JCDecaux’s expectations for suppliers in terms of social, ethical, health-safety and environmental themes.
  • In 2020, 100% of its key suppliers had signed this Code of Conduct.

Jean-François Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “In December we announced JCDecaux’s inclusion on the A List, drawn up by CDP – the world climate change reference organisation.  JCDecaux has now earned a Gold Medal for our excellent performance as part of our first EcoVadis assessment. We are extremely proud of this performance achieved through the commitment of our company as a whole. Once again, this demonstrates that JCDecaux has its rightful place among the most responsible companies. The long-term specific initiatives we have implemented illustrate our sense of commitment to tackling environmental and social challenges. The Group is committed to further increasing its efforts in sustainable development with the implementation in 2022 of our new strategic roadmap to take us to 2030 and beyond.”

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