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Our commitments


Tracking and monitoring specific commitments

Our commitments illustrate two key components of our sustainable development policy:

anticipation of future regulatory changes to turn potential restrictions into sources of technological, social and environmental innovations in a strong, proactive process,

specific steps by joining global social and environmental charters: every year, we will release information on our progress. We carry out specific, real and continuous improvements (see our action plan).

Our internal and external commitments are the following:

In-house initiatives

  • Group Values and Management Practices

    In 2009, the Group has reworded and clarified these values using a common language, so that all employees, regardless of their country or culture, perceive them in the same way: entrepreneurial drive, passion for innovation, professionalism, Group spirit, respect for people (including corporate social responsibility).
    Values have been translated into Management Practices and Behaviors that serve as a common frame of reference to evaluate and strengthen managerial performance. In 2010, Groupe SEB included the obligation for managers to respect the Group's commitments to sustainable development in all job descriptions.

  • The sustainable development in the processes

    Since the end of 2007, sustainable development principles have been integrated into the Group’s 14 main corporate processes. The Group’s internal control unit, whose manager is a member of the sustainable development Steering Committee, drew up a list of monitoring criteria based on the Global Compact, which are regularly reviewed during audits. It also have access to the results of the self-assessment conducted by each site on respect for Human Rights (HRCA Quick Check and CBSSC). All of these elements are systematically reviewed during the audits. A carefully-monitored action plan is defined to tackle any non-conformities.

  • The administrator’s Charter

    In 2003, Groupe SEB brought the administrator’s Charter and the Board’s in-house rules together in a single document so that all the administrators are clearly aware of their roles, rights and responsibilities.
    In particular, the administrator’s Charter broaches respect and defense of the public interest, diligence, conflicts of interest, access to information, confidentiality, independence of analysis and the legal system of privileged information. The in-house rules involve the Board’s and Committees’ make-up, functioning, roles and missions, as well as the administrator’s remuneration policy.

  • The Quality Management System

    Respect for the environment is a priority, but it must not be achieved by sacrificing quality. Groupe SEB has developed a Quality Management System (QMS) that describes the steps to be taken at every level to guarantee the quality of the products sold and the associated services. QMS involves all Groupe SEB’s business units, processes and sites worldwide. Each business unit, site, position and employee is responsible for the quality of work and for the respect of the rules of the Quality Assurance documents. (See an Extract of Groupe SEB’s Policy).

    Management Reviews, by examining the system’s various parts on a regular basis, help to verify the effectiveness of the Group’s processes and to manage the actions required for continuous improvement of the quality of products and processes.

  • Human Rights self-assessment

    Since 2007, in order to measure respect for Human Rights in its subsidiaries, the Group has implemented a self-assessment tool developed by the Danish Institute for Human Rights: the Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA) Quick Check. This initiative is the subject of a formalized procedure: the self-assessment is carried out by managers at all sites employing over 10 staff, the results are analyzed by the Sustainable Development Department and actions plans are devised as necessary. Since 2010, the sites of the subsidiary Supor have been using the CBSSC (China Business and Social Sustainability Check), a version of the HRCA Quick Check adapted for China.

  • The Buyer’s Ethical Charter

    The Group has drafted a Buyer’s Ethics Code focusing on four areas:

    • Upholding the law in every country and making efforts to verify that suppliers do the same;
    • Rejecting all financial compensation, gifts and favours;
    • Upholding the confidentiality of information that is not indispensable for trade;
    • Implementing purchasing methods that stimulate genuine competition between viable suppliers.

  • The suppliers’ eco-statement

    We would like the companies we work with to share our values and ethics and to immerse themselves in our Group policy. That’s why we require all our suppliers to subscribe to our eco-design and environmental approach by signing an eco-statement by which they pledge to use no substance banned by the law or by the Groupe in the manufacturing processes of the products and components they deliver us.

    We have listed the certifications that our European plants’ suppliers have obtained in materials directly used in production, and encouraged the main ones to achieve ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification.

  • The suppliers’ environmental statement

    Groupe SEB encourages its panel of suppliers to aim for ISO 14001 certification. In 2010, 40% of finished products suppliers and 35% of materials and components suppliers attained certification. The Group has asked non-certified suppliers to fill out an environmental statement in order to assess their achievements in this area and encourage them to improve their efforts.

  • The suppliers’ social statement

    Groupe SEB requires all its suppliers in countries considered to be sensitive regarding Human Rights to fill out an SA 8000-style labour rights statement (one of the international standards in this area) which it then monitors for compliance by means of on-the-spot audits.

Outside commitments

  • The Global Compact: an international commitment

    global compact

     In 2003, the Group signed the Global Compact, pledging to uphold 10 points relating to human and labour rights, the environment and corruption.

    In 2007, Groupe SEB decided to assess the practices of all its sites of more than 10 employees regarding respect for Human Rights, with the the HRCA (Human Rights Compliance Assessment) Quick Check, a self assessment tool developed by the Danish Institute for the Human Rights. Since 2010, the sites of the subsidiary Supor have been using the CBSSC (China Business and Social Sustainability Check), a version of the HRCA Quick Check adapted for China.

    On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Group reaffirmed its commitment to the Global Compact initiative by signing, with other directors from around the world, a declaration that was published in the Financial Times in December 2008.

    Every year we publish a communication on progress about our actions.

  • The CECED Code of Conduct: the commitment of European household appliance makers

    CECEDIn 2005, Groupe SEB pledged to uphold the nine principles in the CECED Code of Conduct (the CECED is the European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers). Again, we report on our actions in order to demonstrate the seriousness of our continuous improvement policy.
     

     


     

  • The Diversity Charter, for a receptive company that’s strong because it embraces differences

    charte de la diversitéThe quest for diversity is at the heart of our management policy. We know it is a source of a company’s wealth and creativity. That’s why we have signed the Diversity Charter (in France) and welcome everybody, no matter how different they are.


    Within the framework of its commitment to diversity and equal opportunities, Groupe SEB also fills in every year the HALDE's questionnaire in French (HALDE : The French Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Commission).

  • The RoHS directive and the REACH regulation

    Certain harmful substances must be eliminated from domestic appliances in order to protect consumers’ and employees’ health and guarantee respect of the environment. The RoHS European Directive, which came into force on 1 July 2006, lists a certain number of hazardous materials in order to limit their use by the industry’s manufacturers.

    Groupe SEB was a step ahead, drafting its own list in 2003, which includes the items of the RoHS directive and adds others. Today, 100% of Groupe SEB’s products affected by the standard comply with it.

    Since end of 2008, Groupe SEB also integrated into its approach the new European measures of REACH, about extremely hazardous substances.

  • NER and GRI: a French law, a global practice

    Groupe SEB complies with the latest French laws, such as the 2001 Nouvelles Régulations Economiques act (NER – New Economic Regulations), which requires companies to include the social and environmental protection steps they have taken in their annual reports (see our Corporate and Sustainable Development Report and the NER/GRI comparative table). When possible, we go even further by following the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) process, which is in line with the NER Act but has a broader scope of application and more specific requirements.

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  • Tefal History Book
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Table NER/GRI
Table NER/GRI 
Action plan
Action plan 
Glossary
Glossary 
Annual Business and Sustainable Development Report
Annual Business and Sustainable Development Report