Corporate Social Responsibility

Our corporate social responsibility policy

In 2009, SES implemented a range of corporate social responsibility projects and activities in geographic areas where the SES group has commercial activities, provides communication services or otherwise interacts with local communities.

The policy

For the last few years, SES’ CSR policy was aimed at supporting educational projects, with a focus on reflecting the group’s position as a leading provider of global communications infrastructure and services. This core approach remained unchanged in 2009.

SES believes it has a responsibility to support projects that contribute to the development of a communications-based society and a knowledge-based economy. We believe that progress in this area should help develop more resilient and flexible economic structures, contribute to enhance social mobility development, and should also contribute to the emergence of more sustainable economic development models.

Projects supported by SES

In 2009, SES continued its scholarship programme with the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France, supporting students of advanced space applications. SES also supported an executive MBA programme at the International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC) based in the Isle of Man. The IISC is an off-shoot of the ISU, and the programme benefits students from the Isle of Man. SES supported the scholarship programme of the ‘Society of Satellite Professionals International’ (SSPI), a U.S.-based non-profit organisation focusing on the skills and career development of satellite industry professionals worldwide.

SES supported the 2009 edition of the St. Gallen Symposium, an academic and networking event for representatives of business, politics, and students at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. SES is a member of the IDATE Foundation, based in Montpellier, France, which provides assistance in strategic decision-making to the telecommunications, internet and media industries.

SES is a member of the International Astronautical Federation, a global organisation that promotes awareness of space activities worldwide. In Luxembourg, SES was a main sponsor of the activities organised in the context of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, aimed at stimulating worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science.

SES made a financial contribution to the project ‘Business Initiative 123 – GO’ aiming to advance and support the development of innovative business projects.

In 2009, SES was a member of Luxembourg’s ‘Groupement d’intérêt économique Shanghai 2010’ whose mission is to implement Luxembourg’s representation at the World Exhibition in Shanghai in 2010.

SES made a donation to the Institut St. Joseph in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, a home for mentally handicapped persons. SES continued its financial support to ‘Musek am Syrdal’, a local music festival in Luxembourg, and also supported a Luxembourg based theatre production.

In 2009, SES made a financial contribution to the Steichen Foundation, named after the photographer Edward Steichen. SES’ support goes toward a scholarship which is awarded every second year and which enables an artist from the ‘Greater Luxembourg’ region (including Luxembourg and the neighbouring areas of Belgium, France and Germany) to temporarily live and work in the city of New York.

Through its SES WORLD SKIES division, SES made corporate donations to the Juliana Children’s Hospital in The Hague, to the World Wildlife Fund and to Doctors Without Borders. The U.S. offices of SES sponsored science and engineering programmes in four public schools in the U.S.A. These grants funded a variety of activities, such as the ‘Project Lead the Way’ which prepares students for a successful curriculum in postsecondary engineering studies. In the U.S., SES also supported social initiatives such as the Trenton Soup Kitchen.

In 2009, SES supported the development of Belgium’s new scientific research station in Antarctica. SES is contributing satellite bandwidth and technical support, in order to help keep the facility connected. The mission of the ‘Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station’ located in Dronning Maud Land in East Antarctica, is to conduct research on climate change issues. The facility is designed with the aim of generating zero emissions and operates on renewable energy sources.

Environmental initiatives

The SES companies are committed to respecting the world’s natural environment, and to aligning, as much as feasible, the companies’ and the staff’s conduct to the principles of sustainable development. We apply the principle that all activities and services which we provide to third parties, or which are provided to us by third-party vendors, should comply with the highest standards of environmental protection.

Compliance is benchmarked against the legal rules and regulations applied in the countries in which the SES companies operate, as well as against industry-wide best practices. Our objective is to continuously improve our environmental performance and to further reduce the environmental impact of our activities.

The activities of SES and its companies are mainly office and technology-based. In our operations, we promote the most efficient use of energy and natural resources. We have successfully implemented a programme to rely on cogeneration power. We apply a waste recycling programme which aims to avoid, reduce and recycle waste material as efficiently as possible; this programme is subject to independent third-party audits and quality control. We also conduct environmental training on a regular basis and encourage our staff to adopt environmentally correct attitudes in their professional activities.

In 2009, SES with the support of a third-party auditor, conducted a group-wide carbon footprint assessment, based on 2008 data. According to this study, which covered SES’ operations only (i.e. all activities related to operating and commercialising the company’s satellite fleet, including functions such as administration, marketing, finance etc), the SES group emitted approximately 43,700 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) in 2008. Emissions from Scope 2 electricity consumption represented the largest component of SES’s total emissions (approximately 60%) with Scope 1 gas emissions (approximately 28%) and Scope 3 business travel by air (6%) providing the remaining contribution. Teleports represented approximately 72% of the emissions from Scope 1 and 2 sources.

Based on these findings, SES is implementing a carbon reduction plan at its headquarter site in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. Modified heating burners operated on natural gas are replacing fuel oil as the main energy source, and the cold water chillers are replaced by more efficient installations. These initiatives are expected to be completed in May 2010. In addition, starting in January 2010, the Betzdorf campus uses electricity sourced from hydropower, which can be considered CO2-free. These initiatives are expected to reduce the carbon emissions of the Betzdorf site by approximately 50%, and to reduce the SES group’s total CO2 emissions by approximately 17%.

In 2009, SES ran a group-wide campaign to incentivise its staff to efficient energy use. This campaign covered topics such as office heating, cooling and lighting, the adequate use of office machines, printers, projectors, as well as waste generation and business travel.

The operating entities of SES apply best practices in minimizing the environmental impact of the outsourced activities, such as the manufacturing and launching of spacecraft. The companies also ensure that the amount of radiation emitted from their earth stations respects or remains below the maximum levels defined by the countries of operation; compliance is checked through yearly internal and third-party audits by accredited organisations, which are specialised in the field of industrial safety.

Charter

Charter of companies in favour of social responsibility and sustainable development

(English version, PDF 649kb)

Charte d'entreprises pour la responsabilité sociale et le développement durable

(Version française, PDF 698kb)