Corporate Social Responsibility
Principles of CSR
SES implements a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme which is rooted in the belief that global reputation relies on local action. In the framework of our CSR programme, we deploy decentralised activities in those areas of the world in which the SES Group companies provide commercial and technical services.
Our CSR programme focuses on supporting educational initiatives, and aims to expand the basis for the development of a knowledge and communications-based society in every region of the world. We believe that this is a key element in the emergence of a model for sustainable development.
The SES companies are committed to respecting the world’s natural environment, and to aligning the companies’ and the staff’s conduct with the principles of sustainable development.
We apply the basic principle that all activities and services which we provide to third-party customers, or which are supplied 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 industrywide best practices. Our objective is to continuously improve our environmental performance and to further reduce the environmental impact of our activities.
CSR activities in 2006
In 2006, SES implemented a corporate social responsibility programme aligned with the company’s values. Global reputation is born out of local action. SES’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme has been elaborated to reflect this approach by deploying CSR projects and activities in those areas of the world in which the SES group has activities or provides communications services.
Our CSR programme is aimed primarily at supporting educational projects, which are directed towards the development of a knowledge and communications-based society. We believe that this is a key element in the emergence of a model for sustainable development. Our CSR programme attempts to reflect SES’s positioning in the field of global communications infrastructure and services provision.
In 2006, SES signed the Corporate Social Responsibility charter, which was elaborated jointly by a number of Luxembourg-based companies, committing its signatories to promote the principles of CSR and to reflect and implement these in their everyday operations.
During the year, SES committed to support the “One Laptop per Child” project (OLPC), a worldwide non-profit initiative aimed at improving the communication and education infrastructure in developing countries by launching a low cost, web-connected laptop. Both SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM are corporate partners of the scheme, together contributing important know-how for the conceptual development of the project, space capacity onboard SES’s global satellite fleet and US$ 2 million of financial support. OLPC is managed through a spin-off of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is supported by a range of corporate partners. Further information on OLPC can be found at www.laptop.org.
In 2006, SES continued its cooperation with the University of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, by financing a student scholarship for the MBA Hochschule St Gallen programme. We also continued to support the scholarship programme of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, a US-based non-profit association for the professional development of satellite industry professionals worldwide.
We pursued our cooperation with the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, financing student scholarships for advanced studies of space applications. We also continued our long-standing support of the school #1 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, by contributing to the financing of the school’s information technology infrastructure.
SES also supported Luxembourg’s “Business Initiative 123-GO” aimed at advancing the development of innovative business projects and we continued to support the Institut St. Joseph of Betzdorf, Luxembourg, a home for mentally handicapped persons.
In 2006, SES NEW SKIES supported the Tambores project, a rural school for children from families with incomes below the poverty line, in Colombia. Tambores aims at increasing school participation and lowering the drop-out rates. The project is executed by Federaçion Naçional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNCC, and is also supported by the European Commission, the Flemish government, the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and other institutions.
SES AMERICOM made a financial donation to support the extension of the Plainsboro library. The company also continued its supports to the Susan Komen breast cancer research activities. SES AMERICOM matched donations made by its employees (to the rate of one dollarfor each two dollars donated) to a number of colleges and universities. And the company supported the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Awards through a financial contribution.
Cultural sponsorships
In 2006, SES continued its financial support of “Musek am Syrdall”, a local music festival in Luxembourg.
Caring for the environment
The SES is committed to respecting the world’s natural environment, and to aligning its staff’s conduct with the principles of sustainable development. We apply the basic principle that all activities and services which we provide to third-party customers, or which are supplied 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 SES operates, 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 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 wherever possible, in order to make maximum use of energy. 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.
The operating units of SES apply best practices in minimising environmental impact of outsourced activities, such as manufacturing and launching of spacecraft. They 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 specialized 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)