UN Global Compact communication on Progress

Please note that the information in this section relates to our 2021 ESG Report, which can be found here.

SES endorsed the UN Global Compact (UNGC) in April 2021 and continues its support for the ten principles under human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption areas. This Communication of Progress renews our commitment to the initiative for the upcoming year as we continue to advance our ESG strategy aligned with the UN Global Compact and the UN SDGs.

This Communication on Progress (COP) is supplementary to our Annual report that describes the company’s efforts to implement the Ten Principles. SES supports public accountability and transparency, and therefore commits to report on progress annually to the UN Global Compact COP policy.

The table presented in the next part of the COP letter provides:

  • A description of practical actions (i.e., disclosures of any relevant policies, procedures, activities that the company has taken (or plans to undertake) to implement the UN Global Compact principles in each of the four issue areas (human rights, labour, environment, anti-corruption.
  • A measurement of outcomes (i.e., the degree to which targets/performance indicators were met, or other qualitative or quantitative measurement of results.

Signature_Steve_Collar
Steve Collar,
CEO, SES S.A.

UN Global Compact Index 

Human Rights 

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and 

SES believes in the protection and advancement of human rights around the world. We have started a process of reviewing and putting into Action how we can align more closely and fully adopt the UN Standards of Conduct and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our commitment to human rights for our employees and suppliers is addressed in full in our annual report:

Human rights:  pg. 55

Employee matters: pg. 49

Principle 2: Make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses. 

Labor 

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; 

SES upholds these standards with regards to our workplace and within our supply chain. Specifically, we outline this in our annual report in the following sections:

Supply Chain Management: pg. 55-56

Employee matters: pg. 49

Diversity and Inclusion: pg. 40

Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor; 

Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labor; and 

Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 

Environment 

Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; 

In the creation of our ESG strategy developed in 2021, Climate Action is a pillar of focus that emerged. Although, SES has reported our emissions to the CDP for the last 10 years, in 2021, we engaged in further analysis of our environmental footprint looking for ways that we can make a greater commitment and set ambitious targets for reduction. Following that analysis SES is committing to a NetZero by no later than 2050 target and in 2022 will be setting science-based targets for validation with SBTi and in line with the Paris Climate accord. As part of our climate action pillar, we will also be examining the lifecycle of our products and services and working with our customers to utilize the SES satellite technologies to positively impact their environmental footprint.

More detail on our footprint and the work we are undertaking in our emission reductions can be found in the annual report:

Climate Action: pg. 37

Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and 

Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. 

Anti-corruption 

Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. 

SES outline our anti-corruption policies are detailed in our Code of Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct. Please see details in our Annual report in section:

Ethics: pg. 54-56