The declaration of non-financial performance (DNFP) meets the French and European legal obligations, and the voluntary commitments of Publicis Groupe in terms of reporting on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in accordance with international guidelines that the Groupe has been following for several years, notably the GRI.
This Chapter is the core of the Groupe’s non-financial reporting and includes a number of quantitative and qualitative indicators presented under the “comply or explain” rule. Examples of various actions carried out and initiatives implemented in the agencies to address social, cultural, ethical and environmental issues are given. More examples are featured on the Groupe’s corporate website www.publicisgroupe.com (CSR Section). A CSR Smart data table is also available on the corporate website (CSR Section).
The DNFP is made up of a number of factors included in this document, denoted as follows:
background information on segment trends or the general outlook, as well as on the business model and value-creation components, are presented in the introduction with a summary of key financial figures and the main non-financial indicators;
Methods and processes in place for CSR reporting, as well as governance of these issues, are explained in Section 4.8. In accordance with French and European regulations, the Bureau Véritas verification report of external audit can be found at the end of this Chapter.
In view of this atypical year of 2020, and the pre-eminence of certain subjects, the Groupe carried out a rapid consultation of its stakeholders. The aim was to measure changes in the expectations of our stakeholders. One hundred people were interviewed in the United States, France, the United Kingdom and India: employees, clients, investors and management were approached. The matrix was presented to the Strategy and Risk Committee and then approved by the Supervisory Board (see Section 3.1.4.9 of this document). This work is managed by the Groupe’s CSR Department and conducted with Salterbaxter, a subsidiary of the Groupe, specializing in CSR, under a contract using recognized materiality analysis methodologies. In addition, the external firm Materiality Reporting is involved in an annual critical review of non-financial reporting, and for verification and certification with regard to the GRI Standards.
The year was marked by the absolute priority given to the health and well-being of employees (physical and mental health) in a tense environment concerning issues of diversity, equality and inclusion; responsible marketing and data protection remain strong expectations for our business lines, in addition to a focus on the value chain, looking at how suppliers manage human rights. Environmental concerns related to climate change remain a priority, so that the Groupe can reduce its own impacts, reduce the impacts of its services, and take more action in the fight against climate change. The CSR materiality matrix is presented in the introductory Chapter of this document.
Dialog with stakeholders is also conducted on a continual basis by local agencies, whether it involves dialog with employees or discussions with clients on these major issues.
Questions regarding this non-financial reporting may be addressed to the Groupe CSR Department: csr@publicisgroupe.com
