[E1-ESRS 2 SBM-3-19 (b) & (c), AR 7 (b) & AR 8 (b)]
Publicis Groupe is an intellectual services company serving its corporate clients, with over 108,000 employees in around a hundred countries. An initial analysis of climate impacts and risks was carried out in 2020 to prepare the first SBTi (Science Based Target initiative) submission file. Teams work in “open space” offices, mainly located in capitals or major cities, and spread over one or more floors. After the Covid-19 pandemic, employees returned full-time to the office: the entire week in some countries, and in other countries, flexibility around remote working three days a week in the office is in place. The adverse environmental impacts related to the Company’s activities are mainly measured in carbon emissions, calculated and explained in Section 4.2.4.
For several years, the Company has been committed to a carbon emissions reduction plan, strengthened following the validation of its climate targets by SBTi, which call for a 50% reduction by 2030 and a 90% reduction by 2040, and the achievement of the Net Zero target–see details in Section 4.2.4.
The Company may be faced with physical risks linked to climate change in various cities (flooding, high heat, etc.) that could potentially disrupt its operations and adversely affect the health of employees, as described in the risk analysis in Section 4.2.1.3 below. Mitigation measures have been established and taken, both in terms of business continuity and support for employees who may face difficulties.
Publicis Groupe supports its clients in their communication and strategic transformation, integrating the ecological transition, with developments in the portfolio of products or services. Consumers express certain expectations regarding the environmental impacts of their purchases; they appear to be keen to consume differently and better integrate environmental issues into their purchasing decisions and choices. Publicis Groupe is in a privileged position to change behavior and social and societal representations. This is the approach taken by the Company through the priority it gives to Responsible Marketing & Technology to improve the professional practices of its activities and the standards applied, as explained in the examples presented in Section 4.3.13.
[ESRS 2 SBM-3-48 (b), ESRS 2 SBM-3-48 (c) ii & iv]
As indicated in the Duty of Care Plan (Section 4.6), detailed work was carried out in 2022 with the help of an external firm to better determine the impact of climate risks on the Groupe by analyzing several scenarios. An ad hoc working group was set up, the Climate Task Force, managed by the Groupe’s CSR Department with the support of the Risk Management, Finance, IT and GSO (infrastructure and information systems security), Legal, Real Estate and Insurance Departments, and with operational staff. This work made it possible to map risks and opportunities with regard to various scenarios, aligned with those of the IPCC (United Nations). Twelve working scenarios were defined and examined one by one with the help of the external firm, and aligned with the method used by the Groupe’s Risk Management (time horizon, frequency, financial impacts, mitigation measures). Given the Groupe’s intellectual services activities and its global geographical presence, two scenarios were selected among the twelve to guide the internal work:
[E1-ESRS 2 IRO-1-AR 11 (a), E1-ESRS 2 SBM-3-AR 18 & AR 19, E1-ESRS 2 SBM-3-48, E1-ESRS 2 IRO-1-20 (a), (b) & (c), E1-ESRS 2 IRO-1-21, ESRS E1-9-66 (a) to (d)]
The internal Climate Task Force coordinated by the Groupe CSR Department recommended a review every three years. This Task Force meets once a year to view the climate assessment for the year in various regions of the world, and any impacts on the Groupe’s offices or employees’ modes of transportation. It works in the form of topical sub-groups in order to examine possible new risks and/or opportunities, to share best practices, and to implement actions that strengthen the Groupe’s resilience in the face of climate hazards and their consequences. The Climate Task Force has not identified any major short-term risk with regard to the locations of the offices that could directly affect service continuity to clients. Some regions where employees live may be confronted with weather events affecting their homes and communities, whether flooding, major fires or tornadoes, particularly in the United States. The relevant entities then set up a system providing material support to affected employees on a case-by-case basis. This Climate Task Force participates in the development of and changes to the multi-year transition plan. [ESRS 2 SBM-3-48 (f)]
The work helped to identify and prioritize the various risks and opportunities associated with these scenarios based on the typology established by the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure), which distinguishes between:
