page 6 - Placing corporate social responsability at the core of the group's strategy

PLACING CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT THE CORE OF THE GROUP’S STRATEGY

The CSR approach is an integral part of the sanofi-aventis strategy and supports the Group’s growth and development while upholding the values on which it is founded. The Group expresses its responsibility as a global healthcare company through its CSR approach, which since 2008 has been based on four key areas that take as their reference the United Nations “Agenda 21” blueprint for sustainability in the 21st century.

• • Patient 21: the patient at the center of the Group’s business activities
• • Ethics 21: ethics in action
• • People 21: employees and local communities
• • Planet 21: environmental performance

PILOTING A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL APPROACH

The Sustainability Department, which since October 2009 has been part of the CSR function, oversees the operational implementation of the approach in collaboration with a steering committee, called the Group Sustainability Committee (GSC). The GSC is made up of representatives from corporate and regional functions. Because they interface with members of the Group Management Committee, these members are the driving force in policy implementation for both employees and external stakeholders. Their role is to determine challenges, identify priority commitments and increase awareness of the approach as well as share information about CSR initiatives in the field.

In 2009, the CSR approach entered a new phase with the further expansion of its international network to all affiliates as well as growing stakeholder involvement.

As a result, sanofi-aventis has developed a correspondent network across all Group regions and functions, on all continents. The correspondents play an essential role in implementing the Group’s CSR approach to give rise to initiatives and responses that are in line with stated expectations.

To further implement CSR across all regions using the network, the Group has established two objectives for 2010:

• • Develop the necessary tools to roll out the CSR approach locally
• • Maintain the momentum generated by the network and establish a means to share best practices.

From Sustainability to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

In late 2009, the sanofi-aventis Sustainability Department became part of the newly established Corporate Social Responsibility function. This new function came about

in response to the Group’s decision to bring together all the major initiatives in the field of economic, social and environmental responsibility. The CSR function encompasses access to medicines, humanitarian partnership, sustainability, diversity/disability, and Group initiatives designed to help employees and their families.

The Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer of sanofi-aventis, as a clear illustration of the strategic importance of this new role in ensuring the overall consistency in all the Group’s CSR initiatives.