"AREVA at a glance" brochure
"2010 figures" economic, social, societal and environmental data
Stakeholder relationships in Niger
"Environmental report Chalon Saint-Marcel 2008" [FR]
"Rapport environmental Chalon Saint-Marcel 2007" [FR]
"Environmental report MELOX 2008" [FR]
Health and Safety Policy 2011-2013
"Chalon/Saint-Marcel : rapport environnemental, social et sociétal 2009" [FR]
"AREVA in 2010" Report on responsible growth
New AREVA website: more informative, more open, and many more
Dialogue and consensus building
Our commitment: Encourage dialogue, a driver for progress
By choosing Dialogue and Consensus Building as one of AREVA’s 10 sustainable development commitments, the group adds an important strategic dimension to relations with external stakeholders*.
These discussions help the company gauge people’s concerns at the local and international levels.
AREVA has thus implemented discussion methods aimed at listening to stakeholders’ expectations and enriching AREVA’s strategic and operational reflections.
* A "stakeholder" is defined as any individual or legal entity who may, directly or indirectly, in the short or long term, affect or be affected by the strategies, actions, or messages (as well as their consequences) that the company implements in order to reach its goals. The term "stakeholder" gained wide usage in the United States in the early 1960s.
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Objectives and results
Concrete objectives...
- develop and maintain relationships of trust with the group’s immediate environment, also referred to as external stakeholders
- expand discussion and enhance initiatives and development goals based on external concerns and expectations
- improve community involvement
To these ends, several initiatives have been launched on the group and/or site levels. Discover pragmatic examples illustrate this point.
...Tangible results
Improve the response to local stakeholder expectations
Mapping local stakeholders
The group promotes and implements on its sites an initiative called “Mapping local stakeholders”, applying a methodology developed in 2003 in partnership with a strategic sustainable development consulting firm.
The exercise enables sites to compare internal and external perceptions of their operational issues. It also permits sites to evaluate the quality of their relationships with external stakeholders (non-profits, local residents, local officials, administrations, media, etc.) through interviews conducted by an independent third party. Results of the initiative led by the third-party organization enable site managers to identify priorities and areas of improving local actions.
The initiative is a concrete illustration of the group’s commitment to dialogue.Deploying the measure internationally
By the end of 2010, 42 mapping exercises (excluding T&D sites) had been conducted in 7 different countries: France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, the United States, and India. Currently, the sites that performed these initiatives are carrying out action plans to pursue, strengthen, reorient or develop improvement efforts deemed most appropriate. Mapping initiatives are renewed approximately every 3 years.
Pursuing dialogue on the group level
A willingness to engage into a dialogue
In 2004, the group entrusted Comité 21, a leading authority for sustainable development in France, with designing and leading a dialogue program with a panel of external stakeholders (mainly associations : environmental protection, North/South development, solidarity, human rights, consumer groups...). Periodically renewed, this panel has gradually become more international. In order to ensure that this program remains productive and efficient, the AREVA group and its stakeholders accepted a methodological framework prepared by Comité 21.
Held every 18 months, these meetings aim at striking a better balance between the company’s sustainable development strategy and the expectations of civil society. They also provide an opportunity for the company to apprise stakeholders of the actions and directions undertaken, enrich strategic reflection by actively listening to stakeholders, and update understanding of the challenges at hand.
The most recent dialogue session—the fourth of its kind organized since 2004—took place on May 19 and 20, 2010 in Paris.
Following each dialogue session, Comité 21 prepares a summary of the meetings.
According to Comité 21, this new dialogue session was engaging and constructive. It also recognized the company’s efforts in matters of transparency. The stakeholders unanimously expressed the desire to continue the dialogue process. The AREVA group intends to continue the program on the basis of the recommendations given by Comité 21.
In October 2010, AREVA organized the second consecutive regional dialogue session through its subsidiary AREVA Inc. in the United States. The leadership of this one-day dialogue session was once again entrusted to Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). The discussions with stakeholders were fruitful and a summary prepared by BSR will also available on the Group website.
AREVA will continue to organize these dialogue sessions in 2011, both on the global and regional scale. In addition to the dialogue session organized in the US, the group is also considering the organization of a regional dialogue session in another of its geographic locations.
Naturally, there are other opportunities and forums for discussion. Below are several examples:
Other AREVA-stakeholder initiatives in France and around the world
Local information commissions (France)
Group representatives are involved in the local information commissions’ regulatory process, which applies to sites with one or more regulated nuclear facilities. The process aims to minimize risks related to these facilities by providing better information to local residents and stakeholders. Periodic meetings cover the main results of environmental monitoring and provide information on risks related to the facilities in question. The local information commission brings together elected representatives, environmental protection organizations, trade unions, employees, medical professionals and “qualified people”.
For example, in 2008, Tricastin site managers took part in 3 local information commission meetings on Tricastin’s major energy facilities, including a special meeting on July 18 following an incident at the Socatri facilities.
Public inquiries (France)
As part of the regulatory process for public inquiries, information packages on the group’s industrial operations (development projects in particular) are provided to the public so that they can learn about the project, ask questions and give their opinion.
For example, in 2008, public authorities held a public inquiry on a request to permanently shut down and dismantle regulated nuclear facility INB 80 (HAO) at the La Hague site. The inquiry gave the public a chance to ask more than 60 questions, which were answered by site managers.
Multi-party expert groups (France)
These technical discussions enable scientific experts from various backgrounds (representatives of institutions, industry and associations, French citizens and foreigners) to raise issues with several different perspectives and share their opinions with national public authorities, local information commissions and any other relevant local body. AREVA representatives take part in these expert groups when they concern the group’s operations.
For example, a multiparty expert group on uranium mining sites in Limousin was created in 2005, at AREVA’s request, to critically evaluate the technical information provided by AREVA on its Haute-Vienne mining sites and to give government and the operator a clearer picture of the options for long-term facility management and monitoring.
Health observatories (international)
In June 2008, the group announced that it had signed an agreement with SHERPA and Médecins du Monde to create health observatories near mining sites operated by AREVA, as well as a multi-party group for health observatories.
Participation in national and international forums on topics related to group operations
The group—along with stakeholders from businesses, institutions and associations—regularly participates in discussion forums and working groups on topics such as energy (e.g., ENEF*, WEC** and WNA***) and energy and climate change (e.g., WBCSD**** and ICC*****).
* European Nuclear Energy Forum
** World Energy Council
*** World Nuclear Association
**** World Business Council for Sustainable Development
***** International Chamber of Commerce
National public debates
The group participated in 2 public debates in France in 2005 and contributed to the British government’s “Energy Review” in 2006.
For example, between September 2005 and January 2006, the group took part in a national public debate on long-term management of radioactive waste that was organized by French public authorities. This public debate was the first to examine a social issue rather than a specific industrial project. Although it is not directly responsible for research on long-term management of radioactive waste and holds only a small amount of long-lived waste, AREVA was highly involved in the debate. The group helped to identify technological solutions for managing and treating radioactive waste and was also a stakeholder in the process.
A second debate on EDF’s plans to build an EPR™ nuclear reactor at Flamanville was held in France in 2005. The debate was considered necessary not only because of the project’s economic, social and environmental significance, but because it introduced a new generation of reactors. The debate also touched on ways of accessing safety and security information. The law regarding transparency and nuclear safety took this into account.
AREVA also contributed to “Energy Review”, a publication launched in 2006 by the British government. The group tried to demonstrate that nuclear energy—together with renewable energy and in a context of optimal energy efficiency—can help the United Kingdom address its energy supply and environmental challenges.
