AREVA requested several social rating assessments to obtain an independent evaluation of its social responsibility and environmental practices. Ratings were requested from Innovest and Vigeo.

Innovest

AREVA requested from Innovest a first rating in January 2005 and a second rating in August 2006.

The rating is requested by the company. It provides management with an in-depth diagnosis of the company’s Social and Environmental Responsibility (SER) performance, which can be used to assess risk factors and undertake to improve performance as necessary. This evaluation is performed at the site and based on documents. The scope of the evaluation is set by the company. Company policies, processes, resources and results are benchmarked to both general and industry- and region-specific criteria.

The Innovest rating looks at four major aspects: strategic governance, the environment, human capital and stakeholder relations.

Rating results

• AREVA requested a first rating in January 2005.
AREVA received a rating of A on a scale of AAA to CCC. This assessment places the Group above the BBB average in its reference sector, which is Electrical Equipment according to the Standard & Poors classification system - GICS 201040.

 Consult or download the summary of the Innovest rating report (January 2005)

• AREVA requested from Innovest a second rating in August 2006.
Following the second social and environmental assessment requested by AREVA, Innovest, the extra-financial ranking agency, confirmed the A rating awarded the first time round, with a tendency that progressed from "stable" to "positive".
The assessment showed that the Group was progressing in each aspect (strategic governance, the environment, human capital and relations with stakeholders), notably in its relations with its stakeholders.

 Consult or download the summary of the Innovest rating report (August 2006)


About Innovest: www.innovestgroup.com

VIGEO

Vigeo rating
To supplement Innovest’s social rating of the Group, AREVA asked Vigeo to measure social responsibility in our uranium mining management system (Mining Business Unit of the Front End Division).
This assessment, performed for 2004, takes into account changes recorded over the past three years. The assessment was carried out during the first quarter of 2005.

Vigeo defines corporate social responsibility as a formal and consistent management commitment to addressing stakeholder expectations. The assessment model consists of action principles for which the company is accountable.
The three components of the management system – policies, policy implementation and results – are assessed based on each analytical criterion: Human Rights, Human Resources, the Environment, Customer and Supplier Relations, and Societal Commitments.

Assessment results
From the executive summary :
« The Mining Business Unit is evaluated as ‘active’ in Community involvement and Human Resources, with a level 3 score, which indicates a situation where the company controls the main corporate social responsibility risks attached to these areas. In contrast it is ‘prudent’ in the other three areas which are evaluated at level 2/2+. There is no area of particular vulnerability (no area receives a level 1 score); but neither is there any area of excellence (no area receives a level 4 score).

[…] This report shows a corporate social responsibility management system that obtains control of the significant risks, but does not automatically promote high performance in terms of corporate social responsibility.

The observable trend is an increase in the five areas, which attests to the dynamics of progress to which the Mining BU is committed, having undertaken many initiatives over the last three years to improve its performance in terms of corporate social responsibility. »

 Consult or download the summary of the Vigeo rating report 

About Vigeo: www.vigeo.fr