BIC - 2019 Universal Registration Document

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY

Environmental responsibility concerning our operations [NFPS]

At the industrial sites The Group’s Policy on Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) requires factories to implement pragmatic management systems designed to involve all stakeholders, as well as to drive continuous improvement of operational performance. Every BIC factory has a local EH&S manager in charge of deploying these management systems. In addition, the Stationery category, which has the most sites around the world, employs a central EH&S manager who guides and coordinates the network of EH&S managers in this category. He also ensures that all facilities comply with the Group’s Policy and objectives, and monitors site performance by consolidating, analyzing and communicating the results achieved. The environmental management system helps ensure compliance of the activity with applicable laws and regulations concerning the environment. This may include daily or periodic controls, to comply with local regulations, that are carried out internally or with the assistance of an independent external company. An action plan is established to correct any identified compliance issues. Within the framework of the management systems, an in-depth review of all aspects of the site’s activities and environmental impacts (water, air, soil, noise, etc.) is performed and action plans are defined to limit these environmental impacts. Simple improvement targets are set for the factories to contribute to the Group’s overall environmental performance while meeting their own specific challenges (production, resources, geographic location, etc.). The environmental management systems deployed at the Group’s industrial sites call for contingency plans to deal with pollution accidents with off-site consequences. Emergency prevention and response plans have been established in locations where there is an identified risk of an accident with consequences beyond plant boundaries. In particular, in France, the two SEVESO plants have emergency procedure protocols ( Plan d’Opération Interne and Plan Particulier d’Intervention ), and a major hazard prevention policy ( Politique de Prévention des Accidents Majeurs ). They have also implemented a Safety Management System. Outside France, some Group plants have equivalent emergency plans that address risks with potential off-site consequences. For example, plants in the U.S. maintain an Emergency Response Plan that includes prevention and management of the off-site consequences of any accidents. In 2019, the implementation rate for BIC management systems at BIC industrial sites was 80% complete for the environment and 86% complete for health and safety. These rates for management system implementation vary every year as plants join or leave the scope and others make progress, but rates remain consistently high. Certifications BIC’s continued and steady progress in systems registrations underscores the Group’s commitment to the highest standards of environmental protection and health and safety. 2019: BIC Iberia (Spain): the Stationery factory was granted ● Imprim’Vert eco-certification.

2018: BIC Violex (Greece) was granted BREEAM (Building ● Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification for one of its buildings. 2018: BIC Shavers Mexico obtained ISO 14001 certification ● and nine other sites renewed their certification, giving BIC a total of 12 industrial sites that have met the criteria of this environmental standard. In the offices For the sake of exemplarity, the BIC sustainable development approach covers all of its operations, including office activities, even though they represent a non-significant part of the Group’s environmental impact. The environmental performances of the Group’s three main offices (Clichy in France, Shelton in the U.S. and Cajamar in Brazil), which have been monitored for the past five years, are presented in consolidated form with the performances of the Group’s industrial sites. Initiatives have been undertaken at these sites to reduce their environmental footprint. The Shelton (U.S.) offices were granted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in 2009 and are powered by electricity from renewable sources. The Clichy site (France) also purchases electricity from renewable sources. In the supply chain Beyond the accounting of its own environmental impacts, BIC Group also considers the impacts of its supply chain. Since 2014, the Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA) platform for auditing subcontractors’ working conditions (see page 109) has included a comprehensive questionnaire on environmental performance, accounting for 6% of the total number of questions posed. Of the 35 suppliers who were active and audited in 2019, 10 suppliers had deficiencies relating to the environment. A total of 17 deficiencies were identified, 65% of which were minor and 35%moderate. BIC consumed 444,840 m 3 of water worldwide in 2019. In addition to the volumes consumed, it is essential to consider where this consumption takes place. It can occur in so-called “water stress” zones where water is a scarce resource. The uneven distribution of water across the planet, and limited access to it, may give rise to severe political and social tensions. An 8.4% drop in water consumption per ton of production ● between 2019 and 2019. Over this same period, BIC’s total water consumption dropped by 14% while production dropped by 5.8%, in particular due to the implementation of programs to optimize the Group’s industrial processes and equipment. Eight sites show a moderate risk of water stress (in Europe, the ● United States, India, Africa, Mexico and Brazil) according to a global risk assessment on water and its future availability conducted by BIC in 2018. The Group will continue striving to improve its water consumption ratios, taking the scarcity of this resource into account in order to prioritize its action plans for the reduction of water consumption. Reducing water consumption and assessing the scarcity of the resource: results  [NFPS] 3.3.2.3

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• BIC GROUP - 2019 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT •