BIC_REGISTRATION_DOCUMENT_2017

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY The BIC Sustainable Development Program

PREPARING FOR FUTURE CHANGE D

The globalization of trade flows is facilitating access to new high-growth markets. For BIC, this commercial opening also means increased competition due to low labor costs in certain zones. For several years now, the Group has been developing its product range and adapting its distribution models in emerging markets. It has also bolstered its positioning in these markets, for example through the acquisition of Cello Pens in India in 2013. In addition, BIC’s industrial know-how enables it to maintain competitive employment, especially in Europe. Its pragmatic economic model, adapted to the practical context of each geographic zone, allows the Group to seize the opportunities made possible by globalization. Global demographic growth is expected to increase the world’s human population to more than nine billion by 2050, according to the latest United Nations estimates. This population growth will be accompanied by a boom in the middle classes, which in turn will increase the consumption of goods and services, as well as the demand for access to education, healthcare and financial services. Demographic growth represents an opportunity for the Group because BIC® product ranges are especially adapted to middle class consumers, with both traditional and more sophisticated products, as well as responsible products. These ranges are designed to meet all market needs and will continue to evolve to keep pace with consumer trends.

Access to education for the poorest populations is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined by the UN. In 2015, an estimated 121 million children worldwide were deprived of the right to education and nearly 800 million adults lack basic reading and writing skills. By offering simple, reliable and affordable products all around the world, BIC is providing part of the solution for reaching the UN’s goal. Furthermore, the Group intends to continue adapting its products and its manufacturing chain to meet the needs of the populations at the “bottom of the pyramid.” Climate change and the rarefaction of raw materials, in particular fossil fuels and metals, will make it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the world’s growing populations. BIC has been preparing for this contingency for a long time. From the very beginning, it has championed the principle of using “just what’s necessary” in the manufacturing of its products. The Group is constantly innovating to make more efficient use of materials in its products while improving energy efficiency and using more renewable energy sources in its factories, with the goal of eventually becoming a low-carbon industry.

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BIC GROUP - 2017 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

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