GECINA - REFERENCE DOCUMENT 2017
FROM CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE
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objective to convert 250,000 sq.m of obsolete offices into housing units in Paris. This reconversion choice allows Gecina to renew its property portfolio with new assets meeting the newest technological and environmental standards. These transactions, that revolutionize the initial use of a building, represent architectural and structural challenges that can only be faced in certain conditions: size and initial shape of a building to reconvert, technical, financial and regulatory feasibility, location in a primarily residential and commercial environment well-served by public transportation. The players in construction, however, formalized specific offers to manage these challenges (Conjugo de Vinci, Office Switch Home of Bouygues Construction). Two transactions meet this challenge of reversibility: the Campuséa Paris 15 Lecourbe and Paris 13 Montsouris residential buildings that were initially office buildings constructed the 1970s. Fully rented at its opening in 2014, the Paris 15 Lecourbe residential building needed 17 months of work and today offers 104 student housing units including 15 social housing units. Its location near subway Lines 6 and 12 and its green lifestyle (patios, indoor gardens, planted roofs) is very sought after by students. Delivered in 2015, the residential building in the 13 th arrondissement of Paris now houses 60 student housing units after 16 months of work. It is entirely rented by an American university to house 90 students. WATER 7.7.7 Generally speaking, as Gecina’s real estate assets are located in France, its activities are not subject to water provisioning constraints, and do not consume large amounts of water. For the operating properties, Gecina’s water consumption is mainly linked to the sanitary needs of its commercial and residential buildings. The deployment of an oversight system applicable to the offices and the search for optimization of the behavior of occupants have led to a 24% reduction in water consumption of the buildings in operation since the year 2008. At the same time, as part of the Performance Improvement Action Plan (PIAP) created for the buildings, the technical managers prepare a list of priorities that, depending on the type of action, influence water consumption. During the construction or restructuring of real estate properties, Gecina applies the environmental organizational charter requiring the Site Environmental Manager to prepare a weekly report on water consumption and make sure that an accidental spill treatment kit is available to everyone on the work site. Given the significant impact of construction in the “water footprint” of a building, optimizing the role of water in the lifecycle analysis of buildings under development represents the second priority. In addition to working for the reduction of water consumption, Gecina puts in place, when possible, rainwater and waste water management by ground permeabilization and/or the implementation of re-utilization solutions, although this is a lower priority.
BUSINESS ETHICS 7.7.5 Distributed to all employees in 2012, Gecina’s ethics charter documents the fundamental values of the Group, so they may be known and respected by all. This charter guides the action of employees on the following topics: Strict compliance with regulations, relations with stakeholders (customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers), contribution to CSR objectives, commitments within the Group and neutrality with respect to political activities, behavior at work (loyalty to Gecina, compliance with procedures, respect for privacy), application of rules of market ethics and ethical business behavior. This last topic treats the prohibition of any form of corruption, the prevention of conflict of interest, fraud or money laundering, respect for the right of competition and the independence of property appraisers, as well as the procedure for accepting or refusing gifts received. The charter also specifies provisions on whistle-blowing rights that each worker can activate anonymously in the case of dysfunction, violation or questioning. Given the employee turnover of the year, 98% of Gecina’s employees were made aware of the ethics charter. In 2017, as in 2016, no grievances about the integrity of professional practices were brought to the attention of Gecina or its Audit and Risk Committee. No sanction was therefore taken and no specific action plan was implemented on this issue. One potential situation of conflict of interest was reported by employees to the Risk and Compliance function, and the situation was appropriately handled. Thirteen attempts of external fraud against Gecina were reported to the Risks and Compliance Department which are currently the subject of an inquiry in progress and a report has been made to the legal authorities. These have given rise to internal control reinforcement plans and awareness-raising sessions for employees and clients on this issue. These actions are supplemented by regular emails to tenants intended to raise awareness. All of the procedures related to compliance with business ethics are presented in chapter 5 “Board of Directors’ report on Corporate Governance”. 7.7.6 The principle of reversibility can be defined as the anticipation, starting from initial design, of changes in the uses of a building over time and its future transformation into another use without the need for structural work (supporting structures and envelope constituting the frame of a building). In order to create valuation and fight against obsolescence, Gecina is now studying the future of each of its buildings, anticipating the potential departure of its occupants. According to the specificities of each project, an obsolete office building may be demolished and rebuilt into offices, restructured into offices or reconverted for a different use. By signing the “Housing for All” pact launched by the Mayor of Paris in 2014, Gecina chose to transform offices into student housing units, thus contributing to the municipal REVERSIBILITY
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GECINA - REFERENCE DOCUMENT 2017
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