Bolloré

Bolloré has not set an ambitious long-term decarbonisation target, and it has not set any intermediate targets either. Setting regularly spaced intermediate targets will incentivise near-term actions on longer-term goals. Additionally, the company could not be assessed for alignment with its 1.5°C pathway as its targets include an unknown level of carbon offsets. The use of unquantified offsets reduces the emphasis on direct action to reduce emissions. To demonstrate commitment to the low-carbon transition, the company should set long-term as well as regularly spaced intermediate targets aligned with its 1.5°C pathway.

Bolloré lacks robust data on the future emissions intensity of its subcontracted transport services. Knowing this information will allow Bolloré to align to its 1.5°C pathway more easily. Bolloré lacks reliable data monitoring the emissions impact of its suppliers and subcontractors. As Bolloré outsources almost all of its freight services, accurate monitoring of scope 3 emissions is particularly important.

Bolloré’s prospective suppliers must be aligned with the group’s vision. Suppliers are vetted against the group’s Ethics & CSR Charter, and the company treats suppliers that are aligned with its vision preferentially. Through its supplier vetting process, Bolloré incentivises suppliers to adopt strategies that incorporate climate KPIs. Bolloré and Maersk together are committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 20% per container transported by 2025. Bolloré can go further by encouraging suppliers to set science-based targets and developing joint low-carbon research and development (R&D) projects.

Bolloré has invested significantly in research and development (R&D) into low-carbon technologies. The company invested USD 20 million in 2020, equivalent to 47% of its total R&D investments. Bolloré invested roughly USD 10 million in battery technology and electromobility R&D (Bluestorage and Bluebus). The Intelligent Enterprise Robotics (IER) and Automatic Systems business segment provides innovative digital solutions for transport and logistics. A total of USD 5 million is directly linked to digital solutions for transport optimisation, such as traceability solutions (pallet geolocation), charging terminals and passenger processing in public transit and airports.

Bolloré has committed to reducing its own emissions by 43% by 2027 compared to 2017. The company also targets a 30% reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030 compared to 2019.

Bolloré committed to a target of blending 30% biofuels in its fuel products. The company is developing carbon reduction programmes for its customers and developing partnerships with shipping and airline companies. Bolloré is increasing its own “green” fleet and is integrating digital solutions.

In 2020, the company invested about EUR 20 million in climate-related research and technology, including the development of solid-state batteries, electric buses and transport optimising digital solutions.

The company made good overall progress in achieving its scope 3 reduction target by reducing scope 3 emissions by a third between 2019 and 2020. However, it only achieved 8% of its 2027 scope 1 and 2 target between 2018 and 2020, thus, the company should increase its ambition to remain on track.

Bolloré’s ambitions are undermined by slow progress in scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions. The lack of subcontractor data poses further risk. The transition plan lacks long-term and intermediate targets and financial commitment to increase the proportion of low-carbon vehicles at the scale required.

The company publicly discloses a commitment to engaging in social dialogue with workers and unions. However, no relevant disclosure was found regarding the categories of stakeholders it engages with on a just transition. Nor was there any evidence to show the company’s ongoing social dialogue and meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders.

No evidence was found of the company undertaking low-carbon transition planning to mitigate the social impacts of the transition on workers, affected stakeholders and its business relationships. Additionally, no evidence was found to demonstrate the company’s engagement in social dialogue or engagement with stakeholders in its just transition planning.

The company discloses the actions it takes to create direct and indirect jobs through its operations in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing job opportunities for young people in particular. However, no public commitment by the company was found stating its intention to create and support access to green and decent jobs as part of the low-carbon transition. Moreover, no evidence was found of the company’s action to promote these jobs in a way that ensures gender balance and inclusion of vulnerable groups. Additionally, no relevant disclosure was found of the company’s assessment of employment dislocation risks.

The company discloses the actions it takes to provide training and education opportunities for workers and affected stakeholders. For instance, it has offered digital training courses to employees in topics such as business and computer science, and it partners with an online education platform to offer work-study programs. However, no relevant disclosure was found of the company embedding equality of opportunity for women and vulnerable groups in these actions. Furthermore, no evidence was found of the company having a process for identifying skills gaps for workers and affected stakeholders or a public commitment to help workers displaced by the transition to reskill or upskill.

No relevant disclosure was found to show if the company identifies impacts of the low-carbon transition on social protection for workers and affected stakeholders, nor how it contributes to social protection. Additionally, no evidence was found that the company expects its business relationships to contribute to the social protection of their workers and affected stakeholders.

No relevant disclosure was found to show how the company identifies any misalignment of its lobbying activities with policies and regulations that support the just transition, nor of the measures it takes to address misalignment. Furthermore, no evidence was found that the company lobbies for policies and regulations for green and decent job creation; retention, education and reskilling; and social protection for workers.

While the company expects its suppliers to respect the ILO fundamental rights at work, the company’s Code of Conduct and Human Rights Charter do not disclose a commitment to all of the ILO fundamental rights at work nor a commitment to respect human rights. Furthermore, no evidence was found of the company’s process to identify, assess and mitigate salient human rights risks in its own operations and supply chain. Additionally, no evidence was found of the company disclosing the stakeholders whose human rights have been affected by its activities. The company does, however, have a grievance mechanism available to workers and external stakeholders.

The company commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers and expects the same commitment of its business relationships. However, no evidence was found of the company setting a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage. The company discloses that 38% of its board members are female, and it discloses the gender of its workforce by employee category. However, the company can strengthen its disclosure on additional workforce diversity indicators, as well as on its working hours practices. Furthermore, no evidence was found of a global commitment to gender equality.

The company discloses a privacy statement regarding the collection, sharing and access to personal data. However, no evidence was found of the company committing to protect personal data. The company does have a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption, and it includes corresponding clauses in its contracts with business relationships. Yet, no evidence was found of a global tax strategy nor of a lobbying and political engagement policy.