In areas outside the scope of its principal banking activities, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne enters into partnerships enabling it to support its commitment to sustainable development and to progress in the different initiatives it has launched. This is notably the case for the environment, for which the Group has signed a large number of partnerships:

With the WWF

Groupe Caisse d’Epargne and WWF France, which are both members of the French National Council for Sustainable Development (CNDD), have signed an exclusive partnership to promote a better consideration of environmental issues in the bank’s business activities alongside criteria of economic efficiency and social equity. This partnership sets out to promote sustainable and responsible lifestyles, production methods and consumer practices, to provide financial solutions specific to the core business activities of the French savings bank and to change the ways in which natural resources are managed.

Examples of concrete actions:
Sustainable management of Caisses d'Epargne forests with the drafting of a standard forestry agreement. A first such agreement was signed in June 2006,
Promotion of sustainable lifestyles among customers and cooperative shareholders (eco-sustainable gestures in everyday life, eco-sustainable housing, etc.) with the publication of the “Planet Attitude” guidebook,
Inclusion of environmental data in the local and social economy project (PELS).

Within the framework of Bénéfices Futur, the WWF is actively involved in the “sustainable development labeling” operation.

The “Children’s Appeal for the Environment”
Since 2006, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne has been teaming up with the WWF and the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and the Environment in support of the “Children’s Appeal for the Environment” competition, sponsored by Yannick Noah.

S'Miles to facilitate access to water
Groupe Caisse d'Epargne is supporting the WWF’s freshwater program through its S'Miles customer loyalty scheme. Starting with 1,000 S'Miles , all customers collecting S'Miles can help a family in Niger gain access to freshwater.

Banking products created in partnership with the WWF
Ecureuil Crédit Developpement Durable: a loan designed to finance work to improve energy efficiency or to buy a clean or eco-friendly vehicle,
Livret A Kipouss: a passbook savings account for children less than one year old. A tree is sponsored whenever a new passbook account is opened.

With ADEME

For the past two years, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne, a partner of ADEME in the Planète Gagnante (Winning Planet) club, has been offering its individual customers its sustainable development loan, Ecureuil Crédit Développement Durable . This loan is designed both to finance home improvement work leading to greater energy efficiency and to fund the purchase of clean or eco-friendly vehicles.

What is more, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne uses the Bilan Carbone™ (Carbon Audit) system developed by ADEME to calculate its CO2 emissions and supports this public agency in the development of the audit method designed for local communities and regional authorities, Bilan Carbone™ Collectivités et Territoires .
In this way, the Group satisfies the demand of local authorities wanting to possess a tool enabling them to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

With Vigeo

Groupe Caisse d’Epargne has been a partner of the Vigeo social rating agency since 2004, helping it to distribute Cordé, its corporate social responsibility self-diagnosis tool to SME customers. Cordé enables the senior managers of small- to medium-sized enterprises to take an objective look at the strengths and weaknesses of their companies in terms of sustainable development and to use it to develop plans of action. In 2007, Cordé was available in seven Caisses d’Epargne.

Various departments and entities belonging to the Group have entered into other partnerships with a view to supporting the sustainable development approach in areas related to social welfare, society in general or environmental protection.


Other bodies of which Groupe Caisse d'Epargne is a member

Pour In order to share ideas and experience related to corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne is a member of various bodies:

• Observatoire de la Responsabilité Sociale d’Entreprise (the Observatory for Corporate Social Responsibility, ORSE): membership of the Finance Club and the task force on professional equality,
• Corporate Social Responsabilité Europe (CSR Europe): participation in the Market Place with the presentation of the labeling scheme launched within Bénéfices Futur ,
• Groupe Caisse d’Epargne currently holds the chair of the CSR committee of the European Savings Bank Group (ESBG) and of the World Savings Bank Institute (WSBI),
• Comité 21 , the French committee for the environment and sustainable development;
• French National Council for Sustainable Development(CNDD) ;
• The United Nations Decade Committee.