4.5Working responsibly and with integrity

Operating its businesses responsibly and with integrity is a core issue for Rubis in terms of fulfilling its commitments and protecting its image, reputation and employees. The Group is built on values that have fashioned its culture and driven its success: integrity, respect for others, professionalism and trust are all principles that the Group aims to apply across all its activities to ensure its sustainability. These internal principles, which are rooted in its strong corporate culture, also encourage employees to become involved in the social and economic fabric surrounding them by adopting responsible and supportive behavior.

 

Because the Group is present in over 40 countries in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa, the prevention of corruption is a major issue for the Group (section 4.4.1.1). The Group also endeavors to extend its principles of responsibility to its value chain and to gradually introduce a responsible purchasing policy with the aim of having common standards for leading by example (section 4.4.1.2). Lastly, the Group’s subsidiaries attach great importance to dialoguing with stakeholders and encouraging momentum in the regions where they operate, both in terms of the economy and employment and in terms of culture and community living (section 4.4.2).

4.5.1Rubis’ ethics policy

The Group considers ethics to be an asset that is key to its reputation and loyalty. Integrity is one of the central pillars of the Group’s approach to ethics (section 4.4.1.1), as is the Group’s commitment to respecting its employees’ fundamental rights (section 4.4.1.2).

4.5.1.1Fair practices
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“Personal integrity is key to ensuring exemplary collective behavior. It is a safeguard against wrongdoing that could harm the Company, employees, business relationships or any other external public or private actor.”

Gilles Gobin and Jacques Riou,

Managing Partners of the Rubis Group

Extract from the Code of Ethics

Rubis’ Code of Ethics

Collective and individual commitment is indispensable to adopting ethical behaviors that meet the Group’s values. To ensure that the rules of conduct are shared and complied with by all, Rubis has included within in its Code of Ethics a common framework for all its subsidiaries, including the Rubis Terminal JV.

This Code of Ethics (which is accessible to the public through the Group’s website: www.rubis.fr/en) lays down the values that Rubis considers to be fundamental:

  • compliance with applicable laws and regulations wherever the Group operates;
  • fighting against corruption, fraud, misappropriation of funds and money laundering;
  • preventing conflicts of interest;
  • complying with competition, confidentiality and insider trading rules, as well as with specific laws that apply to war and/or embargo zones;
  • respecting individuals, including by observing fundamental rights and human dignity, safeguarding privacy, and fighting against discrimination and harassment;
  • complying with workplace health and safety rules and environmental protection rules;
  • managing relationships with external service providers;
  • reliability, transparency and auditability of accounting and financial information;
  • protecting the Group’s image and reputation.

In each of these areas, the Rubis Code of Ethics details the general principles that employees must observe while performing their duties. The Code of Ethics is furnished to new arrivals. Subsidiaries organise training sessions to explain the Code’s contents and to answer employees’ questions. Rubis SCA’s CSR & Compliance Department is the point of contact for subsidiaries and employees on ethics issues.

Fighting corruption /NFIS/
Programme measures

In line with its values and applicable legislation, and in particular the law on transparency, fighting corruption and modernising the economy of 9 December 2016 (known as the “Sapin II law”), Rubis is putting into practice its commitment to fight against corruption in all its forms as described in its Code of Ethics, by gradually introducing a comprehensive anticorruption programme. To date, this programme is made up of the following measures:

  • a guide to applying the anticorruption policy that supplements the Code of Ethics. This guide (which is accessible to the public on the Group’s website: www.rubis.fr) aims to help the most exposed senior executives and employees identify at-risk situations and adopt the related practical preventive measures. The guide was updated in 2021 to make it more educational and to take into account the results of corruption risk mapping;
  • third-party assessment guidelines, to help operating staff identify third parties that may present risks, perform appropriate due diligence and implement suitable measures. These guidelines are being updated;
  • corruption risk mapping: this analysis was conducted at the operating entity level by subsidiary Managers based on a methodological guide and meetings involving the subsidiaries’ core functions (purchasing, sales, operations, HR, finance, compliance, etc.). A one-day seminar bringing together all the subsidiaries’ Compliance Advisors was organised in November 2019 to familiarise them with the mapping methodology. Risk hierarchisation resulted in an additional review in 2020. This mapping process resulted in the identification of action plans. Since 2021, the risk mapping of the operational entities is reviewed each year and is fully updated every three years at a minimum;
  • regular awareness and training campaigns in respect of ethics and anticorruption rules in all Group subsidiaries aimed at employees in the most sensitive positions and, in some subsidiaries, for all employees. Remote training sessions were maintained in 2021, despite the health situation linked to the pandemic. An online training module (e-learning) on preventing and detecting corruption will be made available to the Group’s operational entities in the first quarter of 2022. More targeted training initiatives were held periodically for Compliance Advisors (Group Compliance Seminar) and for Group General Managers and Directors of Rubis Énergie subsidiaries. Lastly, a communication tool was rolled out across the Group for the third consecutive year on International Anticorruption Day, which is celebrated on 9 December each year, to reiterate the Group’s commitments to fighting corruption;
  • a global whistleblowing system, the Rubis Integrity Line, was established in 2018 and has been rolled out in all Group entities. It allows all Group employees and external and occasional employees to securely and confidentially make a report using an outsourced internet platform. These reports can relate to acts of corruption or other ethical issues (environment, security, fraud, personal data, human rights, etc.) and, more generally, to any situation or conduct that may be contrary to the Code of Ethics. The system’s overall architecture was designed to provide a means of filing these reports and processing them internally, while ensuring complete confidentiality. The rules that govern the use of the Integrity Line set out whistleblowers’ rights and responsibilities so that the system can operate smoothly in a climate of trust. In particular, in the rules, the Group reminds users that whistleblowers will be protected against any retaliation. To support the rollout of the Integrity Line, an educational kit was distributed to the Compliance Advisors, and communication initiatives are carried out regularly (“Think Compliance” newsletter, subsidiary newsletters, training, etc.). In 2021, the Group received 11 reports via the system, seven of which related to HR issues, three of which related to potential conflicts of interest and one of which related to alleged non-compliance with commitment authority;
  • modification of entities’ internal regulations or employee handbooks (after informing/consulting staff representative bodies where appropriate) to include specific language stating that a failure to comply with the Code of Ethics or the anticorruption policy may lead to disciplinary sanctions. In 2021, 20 disciplinary actions (including 15 in two subsidiaries) were taken for fraud or non-compliance with anticorruption rules, some of which resulted in dismissals;
  • an internal accounting control framework (see chapter 3, section 3.2);
  • assessing that the programme’s measures are being implemented: the internal control risk management system (described in chapter 3, section 3.2.3) includes checks on the application of the Group’s main ethics and anticorruption rules. In addition, each subsidiary reports annually to the Group CSR Director & Chief Compliance Officer on the progress of the programme’s deployment. The digital non-financial data collection platform has been used since 2020 for this reporting in order to improve the reliability of the reported information.
Governance

The Group and its management bodies have made the prevention of corruption one of their priorities. Since 2016, the Managing Partners' variable compensation includes an ethics criterion that relates to the implementation of the programme across all entities. 

The Group’s CSR Roadmap, Think Tomorrow 2022-2025 (which is publicly accessible on the Group’s website at www.rubis.fr) announced in 2021 includes compliance within its third pillar, “Contributing to a more virtuous society”. In particular, the Roadmap sets the target of having 100% of employees trained in ethics and anticorruption by 2023.

In 2021, 78% of the subsidiaries’ General Managers indicated they had participated in an internal anticorruption initiative or event.

A specific organisation was put in place to support the roll out and monitoring of the anticorruption programme:

  • the Group CSR Director & Chief Compliance Officer, who reports to the Managing Director in charge of New Energies, CSR policy and Communication and to Rubis’ Corporate Secretary, and whose main role is to define the Group’s policies and procedures in the area of ethics and compliance and to support, together with the entities, the deployment and implementation of these policies and procedures within the Group. The Group CSR Director & Chief Compliance Officer proposes enhancements to the programme by incorporating strategic issues, best practices and regulatory developments, and regularly reports on her work to the Managing Partners and to the Accounts and Risk Monitoring Committee;
  • Rubis Énergie’s and the Rubis Terminal JV’s Compliance Managers, who roll out the programme within their divisions and address operational issues, if necessary, in conjunction with the Group’s Head of CSR & Compliance;
  • the 35 Compliance Advisors, who are appointed within operating entities, ensure that the anticorruption policy is properly understood and applied.

Tools have been provided to coordinate this compliance network and to support Compliance Advisors in their work, including practical fact sheets on how to deal with gifts and invitations and manage conflicts of interest and Integrity Line training materials for employees. The “Think Compliance” newsletter was launched in late 2018 to support the promotion of a compliance culture within the Group. Two editions were distributed in 2021.

The Group is committed to a continuous improvement approach and supplements its anticorruption programme in view of changes in legislation and best practices.

Fighting fraud

The main internal fraud risk lies in the theft or misappropriation of products. Therefore, over several years the Group has established strict measures to verify production volumes (such as the automation of transfer stations to reduce human involvement as much as possible, inventory gap checks, and upgrades of control systems).

Finally, the increase in external fraud attempts (CEO impersonation and hacking for instance) has prompted the Group to strengthen its information campaign with the aim of raising the awareness of all employees who are likely to be approached (accounting, financial or legal functions) so that this type of fraud can be combatted more effectively.

In terms of IT security, the Group and its subsidiaries constantly work to achieve innovative cybersecurity solutions by using European tools and complying with ANSSI directives, as well as those of its various partners. These actions relate to data protection and protecting production information systems. The Group trains its employees on detecting fraudulent emails (phishing for example) and on suspicious activity at workstations. Strong and secure authentication solutions for production resources with constant flow analysis systems are also implemented.

Fighting tax evasion /NFIS/

The amount of taxes recorded by the Rubis Group (excluding the Rubis Terminal JV) in respect of financial year 2021 amounted to €188 million.

Group companies ensure that tax returns and payments are submitted in accordance with local regulations. They complete the tax returns required in the jurisdictions in which the Group operates its businesses. Rubis has opted for tax consolidation in France since 1 January 2001 (see note 3.10 to the separate financial statements). In accordance with its legal obligations, Rubis carried out its country-by-country reporting by reporting the breakdown of its profits, taxes and activities by tax jurisdiction and established the transfer pricing documentation applicable among Group companies (Transfer Pricing Documentation – Master File).

The Group does not have any subsidiaries that are not underpinned by economic activities (essentially, local commercial operations). In particular, the Group’s presence in the Caribbean and the Channel Islands through Rubis Énergie concerns the petroleum products distribution business; Rubis supplies these islands with the energy sources they need to operate and, for example, manages the largest automotive fuel distribution network in the Caribbean Islands and Bermuda and distributes 100,000 m3 of petroleum products per year in the Channel Islands.

Respect for human rights /NFIS/

Respecting human rights is above all about promoting a model of a responsible employer that protects the fundamental rights of all Group employees in all countries where the Group has a presence. In addition to its legal obligations, Rubis advocates for the respect of individuals as a management principle and prohibits harassment and discrimination. These values are enshrined in the Code of Ethics put in place in 2015, which is distributed to employees.

In practical terms, the Group ensures that in all countries where it operates its human resources policy complies with the principles relating to human rights at work as set out in the International Labour Organisation’s fundamental conventions in the areas of:

  • freedom of association and collective bargaining;
  • eliminating discrimination in hiring and professional discrimination;
  • eliminating forced or compulsory labour;
  • abolishing child labour.

In 2021, the Group joined the United Nation’s Global Compact in order to reaffirm its commitment to integrating and promoting the principles of protecting human rights, complying with international labour and environmental protection standards and combatting corruption.

In 2020, the Group’s CSR & Compliance Department, in conjunction with Rubis Énergie’s operational management, conducted an analysis of modern slavery risks in its value chain in order to ensure that adequate preventive measures are in place. This analysis will be supplemented in 2022 by a broader mapping of the human rights challenges in the Group’s activities.

Preventing the risk of forced labour in the shipping business is a major focus. A crew management manual drawn up by the Rubis subsidiary in charge of managing wholly owned vessels sets detailed standards to be complied with in terms of crew recruitment and working conditions (under a temporary international contract with a Group entity), in line with the principles of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, which include the rejection of forced labour. Enhanced vigilance is exercised when dealing with crew recruitment agencies. Contracts with these agencies include specific clauses relating to the obligation to comply with international standards, and the ILO Maritime Labour Convention in particular. Annual audits are carried out on these recruitment agencies. For chartered vessels, the services of a leading vetting company are used. Compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention is included in the pre-approval criteria for each vessel.

As regards the working conditions of service station managers, who are not Group employees, an initial assessment has been carried out on two subsidiaries with service station networks in two countries that are particularly exposed, Madagascar and Haiti. No cases of forced or child labour were identified by the commercial inspectors, who regularly inspect service stations, sometimes unannounced. An ethics clause, in which the service station operator undertakes to comply with Rubis’ ethics rules, including compliance with applicable Labour laws, the prohibition of forced or child labour, and compliance with employee health and safety rules, is included in certain contracts and must be systematically included when renewing or signing new contracts.

The Group’s whistleblowing line, Rubis Integrity Line, which has been rolled out across all Group entities, is available not only to Rubis employees but also to external and occasional workers and enables them to report non-compliance with rules in a strictly confidential way (see the "Fighting corruption” section on the previous page). The deployment of the line to reach external employees, including the employees of service station managers, must be strengthened.

In addition, the Group ensures that systems for protecting the health and safety of all persons working within in subsidiaries are in place (see section 4.2.3.2.1).

4.5.1.2Requirements for subcontractors and suppliers /NFIS/
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The main suppliers of Rubis’ subsidiaries are equipment suppliers and service providers, mainly in logistics (transport, operations).

Responsible purchasing policy

The Code of Ethics stipulates that employees have an oversight mission and are to ensure within that context that third parties properly apply the Group’s standards when working on Group sites. If the situation so requires, employees must conduct awareness or training actions and, if ethics rules are violated, advise their line managers.

The Code of Ethics also specifies that the Group’s subsidiaries must require that the external service providers with which they work (suppliers, subcontractors, industrial or commercial partners) comply with internal standards related to safety, environmental protection and respect for individuals in particular.

Any finding of a breach of the Group’s ethical standards must be communicated to the line Manager and/or the Management of the subsidiary or facility as quickly as possible.

Rubis’ CSR Roadmap, Think Tomorrow 2022-2025, (accessible on the Group’s website:: https://www.rubis.fr/uploads/attachments/Rubis_CSR%20roadmap_2022_ 2025-EN.pdf) published in 2021 notably provides for a target of adopting a sustainable purchasing charter which would make it mandatory to include CSR criteria when selecting suppliers and service providers for capex and the Company’s most significant projects.

Lastly, to avoid conflicts of interest, the Code of Ethics specifies that an employee must not (i) acquire a significant interest in a supplier, or in a company or group to which a relative or family of the supplier belongs and with which Rubis has conflicting interests, or (ii) accept any gifts or hospitality that does not comply with the Group’s rules on the subject. These rules are detailed in dedicated practical information sheets.

Measures for incurring expenses and control

The provision of services and supplies used on Rubis Terminal’s industrial sites is governed by the Group’s social and environmental policy (see section 4.2.1).

Rubis’ subsidiaries factor health, safety and environmental issues into the process of selecting solutions from their suppliers when such companies work at their facilities. The subsidiaries therefore favour practices that reduce energy consumption and waste generation, all while guaranteeing optimal security. This is the case in the choice of heating by heat pump that was made for newly built buildings for the Rubis Terminal JV.

The Rubis Terminal JV has set itself the target each year of having all orders fulfilled under terms containing a CSR criterion: all of the JV’s service providers that work with personnel on its industrial sites are selected using HSE criteria as a minimum. In addition, the Rubis Terminal JV responded to the Ecovadis questionnaire in 2021 and is awaiting the results. Rubis Énergie, which does not have a centralised purchasing department, is considering setting up a target as part of the definition of the Group’s CSR Roadmap.

Contracts also stipulate that suppliers must comply with applicable Labour laws, including the fight against illegal employment and respect of working hours.

Third-party assessment guidelines also provide for ethics risk assessments of their main trading partners, including suppliers and service providers.

The Group ensures that its suppliers, which generally operate nationwide or internationally, are certified whenever possible and that they comply with the stringent regulations liable to be imposed on them (transportation of hazardous materials, manufacturing of pressurised equipment, etc.).

4.5.2Commitment to regional development /NFIS/

Committed to local populations, Rubis’ subsidiaries attach great importance to dialogue with stakeholders and to promoting buoyancy in the regions in which they operate, not only in terms of economics and employment but also in the areas of culture and community living. The Group also commits itself through a social action policy and active and targeted sponsorship.

4.5.2.1Close relationships with stakeholders
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The Group’s stakeholders consist of employees and their representatives (union representatives, Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (CHSCT), etc.), shareholders, national and local governmental bodies (DREALs, DRIEE, etc.), regulatory agencies, trade unions, associations and other private agencies working on social and environmental issues, customers and suppliers, as well as communities living near subsidiaries’ facilities.

The Group has also consistently taken into account the impacts its facilities and activities have on residents’ lives. Indeed, this is an obligation for Seveso sites, resulting in the signature of technological risk prevention plans (PPRT) that are negotiated with local authorities and the relevant associations (see section 4.2.3, which details the industrial safety measures implemented).

Measures have been taken in favour of residents living near industrial sites. These measures notably aim to avoid or diminish the nuisances associated with truck traffic, through the purchase or leasing of land to create parking areas for tank trucks waiting to be filled and, at certain sites, the creation of a booking system for truck loading.

When the activity conducted locally requires it, site Managers also have regular contact with all government stakeholders at the local, regional and national levels with respect to the enforcement of regulations and for operating permits:

  • in France (Rubis Énergie and the Rubis Terminal JV): DREAL (Regional Directorates of Environment, Planning and Housing), DRIEE Île-de- France (Regional and Interdepartmental Directorate of Environment and Energy), CLIC (Local Information and Consultation Committees), CSS (Site Monitoring Committee), local government, prefectures, SDIS (Fire and Rescue Departments), customs;
  • in the Netherlands, Belgium and Turkey (Rubis Terminal JV): with agencies responsible for buildings or for the verification of regulatory compliance, including facility safety and security, compliance with environmental standards and compliance with customs regulations.

The relevant subsidiaries also play an active role in regional campaigns regarding major industrial hazards to inform local populations about operations carried out on its sites, the products stored there and safety instructions. Some site Managers have visited schools to raise public awareness about such risks. Others have organised tours of the industrial facilities for young people, reporters and elected officials.

What is a PPRT?

Introduced by the law of 30 July 2003, on the prevention of technological and natural risks and on compensation for damage and the implementing decree of 7 Septembre 2005, the purpose of technological risk prevention plans (PPRT) is to regulate more closely future urban development around high-threshold Seveso sites.

The PPRT is a document drawn up by the French government. It maps exposure to risk around any given facility, taking into account the nature and intensity of the technological risks and the preventive measures implemented.

4.5.2.2Economic and social involvement in regional communities
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Rubis’ subsidiaries are involved in the economic and social life of the communities within which they operate.

Their involvement is notably reflected in their contribution to the dynamism of the local employment market: more than 98% of the Group’s employees are hired locally. Moreover, the sites most often favour business relationships with local suppliers (over 50%).

Within the Support & Services activity (Rubis Énergie), the SARA refinery also significantly contributes to the dynamism of the local job market: the number of direct and indirect jobs is estimated at 700 across the three French overseas departments (Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana).

In the Retail & Marketing activity (Rubis Énergie), the network of small and medium-sized facilities (service stations, small depots) has an appreciable impact on employment, as the Group operates 1,026 service stations, most of which are run by independent managers. The number of jobs (managers, fuel attendants, security guards) generated by these stations’ activities has been estimated at more than 4,000 (i.e., a low average of around four full-time jobs per station). This estimate was made on the basis of ongoing reporting to better identify our contribution to the creation of indirect jobs. It will be gradually refined.

This is also the case in the Storage activity (Rubis Terminal JV), where terminals work primarily with local service providers who are perfectly familiar with the various facilities and their developments. This means that the promotion of local employment is combined with optimised maintenance and routine upkeep of sites by contractors.

In addition to the direct impacts caused by hiring, the Group’s facilities are a key driver of the local economy, insofar as the Storage, Retail & Marketing, and Support & Services activities satisfy strategic requirements such as the storage of products used in industrial processes, the supply and transportation of bitumen to improve the road network, the provision of fuel, etc.

The Rubis Terminal JV’s depots are part of the logistics chain for chemical products, petrochemicals, agrifoods and liquid fertilisers, serving industries located nearby. Their presence and adaptability are essential for the development of regional industries. For example, the Rubis Terminal JV’s French subsidiary serves the entire Lyon and Grenoble chemical valley.

Finally, this role in regional development is also reflected in the subsidiaries’ involvement in community life in the areas where the Group operates. Subsidiary and site Managers maintain close ties with local communities, and the law on technological risk prevention plans (PPRT) has further promoted dialogue and closer relationships.

For example, the Rubis Terminal JV’s teams are in close contact with the ports with which concessions have been signed (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Rouen, Strasbourg, Dunkirk and Brest), and site Managers are encouraged to take on responsibilities within these port organisations. In general, terminals located in industrial areas are actively involved in the projects of local associations, with a view to maintaining economic activity in the area.

More broadly, the subsidiaries’ involvement in regional communities also results in active participation in efforts supporting, promoting or preserving cultural heritage and the volunteer sector. Commitments of this type are in addition to the Group’s sponsorship activities.

4.5.2.3The Group’s community investment and sponsorship activities in 2021

For over 10 years, Rubis has pursued a policy of international sponsorship through the implementation of targeted initiatives within local communities in the countries in which the Group operates, through:

  • community investment carried out by the Group and its subsidiaries, which allow vulnerable populations better access to education and healthcare;
  • the Rubis Mécénat endowment fund, which promotes contemporary artistic creation and access to culture.

In 2021, Rubis dedicated €1,313,981 to its actions in favour of education, health and culture in approximately 20 countries in which the Group operates.

The Rubis Group’s societal actions: local commitment by Rubis and its subsidiaries to improve vulnerable populations’ access to education, training and health care

In line with the Group’s desire to be fully integrated into the regions in which it operates and to contribute to their development, Rubis and its subsidiaries support community associations working in the areas of education and health. Each associative project is supported by the local subsidiary and is adapted to the issue on the ground in order to best meet the expectations of populations.

In order to continue and strengthen its proactive approach, the Group has included the following commitment in its CSR Roadmap, Think Tomorrow 2022-2025: by 2025, 100% of the business units will have implemented community investment meeting a local need (in connection with education/health).

Each associative project is steered locally by the subsidiary’s Managing Director and CSR Manager, along with Rubis’ sponsorship, CSR and communications teams. Attached to acting in all the Group’s countries, Rubis has extended its support to three new countries in 2021: Ethiopia, Uganda and Saint Lucia.

Independently of Rubis’ community investment, each subsidiary is involved in local associative projects of its choice, either on an ad hoc or long-term basis.

In 2021, the Group also continued the Covid emergency fund initiated in 2020 to support its subsidiaries abroad in the fight against Covid-19, by supporting local health, education and prevention actions and associations.

Community investment in Europe

In France, Rubis SCA has made a long-term commitment to nine associations working in the fields of health and education, such as École à l’Hôpital, which provides schooling for hospitalised children, and Démos (Dispositif d’éducation musicale et orchestrale à vocation sociale), a project aimed at democratising culture run by the Paris Philharmonic. Rubis Énergie, Vitogaz France and Rubis Terminal also seek out associative projects aimed at the subsidiaries’ employees. Every two years, one association is selected per subsidiary by a Committee made up of employees and the Group’s sponsorship, CSR and communications teams. In 2020-2021, Nouveaux Jardins de la Solidarité and CESAP Les Cerisiers benefited from the Group’s support. The European subsidiaries also support local associations in Spain (Fundación Aladina), Portugal (Joyeux Portugal) and Switzerland (Ken Shin Kai), with a particular focus on health and disability.

Community investment in Africa

In Africa, Rubis and its subsidiaries are particularly involved with local associations that seek to encourage education and training for local communities, thereby responding to a need for the reintegration and professionalisation of African youth. Galana, Vitogaz Madagascar and Easigas Botswana support associations and schools that provide schooling for children in local communities. Ringardas Nigeria participates in the rehabilitation of schools, and Eres Togo provides its competencies to young African entrepreneurs in the energy sector. In Kenya, the Comoros and Uganda, the subsidiaries are particularly involved in health and access to healthcare for all.

Community investment in the Caribbean

Education is also a priority for the Group’s subsidiaries in the Caribbean. Partnerships with local schools have been put in place in Haiti, Antigua and Saint Lucia. SARA created the ENAG association (Énergie Nouvelle Antilles-Guyane), which allows it to invest in projects run by or for young people in Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique. Rubis Antilles Guyane invests in medical research. Exceptional aid was also provided to Saint Vincent during the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in April 2021.

Key figures
  • 35 associations and projects supported in the context of Rubis’ community investment.
  • 25 subsidiaries involved in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
  • Nearly 400 employees involved: sponsorship activities, fundraising, meetings, etc.
  • Nearly 200,000 beneficiaries of Rubis’ community investment and the commitments of each subsidiary in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Rubis Mécénat: The Group’s endowment fund committed to culture

2011-2021: 10 years of commitment to contemporary creation around the world

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Rubis Mécénat celebrated its tenth anniversary!

Created in 2011 to operate as a cultural and social player beyond the economic role of the Rubis Group the territories in which it operates, for the past decade the Rubis Mécénat endowment fund has been developing committed artistic projects, adapted to the local problems of each territory, while prioritising long-term commitment and support. Among our two main areas of work, the sociocultural programmes are driven by a desire to make a lasting contribution to the development of local communities that are far from art and culture. The aim is to support them by using art as a tool for empowerment and to highlight young talent. It is a way of building generations of artists and entrepreneurs so that they can pass their knowledge on to future generations. We have developed three educational programmes in South Africa, Jamaica and Madagascar and have trained over 150 young adults in various artistic fields, while awarding more than 60 scholarships in these countries. The policy of artistic commissions is our second line of action. Over the past decade, we have commissioned 22 works from emerging and mid-career artists, in collaboration with cultural institutions and the Group’s industrial sites, with the same desire to create professionalising and supportive projects. Today, we want to continue to create and support impact projects that have a social and societal dimension and that convey a positive and constructive message.

10 years of commitment – Rubis Mécénat in figures
  • 3 sustainable educational, artistic and social programmes initiated and run by Rubis Mécénat in South Africa, Jamaica and Madagascar with the aim of reintegrating and professionalising young adults from disadvantaged local communities through the arts.
  • More than 150 young adults (15-30 years old) supported in the framework of these educational programmes.
  • More than 60 scholarships awarded in South Africa, Jamaica and Madagascar to these young beneficiaries so they can access tertiary studies in the field of art and to support them in their professional future.
  • More than 100 renowned international artists invited to participate in these programmes and to conduct workshops with programme beneficiaries.
  • More than 20 cultural events organised locally and internationally to give visibility to programme beneficiaries (exhibitions, festivals, residencies, conferences, etc.).
  • Support for programme beneficiaries with their professionalisation and providing a network of local and international cultural players.
  • 22 artistic commissions awarded to emerging and mid-career artists in France and abroad in collaboration with cultural institutions and the Rubis Group’s industrial sites.
  • 20 books published on Rubis Mécenat projects and on the artists supported by the endowment fund.
  • 1 video series of artists’ portraits produced by Rubis Mécenat.
  • More than 100 works of art acquired from the artists supported by the fund and exhibited within the Group and its subsidiaries.
  • 3 artistic projects carried out internally with the employees of the Group’s subsidiaries.
2021 in figures
  • Training and weekly workshops continued in South Africa, Jamaica and Madagascar, both remotely and face-to-face.
  • About 50 young people were able to benefit from these sociocultural programmes.
  • 10 young artists from these programmes received scholarships to access higher education in the field of art.
  • 3 artistic commissions in 2021, with the artists Pierre Roy-Camille (SARA, Le Lamentin, Martinique sites), Joël Andrianomearisoa (towers and ramparts of Aigues-Mortes, with the Centre des Monuments France) and Dhewadi Hadjab (Église Saint-Eustache, with les Beaux-Arts de Paris, France).
  • 1 book was published on the Brise du Rouge Soleil by Joël Andrianomearisoa (Towers and Ramparts of Aigues-Mortes) in collaboration with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
  • 3 episodes of the Art(ist) series were produced on the artists Cyprien Clément-Delmas (French photographer and Director), Lindokuhle Sobekwa (South African photographer) and Joël Andrianomearisoa (French-Malagasy artist).