Annual report 2014

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy

Societal, Social and Environmental Information

Section 1

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy

Vivendi has fully integrated its CSR policy into its strategy and

governance, as demonstrated by the specific criteria taken into account

in the variable compensation of its senior executives.

The group’s societal, social and environmental information allows its

different stakeholders to better evaluate the group’s overall performance

over the medium and long term.

1.1. CSR - A Source of Value Creation for Vivendi and its Stakeholders

1.1.1.

Innovative Positioning

As a key player in the media sector, Vivendi differentiates itself through

its approach and contribution to sustainable development, aimed at:

meeting the needs of present and future generations to communicate;

fostering the development of their talent;

nurturing their curiosity; and

encouraging intercultural dialog and learning to live together.

As a publisher and distributor of content, the group exerts a human,

intellectual and cultural influence. By formally setting out the media

and cultural industries sector’s responsibilities as early as 2003,

Vivendi defined CSR issues that were directly linked to the core focus

of its activity and related them to human rights. This positioning was

applauded by the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues

(FIDH), which, in November 2014, added Vivendi to its Liberty and

Solidarity Investment Fund, a fund that has been managed by Banque

Postale Asset Management since 2001. In particular, the FIDH recognized

“the innovative efforts undertaken by Vivendi in terms of understanding,

measuring and improving its impact on human rights.” The FIDH noted

that “establishing and reporting on indicators measuring the impact, in

terms of human rights, of the content distributed by Vivendi is especially

innovative.” The FIDH also encourages Vivendi to continue its efforts and

to pursue its policy of dialog.

Vivendi bases its societal responsibility on four strategic issues that

lie at the core of its business, which are directly linked to the group’s

operations:

promoting cultural diversity in the production and distribution of

content while fostering the artistic creative process;

empowering and protecting young people in their use of digital

media;

fostering knowledge sharing which includes pluralism of content,

media accessibility and literacy;

reconciling the valuation and protection of personal data to take

advantage of the great potential of digital technology, while

respecting the privacy of the group’s customers.

Promoting Cultural Diversity

The group aims to promote cultural diversity as a growth driver and a

pillar of social cohesion. It therefore shares the vision of the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

which, in its 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the

Diversity of Cultural Expressions, stated that cultural diversity is “a

mainspring of sustainable development of communities, peoples

and nations”. Encouraging diversity in musical repertoires and

cinematographic expression, promoting local talent and showcasing

cultural heritage – these objectives are shared by all the group’s business

units (see Integrated Reporting Pilot Project – Chapter 1, Section 1.4.4

p.18 and pp.16-17).

Empowering and Protecting Young People

Films, television programs, the Internet and other platforms can, on the

one hand, expose young people to risks: the disclosure of personal data,

excessive or inappropriate use, and access to sensitive content. On the

other hand, these digital tools can offer them vast opportunities in terms

of expression and discovery as well as employability once they can

master the use of media and information. It is Vivendi’s responsibility to

empower and protect the younger generation in its use of digital media

and cultural practices, so that young people can express their creativity

and status as citizens in an environment that respects their rights.

Knowledge Sharing

Due to the international nature of its businesses, the group has a duty to

guarantee quality and pluralism of content, to facilitate access to content

offerings and media, to encourage dialog among cultures, and to raise

awareness with respect to sustainability considerations.

Reconciling the Valuation and Protection of Personal Data

The innovative steps taken by the group to offer content and services

meeting the expectations of its customers and its various audiences

while taking advantage of pooling its subsidiaries’ skills and resources

must be accompanied by vigilance when it comes to protecting personal

data. The group partners’ trust in this digital transition is at the heart of

the company’s long-term performance.

CSR Issues Promoting Human Rights

Vivendi’s four strategic issues are directly related to human rights:

promoting cultural diversity refers to the 1948 Universal Declaration

of Human Rights (Art. 27), the 2001 UNESCO Universal Declaration

on Cultural Diversity (Art. 5), and the 2005 UNESCO Convention on

the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

(Art. 2);

empowering and protecting young people is enshrined in the 1989

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art. 27) and

in the “Children’s Rights and Business Principles” introduced by the

United Nations Global Compact, together with the UNICEF and Save

the Children (March 2012);

Annual Report 2014