Vivendi

Jean-Bernard Lévy
Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer

How do you define your sustainable development policy?

Through an approach centered on responsibility, by which Vivendi assumes its position as a leading worldwide communcations and entertainment group.

By committing itself to a sustainable development process, Vivendi contributes to economic growth, social cohesion and respect for human concerns. This three-dimensional approach is necessary, even if maintaining an equilibrium sometimes requires adjustments. As a producer and distributor of content, as a supplier of digital services, our responsibility is to enable present and future generations to satisfy their desire for entertainment, nourish their curiosity, develop their talents and encourage a spirit of open-mindedness.

This objective is a guarantee of long-term success for our group. It concerns all our business units and all the countries where Vivendi operates.

What progress have you made?

When I began my meetings with representatives of civil society two years ago, Vivendi’s proactive approach met with approval, yet raised questions about a concept of sustainable development too often thought of only in its environmental dimension.

Today, due to our regular, in-depth efforts, our understanding of specific sustainable development issues – protection of young people, promotion of cultural diversity, sharing of knowledge – has progressed. As a result, sharing views and experiences with the different representatives of civil society is becoming easier. We have succeeded in strengthening our network of partners.

This progress has been recognized by observers (rating agencies, analysts, financial institutions, NGOs, etc.), and they encourage us to continue in this direction.

Is Vivendi’s participation in the United Nations Global Compact a sign of this progress?

Yes, it is. Vivendi has already adopted a certain number of charters and rules of conduct inspired by the principles of the United Nations. Our participation in the Global Compact is an important step that shows how far the group has come.

It also illustrates two essential concerns: reaffirming our commitment to fundamental human rights at a time when our business units are conquering new markets, and contributing to better satisfying the need for entertainment, for disadvantaged audiences in particular.

The Global Compact is also a message for the group’s employees and partners to show that, together, we are ready to exchange, to share best practices and to conduct ourselves as responsible corporate citizens.

What are some areas where your energy is brought to bear within the group?

As Chairman of the Management Board, I regularly put the sustainable development policy on the agenda to share and keep track of its objectives and to include issues involving sustainable development in the way we manage our risks and opportunities.

We have identified two major categories of risk in this area – those related to human capital and those related to reputation. To innovate, Vivendi must leverage its internal and external human capital (artists, creators, engineers, etc.) by placing people, supporting them and ensuring their loyalty, while insisting that intellectual property rights be respected. Operating as we do in business areas that are rapidly evolving (mobile telephony, interactive video games, digital services, etc.), Vivendi must also face up to risks to its reputation, involving such areas as the protection of young people, pluralism of content, representation of cultures, subscriber management, etc. Hence the need for great vigilance and very strong personal involvement with all these subjects.

What are you priorities for the months ahead?

We must continue to promote our vision of sustainable development internally, to employees, and within civil society, supported by our network of partners.

The year 2008, declared European Year of Intercultural Dialogue by the European institutions, is an opportunity for Vivendi to disseminate its messages – all the more since France will be the European Union president during the second half of the year.

Beyond these dates, and in a period of our history that is subject to the pressure of the digital revolution Vivendi must continue to bring its customers and its different audiences products and services that are innovative while at the same time remaining scrupulously vigilant in evaluating their impact in terms of sustainable development.