How does sustainable finance impact corporate strategies? Léa Dunand-Chatellet: Sustainable finance covers a range of key topics such as renewable energies, energy efficiency, mobility and disruptive technologies. It encourages businesses to set out their visions for the long term and to adapt their strategies to align with technological, environmental and societal changes. Sustainable finance is also on the rise against a background of ever more stringent industrial and financial regulations. David Meneses: These are all topics central to Plastic Omnium’s DNA. As early as 1947, Pierre Burelle sketched a car where he had identified all the parts that could be replaced with plastic to make vehicles lighter and more aerodynamic, cutting their fuel consumption as a result. With an unwavering commitment to sustainability at the heart of its business model, Plastic Omnium is transforming itself and transforming mobility. This responsible approach meets the requirements of sustainable finance and is implemented in close collaboration with our stakeholders, such as the investors that support the Group in its growth strategy, or its employees who work tirelessly every day to invent forms of mobility that are more sustainable. What events impacted the world of sustainable finance in 2022? L.D-C.: Regulations, such as the European Taxonomy requiring businesses to determine the sustainability of their activities, and the geopolitical crises that marked the year were game-changers. They accelerated the speed of the energy transition and increased the level of alignment between the corporate and sustainable finance worlds. D.M.: In 2022, Plastic Omnium continued to roll out its carbon neutrality roadmap, signing power purchase contracts and producing renewables at our sites, investing in hydrogen, developing new activities centering on more sustainable forms of mobility, etc. Working with a third party, we also drafted a sustainable financing dossier to emphasize the eligibility of our activities. We also publish our taxonomy indicators and are constantly acting to further improve our performance. How can investors make their choices and navigate the vast number of green funds on offer? L.D-C.: Quality of reporting is key, it needs to be concise, precise and transparent. It must show what has been accomplished, and be backed by quantified targets and short-term milestones. Very often you find there is too much information and deadlines that are too far in the future. This prevents investors from taking properly informed decisions. How does sustainable finance help to stimulate innovation? D.M.: The accuracy of our non-financial reporting allows us to keep investors fully informed, and to fine-tune our actions in great detail. Take, for example, our carbon neutrality roadmap that sets targets and lists the expected contributions from each source in 2025, 2030 and 2050. This aligns with the 1.5°C pathway and our actions have been recognized by various ratings agencies. In 2022, we were granted Platinum status by EcoVadis with a score of 80/100, and our climate strategy was given an A- rating by the CDP. Lastly, we take part in a number of roadshows to maintain a regular dialogue with investors. Which criteria are examined most closely in terms of responsible investment? L.D-C.: Labor relations, management quality, supply chain and transparent accounting are all non-negotiables. Nowadays you can add tax coherence and cybersecurity, which has become crucial, to that list. Plastic Omnium is well positioned, as illustrated by its good labor relations and a style of management characterized by its continuity and strategic vision. D.M.: Merging our human resources and sustainability departments shows just how much we care about our stakeholders and their environment. Going forward, we are using carbon footprint as a criteria when selecting our suppliers. We support them so that we can improve our footprint across our entire value chain. *DNCA FINANCE, A SUBSIDIARY OF NATIXIS INVESTMENT MANAGERS, IS A RESPONSIBLE, ACTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY WHOSE ANALYSES INCLUDE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS Taken together, the rise of sustainable finance and regulations of non-financial reporting promote the development of sustainable activities by businesses and have an impact on their strategic choices. This applies to the mobility sector in particular. 45
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