Exosens announces its CSR strategy

Exosens announces its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to address current societal and environmental issues and employee expectations

Mérignac, France – november, 21st 2023

Exosens (former Photonis group) world leader in electro-optical imaging and detection devices for defense and industrial markets, is presenting its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy based on four pillars.

Uniting its initiatives and raising its ambitions at global level, Exosens is today releasing its CSR strategy. As the leading provider of detection, imaging and light technologies for a safer world, Exosens is committed to not only provide products to reveal the invisible but also to actively address, through its own activities, current environmental and societal issues and meet employee expectations. Exosens’ CSR strategy develops four ambitions that pertain to environment safeguarding, relationship with its external partners, employees’ welfare and governance:

ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY – Exosens is committing to GHG emissions reduction with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 (Scope [1] and [2]). Willing to be aligned with the recognized methodology of the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), Exosens will also set short-terms targets for 2030 on carbon reduction (Scope [1], [2] and [3]). Also determined to have an impact on production, Exosens commits to implementing eco-design criteria in the products’ design by 2027.
ACHIEVING CSR IMPACT WITH PARTNERS – Exosens aims to align its practices with the established CSR framework of Ecovadis and, following this methodology aligned with international standards, to be rated Gold Medal end of 2025. Recognizing the importance of maintaining a sustainable supply chain, Exosens aspires to guide its strategic suppliers in their CSR initiatives.
TAKING CARE OF INDIVIDUALS – With a strong focus on health and safety, Exosens is keen to work on reducing the long-term injury frequency and severity rates at group level. Additionally, the group intends to provide training on psychosocial risks to 80% of its managers by 2025. Having at heart the importance of taking concrete steps towards gender equality, Exosens’ objective is to have at least 30% of women in the group executive committee by 2026.
BEING UNCOMPROMISING ON ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE – Conducting business in a transparent and secure way, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations is key to Exosens. Therefore, the group requires its partners to comply with its Code of Ethics. Internally, all new employees will receive training on anti-corruption measures and cybersecurity being of paramount importance, phishing tests will be regularly conducted on each site.

These ambitions, aligned with several of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, formalize and extend social and environmental initiatives at local level within Exosens sites. Out of the 9 production sites, two are already ISO 14001 certified, and one is in the process. Efforts are ongoing to reduce the use of chemicals contributing to high GHG emissions in the production process or explore safer alternatives to the use of carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) substances. Gender pay gap and employee engagement are monitored, with an improvement in the latter at Photonis France from 74% in 2019 to 84% in 2022. Other initiatives including environmental risk assessment, waste management and accident reduction, are also already implemented in France, Netherlands and Belgium.

Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens, clearly illustrates the group's commitment to deploy a strategy in line with current issues:

"Corporate social responsibility is already part of our Group’s DNA. It is a strength and a driving force. This release is a clear engagement for the whole company towards the integration of sustainability as a core element of our corporate strategy "

Exosens will continue to implement actions, will measure the progress with relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) and endeavor to publish early 2025 its first CSR report for year 2024 in line with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This report will enable the group to monitor and to highlight the improvements in environmental, social and governance fields and to continue innovating in its fields and for its clients with CSR as a driver.

Download Press release - English

Download Press release - French

Forward-looking statements

Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release.