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Suncor Energy

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FY2019 Annual Report · Suncor Energy
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S

 
 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

5.   Consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2019  RFA

1.  Consolidated statement of income 

2.  Consolidated statement of cash flows 

3.  Consolidated balance sheet 

4.  Consolidated statement of changes in equity 

5.  Notes to the consolidated financial statements 

6.  Statutory auditors’ report on the consolidated financial statements 

6.  Parent company financial statements  RFA

1.  Balance sheet 

2.  Statement of income 

3.  Notes to the financial statements 

4.  Statutory auditors’ report on the financial statements 

5.  List of securities held at December 31, 2019 

6.  Subsidiaries and affiliates 

7.  The company’s financial results over the last 5 years 

Shareholder Information

7. 

Information on the Company and its capital

1.  General information on the Company 

2.  Shareholders’ rights and obligations 

3.  Capital 

4.  Ownership structure 

5.  Employee incentive plans – Employee shareholding 

6.  Shares and stock option plans 

7.  Stock market data 

8. 

Investor relations 

8.  Annual Shareholders’ Meeting  RFA

1.  Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary  
and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting 

2.  Report of the Vice-Chairman independent lead 

director of the board of directors 

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3.  Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of  

the board and charter of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director  424

4.  Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

5.  Draft resolutions 

9.   Persons responsible for the universal registration  
document and audit of the financial statements

Persons responsible for the Universal Registration Document 

Persons responsible for the audit of the financial statements 

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Strategic Report

0.   Introduction

Welcome from our Chairman and CEO 

At a glance 

A statement from Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire 

Financial Review from Deputy CEO in charge of  
Finance and Legal Affairs, Emmanuel Babeau 

Key Performance Indicators 

Our business model 

Our strategy 

Our impact 

Our leadership team 

1.   Group’s strategy: opportunities and risks

1.  Key megatrends driving growth 

2.  Our Purpose 

3.  Our business 

4.  Our growth journey 

5.  Our customer focus 

6.  Our open ecosystem: Schneider Electric Exchange 

7.  Our People Vision 

8.  Our expertise 

9.  Our integrated supply chain 

10.  How we manage risks 

11.  Risk factors 

2.   Sustainable development

1.  Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy 

2.  Green and responsible growth driving economic performance 

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3.  Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence  128

4.  Committed to and on behalf of employees 

5.  Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company 

6.  Methodology and audit of indicators 

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Indicators 

3.  Business review  RFA

1.  Trends in Schneider Electric’s core markets 

2.  Comments on the consolidated financial statements 

3.  Review of the parent company financial statements 

4.  Outlook 

Corporate Governance Report

4.   Corporate governance report  RFA

1.  The board of directors 

2.  Organizational and operating procedures of the board of directors 

3.  Board activities 

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4  Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)  247

5.  Senior management 

6. 

 Declarations concerning the situation of the members  
of the administrative, supervisory or management bodies 

7.  Compensation Report 

8.  Regulated agreements and commitments 

9.  Participation of shareholders in Shareholders’ Meeting 

10.  Table summarizing outstanding delegations relating to  

share capital increases granted by Shareholders’ Meeting 

11.   Publication of information of Article L.225-37-5  

of the French Commercial Code 

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Highlights

Welcome from our Chairman and CEO

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Climate change is the greatest challenge of our 
generation and the next ten years will be crucial. 
Together we must reduce CO2 emissions and halt 
the rise in temperature. At Schneider Electric, our 
commitment to be carbon positive is fully aligned 
with our strategy and purpose. This engagement 
emulates innovation for an all-electric and all-
digital world. We openly advocate for bold 
measures, at every level, to accelerate the 
emergence of a low carbon world and to live  
up to the demands of the younger generations.”

Jean-Pascal Tricoire,
Chairman and CEO

Read more about our strategy on page 14  (cid:2)

Revenues 

+4.2% organic 

€27.2bn

Adjusted EBITA 

+8.7% organic 

€4.2bn

Net Income (Group part)  

+3.4% 

€2.4bn

Free cash flow 

+65% 

€3.5bn

Proposed dividend per share  +8.5% 

€2.55

Share price (at 31 December, 2019)

€91.5

Read more about our business on page 8  (cid:2)

This  Universal  Registration  Document  was  filed  on  March  17, 
2020 with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), acting in its 
capacity  as  competent  authority  under  Commission  regulation 
1129/2017/EU, without prior approval in compliance with Article 9 
of this regulation.

The Universal Registration Document may be used for purposes 
of a public offer of securities or admission of securities to trading 
on a regulated market if it is accompanied by an offering circular 
relating  to  securities  and  if  applicable,  a  summary  and  any 
amendments  made  to  the  Universal  Registration  Document. 
These documents are approved by the AMF in compliance with 
Commission regulation 1129/2017/EU.

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Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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At a glance

Schneider Electric at a glance 

+135,000

employees in over 100 countries

191

97

manufacturing plants

distribution centers

North America
20% 
29% 

Lexington

Monterrey

Western Europe
26% 
26% 

Evreux

Le Vaudreuil

Plovdiv

Rest of World
19% 
16% 

Cajamar

Beijing

Wuhan

Shanghai

Dubai

Mumbai

Hyderabad
Bengaluru

Cavite

Batam

Cikarang

Asia Pacific
35% 
29% 

Sydney

  Percentage of revenue by geography in 2019

  Showcase Smart Distribution Centers

  Percentage of total employees by geography in 2019

  Showcase Smart Factories

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

INTRODUCTIONIn an all-electric and all-digital world, we are uniquely positioned to deliver 
digital energy and automation solutions for efficiency and sustainability.

Energy 
Transition

Energy  
Management
Revenues
€20.8 bn

Industrial  
Automation
Revenues
€6.3 bn

Industry 
4.0

Serving four end markets:

Homes and buildings
All residential, 
commercial and 
industrial buildings and 
facilities can be built or 
renovated to be safer, 
smarter and more 
sustainable to better 
fulfill the aspirations of 
occupants and increase 
their value.

Data Centers
Fueled by digital 
innovation, data centers 
and IT systems need  
to integrate energy 
efficiency, resilience  
and both cloud and edge 
connectivity to protect 
critical information and 
operations and support 
the booming digital 
economy.

Infrastructure
Energy transition 
challenges are driving 
growth as governments, 
towns and private 
enterprise rethink and 
transform transportation, 
energy and utility 
projects to better serve 
customers and citizens 
and meet sustainability 
goals through the 
efficient use of 
resources.

Industry
Manufacturing processes 
and energy-intensive 
industries require 
detailed insights and 
digitized efficiency to 
address energy and 
asset waste, streamline 
maintenance, mitigate 
their environmental 
footprint and comply  
with safety and 
cybersecurity 
regulations.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder Information0INTRODUCTION

A statement from Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire

Planet friendly growth

2010 – 2019: a decade of disruption

When I look back at the last decade, I realize just how complex it has been. A decade of profound 
economic, social, geopolitical and environmental change, but also a decade of technological 
advances and upheaval within our industry. 

Twelve years after the 2008 financial crisis, the revolution of both value 
and supply chains is ongoing. While poverty is globally receding, one 
unresolved,  fundamental  inequality  is  access  to  energy.  Two  billion 
people do not have access to reliable energy, barring them access to 
a  safe  and  decent  life.  This  has  been  aggravated  by  digital,  which 
beyond  energy,  is  the  door  to  education  and  economic  inclusion, 
creating another divide between the haves and the have-nots.

Facing total transparency and direct opinions through social networks, 
companies publicly explain their contribution to society, their purpose 
and justify their choices to stakeholders with very different opinions.

After 20 years of globalization, the world is becoming more fragmented 
and uncertain. Trade tensions escalate and – more importantly for our 
industry  –  a  digital  divide  is  now  on  the  rise  between  regions,  most 
visibly between the USA and China’s diverging worlds of technologies 
and apps. This is not completely new for a company like ours with one 
foot  in  electricals,  an  industry  where  standards  between  continents 
have always been split, but it reinforces the multi-local nature of our 
business.

Meanwhile,  we  have  finally  reached  a  tipping  point  in  sustainability. 
After years of low awareness and slow progress, there is now broad 
recognition  that  our  planet  is  on  a  critical  climate  trajectory.  Climate 
change is all about carbon emissions, and carbon emissions are all 
about  energy,  both  production  and  consumption.  Fighting  climate 
change  requires  defining  a  new  energy  model.  Today’s  model 
designed  150  years  ago,  is  highly  inefficient:  a  staggering  60%  of 
primary energy is lost before it is used. We ought to rethink the way we 
live with energy.

Thankfully  this  tipping  point  is  happening  at  a  time  when  two 
disruptions,  digital  and  renewables,  allow  us  to  rethink  our  energy 
value chain and address our carbon footprint in a completely different 
way. At Schneider Electric, we believe an all-digital, all-electric world 
can  drive  an  entirely  new  level  of  efficiency  and  sustainability,  for 
buildings, industries, infrastructures, IT and cities.

Last decade’s disruption has also shaken the established order of our 
industry. We’ve witnessed a deep reformatting of industry players, as 
a  consequence  of  choices  made  15  years  ago,  while  our  whole 
competitive landscape is being reshaped.

We have reinforced our position and tripled our size 
15 years ago, we made three transformational choices to strategically 
position our company.

First,  in  the  large  industry  of  energy,  we  specialized  in  digital 
solutions  for  sustainability,  combining  energy  management  and 
automation for greater efficiency, and electing to be the partner of our 
customers in their journey towards sustainability. It’s taken the world 
time to prioritize sustainability and efficiency, but commitment levels 
have  definitely  changed  in  recent  years,  at  all  levels  from  society  to 
investors.  In  September  2019,  87  large  companies  signed  up  to  the 
“Business Ambition for 1.5°C: Our Only Future” campaign, committing 
to  halve  their  carbon  emissions  within  10  years  or  become  carbon 
neutral by 2050. By the end of January 2020, close to 200 companies 
had joined. Many other similar initiatives have emerged in recent years, 
among them the EP 100 for energy productivity, RE 100 for renewables, 
or EV 100 to push electric mobility adoption. Thousands of companies 
are putting together sustainability plans as they try to make the most of 
their energy and resources. Green business now makes up for more 
than 70% of our business.

Secondly,  we  bet  on  digital  to  step  change  and  disrupt  the 
efficiency equation, changing the way buildings, cities and industries 
are  designed.  We  created  EcoStruxure™  as  a  plug  and  play  digital 
architecture for efficiency converging the Internet of Things (IoT), big 
data, software and artificial intelligence to manage energy, processes 
and resources more efficiently and securely. Connecting everything, 
aggregating data, expanding digital twins generates value far beyond 

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

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efficiency,  increasing  operator  safety  and  skills  through  augmented 
reality, process reliability through predictive maintenance, and project 
collaboration through model sharing. This development in digital and 
services  today  makes  up  for  more  than  50%  of  our  business,  while 
software and services represent 25%.

Thirdly,  we  increased  our  efforts  to  deploying  on  a  global  scale 
towards emerging countries and Asia to offer our customers service 
on  a  global  scale.  We  are  today  arguably  one  of  the  most  global 
companies with very balanced geographical exposure guaranteeing a 
better dynamic and increased resilience. We do an equivalent amount 
of business in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe. New economies 
represent  more  than  40%  of  our  revenues,  and  Asia  Pacific  grew 
seven-fold in the past 15 years.

A unique differentiated model to grow
Building  on  more  than  15  years  of  engagement  and  innovation  for  
a sustainable world, in 2019 we reaffirmed our meaningful purpose. 
At Schneider Electric, we empower all to make the most of their 
energy  and  resources  to  ensure  Life  is  On™  everywhere,  for 
everyone, at every moment.

We differentiate by our focus on sustainability. In 2018 and 2019, 
we  supported  our  customers  on  their  sustainability  journey,  saving 
almost  90  million  metric  tons  C02,  equivalent  to  the  total  annual 
emissions of Toronto or Melbourne. We ourselves took decisive long-
term  commitments  to  become  carbon  neutral  and  rid  of  SF6  in  our 
medium voltage systems by 2025, be net zero emission by 2030 and 
operate  a  carbon-net-zero  supply  chain  by  2050.  After  20  years 
membership of the UN Global Compact and continuous execution and 
progress in social responsibility and sustainability, we also pledged to 
align more strictly with the United Nations Sustainable Development 
Goals.  We  apply  our  technologies  to  our  own  facilities.  80  of  our 
factories now qualify as Industry 4.0 flagships, and 193 are committed 
to No Waste to Landfill thanks to a strong focus on circularity. In 2019, 
our  commitments  were  again  acknowledged  by  our  inclusion  in  the 
Climate A list by CDP (since 2011), in the Dow Jones Sustainability 
World Index for the 7th consecutive year, and in the Most Sustainable 
Companies in the World by Corporate Knights, for a 8th year. At the 
World  Economic  Forum,  we  won  The  Circulars  2019  award  in  the 
Multinational category.

We also differentiate with our integrated model: one organization 
per  country,  one  supply  chain,  one  IT  and  one  management  and 
performance system to simplify our customers’ lives by providing them 
full solutions, hassle free.

Our  unique  multi-hub  model  empowers  our  geographical 
organizations  to  make  decisions,  and  be  the  most  local  and  agile 
organization, in order to adapt to the growing autonomy of each region 
of the world in trade and from a fast-changing technology point of view. 
As such, our people footprint reflects our business footprint, allowing 
local  teams  to  react  swiftly  to  market  reality  and  avoid  unnecessary 
centralization.

We  extend  Schneider’s  capabilities  through  the  largest  network  of 
partners in our industry. We structure our supply chain with partner 
suppliers, we reach into the market with distributors, we deliver most of 
our  solutions  with  integrators  and  we  innovate  through  partnerships 
with other technology companies, start-ups, universities, and financial 
institutions.  One  distinctive  example  is  AlphaStruxure,  a  partnership 
venture  founded  with  Carlyle  in  2019,  joining  forces  to  retrofit  US 

infrastructure  in  a  robust  and  sustainable  fashion.  In  2019,  we  also 
launched  our  digital  market  place  Exchange,  where  partners  and 
Schneider users can meet and exchange tips, solutions and code to 
benefit each other.

Our  people  are  at  the  heart  of  this.  We  believe  that  great  people 
make  a  great  company.  At  Schneider,  we  attract  people  who  are 
passionate about our meaningful purpose and meaningful way to do 
business,  people  who  want  to  work  in  a  very  inclusive  and  diverse 
environment  and  be  empowered  at  every  level  to  make  an  impact. 
Progress is led by people.

We also focus on trust, which is the foundation of any business, and 
the signature of our brand. Be it safety, quality, cybersecurity, ethics or 
governance, we put those pillars of trust at the very core of everything 
we do.

Our governance is strengthened by a very diverse board, in origin 
and gender, and a system of checks and balances supported by an 
independent lead director and five committees that prepare all board 
decisions. A strong asset of the Group has been the time spent on a 
very consistent strategy over the years, which has been scrutinized, 
challenged and supported by the board.

2019: a year of growth and a proof point
In  2019,  we  reached  record  levels  in  revenues,  adjusted  EBITA,  
net  income  and  realized  a  step  change  in  our  free  cashflow  to  
EUR 3.5 billion, growing in all businesses and across all regions.

1.  A strong execution of our strategy, delivering on all priorities
In 2019, we reached EUR 27.2 billion in revenue for the first time, 
growing by 5.6% overall and beating the market. 

We delivered more products (+3%) through our growing network of 
partners, leveraging digital innovation to enhance customer value. We 
brought innovation to life for over 75,000 customers and partners at 
Innovation  Summits  and  Innovation  Days.  We  achieved  this  while 
digitizing  80  smart  factories  in  our  product  supply  chain.  For  these 
efforts,  we  progressed  to  11th  position  in  the  2019  Gartner  Global 
Supply Chain.

We  also  grew  our  services  business  (+8%),  tracking  our  installed 
base  across  regions  and  providing  field,  digital  and  sustainability 
services, confirming services as an accelerating growth catalyst.

We  grew  software  double-digit  organically,  supported  by  a  strong 
performance from AVEVA. We connect more and more products to our 
cloud (+50% YoY assets under management in 2019).

This  confirms  the  success  of  EcoStruxure™  and  demonstrates  the 
company’s pivot to digital and services which now represent 50% 
of revenues.

We also improved our professionalism in systems, which both grew 
and did better in profitability.

2.  Focus on high-quality business
We keep pruning our portfolio to focus on our highest quality business. 
In 2019, we divested EUR 600 million of turnover, a first step on our 
commitment  to  divest  a  total  of  EUR  1.5  to  2  billion  less  performing 
business in three years. We keep making very selective and accretive 
acquisitions  like  ASCO,  IGE+XAO  and  Larsen  Toubro’s  Electrical  & 
Automation business to reinforce our presence in faster growing and 
more profitable core business.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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INTRODUCTION

A statement from Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire

3.  Responsible and consistent delivery
We deliver on our margin commitment with a simplified portfolio, tight 
operational management and by cross-selling technologies in channels 
and in solutions.

Over the past three years, following the targets set in 2016:

•  We’ve  grown  our  business  by  4.7%  on  a  yearly  average  and 

organically, above the 3% committed.

•  We’ve  grown  our  adjusted  EBITA  margin  by  a  yearly  average  of  

+70 bps (+9.4% in average).

•  We’ve  also  concluded  10  years  in  a  row  of  progressive  dividend 

growth, multiplied by 2.5 over the period.

Therefore,  we  confirm  our  ambition  to  increase  the  operating  profit 
margin by 200 bps in the three years from 2019 to 2021, as validated 
by the 70 bps increased achieved in the first year of the plan. In 2019, 
we also generated for the first time EUR 3.5 billion of free cash flow, 
validating  our  strong  operational  performance  and  our  strategy  to 
focus on high growth and high-quality business.

Our 2020 vision
As we look ahead to 2020, business and markets look positive, albeit 
disturbed by temporary issues. Digital and sustainability sit on the top 
of the agenda for all our customers.

We stay focused on our 2021 ambition, towards our objectives across 
the  cycle  and  committed  to  1  to  3%  organic  growth  in  revenues  in 
2020, with an adjusted EBITA margin between 16 and 16.3% (excluding 
FX and impact of acquisitions). We will keep pivoting our portfolio, exit 
underperforming  business,  and 
integrate  selectively  acquired 
business. We shall continue to allocate more resources to R&D, digital, 
marketing and services.

We shall push digital to a new level, so that it brings a much higher level 
of  efficiency  and  sustainability  for  customers  through  the  four 
integrations:

•  Bringing  together  energy  and  automation  as  the  only  way  to 
achieve  full  efficiency,  energy  and  process  at  the  same  time,  to 
curb carbon emissions and resource consumption.

•  A secure end point-to-cloud ecosystem made possible by the 
convergence  of  IoT,  big  data,  and  artificial  intelligence  from  the 
shop  floor  to  the  control  room,  making  all  data  transparent  and 
available  to  all,  from  the  operator  to  the  expert  and  general 
manager.

•  Digitally  integrating  the  whole  lifecycle  of  operations,  from 
design  and  build  to  operations,  eliminating  all  misunderstanding 
and inefficiencies in the transition from CapEx to OpEx phase, and 
enabling seamless collaboration.

•  The  ability  to  shift  from  site-by-site  management  to  an 
integrated  company  approach  for  a  big-picture  view  of  energy 
and resource consumption, a complete benchmark of facilities, to 
bring unprecedented competitiveness and efficiency.

Over time, we have positioned Schneider to empower all to make the 
most  of  their  energy  and  resources.  Our  technologies  reconcile 
growth, access to energy for all and a carbon free future for our planet. 
We play a unique role in contributing to solve global issues. More than 
just economic actors, we bring ideas, skills and technologies and can 
act at any scale. We have both a very rooted global footprint and are 
integrated  locally  through  our  multifaceted  network  of  partners,  and 
through interaction with local communities.

At Schneider Electric, we are passionate about what we do, and we 
are convinced that how we do it is just as important. We embody these 
values  across  the  company,  and  we  will  continue  to  do  so.  As  a 
responsible  company,  we  engage  with  our  environment.  We  are 
responding to the climate emergency by developing tangible business 
actions,  creating  technological  tools,  and  sharing  expertise  to 
galvanize  a  global  impact.  We  want  to  turn  the  tide  on  carbon  and 
resources  while  safely  and  securely  powering  the  economy.  Our 
consistent  and  concrete  actions  are  anchored  in  territories  and  our 
interactions  and  transactions  strengthen  trust  with  the  communities, 
companies,  and  countries  we  serve.  I  believe  that  companies  can 
make a positive impact and contribute to societal progress.

We have the duty to be profitable. We also have the responsibility to 
build a desirable and sustainable future, where energy and digital – 
those fundamental human rights giving access to a decent and safe 
life and to education and economy – are available to all. Do good to do 
well and do well to do good: that is our program for the coming decade.

Jean-Pascal Tricoire,
Chairman and CEO

Read more about our strategy on page 12 (cid:2)

9

Some of the recognition Schneider Electric achieved 
in terms of sustainability commitments and people 
development in 2019

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

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Financial Review from Deputy CEO in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs, Emmanuel Babeau

Successful execution of our strategy drives  
record 2019 performance

What were the highlights of Schneider Electric’s 2019 
performance?
Relentless focus on our strategic priorities and strong execution were 
key to delivering our 2019 operational and financial performance. Our 
priority  on  more  products,  more  services,  more  software  and  better 
systems resulted in +4.2% organic growth to reach EUR 27.2 billion in 
revenues. Our gross margin which has improved consistently over the 
past  five  years,  reached  39.5%  reflecting  our  focus  on  high  value-
added  products,  solutions  and  pricing  power.  We  improved  our 
adjusted EBITA margin by +70 bps (above expected target) reaching 
+15.6%. Recent acquisitions (Asco Power, IGE+XAO and AVEVA) also 
contributed positively with double-digit growth in revenue. This strong 
operational performance coupled with improved cost of financing, our 
adjusted net income increased by +14%. 

Our  free  cash  flow  reached  an  all-time  record  of  EUR  3.5  billion 
(including IFRS16 impact), increasing by 65% versus 2018, showing 
our capacity to convert our result in cash with good control on working 
capital in a growth environment and despite our digital and innovation 
investments. We continue to return cash, enabling us to increase our 
proposed dividend by +8.5% at EUR 2.55 per share.

As the Group focuses on core priorities, it progressed on delivering its 
three  year  portfolio  optimization  program  of  EUR  1.5-2  billion,  with 
EUR 600 million addressed in 2019.

The Group targets an organic growth in operating profit in 2020, 
what are the key levers?
Our  priority  for  2020  is  to  continue  to  deliver  profitable  growth.  To 
deliver  this  strong  and  sustainable  performance,  the  Group  will  use 
two  levers:  firstly,  topline  growth  where  the  Group  targets  organic 
growth between +1 and +3% and, secondly, adjusted EBITA margin 
within  the  range  of  +16.0  and  +16.3%  (excluding  impact  of  FX  
and acquisitions). 

Could you share your medium-term ambition to increase 
operating profitability? 
The Group re-affirms its through-cycle objective of +3 to +6% organic 
growth in revenues, on average. During our 2018 results, we shared 
our ambition to increase our operational margin by 2021 and therefore 
move the Group towards a path of 17% adjusted EBITA margin range 
(at  constant  FX).  This  underlying  improvement  would  be  achieved 
through a combination of organic growth, organizational simplification 
and  efficiency  and  continued  productivity.  The  Group  targets 
c.  EUR  1.1  billion  of  industrial  productivity  over  this  timeframe  and 
continued  focus  on  efficiency  and  productivity  gains,  both  in  our 
supply chain and in our operations. Portfolio optimization is expected 
to contribute a few tens of basis points towards the margin ambition. 
Considering  developing  macro-economic  trends,  the  Group  will 
continue to deploy its strategic priorities in key markets and its focus 
on the c. +200 basis points (at constant FX) margin ambition for 2019-
2021. At the end of 2019 the Group has already achieved close to half.

How do you intend to drive shareholder value in the next years?
We  have  positioned  the  company  on  two  megatrends  of  Energy 
Transition  and  Industry  4.0  that  are  set  to  drive  strong  growth 
opportunities  in  the  future.  The  Group  focuses  on  execution  of  its 
strategic priorities enabling further scaling of its core activities. Also 
working  on  the  development  of  its  digital  offers  and  continuing  to 
improve  efficiency.  On  top  of  our  digital  EcoStruxure™  platform,  we 
believe  that  our  focus  on  services  adds  another  dimension  to  build 
stickier  and  ongoing  customer 
relationships.  Digitally-enabled 
revenues  and  services  should  also  drive  more  growth  for  our 
connected products. All these elements will allow us to offer attractive 
returns to shareholders. 

We are also very pleased with our systems, with a +40 bps margin in 
2019 and we want to continue in that direction.

With  close  to  +9.4%  organic  growth  per  year  in  our  operating  profit 
over  the  past  three  years,  our  objective  is  to  continue  generating 
strong earnings growth through a combination of top line growth and 
margin expansion. Combined with the strong free cash flow generation 
and our solid balance sheet, this allows us to offer attractive returns to 
shareholders through a progressive dividend policy and to achieve the 
current EUR 1.5 to 2 billion share buyback program by 2021.

Could you tell us more about the framework of actions that 
contribute to the future success of Schneider Electric? 
Our  Principles  of  Responsibility  are  instrumental,  as  this  framework 
sets out the highest ethical and Corporate Environmental Responsibility 
standards and methods, organized around five pillars: 

1.  Human rights and people development
2.  Ethical business conduct
3.  Digitally trusted and secure partner for our customers 
4.  Act for the environment
5.  Responsible corporate citizenship

Our customers and partners, our teams and our shareholders expect 
us  to  be  very  strict  in  their  implementation  and  we  are  absolutely 
convinced that they are key for our future success.

Emmanuel Babeau,
Deputy CEO in charge of Finance and Legal 
Affairs

Read more about our strategy on page 12 (cid:2)

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

7

 
 
 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION

Key Performance Indicators

Record performance, growing in both  
synergetic businesses and across all regions

In 2019, the Group reached record performance in revenues, gross profit, adjusted EBITA and  
in free cashflow. The Group continued its portfolio optimization, organic margin improvement  
and focused on productivity and resource reallocation in R&D, digital, services and sales. 
The Group remained committed to strengthen its core and to pivot towards more connected 
products, automation, software and services. Customer adoption of the EcoStruxure™ 
architecture accelerated and growth in services, enabled by both field services and  
digitally-enabled services, built a solid base for growth in 2020.

Revenue

Adjusted EBITA

Net income

In billions of euros

€27.2

In % of consolidated revenues

In millions of euros

15.6%

€2,413

6
.
6
2

5
.
4
2

7
.
4
2

2
.
7
2

7
.
5
2

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1

3
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4
1

8
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4
1

1
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5
1

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5
1

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2

3
1
4
,
2

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1
,
2

0
5
7
,
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,
1

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016*

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2019  Adjusted  EBITA  reached  a  record 
€4,238  million, 
increasing  organically  
by  +8.7%,  exceeding  the  high  end  of  
the  revised  FY  2018  target,  and  the 
Adjusted  EBITA  margin  improved  +70 
bps organically to 15.6%, thanks to strong 
volumes,  good  productivity  and  a 
balanced approach between investments 
and  cost  control.  This  represents  the 
fourth  consecutive  year  of  Adjusted 
EBITA  margin  expansion,  increasing  by 
+280  bps  organic  over 
the  period 
covering  both  lower  growth  and  higher 
growth years.

*  2016 figures restated due to the deconsolidation 

of the Group’s solar activity.

Revenues  were  up  +5.6% 
(+4.2% 
organic),  a  net  scope  effect  of  -0.6% 
mostly  due  to  consolidation  of  Aveva  
and disposal of Pelco and the US panels 
business,  and  a  positive  exchange  
rate  effect  of  +2%  mainly  driven  by  the 
appreciation of the USD against the euro.
Both  businesses  saw  strong  organic 
growth,  with  Energy  Management  up 
+5.2% org., delivering solutions integrating 
Medium Voltage, Low Voltage, and Secure 
Power  technologies,  and  with  Industrial 
Automation  at  +0.8%.  Across  those  2 
businesses,  Digital  and  Services  now 
account for around 25% of turnover, grow 
above 
the  average,  and  bring  both 
recurrent  revenue  and  a  deep  customer 
relationship.

All geographies grew organically over the 
year with the largest region North America, 
growing  at  +6%.  Asia  Pacific  delivered 
+4.4%,  Western  Europe  +1.9%  and  Rest  
of the World +4.4%.

8

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

The Net Income (Group Share) reached a 
record  €2,413  million,  up  +3.4%  from  
FY  2018.  Restructuring  charges  were 
-€255  million  in  2019,  up  €57  million  on 
last year, in line with the €200-€250 million 
range averaged over the next four years, 
as  communicated  in  June  2019.  Other 
operating  income  had  a  -€411  million 
negative impact, due to the H1 disposal of 
Pelco, some asset impairments, M&A and 
integration  costs.  Amortization  and 
depreciation  linked  to  acquisitions  was 
-€173 million. Increased amortization due 
to  intangible  assets  related  to  Aveva 
acquisition  was  offset  by 
the  Pelco 
disposal.  Net  expenses  were  down  to 
-€261  million  driven  by  continued 
decrease in the cost of debt. Income tax 
amounted  to  -€690  million.  The  effective 
tax rate was 22%, down from 22.5% last 
year, in line with expectations. The result 
of 
was  
-€3  million,  related  to  the  net  result  after 
tax  of  Solar  activities.  Share  of  profit  on 
associates  increased  to  +€78  million, 
from  +€61  million  last  year.  The  Group 
share  of  Delixi  net 
income  was  
+€65 million, up c.+€15 million YOY.

discontinued 

operations 

Share price against CAC 40 index over 10 years

Read more about our performance on page 306  

Schneider Electric

CAC 40

240

220

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

Jan 2010

Jan 2012

Jan 2014

Jan 2016

Jan 2018

Dec 2019  

Full-year revenues up
+5.6%

+4.2% organically

Full-year adjusted EBITA
15.6%

+50bps, +70bps organically

Record cash generation
€3.5bn

free cash-flow

Proposed dividend of
€2.55

up +8.5%

Free cash flow

Adjusted earnings per share*

Dividend per share

In millions of euros

€3,476

In euros

€5.32

In euros

€2.55

6
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8
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2

2
3
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5

4
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4

5
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3
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2

0
2
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2

0
0
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2

4
0
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2

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019*

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

and 

supported 

Free Cash Flow was very strong at €3,476 
million, mainly due to the strong operating 
by 
performance, 
favorable  working  capital  evolution  
driven  by  end-to-end  digital  planning. 
expenditure 
Net 
reached  
capital 
€806  million, 
representing  c.3%  of 
revenues,  due  in  part  to  supply  chain 
capacity investment and capitalized R&D 
linked  to  new  products.  Changes  in 
working  capital  were  a  tailwind  in  2019, 
down €270 million. The impact of IFRS16 
increased Free Cash Flow by €274 million.

Taken  on  a  normalized  basis,  Free  
Cash  Flow,  excluding  IFRS16  impact,  
of  €3,202  million  and  Net  Income  of 
€2,641  million  (mainly  excluding  Pelco) 
show a cash conversion of 121% in 2019 
(four-year average 109%).

Combined  with  the  strong  free  cash  
flow  generation  and  a  solid  balance 
sheet,  the  margin  increase  allows  the 
Group  to  offer  an  attractive  return  to 
shareholders 
through  a  progressive 
dividend  policy  meaning  no  year-on- 
year  decline.  The  proposed  dividend  
is  €2.55  per  share  up  +8.5%  subject  
to  Shareholders’  approval  at  Annual 
Meeting  of  April  23,  2020  for  payment  
on May 7, 2020.

Earnings  per  share  were  up  strongly  
at  +15%,  mostly  driven  by  operating 
margin expansion and share buyback, as 
the  Group  has  repurchased  3.5  million 
shares for a total amount of c. €266 million 
in 2019. The Group remains committed to 
the  share  buyback  program  of  about  
€1.5 to €2.0 billion to be completed over 
2019-2021.

*  In 2019, the Group has changed its definition  
of Adjusted Net Income, which includes the 
adjusted EBITA, PPA amortization (excluding 
impairment), net financial income & loss, income 
tax expense on the above at the effective tax 
rate, discontinued operations net income, share 
of profit & loss of associates and impact of non 
controlling interests. This new definition of 
Adjusted Net Income has been created to be 
more transparently derived from the financial 
statements. To reflect the revised definition  
for the 2018 Adjusted Net Income, this results  
in an increase of +€13 million compared to the 
published figure. The Adjusted EPS for 2018 
improves by €0.02 to €4.64.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 9

Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder Information0INTRODUCTION

Our business model

We believe access to energy  
and digital is a basic human right

Our generation is facing a tectonic shift in energy transition and industrial revolution catalyzed by 
accelerated digitization in a more electric world. For the first time in history, we can all participate 
in a step-change in efficiency and the rare opportunity to reconcile the paradox between 
progress for all, and a sustainable future for our planet.

Our key resources  
and relationships

Our unique way 

People
We are the most local of global companies with +135,000 
colleagues, in +100 countries representing our diverse 
talents. 32% of our 2019 workforce were women. 

Delivering strong growth (4.2%) from our 
portfolio of energy and automation solutions for 
efficiency and sustainability.

Industrial
Our +80 smart factories and distribution centers deliver 
efficiency and productivity across our unique end-to-end 
supply chain to better serve customers. In 2019 EcoStruxure™ 
solutions reduced production downtime and quality issues by 
up to 15%.

Innovation
Our community of +1,100 certified R&D engineers are 
nurtured to fuel our innovation strategy. Schneider Electric 
holds more than 18,000 active patents and patent 
applications worldwide. +850 new patent applications on 
both our core and digital technologies filed in 2019.

Environment
We optimize our energy and resources across 230 ISO14001-
compliant facilities and 193 sites committed to zero landfill 
waste. 50% of electricity from renewables in 2019. +97,000 
tons of primary resource consumption saved with circular 
models.

Partners and Suppliers
We empower our +650,000-strong partner ecosystem to 
expand our coverage and we arm our +3,800 ecoXpert 
program partners to drive new digital business opportunities.
We extend our sustainability excellence requirements to our 
suppliers representing EUR 12 bllion in procurement volume.

Financial strength
Our organic growth, consistent margin improvement and 
disciplined capital allocation drives sustainable, positive free 
cash flows of EUR 3.5 billion.

10

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

All-electric

Energy  
Management

Adj EBITA margin
18.4%

We lead in delivering sustainability and efficiency in:

Homes and buildings

Data centers

Our unique way 

2020

2030

2050

Engage with our suppliers towards  
a net-zero supply chain.

Our sustainable value  
for all stakeholders

•  We champion open, connected and interoperable solutions.
•  We  supply  best-in-class  products  to  partners  to  integrate  in 

Focusing on the welfare of people
•  We are committed to gender equality through equal 

their solutions.

•  We are obsessed with safety, and are renowned for reliability 

and cybersecurity solutions.

Industrial  
Automation

Adj EBITA margin
18.1%

All-digital

Infrastructure

Industry

opportunities for everyone, everywhere.

99%  of  our  global  workforce  covered  by  our  Gender  Pay 
Equity Framework. 
•  We strive to guarantee the highest safety standards and 

eliminate workplace accidents.

Medical incidents per million hours worked reduced to 0.79. 

Achieving sustainability goals with customers 
•  We help customers reduce their CO2 footprint with 
EcoStruxure™ solutions and Energy & Sustainability 
Services.

On average, businesses achieve 20% reduction in carbon 
emissions.
•  We enable sustainable performance providing 

comprehensive environmental information for all  
eco-designed Green Premium™ offers.

55% of sales from Green Premium™ products in 2019.

Empowering underserved communities
•  Our Access to Energy program supports training, 

entrepreneurship, startups and technologies for the 
world’s most energy-deprived populations.

246,268 underprivileged people received vocational training. 

Prioritizing ethical partnership with suppliers 
•  As responsible corporate citizens, we uphold the highest 
standards of ethical business conduct to strengthen 
collective trust, cultivate long-term viability and comply 
with local regulation.

279 suppliers under Human Rights & Environment vigilance 
received specific on-site audits.

Delivering return and profits to shareholders
•  Our business model delivers consistent, sustainable  

and strong financial performance and attractive returns.

+54% share price growth
EUR 53.2 billion market capitalization (December 31, 2019)
Proposed dividend per share EUR 2.55, +8.5% vs 2018

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 11

Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder Information0INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

Our strategy

We empower all to make the most of their  
energy and resources, ensuring Life Is On  
everywhere, for everyone, at every moment.

Portfolio optimization

Open ecosystem 

Ensure business growth with synergetic 
optimization of Energy Management and 
Industrial Automation portfolio driving more 
products, more services, more software  
and better systems. 

Empower our unrivalled network of partners 
with digital innovation to seize new market 
values and champion open, connected  
and interoperable solutions. 

2019 progress

•  Double digit growth in Software

•  Strong growth in Field, Sustainability and Digital Services 

•  50% growth in connected assets under management

•  Approval to combine Schneider Electric India’s Low Voltage  

and Industrial Automation with Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Electrical  
and Automation business

•  ALPI, European leader in calculation and electrical design 

software joins Schneider Electric 

•  Pelco divestment closed in Q2

•  Disposal of US panels business signed in Q2

•  Sale of Converse Energy Projects GmbH completed in December

•  Continued enhancement of Schneider Electric’s industry-leading 
channel partner ecosystem focusing on specialized applications 
and local expertise and coverage to improve customer service 
and delivery

•  70% of Energy Management revenues derived through  
a 650 000-strong service provider and partner network

•  Launch of Schneider Electric Exchange, the world’s first  

cross-industry open ecosystem that unleashes the power  
of collaboration in an open environment 

 – +53 000 registered users.
 – +300 offers. 

2020 priorities

•  Further scale digital offers 
•  Strong ambition to grow Services by twice Group average growth
•  +3 to +6% organic revenue growth through the cycle
•  Adj. EBITA margin: +200 bps by 2021
•  Continued portfolio optimization (EUR 1.5-2 billion by 2021)

•  Drive co-innovation with partners and improve digital customer 

experience

•  Enhance EcoStruxure™ capabilities as a digital model across 

end-user applications to enable full lifecycle asset management 
from design and build to operate and maintain

12

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

0

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Innovation

Culture

Build open and multi-local innovation  
programs based on bold ideas from both 
Energy Management and Industrial Automation 
businesses and by developing partnerships  
to disrupt markets, create new business  
models for future growth. 

Strive to be the most diverse, inclusive  
and equitable company, globally. We value 
difference and welcome people from all walks 
of life, across our multi-hub organization built 
on truly global leadership and offering equal 
opportunities to all. 

2019 progress

•  Continued deployment of our EcoStruxure™ platform, for new 
connected products, such as Tesys Island and Modicon 262  
and for digital services, EcoStruxure™ Advisor software for  
Power, IT and Workplace applications

•  Launch of SF6-free MV switchgear, reinforcing sustainability 

commitment

• 

Innovation World Tour 2019 hosted five Innovation Summits  
in Barcelona, Xiamen, Moscow, Hyderabad and Santiago,  
over 80 Innovation Days and 130 Innovation Talks reaching  
+75,000 customers

•  Strategic partnership with Planon to manage building data and 

analytics for operators, occupants and service providers

•  Strategic partnership with The Carlyle Group, creating the 
AlphaStruxure joint-venture for smarter infrastructure 

2020 priorities

• 

Increase investment in:
 – R&D and innovation.
 – Digital.
 – Sales force skills. 
 – Marketing and communication.

•  Schneider Electric extended the Pay Equity Framework to 95%  

of countries

•  For the first time, more than 50% of eligible employees across  
38 participating countries subscribed to the Schneider Electric 
Worldwide Employee Share Ownership Plan (WESOP) 
representing more than 56 000 employees and the third 
consecutive year of record participation

•  Recognition received from Fortune, Financial Times, Forbes, 

Bloomberg, Great Place to Work, Glassdoor and other prestigious 
organizations for an authentic culture of meaningful purpose, 
inclusion and empowerment

•  Boost a high performance and innovation culture
•  Attract, build and empower the workforce of the future
•  Create more development and career opportunities for all
•  Build the next generation of leaders to achieve the Group’s  

growth ambitions

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 13

 
 
 
 
 
 
Our impact

Climate

Impact #1
50%

renewable electricity

Impact #3
89 million metric tons
saved CO2 on our customers’  
end thanks to our EcoStruxure offers

Circular economy

Impact #5

55%

of sales under our new  
Green Premium™ program

Impact #2
4%
CO2 efficiency  
in transportation

Impact #4
24%  
increase

in turnover for our Energy &  
Sustainability Services

Impact #6
193

sites labeled Towards Zero Waste to Landfill

Impact #8
97,400  
metric tons

of avoided primary resource  
consumption through ECOFIT™ ,  
recycling and take-back programs

Impact #7
96%

cardboard and pallets for transport packing  
from recycled or certified sources

* Results as at end 2019.

14

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

INTRODUCTIONHealth & Equality

Impact #9
64%

scored in our Employee  
Engagement Index

Impact #10
0.79

medical incident per  
million hours worked

Impact #11
47%

Impact #13
62%

of employees have access to  
a comprehensive well-being at  
work program

of workers received at least 15 hours 
of learning, and 30% of workers’ 
learning hours are done digitally

Impact #12
99% of 
employees

are working in countries  
that have fully deployed  
our Family Leave Policy

Impact #14
79%

of white collar workers have individual 
development plans

Impact #15
99%

of employees are working in a country 
with commitment and process in place 
to achieve gender pay

Ethics

Development

Impact #16
3.7 pts/100 

Impact #19
x1.5

increase in average score of ISO 26000 
assessment for our strategic suppliers

turnover of our Access  
to Energy program

Impact #20
246,200

underprivileged  
people trained in  
energy management

Impact #17
279

suppliers under Human  
Rights & Environment  
vigilance received specific  
on-site assessment

Impact #18

94% 

of sales, procurement, and finance 
employees trained every year on 
anti-corruption

Read more about Sustainable Development on page 84.

Impact #21

11,400 

volunteering days thanks to our 
VolunteerIn global platform

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 15

Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder Information0INTRODUCTION

Our leadership team

Inspiring the Group’s bold ideas for the future

Schneider Electric Executive 
Committee on January 15 2020  
in the Technopole Innovation 
center in Grenoble, France.

1. Peter Herweck
Executive Vice-President, Industrial Automation

2. Christel Heydemann
Executive Vice-President, France Operations

3

6

7

3. Luc Remont
Executive Vice-President, International Operations

2

4

4. Emmanuel Lagarrigue
Executive Vice-President, Innovation

5. Chris Leong
Executive Vice-President, Global Marketing

6. Philippe Delorme
Executive Vice-President, Energy Management

7. Barbara Frei
Executive Vice-President, Europe Operations

8. Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

9. Yin Zheng
Executive Vice-President, China Operations

10. Mourad Tamoud
Executive Vice-President, Global Supply Chain

11. Fréderic Abbal
Executive Vice-President, Services

12. Emmanuel Babeau
Deputy Chief Executive Officer  
in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs

13. Olivier Blum
Executive Vice-President,  
Global Human Resources

14. Annette Clayton
Executive Vice-President,  
North America Operations

15. Leonid Mukhamedov
Executive Vice-President, Strategy

16. Hervé Coureil
Executive Vice-President, Digital

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

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Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 17

 
 
 
 
 
 
In this section

1.  Key megatrends driving growth 

2.  Our purpose 

3.  Our business 

4.  Our growth journey 

5.  Our customer focus 

20

22

24

32

34

6.  Our open ecosystem: Schneider Electric Exchange 

38

7.  Our people vision 

8.  Our expertise 

9.  Our integrated supply chain 

10. How we manage risks 

11. Risk factors 

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

Group’s strategy: 

opportunities and risks 1

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

1. Key megatrends driving growth

Progress for all and a sustainable future for our planet

Today’s climate crisis is a global emergency we cannot ignore. Thankfully, we’ve reached a turning 
point: the energy transition holds the key to reducing CO2 emissions, and Industry 4.0 trends offer 
additional efficiency gains. 

Catalyzed by accelerated digitization in a more electric world, these trends create opportunities that define Schneider Electric’s strategic priorities 
while also underlining our long-term sustainability commitments. We share the responsibility to act on the climate emergency collectively.

Megatrends, outlook & perspectives

1. All electric world 
At  Schneider  Electric  we  estimate  that  despite  continuous  energy  efficiency  improvements,  the  global  demand  for  electricity  is  set  to 
continue to increase. Several factors are driving this acceleration:

•  The continuous deployment of IT-related loads, such as data centers.
• 

Increased electrification in residential and commercial buildings driven by urbanization, particularly in new economies, and the 
increasing electrification of heating, cooking, lighting and cooling.
•  The electrification of industrial processes currently powered by gas.
•  The rapid electrification of transportation: 25% of today’s transportation related to oil consumption will shift to electrical power1.

2. All digital world 
Today’s  digital  economy  is  driving  transformational  disruption  across  every  sector.  By  2022,  more  than  60%  of  global  GDP  will  be 
digitized4. And everyone is reimagining ways to design, build, and deliver products and services to customers while leveraging new 
business  models  to  achieve  sustainable  progress.  The  increase  in  connectivity  is  complemented  by  access  to  real-time  information 
through enhanced and computing capabilities, on the cloud or at the edge. This will further drive innovation closer to users and operations 
as companies are able to bring intelligence to augment traditional automation and improve customer and employee experiences. 

3. A multi-local world 
In a world driven by local electrical standards and installation practices, regulatory frameworks for connectivity, cybersecurity, and data 
privacy will also be defined at local or regional level.

4. Decentralized world 
The  shift  towards  electricity  and  more  competitive  decentralized  generation  is  driving  prosumer  growth,  as  consumers  look  to  solar 
panels, batteries, and microgrids as alternatives. Already, in Australia and India distributed renewable power is 30-50% cheaper than the 
grid5.

5. Net-zero world 
In 2019, the UN Environmental Program confirmed carbon emissions continue to rise by 1.5% per year which will require countries to 
increase their emission-cutting ambitions fivefold to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C6. Schneider Electric is a committed role 
model in the fight against climate change, by delivering services and solutions that allow customers to reduce CO2 emissions and by 
decarbonizing its own operations. We share the responsibility and take action to facilitate progress for all and build a sustainable future 
for our planet.

1.  Source: BNEF EVO 2019.
2.  Source: IEA & Schneider Electric analysis.

3.  Source: Schneider Electric Digital Transformation Benefits Report.
4.  Source: World Economic Forum: Shaping the Future of Digital Economy  

and New Value Creation, 2019.

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Why is this relevant?

As electrification intensifies in line with energy transition, Schneider recognizes the resulting growth opportunities in our key end markets: 
buildings, infrastructures, industries, and data centers. These four make up the majority of the global future electricity demand, with buildings 
representing the highest share at approximately 60%2.

More important, buildings also represent the biggest share of untapped potential for energy efficiency, as stringent regulations are enforced. 
Schneider Electric facilitates effective energy efficiency, alongside occupant comfort in buildings, to reduce energy costs by up to 30%3. The 
same energy efficiency technologies can be applied to all industrial processes for visibility and control of energy consumption, delivering 
productivity and energy efficiency synergies though automation, power solutions and services. 

Digital transformation is a key driving force in our markets, enabling more data analytics and insights into operations for improved Energy 
Management and Process Efficiency. Digital transformation will enable more agility within these fast-changing environments. 

As  we  innovate  to  improve  our  customers’  digital  experience,  our  software  capabilities  also  offer  energy,  resource,  manufacturing,  and 
construction efficiencies, while delivering significant reliability, safety, and sustainability benefits.

Schneider Electric prides itself as the most local of global companies. We have a balanced cost base across our global operational organization. 
Our diverse teams ensure the highest level of local expertise and support for our customers’ specific needs. We have set up three regional 
headquarter hubs in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific providing opportunities for our people to grow across a global organization. Our 
global R&D footprint strengthens our innovation strategy.

With the rise of distributed generation adding to the complex mix of evolving electrical loads, we must dare to disrupt. Future innovation in 
software technology and Artificial Intelligence are key for effective real-time energy operation and optimization of loads wherever they are 
generated. We drive value creation from open and connected innovation; from technology projects with leading universities and research 
labs; from venture investments and incubating companies; and from partnerships with startups.

By  decarbonizing  energy  sources  and  increasing  energy  efficiency,  we  strive  to  reduce  carbon  emissions.  We  are  driving  sustainable 
innovation and prioritizing circular economy-based product development. The increasing complexity in energy and resource management 
requires taking a holistic approach to buying and using energy, using carbon and clean energy procurement strategies and for organizations 
to maximize their investments and build operations that can withstand global challenges. Beyond the positive environmental, social and 
governance impact, forward-thinking companies are rewarded with long-term economic gain and competitive advantage. Renewable energy 
also enables simpler solutions to provide access to electricity to all.

5.  Source: BNEF Levied Cost of Energy Projections (1H 2019 edition).
6.  Source: United Nations Environmental Program: Emissions Gap Report 2019.

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

2. Our Purpose

At Schneider, we empower all to make the 
most of their energy and resources, ensuring

everywhere, for everyone, 
at every moment.

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We provide energy and automation digital solutions  
for efficiency and sustainability

1

2

Combining energy  
and automation

A secure end-point  
to cloud ecosystem 

Our  solutions  bring  together  the  worlds  of  energy  and 
automation  to  achieve  greater  efficiency  by  designing  and 
operating both systems together. We can achieve this thanks 
to  energy  and  resource  efficiencies  built  on  real-time 
operational  insights  delivering  both  visibility  and  control  of 
energy consumption for continuous improvement and energy 
savings  as  well  as  equipment  and  production  efficiencies. 
This  is  relevant  for  all  types  of  building  and  business  and 
manufacturing  processes  from  discrete  to  hybrid  industries, 
and even electro-intensive operations.

A  secure  end-point  to  cloud  ecosystem  is  made  possible 
through the convergence of the Internet of Things, big data, 
and Artificial Intelligence from sensor to the cloud. This offers 
total digital transparency with the same information available 
to operators on the shop floor and for the C-suite. Data that is 
generated at the sensor level flows through installed assets, to 
machines, across production lines and enables manufacturers 
to improve operational productivity.

3

Full lifecycle  
management 

4

Shift from site by site 
management to integrated 
company management 

Full  lifecycle  management  from  design  and  build  to  operate 
and  maintain  via  the  power  of  end-to-end  software,  the  same 
data model is put to work for long-term operational performance 
and  reduced  costs  and  to  improve  manufacturing  and 
construction efficiency.

The  ability  to  shift  from  site  by  site  to  integrated  company 
management  to  consolidate  energy  and  resource  usage 
across  organization  or  enterprise  and  bring  a  new  level  of 
competitiveness  and  efficiency.  By  sharing  and  comparing 
real-time consumption, data resources can be benchmarked 
and reduced. 

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

3. Our business

Combining energy and automation  
for efficiency and sustainability

ABUS Crane Systems, one of Europe’s leading crane system 
manufacturers and exporters, is leveraging the power of digital and  
the Industrial Internet of Things to design ABUControl, their intelligent 
modular crane control system based on EcoStruxure™ Plant & Machine.

Energy savings up to

40%

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The Challenge

The Solution

•  Build highly complex and customized crane systems  

with different designs, size and functionality.
•  Standardize crane modules to achieve shortest 

production time possible. 

•  Operate quickly and independently of time zones  

and location.

•  ABUControl, an intelligent modular crane control system 
based on EcoStruxureTM Machine, covering all functions 
from simple to complex crane architectures for different 
cranes and hoists.

•  EcoStruxureTM Machine, the foundation to further  

develop IoT potential for ABUS’ cranes.

•  Hoisting application expertise from concept development 
with new functionalities and features, to programming, 
testing and validation.

Benefits

• 

Increased productivity by implementing all crane 
functionalities in two standard modules.

•  Simple to use and improved operational safety.
•  Reduced downtime. 
•  Up to 40% energy savings.
•  Digital data processing for preventive maintenance  

and repairs.

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

3. Our business

From end point to cloud for efficiency  
and sustainability

When BASF built a new electrical substation, they implemented EcoStruxureTM Asset Advisor for 
increased visibility into operations. The largest chemical company in the world now has a digital 
dashboard and the expert support needed to monitor critical-asset status.

The Challenge

The Solution

•  Build a state-of-the-art power distribution substation.
•  Maximize plant uptime and productivity.
• 

Increase visibility on the health of the critical electrical 
distribution assets solution.

•  EcoStruxure™ Asset Advisor.
•  Power Monitoring Expert.
•  TeSys™ motor control systems.
•  Gutor™ UPS.
•  Low and Medium Voltage switchgear.
•  Variable frequency drives.
•  DC batteries.

Benefits

•  Avoid expensive production stoppages and downtime  

due to unplanned maintenance or outage.

•  Remote and continuous monitoring of 63 prime electrical 

distribution assets.

•  +100 variables measured and computed to provide 

reliable condition-monitoring.

•  24/7 access to asset-health dashboard.
•  Personalized assistance and recommendations from 

technical experts without local intervention to promptly 
prevent failures and optimize maintenance activities.

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EcoStruxure™ Asset Advisor is helping to 
prevent catastrophic failures, by using the 
right data at the right time. And in the end, 
data is value.”

Lee Perry,
Electrical Design Engineer, BASF

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

3. Our business

Full lifecycle management for efficiency  
and sustainability

Wilmar, Australia’s largest sugar and biomass energy producer, upgraded its control  
system with a robust and reliable software system providing real-time control and visibility,  
and improved safety procedures in order to keep the Invicta Mill operating 24/7.

The Challenge
The Challenge

The Solution

•  Modernize aging boiler control system and equipment  

•  Wilmar chose Schneider’s EcoStruxureTM Plant 

at the Invicta Mill in Queensland to cope with continuous 
operating conditions during intensive production runs.
Improve productivity. 

• 
•  Reduce safety risks and inefficiencies.

architecture built on Modicon M580 Safety PLCs and 
AVEVA’s Citect SCADA software to simplify disparate 
systems and provide a complete view in one  
easy-to-use interface.

•  Embedded safety procedures in the software.

Benefits

• 
• 

Improved safety, efficiency and productivity.
Increased factory automation, driving improved 
operational performance.

•  Optimized maintenance thanks to simple alerts, 
preventative maintenance and reduced spare  
part inventories.

•  Remote access allowing operators to log on  
in the event of a fault and reduce downtime.
•  Less direct human contact with machines  

protecting maintenance staff.

EcoStruxureTM Plant provides us 
with a more thorough picture of 
our infrastructure. We have been 
able to combine our automation, 
connectivity and software into 
one system which allows us  
real-time control and visibility.”

Russell Brown,
General Manager for Asset Management,  
Wilmar Sugar Australia

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

3. Our business

From site-by-site management to integrated company  
management for efficiency and sustainability

Saint Gobain has saved millions by focusing on buying energy smarter and using  
it more efficiently across its US operational facilities.

The Challenge

The Solution

•  Reduce energy consumption and costs across Saint 

Gobain’s energy intensive production facilities.
•  Cut carbon emissions by 20% by 2025 by tackling 

plant-level efficiency to reduce environmental footprint.

•  Optimize operations and costs through centralized and 
streamlined energy procurement expertise, including 
strategic sourcing, risk management, tariff analysis, and 
invoice auditing.

•  Consumption and spend tracking using EcoStruxureTM 
Resource Advisor to provide one view of energy and 
sustainability data, and savings opportunities across  
140+ sites.

•  Across all US factories, Saint Gobain relies on 

EcoStruxureTM Edge Control and connected devices to 
drive energy efficiency.

Benefits

•  Facilities can reduce utility costs by 14%.
•  Plant operators are able to follow and modulate energy 
use based on the time of day, and adjust consumption 
when utility prices peak.

•  Saint Gobain is on track to meet its 2025  

sustainability goals.

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procurement, we have made 
savings worth millions of  
dollars and fueled innovation  
at Saint Gobain.”

Richard Brunel,
VP Purchasing, Saint Gobain North America

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4. Our growth journey

The foundation of our performance

From its beginning in steel during the Industrial Revolution in the 1830s, strengthened by long-term 
electrical distribution expertise and built upon a series of strategic acquisitions since 2003,  
Schneider Electric is today a global leader providing energy and automation digital solutions for 
efficiency and sustainability. The Group is ideally positioned for the energy transition and Industry 4.0.

Global leader in industrial automation and control 
As  a  prominent  leader  in  discrete  automation,  based  on  the  strong 
reputation of the Telemecanique brand, the Group further reinforced 
its  industrial  automation  technologies  through  the  acquisitions  of  
Citect  in  2006,  RAM  Industries  in  2008,  Cimac  and  SCADA  group  
in 2010, and Leader & Harvest in 2011. In January 2014, the acquisition 
of 
in  process  
automation  and  electro-intensive  industries.  In  September  2017,  
Schneider  Electric’s  industrial  software  business  combined  with 
AVEVA to create a global leader in engineering and industrial software.

Invensys  plc.  reinforced 

the  Group’s  position 

Digital building technologies and processes  
for efficiency and sustainability
As the result of the acquisitions of TAC in 2003, Andover Controls in 
2004, and Invensys Building Systems in 2005, the Group also became 
a major player in building automation. This was reinforced through the 
acquisition  of  Vizelia  and  D5X  in  2010.  The  acquisitions  of  Summit 
Energy (2011) and M&C Energy group (2012) increased our expertise 
in energy procurement services.

Schneider Electric strengthened its electrical design and engineering 
software  capabilities  following  the  2018  acquisition  of  IGE+XAO,  a 
market 
in  Computer  Aided  Design,  Product  Life-cycle 
Management and simulation software. In 2019, the European leader in 
calculation software for electrical installations, ALPI, joined Schneider 
Electric, strengthening prospects for international development.

leader 

Core expertise in electrical distribution
Built  on  the  market-leading  Merlin  Gerin  and  Square  D  brands,  the 
acquisitions  of  Clipsal  in  2003,  OVA,  Merten  and  GET  in  2006  and 
Marisio  and  Wessen  in  2008  have  strengthened  our  low  voltage 
portfolio globally. We grew our presence in new economies with the 
acquisition  of  a  stake  in  Delixi  in  China  in  2006,  Conzerv  (2009), 
Luminous Power Technologies (2011-2017) in India, and Steck Group 
in Brazil (2011). In 2019, the combination of Schneider Electric India’s 
Low Voltage and Industrial Automation Product business and Larsen 
and Toubro’s electrical and automation business was approved by the 
Competition Commission of India. Upon closing of the transaction, the 
Group will affirm India as Schneider Electric’s third largest country in 
terms of revenues, with a key global innovation and manufacturing hub 
located in Bangalore.

Critical power technologies became core to the Group since gaining 
majority  control  of  MGE  UPS  in  2004,  followed  by  the  acquisition  of 
American  Power  Conversion  (APC)  in  2007  and  becoming  world 
leader. We expanded operations to new economies with the acquisition 
of UPS manufacturer Microsol Tecnologia in Brazil in 2009 and APW in 
India in 2011. In 2011, we broadened our portfolio with cooling offers 
from Uniflair, data center services from Lee Technologies and backup 
power  storage  from  Luminous.  We  enhanced  our  position  in  critical 
power  with  Asco  Power  Technologies  and  its  leading  Automatic 
Transfer Switch technology in 2017.

In  2010, 

With  the  acquisition  of  AREVA  T&D’s  medium  voltage  distribution 
division  in  June  2010,  we  became  world  leader  in  medium  voltage  
and  grid  automation. 
the  Group  acquired  50%  of  
Electroshield-T Samara in Russia and then acquired full ownership in 
2013,  transforming  Russia  into  a  key  market  for  the  Group.  With  the  
acquisition  of  Telvent  in  2011,  a  Spanish  software  company  with  a 
strong  presence  in  North  America,  we  became  global  leader  in 
Advanced Distribution Management System software to manage large 
electrical networks and grids.

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2008 – 2018 
Integrate

Strong digital capabilities  
with EcoStruxureTM  
IoT-enabled platform  
boosted by cloud  
and digital services.

2003 – 2013 
Build

Synergetic  
portfolio of energy 
management, automation 
and software.

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2020 onwards 
Focus and Scale

Organic revenue growth 

+3% – 6%

Continued portfolio optimization 

€1.5 – 2bn

by 2021

Adjusted EBITA margin 

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

5. Our customer focus

Strengthening our unrivalled global  
coverage with our network of partners

A significant share of Group revenues is through intermediary partners who bring their own 
added-value and expertise to extend our market coverage. As such, we access different markets 
and segments efficiently, with a keen understanding of local market needs. We continue to focus 
on empowering our partners with digital innovation to seize new market values. Partners are 
categorized and rewarded according to their specialized expertise and according to business 
coverage. Schneider’s partners receive training and certification to develop technical, logistical, 
digital, and marketing skills and ensure expert service delivery to their own customers.

Panel builders 
As industry trends highlight a more digital and more electric energy 
landscape, a collaborative partner strategy fosters co-innovation with 
panel  builders,  who  build  and  sell  electrical  distribution  or  control/
monitoring switchboards. 

Panel builders buy low and medium voltage devices and, through the 
digital  transformation  of  our  extensive  network  of  35,000-40,000 
companies, these partners are incentivized as specialists, connected 
power system experts who can manage and maintain electrical assets 
after installation and throughout its entire operational lifetime.

tailored 

Contractors 
To  design  solutions 
to  end-users’  specific  needs,  
Schneider  Electric  works  closely  with  contractors,  small  specialists  
or  generalist  electricians,  and  large  companies  that  specialize  
in  installation  equipment  and  systems.  In  order  to  strengthen  
trust  and  added  value,  
a 
Schneider  Electric  partners  actively  with  contractors,  providing 
technical  training  and  support.  To  maximize  impact,  we  have  a 
multichannel partner model increasingly focusing on digital interaction 
thanks to our Partner Relationship Management (PRM) platform.

relationship  based  on  mutual 

System integrators 
System integrators design, integrate, and support automation to meet 
their customers’ needs for the performance, reliability, precision, and 
efficiency  of  their  operations.  Schneider  Electric  gives  system 
integrators  access  to  all  areas  of  automation  from  field  control  to 
Manufacturing Execution Systems and Building Automation Systems.

Specifiers/consulting engineers 
To  meet  their  customers’  specific  demands  for  safety,  comfort,  or 
operational  and  energy  efficiency,  specialist  engineers,  architects, 
and design firms are prescribing more efficient and integrated energy 
management  solutions,  as  well  as  for  critical  power,  security,  and 
building automation. They are essential partners for Schneider Electric 
receive  application-focused  design 
and 
information  and  tools,  such  as  installation  guides,  design  software, 
and training methods.

through  collaboration 

Distributors and retailers 
We are preparing our distributor partners for the future and offering 
new tools to enable them to succeed in their own digital transformation. 
Innovating with chatbots for customer support and implementing AI-
based product selectors and e-design tools on partner websites drive 
more e-commerce sales, currently growing at +30% year-on-year. 

E-commerce  is  changing  the  world  of  electrical  distributors  and 
retailers  fast.  For  example,  in  Switzerland,  the  Netherlands,  and 
Denmark, in just five years, more than 50% of business is online.

Our  omnichannel  distribution  strategy  is  based  on  three  models  – 
diffused  coverage,  project-based,  and  through  specialists  –  and  it 
meets  different  residential,  commercial,  industrial,  and  IT  buyers’ 
expectations. Our products are easily accessible through a seamless 
online-to-offline  experience.  The  different  distributor  models  now 
represent ~45% of total Group turnover, with sustained growth.

The Group’s main distributor partners are:
•  Electrical  distributors  (both  global  and  regional  players)  such  as 
Rexel,  Sonepar,  CED  Edmunson,  Graybar,  Imelco,  Idee,  and 
Fegime buying groups with both online and offline presence.

•  Specialists in IT, telecom, and data center applications for critical 

infrastructures, such as Tech Data and Ingram Micro. 

•  DIY  retailers,  such  as  Home  Depot  and  Lowe’s  in  the  US,  Saint 
Gobain  Distribution  in  France  and  Brazil,  and  Adeo  Group  and 
Kingfisher  in  Europe  and  Russia,  to  ensure  strong  presence  in 
home improvement and renovation markets.

•  Online  marketplaces  and  e-tailers,  such  as  RS  Components, 
T-Mall,  and  Grainger  for  specific  applications  and  according  to 
regional presence.

•  Specialist  technical  distributors  for  automation  and  industrial 

software solutions, access control and security products.

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Electricians 
Electricians design and implement electrical installations, primarily in 
residential and small non-residential buildings. They are key customers, 
and we have one of the most comprehensive networks of electricians 
worldwide.  Schneider  Electric  enables  electricians 
to  operate  
more  efficiently  through  a  suite  of  training,  technical  support,  and 
digital  tools,  such  as  “My  Schneider  Electric”  app  and  more  than 
400,000  electricians  are  registered  on  such  digital  platforms.  
Schneider  Electric  strengthens  its  relationship  with  electricians  by 
increasing their visibility to end-users through different tools including 
online “installer locators.”

Original equipment manufacturers 
Schneider  Electric  works  closely  with  more  than  15,000  Original 
improve  machine  price/
Equipment  Manufacturers  (OEMs) 
performance  and  reduce  time-to-market  for  packaging,  conveyor, 
material handling, hoisting, and HVAC applications. We nurture strong 
OEM  partnerships  through  a  program  for  multi-site  and/or  global 
OEMs to enhance their capacity to deliver internationally.

to 

EcoXpert: the implementation  
arms of EcoStruxure and Wiser 

Unique in our industry, Schneider Electric’s 
EcoXpert™ Partner Program is the only cross-
expertise ecosystem serving our customers. 
Trained and certified by Schneider Electric, the 
EcoXpert network spans the globe offering local 
expertise in building automation, power 
solutions, and energy efficiency across several 
commercial verticals such as healthcare, hotels, 
commercial real estate, data centers, and retail 
– as well as in the residential market. Its mission 
is to connect expertise, ignite growth, and enable 
success for EcoXpert partner companies so they 
can better serve our valued customers.

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Our Innovation World Tour brought together over 3500 customers in Barcelona in October 2019

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5. Our customer focus

Strategic customers and end-market segments

Schneider Electric works with large end-users in a number of strategic segments including: 

Discrete manufacturing
Mobility,  where  the  Group  serves  large  automotive  equipment 
manufacturers,  electric  car  battery  manufacturers,  and  electric  car 
infrastructure  providers,  to  enable  digitization  and  address  the 
individual  and  collective 
transformation  and  electrification  of 
transportation (cars, railways, airports, last-mile delivery, etc.).

Hybrid manufacturing
Consumer Packaged Goods, in which the Group is enabling digital 
transformation  at  every  step  of  the  value  chain  for  improved 
sustainability, efficiency, and traceability for Food & Beverages, FMCG 
(Fast Moving Consumer Goods), and Life Sciences companies.

Mining,  Minerals  &  Metals,  which  includes  customers  in  mining, 
cement, metals, and other bulk materials, where the Group is helping 
customers  to  achieve  greater  energy  and  production  efficiency  for 
manufacturing operations with IoT-enabled solutions.

Process manufacturing
Water  &  Wastewater,  which  includes  customers  across  the  entire 
water cycle, from water resources to water distribution, sewerage, and 
treatment.  The  Group  is  empowering  customers  to  enhance  key 
processes and applications across the smart water cycle by leveraging 
innovative solutions.

Oil & Gas & Petrochemicals, in which the Group provides integrated 
digital  solutions  and  high-performance  systems,  software,  and 
services  to  oil  companies,  petrochemical  companies,  and  EPCs 
(Engineering  Procurement  &  Construction),  from  production  to 
processing and supply chain operations.

Critical buildings
Cloud  &  service  providers,  in  which  the  Group  provides  secure 
digital solutions to increase efficiency, lower costs, reduce cycle time, 
and manage risks for customers including internet giants, as well as in 
co-location and network solutions.

Healthcare, where the Group serves hospitals, clinics, labs, and life 
sciences manufacturing to improve safety, patients’ satisfaction, and 
operational  efficiency  with  IoT  solution  architectures  for  digital 
hospitals.

Non-critical buildings
Real estate, where the Group offers intelligent building technologies 
that maximize operational efficiency, ensure maximum energy savings, 
and lower overall OPEX costs while ensuring physical security as well 
as cybersecurity.

Hotels, where the Group serves hospitality companies that manage 
hotels and related lodging facilities to improve financial performance, 
reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, and reinvest savings into 
the hotel guest experience.

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Other energy-intensive companies
Electricity  companies,  where 
the  Group  serves  companies 
producing,  delivering,  and/or  selling  electricity  to  reduce  carbon 
footprint,  digitize  networks,  connect  customers  to  smart  grids, 
overcome evolving challenges, and meet future needs.

Schneider Electric also addresses the following  
end-markets globally
Semiconductors: assisting companies engaged in the manufacture 
of semiconductor devices to sustain the highest level of performance 
and availability for mission-critical clean room environments in a safe 
manner.

Transportation:  the  Group  ensures  reliable  power  for  safe,  stable, 
and  efficient  operations  for  airport,  rail,  subway,  port,  and  tunnel 
infrastructure  –  ensuring  reliable  power  for  safety,  stability,  and 
efficiency.

Schneider Electric operates an integrated sales model across all these 
segments, generating revenues either directly from end-user sales or 
indirectly  through  distributors,  integrators,  and  machine  builders 
(OEMs).  For  this,  Schneider  Electric  has  deployed  one  unique 
Customer Relationship Management system across the Group and is 
currently running a global program to further transform its key account 
management practices at all levels, toward higher effectiveness and 
efficiency.

Schneider  Electric  serves  its  global  “strategic  account”  customers 
through  a  dedicated  organization,  aimed  at  developing  privileged 
relationships and a value proposition that meets the key business and 
digital transformation challenges.

This  organization  is  based  on  short  lines  of  communication  and 
decision-making,  rapid  mobilization  of  Group  resources  throughout 
the  world,  and  dedicated  teams  in  which  management  is  directly 
involved.

Schneider Electric serves ~75 global customers including Apple, BHP 
Billiton,  ExxonMobil,  Nestlé,  and  Veolia  as  well  as  99  customers  for 
which  we  developed  a  multi-country  centralized  approach,  (e.g. 
TechnipFMC, Danone, Coca-Cola).

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6. Our open ecosystem: Schneider Electric Exchange

We are committed  
to unleashing the 
infinite possibilities of 
an open, connected, 
innovative community.

Registered users

+53,000 

Hosted offers

+300 

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A digital ecosystem to create, collaborate and scale 
business growth 

Business as usual simply won’t work in  
the Industry 4.0 economy. The hyper-
connected world is too fast. In April 2019,  
Schneider Electric announced a new approach 
to digital innovation – one that promises speed, 
agility, and the ability to see and address 
customer problems in a better way. 

Schneider Electric Exchange is the world’s first cross-industry open 
ecosystem dedicated to solving real-world sustainability and efficiency 
challenges. This business platform empowers a diverse community to 
create and scale business solutions and seize new market value. With 
Schneider Electric Exchange, individuals gain entry to a vast network 
of technical tools and resources to develop, share, and sell digital and 
IoT innovations to drive worldwide economies of scale.

At the nexus of old and new
The Group is committed to unleashing the infinite possibilities and bold 
ideas of this open, global, innovative community. The robust platform 
brings  forward  a  new  way  to  work  by  fundamentally  shifting  the 
mindset from single companies building technology to a diverse crowd 
focused  on  quickly  solving  real-world  efficiency  and  sustainability 
challenges,  by  looking  at  them  from  multiple  vantage  points  in  a 
collaborative way.

Digitization  continues  to  revolutionize  the  way  we  work  and  behave. 
The world can no longer work in independent silos; the need for better 
integration  and  collaboration  has  unearthed  new  opportunities  and 
solutions.  Schneider  Electric  Exchange  brings  together  a  diverse 
ecosystem of digital innovators and experts, enabling the co-creation 
of  solutions  and  enriching  learning  and  speed  through  collective 
intelligence.

Schneider  Electric  Exchange  draws  on  the  Group’s  ecosystem  of 
digital  partners  to  accelerate  and  scale  innovation  –  and  provide 
companies with the tools needed to operationalize Artificial Intelligence 
for real-world problems. For instance, Accenture, a global management 
consulting and professional services firm, brings the ability to create 
customized solutions and develop digital business models. Schneider 
Electric Exchange represents an evolution of Schneider Electric’s long 
history of networking with partners. 

In the ecosystem, for example, the industrial software startup Senseye 
publishes its predictive maintenance SaaS solutions in the Schneider 
Electric Exchange Digital Marketplace. Senseye gains customers and 
builds out new use cases that enable Senseye to further improve its 
predictive  maintenance  solutions,  while  their  customers  –  typically 
traditional,  legacy  enterprises  –  can  use  Senseye’s  data-driven 
solutions to better maintain and utilize their manufacturing equipment. 

Also part of the Schneider Electric Exchange community, Capgemini 
(a  global  leader  in  consulting,  technology  services  and  digital 
transformation) offers expertise in Smart Leakage Management, which 
integrates innovative algorithms and multiple datasets on a versatile, 
open, and reusable platform. This capability allows water companies 
to detect and pinpoint leaks faster and from a mobile device.

Looking at problems through new lenses
There  is  power  in  having  multiple  perspectives.  What  differentiates 
Schneider Electric Exchange is that it brings together people across 
industries  and  practice  areas  that  share  a  passion  for  sustainability 
and  efficiency,  enabling  collaboration  and 
interaction  across 
ecosystems.  Schneider  Electric  Exchange  amplifies  the  Group’s 
ability  and  innovative  stance  for  addressing  existing  energy  and 
process efficiency problems through not just a new lens but actually a 
number of lenses (data, software, services). Doing so allows Schneider 
Electric to devise Industry 4.0 solutions in innovative, better, and more 
competitive ways.

While all applications, software, 
datasets, analytics, and tools  
are available to everyone, we 
focus on the specific needs  
and expectations of each 
community engaged in 
Schneider Electric Exchange.”

Hervé Coureil, 
Chief Digital Officer, Schneider Electric

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

7. Our People Vision

Great people make Schneider Electric  
a great company

As the changes to our world accelerate and transform our industry, we regard our company 
culture as a key business differentiator to achieve profitable growth through innovation and 
outpace the market.

The energy transition requires Schneider Electric to work closely in our 
different markets and to develop a shared vision with our customers, 
supported  by  faster  innovation,  technology  and  deep  insights.  As 
such, we need to empower our people and shape our organizational 
culture to meet this challenge. Digitization is also changing the way we 
work,  and  creating  new  opportunities  for  customers,  suppliers,  and 
our  teams.  We  believe  this  change  is  a  great  catalyst  for  employee 
engagement and enables us to articulate a meaningful purpose that 
motivates us all. We are passionate about efficiency and sustainability 
and we believe that innovation has a positive impact on our planet; a 
rare  opportunity  to  reconcile  the  paradox  between  progress  for  all, 
and a sustainable future.

Globalization  allows  Schneider  Electric  to  welcome  more  diverse 
teams and to ensure our local presence best supports our customers’ 
specific needs. We prioritize how we develop and retain our employees 
to  create  an  inclusive  workplace  that  offers  long-term  career  and 
development prospects, and learning pathways. We are the most local 
of  global  companies,  built  across  three  headquarters  (Paris,  Hong 
Kong  and  Boston)  providing  opportunities  to  grow  within  our 
organization.  And,  we  are  continuously  championing  diversity  and 
inclusion to make a bigger impact on society.

The very nature of the workforce and the job market is evolving. There 
are up to five generations working side by side, and each generation 
has a varied set of expectations of their employer. This in turn is leading 
to a shift towards a highly-personalized employee experience. We aim 
to empower our people and shape our organizational culture to create 
an engaging environment for employees. 

All this change influences how we work together, and how we ultimately 
create  value  for  our  customers.  We  updated  our  people  vision  to 
accelerate our business performance and transform our culture and 
leadership. At Schneider Electric, we are building for the future, in sync 
with the changes happening in our markets and with our customers.

Our People Vision consists of the following
Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is our commitment to engage 
existing  and  future  talent.  It’s  the  reason  why  people  join,  stay  and 
remain  engaged  and  shows  how  we  differentiate  ourselves  as  an 
employer.

Our  Core  Values  determine  who  we  are  and  what  we  do,  and  they 
define the way we work together and deliver on our EVP promise. Our 
values guide our choices and illustrate the behaviors we expect our 
employees to demonstrate.

Our Leadership Expectations show how we expect Leaders to drive 
the Group for the future. They emphasize how our leaders will transform 
Schneider Electric by stepping up both individually and collectively.

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#SEGreatPeople 

Since  launching  our  People  Vision  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2018,  our 
efforts in 2019 have focused on executing our vision through our day-
to-day interaction. We regularly survey our teams to measure employee 
awareness and to gather and address their feedback. Our behaviors 
have been incorporated progressively in all our people rituals such as 
recruitment 
interviewing),  performance  evaluation, 
recognition and promotion of leaders (based on our defined behaviors). 
We also implemented policies to foster better work-life integration and 
developed  frameworks  to  help  our  employees  manage  their  own 
situation.  The  initiatives  we  have  launched,  and  the  ones  we’re 
continuing to build on, reflect our goal to be the best place to work, so 
the best people choose us and then stay with us. 

(behavioral 

In 2019 our employees and leaders expressed in their own words what 
the Schneider Electric core values and leadership expectations meant 
to them. As ambassadors for their chosen value, #SEGreatPeople 
videos were published through internal communication channels and 
on Schneider’s social media accounts.

I am deeply honored, as one of the  
first winners of the #SEGreatPeople 
Ambassador Program, to pioneer such  
a great initiative. Making your voice heard 
is above and beyond anything imagined; 
it gives you the courage and faith to 
achieve what you have in mind. Today,  
my small win for Papua Next Genz 
community got greater and I am 
extremely happy for that. Looking  
forward to seeing them be the future 
#SEGreatPeople!”

Florence Tuhumury
Winner of the #SEGreatPeople Ambassador Program

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

8. Our expertise

Innovation is key to fulfilling growth ambitions

For today’s market incumbents, true innovation is about balancing the old with the new. It’s  
about innovating at the core to grow market share today while simultaneously exploring the digital 
transitions that will grow tomorrow. In parallel, entire industries are undergoing rapid changes  
fueled by artificial intelligence, autonomous technologies, mixed reality systems, electrification,  
and distributed renewables.

The answer lies in dynamic collaboration that can truly push forward 
the  digital  transformation  of  energy  management  and  industrial 
automation,  new  business  models,  and  solutions  for  sustainable 
progress.  Business  as  usual  simply  won’t  work  in  the  Industry  4.0 
economy. We need new approaches, that promise speed, agility, and 
the ability to see and address customer problems differently. 

We  believe  innovation  is  how  we  will  be  market  leaders  in  the  new 
electric world. While we dare to disrupt, we also recognize we cannot 
do it alone. We partner with small and large companies that complement 
our core business to co-innovate the future. 

We  not  only  help  our  customers  on  their  sustainability  and  digital 
transformation journey; we are transforming alongside them. 

At the heart of the digital transformation of our industry, EcoStruxure™ 
is  our  open,  interoperable,  IoT-enabled  system  architecture  and 
platform,  delivering  enhanced 
reliability,  efficiency, 
sustainability,  and  connectivity.  EcoStruxure  is  deployed  across  six 
domains – Building, Power, IT, Machine, Plant, and Grid in more than 
480,000  installations,  with  the  support  of  over  20,000  system 
integrators, connecting more than 1 billion devices. 

safety, 

Culture of change
Our businesses continue to transform our R&D practices to faster and 
improved innovation. Key pillars to this strategy are to:

•  Ensure customer intimacy and insights are a part of the R&D culture 

through frequent customer interaction during offer creation;

• 

Improve accountability through effective project management and 
governance;

•  Define R&D footprint principles to make the best use of our global 

technical resources;

•  Define specific technical career paths for better career planning 

with reward and recognition programs for experts;

•  Extend the use of lean and Agile methodologies during the Offer 
Creation Process to develop new offers faster and launch them to 
the market effectively;

•  Elevate our Winning Launches program to operationalize 

systematically the launch process, orchestrate EcoStruxure 
system launches, and innovate with more digital offers; and

•  Ensure consistency with respect to data, in all EcoStruxure 

domain architectures.

In 2019, the Group launched innovative offers across its businesses, energy management and industrial automation: 

TeSys island

Modicon M262

Easergy P5

EcoStruxure Process  
Safety Advisor

ComPact NSXm  
Micrologic Vigi

EcoStruxure Power Advisor

EcoStruxure IT Advisor

EcoStruxure Workplace 
Advisor

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Innovation to meet sustainability goals 

Introducing Christophe Prévé, a Technical Master Expert in our 
Energy Management business, on the Group’s new disruptive 
SF6-free products.

Q: Can you explain the importance of launching 
this new technology in 2019?
A: Following Schneider’s COP21 commitments to reduce carbon 
emissions by eliminating sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas, we have 
been  working  on  viable  alternative  technologies  for  electrical 
switchgear. We’ve replaced the SF6 gas with pure air in our latest 
range  of  MV  switchgear  while  still  bringing  the  right  level  of 
insulation  and  breaking  performance  to  quench  arcs  as  well  as 
meeting customers’ floor space requirements. Our Shunt Vacuum 
Interruption (SVI) technology is protected by 50 patents and allows 
us to use pure air as insulation. By integrating this differentiating 
technology in our roadmap, we will totally eliminate SF6 from our 12 
product ranges, as committed.

Q: Did you test new innovation methods when 
developing this technology?
A:  As  a  recognized  Technical  Master  Expert,  I  worked  with  my 
innovation  community  colleagues  across  our  global  specialized 
hubs from design, engineering, industrialization and marketing to 
secure  a  step-by-step  development  process  thanks  to  monthly 
sprint reviews. We exchanged with customers from the very early 
stages, taking into account their open feedback and to ensure this 

innovation  answers  all  their  needs.  Using  agile  management 
methods means that our roadmap is clearly defined and on track 
to replace all our SF6 product ranges by 2025. Thanks to our multi-
hub model, we are able to leverage our global innovation power 
while adapting the deployment to evolving markets in both Europe 
and China.

Q: How did our customers and other industry 
stakeholders react to this disruptive innovation?
A:  For  some  time  now,  I  have  been  meeting,  exchanging  and 
convincing the broad community of international experts as well as 
customers that this alternative is reliable and can substitute SF6.  
I  have  presented  papers  on  this  in  Europe  and  China  and  with 
different  electrical  equipment  manufacturing  associations  to 
shape  the  future  technology  of  MV  switchgear.  Through  many 
discussions  with  customers,  who  welcome  this  environmentally-
friendly  alternative,  we  are,  today,  installing  pre-series  SF6-free 
switchgear in France, Sweden, Germany and China.

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8. Our expertise

Step change in innovative behavior

Accelerating and improving our new offer development practices is key to the Group’s innovation 
strategy, as our market-leading position and brand reputation is built on our core electrical and 
automation technology.

Safeguarding our expert knowledge is vital, but equally transforming 
how we advance the technology to support the digitization of our end 
markets is key to our future growth. To be successful in this change, we 
not only need to transform our innovation methodologies and process 
but also change the way our teams behave and the speed at which 
they work, through a more entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset. 
Since  integrating  automation  and  software  technologies  into  our 
industrial  automation  portfolio,  more  technology  teams  across  both 
our global businesses are adopting “Design Thinking and Lean Start 
Up” methodologies.

The  Group’s  business  units  have  been  deploying  Lean  Models  of 
product  development  since  2014,  with  all  Industrial  Automation 
product  lines  using  Lean  Agile  practices  for  Industrial  Internet  of 
Things  and  Digital  Plant  solutions  and  as  Incubators  for  new 
technologies.  This  is  deployed  through  a  network  of  Coaches  and 
Lean  Agile  change  agents  across  multiple  awareness,  training  and 
coaching  sessions.  The  Lean  Agile  Transformation  has  been 
successful  in  changing  our  mindset,  behaviors  and  culture.  This 
initiative  will  continue  to  scale  to  cover  all  product  and  process 
innovation in 2020.

To  help  customers  reach  their  efficiency  goals  and  enable  optimal 
operational  performance,  the  Group’s  technical  communities  are 
consolidating  its  end-to-end  systems  expertise  through  a  defined 
approach and data models alongside specific methods and tools to 
deliver  successful  and  replicable  systems.  These  practices  break 
down  whole  EcoStruxure  systems  into  parts  according  to  required 
system functionalities. To achieve this, the process takes into account 
customer  needs  and  targeted  user  experience  while  ensuring 
interoperability  and  consistency  throughout  the  system  lifecycle. 
Comprehensive systems-thinking defines technical specifications and 
functional  architectures  per  use  case  before  integration,  verification 
testing and validation so that the end-to-end system delivers in terms 
of safety, reliability and cybersecurity features. 

In  2019,  the  Group  deployed  new  training  courses  and  coaching 
sessions  to  skill  up  teams  and  ensure  more  Agile  principals  in  their 
product development, to improve performance, or to add new features 
to  an  existing  offer.  Thanks  to  a  heightened  understanding  of 
customers’ activities, new ideas and concepts are generated to solve 
detected pain points and ranked in terms of competitive advantage. 
Through  demos  and  sharing  3D  prototypes  and  mock-ups  with 
customers,  only  those  early-stage  designs  and  Minimum  Viable 
Products  that  offer  genuine  differentiated  value  qualify  for  further 
development  and  field  tests.  Innovation  Boot  Camps  in  Europe,  the 
US, and China, trained teams to apply those new methodologies on 
real projects and transform our product expertise for the digital world. 

In  parallel,  new  methodologies  in  process  innovation  promote  the 
implementation  of  new  or  improved  development  and  methods  to 
deliver value to customers, as well as reduce time-to-market and costs 
through effective planning, collaboration, and risk management.

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Building an intrapreneurship mindset 
In 2019, the Impact League program experimented with new innovation 
methods. Cross-functional teams pooled diverse skills from across the 
Group to foster new ideas, fast-track development and transform our 
innovation practices from the inside! 

Key process innovation practices implemented 
include: 
•  Retrospection/learning cycles, iterative and incremental 
development, short interval management/daily standup 
meetings, visual workflow management, design reviews, 
design-to-Cost, test driven development, automation, 
continuous integration and testing, root cause analysis, and 
problem solving.

•  Theory of constraint methodology, Scrum Framework/Kanban.

•  Scaled Agile Framework for systems thinking. 

The  Group  strategy  aims  at  uniting  and  strengthening  its  R&D 
engineering  resources  and  competencies  to  serve  global  and  local 
markets  from  technology  hubs  in  North  America,  Europe,  India  and 
China.  As  such,  Schneider  Electric  systems  are  built  on  solid  and 
scalable designs which can easily evolve to address future requirements. 

As  an  example,  in  2019  the  Group  developed  new  EcoStruxure 
systems  architectures  for  Retail  Chains  incorporating  innovative 
system  designs  for  electrical  distribution  and  building  management 
including  HVAC  and  lighting  as  well  as  specific  refrigeration 
functionalities which retail groups can leverage across multiple sites.

This initiative was a great opportunity to 
apply lean start-up and design thinking 
methods through digital ideation, to 
collaborate with a diverse set of 
colleagues, each bringing their own 
business strengths to cover all aspects of 
an innovation project. In less than three 
months our idea was documented, tested 
with Schneider experts and successfully 
shortlisted as the most promising project. 
The next phase will confirm if we pitch our 
Circular Economy idea well enough to 
become a real business opportunity.”

Mireia Miralles, 
from Impact League France’s winning team

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

8. Our expertise

Innovation at the Edge

Building the solutions and business models for the new electric world.

Innovation  in  our  core  business  is  essential  to  drive  revenue  growth 
and market penetration, which is why the Group invests 5% of revenues 
in  R&D  to  ensure  we  have  market  leading  products,  software  and 
services.  To  build  future  growth  engines,  innovation  based  on 
collaboration with external partners is needed to take risks with new 
business  models  and  technologies,  without  disrupting  the  core 
activities.  The  Group’s  Innovation  at  the  Edge  program  facilitates 
investments, incubations, partnerships, and joint ventures with external 
companies. 

SE Ventures
SE Ventures includes our team of investment professionals, based in 
Silicon  Valley,  who  are  actively  investing  in  global  businesses  from 
early to late stage with a EUR 500 million fund. Key focus areas include 
future  buildings  and  industry  technologies,  AI  &  IoT,  software, 
cybersecurity,  electromobility,  and  distributed  energy  resources.  In 
2019, notable investments included AutoGrid, Claroty, Volta Charging, 
and Sense. 

Incubations
The incubations part of the program assesses and nurtures internally 
and externally sourced ideas for incubation, building new companies 
that operate independently to remain agile. Companies are incubated 
internally  or  through  one  of  four  global  incubation  partners  such  as 
Powerhouse  or  Greentown  Labs.  Entrepreneurs  are  mentored  and 
supported on their journey to grow their businesses. In 2019, both eIQ, 
an  electric  fleet  management  company,  and  Clipsal  Solar,  which 
provides residential solar solutions, were launched. 

Partnerships 
By matchmaking startups to our core businesses, we are able to test 
new technologies or business models, run pilots, and create market 
traction  together.  This  program  enables  entrepreneurs  to  grow  and 
bring fresh external innovation to our core business. For example, our 
partnership  with  Tuya  in  2019  allowed  us  to  develop  an  energy 
management app in record time. 

Joint ventures
Some new business ideas are best built with other large companies to 
leverage  the  strengths  of  both.  In  2019,  together  with  the  Carlyle 
Group, we launched AlphaStruxure to deliver energy-as-a-service for 
infrastructure.  Such  joint  ventures  enable  access  to  the  specific 
resources  within  the  parent  companies  but  continue  to  operate  
with agility.

Innovating at the edge of our business means transforming bold ideas 
into future business to disrupt markets and drive long-term growth. At 
Schneider we prioritize partners, and we are not afraid of long-term 
partnerships.  Our  global  footprint  facilitates  access  to  new  markets, 
and  we  provide  more  than  just  capital.  Our  technical  expertise  and 
market knowledge empower companies to grow.

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Schneider Electric’s incubation program 
gave me the independence necessary to 
be agile and innovative while supporting 
me with the depth of resources the 
company has to offer.”

Sila Kiliccote, 
CEO and Founder eIQ Mobility

A closer relationship with  
Schneider Electric as an investor,  
partner and board member creates  
a path toward our common goal  
of creating a more sustainable  
energy future.”

Amit Narayan, 
Founder and CEO AutoGrid

As an investor and partner,  
Schneider Electric gives us access  
to its massive scale and its deep 
expertise in buildings.”

Mike Phillips, 
Founder and CEO Sense

Companies in incubation

18 

Direct investments

11 

Start ups in partnership pipeline

+200 

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9. Our integrated supply chain

Manufacturing and supply chain: meeting global, 
efficiency and sustainability objectives

Schneider Electric has 191 plants and 97 distribution centers around the world.  
Customer satisfaction is its top priority.

While  working  constantly  to  improve  occupational  health  and  safety 
and  environmental  protection,  Schneider  Electric’s  manufacturing 
policy aims to fulfill four key objectives, in order of priority:

solutions.  We  consider  customer  expectations  concerning  our 
products’ environmental profile, information transparency and access, 
and even end-of-life product management.

•  To  achieve  a  level  of  quality  and  service  that  meets  or  exceeds 

customer expectations;

•  To  obtain  cost-competitive  products  while  continuing  to  deliver 

strong and consistent productivity;

•  To develop system speed and efficiency and limit production sites’ 
risk  exposure  (currency  parity,  geopolitical  risks  and  changes  in 
cost factors);

•  To  optimize  cash  and  capital  employed 

in  manufacturing 

In terms of Health and Safety, a range of programs are in progress to 
boost  the  “Safety  Culture”  of  each  of  our  sites  and  each  of  our 
employees, in particular through safety visits, training and recognition 
of good practice. We conduct Health and Safety audits on each of our 
sites  in  order  to  assess  practices,  performance,  governance  and 
culture. Monthly and quarterly steering committees are held with the 
Group’s  top  management  in  order  to  track  progress  and  make  the 
necessary decisions for continuous improvement.

These  safety  programs  cover  our  entire  value  chain,  including  R&D, 
purchasing, manufacturing, logistics, marketing, sales, and field services.

Schneider Electric has implemented a policy to systematically identify 
and reduce its industrial risk in order to secure maximum service to its 
customers and to minimize any impact of disaster, whether it is internal 
in nature (fire) or external (natural disasters). This policy relies on local 
actions to remove the identified risks following audits led by an external 
firm recognized by insurers, as well as an action plan for the continuity 
of  production.  If,  after  corrective  actions,  the  risk  remains  too  high, 
then the activity is repeated at another Schneider Electric site. Since 
2014,  this  process  has  been  extended  to  single  source  suppliers  in 
order  to  reduce  the  risk  level  in  five  areas  (financial,  geopolitical, 
industrial, quality and dependence on Schneider Electric activity), in 
addition to identifying the action plan in the event of a supply disruption.

operations.

A  significant  number  of  the  production  facilities  and  distribution 
centers are dedicated to the global market. The other units are located 
as  close  as  possible  to  their  end-markets.  Although  design  and/or 
aesthetic  features  may  be  adapted  to  meet  local  requirements, 
Schneider Electric standardizes key components as much as possible. 
This  global/local  approach  helps  Schneider  Electric  maximize 
economies of scale and optimize profitability and service quality.

Drawing  on  its  global  scope,  Schneider  Electric  is  constantly  re-
balancing and optimizing its manufacturing and supply chain resources.

Continuous improvement on a global scale
At the same time, an industrial excellence program called Schneider 
Performance  System  (SPS)  has  been  rolled  out  in  all  plants  to 
substantially and continuously improve service quality and productivity. 
The  program  also  considers  our  environmental  and  staff  health  and 
safety  criteria.  Based  on  a  lean  manufacturing  approach,  SPS  is 
supported  by  the  extension  of  Six  Sigma  and  Quality  and  Value 
Analysis programs across the Group. By deploying these optimization 
methods  globally  and  sharing  best  practices,  the  Group  intends  to 
raise  the  operational  performance  of  all  its  plants  to  the  same  high 
standard.

Schneider Electric’s sites and products meet the applicable regulatory 
requirements  relating  to  the  environment.  A  continuous  assessment 
system to ensure compliance with regulations is in place, relying mainly 
on internal and external auditors. On a regular basis, these norms and 
standards are exceeded by the specific requirements we set ourselves, 
for instance by replacing certain materials and substances used for our 
products before regulations require us to do so.

Our plants and logistics centers with more than 50 employees are ISO 
14001 (environment) certified, and almost half of these sites have also 
achieved  ISO  50001  (energy  efficiency)  certification.  We  implement 
an integrated management system that also covers Quality (ISO 9001) 
and  Health  and  Safety  (OHSAS  18001).  In  2016,  Schneider  Electric 
continued  implementing  its  Environmental  and  Health  &  Safety 
strategies  for  the  2015-2020  period,  focusing  efforts  on  EcoDesign, 
CO2 emission reduction, circular economy goals for our products and 
the  resources  used  to  develop  them  as  well  as  energy  efficiency 
objectives.  We  strive  to  constantly  boost  our  customers’  ability  to 
objectively  assess  the  environmental  added  value  provided  by  our 

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This digitization is accompanied by a reinforcement of cybersecurity in 
the supply chain to ensure the digital security of our products and of 
our production process.

Recognized for supply chain innovation in 
manufacturing and sustainability
All  these  efforts  to  improve  the  supply  chain  have  been  recognized 
outside the Company. Gartner, the leading IT research and advisory 
firm, ranked Schneider Electric’s supply chain third in Europe in 2019 
and 11th worldwide, a continuous improvement since 2014 of 18 and 55 
places respectively.

The  Group  also  won  the  2019  Industrial  Manufacturing  Supply 
Chainnovator  Award  in  Gartner’s  2019  Supply  Chainnovator  Awards 
which “recognizes unconventional, innovative and high-impact supply 
chain initiatives in the industrial manufacturing sector.”

The World Economic Forum has designated four of our Smart Factories 
as Fourth Industrial Revolution “Lighthouses”. Lighthouses are those 
that have comprehensively deployed a wide range of Fourth Industrial 
Revolution technologies and use cases at scale, while keeping people 
and sustainability at the heart of their innovation strategies. Our smart 
factories  in  Le  Vaudreuil,  France  and  in  Batam,  Indonesia  are 
recognised as Advanced Lighthouses and those in Wuhan, China and 
in Monterrey, Mexico are recognised as Developing Lighthouses.

The Group’s smart factories showcase how digitization drives end-to-
end efficiency for customers in industrial environments, leveraging:

•  Agile  Management  –  shop  floor  agility:  bringing  control  to  the 

enterprise level;

•  Process Efficiency – better closed-loop measurement and control 

for faster processing;

•  Asset  Performance  Management  –  optimized  asset  use  for 

improved profitability;

•  Empowered  Operators  –  for  effective  decision  making  on  the 

factory floor;

•  Reliability – securing plant, process, and asset uptime;
•  Energy  Efficiency  –  visibility,  control,  and  optimization  of  power 

consumption and costs.

The digitization of the supply chain
Since  2013,  Schneider  Electric  put  emphasis  on  digitization  to 
accelerate and intensify its transformation, and in 2017, Global Supply 
Chain launched Tailored Sustainable and Connected supply chain 4.0, 
adding six digital accelerators to the previous program, to speed up 
our transformation thanks to increasing digitization.

Source,  Make,  Deliver,  Plan,  Care  and  Innovate  are  the  six  digital 
transformations just launched to target a full end- to-end digital supply 
chain,  to  optimize  our  efficiency  at  the  same  time  as  bringing  more 
value to our customers.

Supply chain optimization will benefit from the flow model, combined 
with  the  integration  of  the  IT  systems  of  our  logistics  partners  with 
cloud technology. Similarly, a partnership with Kinaxis will enable the 
digitization of industrial planning and extend its scope. This technology 
facilitates  interaction  loops  between  the  different  functions  and 
improves  our  responsiveness  to  customers  while  also  significantly 
reducing the value of fixed assets in inventory. Finally, the development 
of  new  features  tailored  to  each  customer  segment  on  our  targeted 
supply  chain  computer  systems  is  supported  by  a  strengthened  IT 
convergence plan.

This digitization of the supply chain uses our EcoStruxure™ solutions 
and Schneider Electric will have about 100 of industrial sites by 2020 
to  show  case  EcoStruxure™  as  one  of  the  best  in  class  solutions  
to optimize Process and Energy Efficiency, but also Asset reliability. 
TSC 4.0 fully meets the priorities of the Group’s industrial strategy by 
targeting customer satisfaction first and foremost, reducing costs for 
increasing responsiveness and reducing capital employed.

We continue to fully digitize our 
interactions with partners with our  
Tailored Sustainable and Connected  
4.0 end-to-end supply chain to deliver 
best-in-class quality, customer service 
and competitiveness for sustainable 
growth”.

Mourad Tamoud, 
Executive Vice-President, Global Supply Chain

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9. Our integrated supply chain

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A personalized response to customer needs
Since  2012,  Schneider  Electric  has  operated  the  Tailored  Supply 
Chain program with the aim to better align the supply chain set-up with 
the needs and behaviors of each customer profile (distributors, panel 
builders,  etc.).  This  approach  has  required  the  implementation  of  a 
more  dynamic  industrial  strategy  to  restructure  customer  service 
practices,  and  the  configuration  of  products,  equipment,  delivery 
methods  and  services  offered  to  Group  customers.  In  parallel,  the 
Group  has  had  to  simplify  its  working  approaches  and  focus  on 
creating  value  for  its  customers  by  streamlining  its  decision-making 
processes and its organizational structure.

Today our organization is well aligned with operations, covering four 
geographical zones (Europe, China, NAM and International) and one 
vertically-integrated division Equipment and Transformers. Each zone 
has  one  supply  chain  leader  and  each  business  division  has  one 
supply chain strategy leader. Lastly, our central functions support the 
transformational initiatives globally. Within each of these zones, all the 
Group’s  industrial  activities  are  combined.  This  has  led  to  the 
verticalization of procurement activities in a process of simplification 
and unification of contact with suppliers.

In the period 2015 to 2020, nine initiatives are being implemented to 
transform  the  supply  chain  at  every  stage  from  suppliers  through  to 
end customers:

•  reduce the release time to customers;
•  basic logistics offering, customized according to type of channel;
• 
industrial planning customized according to customer segment;
•  development of the services offering, in line with our customers’ 

• 

• 

installed base;
improvement of the overall performance of the equipment  
supply chain;
involvement of preferred suppliers in all aspects of this 
transformation approach;

•  continued optimization of the entire industrial system to offer 

customized customer service;
focus on excellence of the supply chain for growth activities;

• 
•  management of the release of new product offerings.

The aim is to make the Group’s supply chain a positive differentiating 
factor for our customers and, in turn, to gain a competitive advantage 
over our competitors.

Committing to carbon neutrality across 
our supply chain is a challenging 
undertaking that requires increased 
collaboration with suppliers, partners  
and customers.”

Procurement: driving ethical business  
and environmental commitments
Procurement  corresponds  to  around  50%  of  revenue  and  plays  a 
crucial role in the Group’s technical and business performance.

To  optimize  procurement,  the  Group  has  accelerated  its  strategic 
transformation plan to concentrate its supplier base, source purchases 
from  top-performing  suppliers  (strategic  suppliers)  and  to  increase 
sourcing from new economies. In addition, the Group is rolling out the 
“Purchasing Excellence System” with a view to involving suppliers, as 
a  component  in  the  ‘End-to-end  Supply  Chain’,  in  achieving  our 
customer satisfaction performance objectives.

Schneider  Electric  primarily  purchases  prefabricated  components, 
raw materials (silver, copper, aluminum, steel and plastics), electronic 
and electrical products and services. The diverse supplier list includes 
multinationals  as  well  as  small,  medium  and  intermediate  sized 
companies.

their  commitment 

Suppliers are selected for the quality of their products and services, 
their  adherence  to  delivery  deadlines,  their  competitiveness,  their 
to  corporate  social 
innovative  capacity  and 
responsibility. As a participant of the UN Global Compact, Schneider 
Electric encourages its main suppliers to contribute to its sustainable 
development  initiative  according  to  the  guidelines  of  standard  
ISO 26000, through ongoing improvement to reach and pass a required 
level which is permanently upgraded. In 2019 this was reinforced by the 
Group’s  commitments,  made  during  UN  Climate  Week  to  work  with 
suppliers towards building a net-zero supply chain by 2050. 

Moreover,  Schneider  Electric  is  committed  to  its  latest  Principles  of 
Responsibility to systematically investigate, check and prevent the risk 
of  unethical  practices  from  suppliers,  which  includes  performing 
targeted on-site audits.

Read more in Chapter 2 on page 84  (cid:2)

Customer first
Ensuring  customer  satisfaction  in  terms  of  quality  and 
experience is fundamental to the Group’s growth strategy and 
putting  customers  first  is  an  important  value  for  all  teams. 
Everywhere,  we  focus  on  improving  customers’  end-to-end 
Schneider  Electric  experience,  as  today  this  is  the  priority 
driver  for  satisfaction,  often  exceeding  product  features  and 
price.  Through  digital  Customer  Voice  surveys,  we  regularly 
monitor  feedback  to  measure  our  current  performance  and 
also gather information to anticipate future needs. By surveying 
both end-user customers and partners, we capture feedback 
at  the  critical  touch  points  with  automatic  transaction-based 
digital  surveys,  to  better  understand  their  specific  business 
needs and personalize their future experience. 

This  process  covers  six 
touchpoints  when  customers 
instantaneously  rate  their  satisfaction  having  completed  an 
action and allowing us to collect feedback at the freshest point 
of interaction. The data from these digital surveys is processed 
as such to allow prompt incident management when customer 
issues arise. These insights allow us to define and propose the 
most effective and corrective actions for all types of customers 
wherever they are operating. 

By establishing the optimal moment to ask for feedback based 
on  customer  journey  analytics,  we  get  more  reliable  data 
about our customers’ buying experience.

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10. How we manage risks

10.1 Definition and objectives of internal control and risk 
management

Definition and objectives
The Group’s internal control procedures are designed to ensure:

•  compliance with laws and regulations;
•  application of instructions and guidelines issued by Group Senior 

Management;
the proper functioning of the Company’s internal processes;
the reliability of financial reporting; and 

• 
• 
•  more  generally,  internal  control  helps  the  Group  manage  its 
businesses,  run  efficient  operations  and  use  its  resources 
efficiently.

Internal control reference documents
The Group’s internal control system complies with the legal obligations 
applicable  to  companies  listed  on  the  Paris  stock  exchange.  It  is 
consistent with the reference framework laid down by the Autorité des 
Marchés  Financiers  (French  Financial  Markets  Authority  –  AMF)  on 
internal control and risk management.

The  Group’s  internal  control  process  is  evolving;  procedures  are 
adapted  to  reflect  changes  in  the  AMF  recommendations  and  the 
business  and  regulatory  environment,  as  well  as  in  the  Group’s 
organization and operations.

Internal  control  aims  to  prevent  and  manage  risks  related  to  the 
Group’s  business.  These  include  accounting  and  financial  risks,  as 
well as operating, fraud and compliance risks. However, no system of 
internal control is capable of providing absolute assurance that these 
risks will be managed completely.

Information used to prepare this report
This report was prepared using contributions from the Group’s Internal 
Audit  and  Internal  Control  Departments,  as  well  as  the  various 
participants in internal control. It was reviewed by the Audit Committee.

Scope of this report
The system is designed to cover the Group, defined as the Schneider 
Electric  SE  parent  company  and  the  subsidiaries  over  which  it 
exercises exclusive control.

Jointly  controlled  subsidiaries  are  subject  to  all  of  the  controls 
described  below,  with  the  exception  of  self-assessments  of  the 
implementation of Key Internal Controls (see “Operating Units” below), 
page 60.

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10.2 Organization and management: internal control 
key participants

The Group’s corporate governance bodies supervise the development 
of internal control and risk management systems. The Audit Committee 
has particular responsibility for following up on the efficiency of internal 
control  and  risk  management  systems  and  reports  to  the  Board  of 
Directors thereon (see committees of the board, chapter 4 section 4, 
page 247).

Each manager is responsible for monitoring internal control in his or 
her  area,  at  the  different  levels  of  the  organization,  as  are  all  key 
internal control participants, in accordance with the tasks described 
hereafter.

The Board

The Board is informed about the efficiency of the internal control and risk management systems. 

Senior Management

Audit Committee

Follows-up on the efficiency of internal 
control and risk management systems 
and reports to the board thereon (see 
committees of the board, (chapter 4 
section 4, page 247).

Finance and Control  
– Legal Affairs Department

Organizing control and ensuring 
compliance with procedures.

Responsible for designing and leading the overall internal control system 
including the oversight, identification and assessment and mitigation  
of risk at Group level as well as Business Unit level and across key Group 
functional areas.

Internal Audit

+

Internal Control

Annual internal audits. 
Embedding risk and control 
concerns. Monitoring 
implementation of 
recommendations.

Organising and monitoring 
self-assessment campaigns, 
internal control missions and 
the implementation of set 
action plans.

Operating divisions 
and business units

Within each business unit, the 
management team organizes 
control of operations, ensures 
that appropriate strategies 
are deployed to achieve 
objectives, and tracks unit 
performance. 

Group Functions

Decision-making and risk 
management at corporate 
level. Issue, adapt and 
distribute policies, target 
procedures and instructions to 
units and individuals assigned 
to handle specific duties.

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Internal Control Department
The  Internal  Control  Department,  which  reports  to  the  Group 
Controlling Department, is responsible particularly for:

•  defining  and  updating  the  list  of  Key  Internal  Controls  in  close 
cooperation  with  the  Global  Functions  and  other  subject  matter 
experts  in  line  with  the  recommendations  of  the  AMF  reference 
framework;

•  maintaining  and  leading  a  network  of  around  13  local  internal 
controllers who are responsible for supporting local management 
on internal control topics and acting as process owners for certain 
key areas such as the chart of authority and segregation of duties; 
and

•  organizing  and  monitoring 

roll-out  of  self-assessment 
the 
campaigns  and  the  implementation  of  set  action  plans  following 
self-assessments or internal control missions.

The team continues to improve the internal control process and adapt 
its procedures following the results of self-assessments and changes 
in the business environment or organization.

Finance, Control & Legal Affairs Department
The Finance, Control & Legal Affairs Department is actively involved in 
organizing control and ensuring compliance with procedures.

Within the department, the Reporting and Consolidation unit plays a 
key role in the internal control system by:

•  drafting and updating instructions designed to ensure that statutory 
and management accounting practices are consistent throughout 
the Group and compliant with applicable regulations;

•  organizing period-end closing procedures; and
•  analyzing  performance  and  tracking  the  achievement  of  targets 

assigned to the operating units.

The Reporting and Consolidation unit is responsible for:

• 
• 
• 
• 

the proper application of Group accounting principles and policies;
the integrity of the consolidation system database;
the quality of accounting and financial processes and data;
training  for  finance  staff  by  developing  and  leading  specific 
seminars on the function; and

•  drafting,  updating  and  distributing  the  necessary  documents  for 

producing quality information.

GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

10. How we manage risks

Senior Management
Senior  Management  is  responsible  for  designing  and  leading  the 
overall internal control system, with support from all key participants, in 
particular the Group Internal Audit and Internal Control Departments.

It  also  monitors  the  Group’s  performance,  during  business  reviews 
with  the  Operating  Divisions  and  Global  Functions.  These  reviews 
cover business trends, action plans, current results and forecasts for 
the quarters ahead.

Similar reviews are carried out at different levels of the Group prior to 
Senior Management’s review.

Internal Audit Department
The Internal Audit Department reports to Senior Management. It had 
an  average  headcount  of  21  auditors  and  25  regional  internal 
controllers in 2019. The internal auditors are responsible for ensuring 
that, at the level of each unit:

the identification and control of risks is performed;

• 
•  significant  financial,  management  and  operating  information  is 

accurate and reliable;

•  compliance with laws and regulations and with the Group’s policies, 

standards and procedures is ensured;

•  compliance with the instructions of the Head of the Group is ensured;
•  acquisition of resources is carried out at a competitive cost, and 

their protection is ensured;

•  expenses are properly engaged and monitored;
•  correct integration and control of acquisitions are ensured.

Annual internal audit and internal control plans are drawn up based on 
a  combination  of  a  risk  based  and  audit  universe  coverage  based 
approach.  The  risk  based  dimension  is  embedding  risk  and  control 
concerns  identified  by  Senior  Management,  taking  into  account  the 
results  of  past  audits,  the  results  of  Key  Internal  Control  self-
assessments  returned  by  the  units  and  other  indicators  such  as 
Corruption  Perception  Index  and  COFACE  Country  Index.  When 
necessary, the audit plan is adjusted during the year to include special 
requests  from  Senior  Management.  The  internal  audit  process  is 
described in the section “Control procedures” below.

After  each  internal  audit,  a  report  is  issued  setting  out  the  auditors’ 
findings  and  recommendations  for  the  units  or  function  audited.  
The management of audited entities or audited domains is requested 
to  define  for  each  recommendation  an  action  plan  aiming  at 
implementing  corrective  actions.  Measures  are  taken  to  monitor 
implementation of recommendations and specific follow up audits are 
conducted if necessary.

Audit  reports  and  the  implementation  of  their  recommendations  are 
distributed to Senior Management. An executive summary is sent to 
the  President  of  the  Audit  Committee.  A  synthesis  of  the  main 
takeaways  and  conclusions  from  audit  missions  is  presented  to  the 
Audit Committee for each committee session (five times per year).

These reports are subject to regular exchange with the Group’s auditors.

The Head of the Internal Audit and Internal Control has direct access 
to the President of the Audit Committee and meets her on a regular 
basis over the year.

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Global Functions and Division (Human Resources, 
Supply Chain, Information Systems, etc.)
In  addition  to  specific  processes  or  bodies  such  as  the  Group 
Acquisitions Committee (see “Risk Factors” chapter 1, section 11.1) for 
making  and  implementing  strategic  decisions  and  centralization  of 
certain functions within the Finance, Control & Legal Affairs Department 
(see  above),  Schneider  Electric  centralizes  certain  matters  through 
dedicated Global Functions thus combining decision-making and risk 
management at the corporate level.

A  Technology  Council,  namely  the  Chief  Technology  Officers  (CTO) 
community,  grouping  all  Divisional  and  Business  Chief  Technology 
Officers  as  well  as  key  Corporate  Technology  Functions  involved  in 
Offer Creation & Research, meets on a regular basis to ensure cross-
divisional coordination in setting the strategic direction for innovation 
and  driving  end  to  end  architectures,  defining  next  generation 
platforms and systems. Additionally, this community partners closely 
with  the  senior  business  leaders.  This  has  been  done  to  ensure  a 
simple structure so that technology can be close to business and to 
maintain consistency across all divisions of Schneider Electric.

The Human Resources Department is responsible for deploying and 
ensuring 
the  application  of  procedures  concerning  employee 
development, promoting diversity and well-being. The department is 
also  responsible 
for  establishing  guidelines  on  rewards  and 
compensation,  hiring,  on  and  off  boarding,  learning,  amongst  other 
Human Resources related duties.

The Procurement Department within Supply Chain is responsible for 
establishing guidelines concerning the procurement organization and 
procedures;  relationships  between  buyers  and  vendors;  and 
procedures governing product quality, level of service, and compliance 
with environmental standards and Group Principles of Responsibility.

Global Functions and Division also issue, adapt and distribute policies, 
target procedures and instructions to units and individuals assigned to 
handle  their  specific  duties.  Global  Functions  have  correspondents 
who work with the Internal Control Department to establish and update 
the Key Internal Controls deployed across the Group.

The unit drafts and updates:

•  a glossary of terms used by the Reporting and Consolidation unit, 

including a definition of each term;
the chart of accounts for reporting;

• 
•  a Group statutory and management accounting standards manual, 

which includes details of debit/credit pairings;

•  a Group reporting procedures manual and a system user’s guide;
•  a  manual  describing  the  procedures  to  be  followed  to  integrate 

newly acquired businesses in the Group reporting process;

•  an intercompany reconciliation procedures manual; and
•  account closing schedules and instructions.

The  Reporting  and  Consolidation  unit  monitors  the  reliability  of  data 
from subsidiaries and conducts monthly reviews of the various units’ 
primary operations and performance.

Within the Finance, Control & Legal Affairs Department, the Tax and 
Legal teams oversee tax and legal affairs, to provide comprehensive 
management of these risks.

Within the Finance, Control & Legal Affairs Department, the Finance 
and Treasury Department is responsible for:

•  centralized management of cash and long-term Group financing;
•  centralized management of currency risk and non-ferrous metals risk;
•  monitoring  of  Group  trade  accounts  receivable  risk  and  the 

• 

definition of the credit policy to be implemented;
the  distribution  of  rules  for  financial  risk  management  and  the 
security of payments:
 – define guidelines and contribute to the definition of Key Internal 
Control indicators relating to treasury and credit management,
 – review the related risks of complex projects as a subject matter 

expert,

 – select  Group  Tools  for  Credit,  Trade  and  Cash  Management; 

and

• 

the annual review of financial structures – balance-sheet changes 
and financial risks – facing the Group’s companies during formal 
financial review meetings.

Procedures for managing financial risk are described in “Risk Factors” 
(chapter 1, section 11.1).

Operating Divisions and business units
The  Operating  Division  management  teams  play  a  critical  role  in 
effective internal control.

All Group units report hierarchically to one of the Operating Divisions, 
which are led or supervised by an Executive Vice-President, supported 
by a SVP Finance.

The Executive Vice-Presidents leading or supervising the Operating 
Divisions  sit  on  the  Executive  Committee,  which  is  chaired  by  the 
Chairman and CEO of the Group.

Within each business unit, the management team organizes control of 
operations,  ensures  that  appropriate  strategies  are  deployed  to 
achieve objectives, and tracks unit performance.

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1Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder InformationGROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

10. How we manage risks

10.3 Distributing information: benchmarks  
and guidelines

The main internal control benchmarks are available to all employees, including in the Group’s 
employee portal. Global Functions send updates of these reference documents to the appropriate 
units and individuals through their networks of correspondents

In  some  cases,  dedicated  e-mails  are  sent  out  or  messages  are 
posted  on  the  employee  portal  or  Schneider  Electric  collaboration 
tools to inform users about publications or updates.

The Group statutory and management accounting standards manual 
explains how IFRS principles are applied within the Group, taking into 
account the specific characteristics of the Group’s activities.

Whenever possible, the distribution network leverages the managerial/
functional organization to distribute standards and guidelines.

Principles of Responsibility
See “Ethics & compliance” (chapter 2, page 115).

Compliance code governing stock market ethics
The compliance code sets out the rules to be followed by management 
and  employees  to  prevent  insider  trading.  All  employees  who  have 
access  to  sensitive  information  are  bound  by  a  strict  duty  of 
confidentiality.  It  also  sets  restrictions  on  purchases  and  sales  of 
Schneider  Electric  SE  securities  by  persons  who  have  regular  or 
occasional access to sensitive information in the course of their duties 
(see  “Organizational  and  operating  procedures  of  the  board  of 
directors”,  chapter  4  section  2  on  page  239).  Such  persons  are 
prohibited from trading in the Company’s securities at any time if they 
are  in  possession  of  price-sensitive  information  which  has  not  been 
made public and during specified periods prior to (and until the day of) 
release of the Group’s financial statements and quarterly information 
on sales.

The application of Group accounting principles and methods is mandatory 
for all Group units, for management reporting and statutory consolidation. 
The Group statutory and management accounting standards manual and 
the IFRS principles are available via the employee portal.

Approval limits
Under  current  management  practice,  the  Group  has  set  approval 
limits for Senior Management for certain decisions. Local management 
will define the local approval matrix for relevant decisions within the 
approval  limits  set  by  the  Group.  Within  this  framework,  business 
segment executives, functional, operational and local management is 
therefore able to approve certain decisions depending on the nature 
and threshold.

In addition, all transactions which by their size or nature could affect the 
Group’s fundamental interests, must be authorized in advance by the 
board of directors, i.e., decisions relating to the acquisition or disposal 
of holdings or assets for amounts greater than EUR250 million; decisions 
relating to strategic partnerships and major changes of course in the 
strategy,  and  decisions  relating  to  the  issuance  of  off-balance  sheet 
commitments that exceed the limits prescribed by the board.

International Internal Auditing Standards
The  Internal  Audit  Department  is  committed  to  complying  with  the 
international standards published by the Institute of Internal Auditors 
(IIA) and other bodies.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
The  consolidated  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in 
compliance with European Union regulation no.1606/2002.

Statutory and management reporting principles
An  integrated  reporting  and  consolidation  system  applicable  to  all 
Group companies and their management units is in place. Statutory 
and management reporting principles and support tools are available 
on the Group employee portal.

The subsidiaries record their transactions in accordance with Group 
standards. Data are then adjusted, where necessary, to produce local 
statutory and tax accounts.

The Group applies IFRS standards as adopted by the European Union 
as of December 31, 2019.

The reporting system includes consistency controls, a comparison of 
the opening and closing balance sheets and items required to analyze 
management results.

The Group’s accounting principles reflect the underlying assumptions 
and  qualitative  characteristics  identified  in  the  IFRS  accounting 
framework: accrual accounting, business continuity, true and fair view, 
rule of substance over form, neutrality, completeness, comparability, 
relevance and intelligibility.

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Key Internal Controls
A list of Key Internal Controls that was drawn up is reviewed annually. 
They cover:

• 

the  Control  Environment  (including  the  Responsibility  and  Ethics 
program,  chart  of  authority,  segregation  of  duties,  business 
continuity plan, retention of records and business agents);
•  operating processes (Procurement, Sales, Logistics, etc.);
•  accounting and financial related cycles;
•  Human Resources and Information Systems cycles.

The  Key  Internal  Controls  are  available  to  all  units  in  the  Group 
employee portal and shared depository, along with appendices with 
more detailed information, links to policy descriptions, an explanation 
of the risks covered by each Key Internal Control and a self-assessment 
guide.  For  each  cycle,  the  Key  Internal  Controls  cover  compliance, 
reliability, risk prevention and management and process performance. 
Operating units fill out self-assessment questionnaires concerning the 
Key Internal Controls using a digitized tool.

For  new  acquisitions,  the  acquired  entities  may  continue  with  their 
existing controls in transition before deploying the Key Internal Controls.

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

10. How we manage risks

10.4 Risk identification and management

General risks at the Group level
The Internal Audit Department conducts interviews to update the list of 
general  risks  at  Group  level  each  year.  In  2019,  around  100  of  the 
Group’s top managers were interviewed, in addition to external views 
such as financial analysts, board members and a sample of strategic 
customers. Since 2016 individualized risk matrices by Operation or by 
Business have been created.

The risks identified through these interviews are ranked by a risk score 
(comprising  impact  and  likelihood  of  occurrence)  and  level  of 
mitigation.

Risk management by the Risk and Insurance 
Department
The Risk and Insurance Department contributes to the internal control 
system by defining and deploying a Group-wide insurance strategy, 
as defined in “Insure strategy”, chapter 1, section 11.2. The insurance 
strategy  includes  the  identification  and  quantification  of  the  main 
insurable  risks,  the  determination  of  levels  of  retention  and  the  cost 
benefit  analysis  of  the  transfer  options.  The  Risk  and  Insurance 
Department  also  defines,  proposes  and  implements  action  plans  to 
prevent these risks and protect assets.

Risk factors related to the Company’s business, as well as procedures 
for managing and reducing those risks, are described in “Risk Factors”, 
chapter  1,  section  11.1.  These  procedures  are  an  integral  part  of  the 
internal control system.

Risk management by the Security Department
The Group’s Security Department defines corporate governance with 
regard to loss prevention in the area of wilful acts against property and 
people.

The risk matrix and the analysis of changes from one year to the next 
contribute to the development of an internal audit plan for the following 
year. 72% of the risk categories identified in the Group’s risk matrix are 
audited by the Internal Audit Department over a period of five to six 
years to assess action plans for managing and reducing these risks.

Local risks related to the Company’s business  
at the unit level
Local risks related to the Company’s business are managed first and 
foremost by the units in liaison with the Operating Divisions, based on 
Group  guidelines  (particularly  via  the  Key  Internal  Controls).  Each 
subsidiary is responsible for implementing procedures that provide an 
adequate level of internal control.

The divisions implement cross-functional action plans for risk factors 
related to the Company’s business identified as being recurrent in the 
units or as having a material impact at the Group level, as appropriate. 
The internal control system is adjusted to account for these risks.

Risks related to Solutions
The Solutions Risk Management Department defines and implements 
principles  and  tools  designed  to  manage  the  contractual  (such  as 
limitation of liabilities), technical (such as technical discrepancy versus 
customer specifications) and financial risks (such as margin slippage 
at solution execution phase).

The network of Solution Risk Managers assesses the risks of all major 
projects  in  conjunction  with  the  Subject  Matter  Experts  and  Tender 
Managers during the preparation of offers. Solution Risk Manager then 
provides  a  comprehensive,  360  degree  view  on  project  risk  and 
mitigations to support the opportunity approval process.

To  be  more  powerful  and  more  balanced,  a  Global  Security  Group 
Committee was created in 2017, gathering together the Zone Security 
Leaders  (eight  managers  in  total).  Some  of  these  leaders  report 
directly to the Global Security Department (Central & South America, 
South East Europe, East Asia & Japan, Africa & Middle East) and some 
to  local  management  with  functional  reporting  to  Global  Security 
Department  (North  America,  Greater  India,  CIS,  France).  In  this 
respect  and  in  close  cooperation  with  the  Risk  and  Insurance 
Department, it is directly involved in assessing the nature of such risk 
as well as defining adequate prevention and protection measures.

The  Security  Department  publishes  internally  a  table  of  “Country 
Risks”  for  use  in  security  procedures  that  are  mandatory  for  people 
traveling,  expatriates  and  local  employees.  On  request,  it  provides 
support to local teams for any security issues (site audit, expatriates or 
local  employee  security,  security  on  assignments,  etc.).  It  provides 
daily  coordination  with  the  Group’s  worldwide  partner  in  the  field  of 
medical and security assistance (International SOS & Controls Risks 
– start of contract in January 2011) as well as in the field of psychological 
support that is necessary to organize in some crisis context (Eutelmed 
– start of contract in April 2015).

It  brings  its  methodology  to  develop  emergency  plans  (evacuation 
plans, crisis management plans, etc.) and coordinates the corporate 
crisis  team  (SEECC  –  Schneider  Electric  Emergency  Coordination 
Center, created in 2009) each time that it is activated.

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1

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The Security Department co-chairs the Group Compliance Committee 
(previously  named  Fraud  Committee)  alongside  the  Internal  Audit 
Department  and  the  Legal  Department  and  is  directly  involved  in 
combating  internal  fraud  (managing  and  carrying  out  internal 
investigations). The Security Department created a Schneider Electric-
Bureau  of  Investigation  (SEBI)  in  2013  responsible  for  investigations 
(internal and external fraud) within the Security Department itself and 
in charge of supporting internal investigators as well as contributing to 
the  Group’s  methodology  and  procedures  to  conduct  investigations 
properly (in accordance with the law and to be efficient in gathering 
evidence effectively).

The  Security  Function  also  participates  in  crisis  management,  in 
managing the corporate crisis cell and in supporting local entities (to 
limit the consequences of the occurrence of certain risks such as civil 
war, weather events, pandemics, attacks on people, terrorism, etc.).  
In addition, it regularly organizes Security Audits (R&D centers, head 
offices, sensitive plants, etc.).

Management of Cybersecurity and Cyber risks across 
Schneider Electric
The Digital Security Function inside the Schneider Digital organization 
defines Schneider Electric’s strategy and approach. This department is 
accountable for protecting the Digital assets and offers for Schneider 
Electric  and  subsidiaries;  managing  the  Cyber  Risk  Register;  driving 
Cybersecurity  awareness  across  the  Company;  owning  the  creation, 
maintenance and enforcement mechanisms of Digital Security policies; 
ensuring  the  execution  of  Cybersecurity  initiatives  across  Schneider 
Digital practices and managing the Cybersecurity Incident Prevention, 
Detection and Response process.

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

10. How we manage risks

10.5 Control procedures

In addition to the general missions already described, this section describes specific measures 
taken in 2019 to improve the Group’s control system.

Global Functions
In  2019,  the  Global  Functions  continued  to  set  guidelines,  issue 
instructions and provide support.

For example:

• 

the Security Department fully updated the Global Security Directive 
on Crisis Management and provided support to the Cybersecurity 
department  in  organizing  three  crisis  management  exercises 
based on cyber-attack scenarios;

•  Global  Security  created  a  “Travel  Policy  –  Group  Committee” 
composed  of  Human  Resources  representatives  and  travel 
managers from the ten first countries representing more than 80% 
of the total travel spent. This Committee is to ease the deployment 
of the new version of the Global Travel Policy in countries and to 
share best practices;

• 

•  a  new  dedicated  Security  position  was  created  for  the  Europe 
zone.  This  new  position  is  to  provide  more  support  to  local 
management  in  assessing  risks  and  in  defining  relevant  security 
setups,  means  and  procedures  specifically  in  the  area  of  “site 
security”;
the  Solutions  Risks  Management  team  continued  to  develop 
supports  to  streamline  the  analysis,  mitigation,  and  approval  of 
liability  related  issues,  resulting  in  gains  in  internal  efficiency 
(reduced cycle time) as well as customer responsiveness;
the Solutions Risks Management team participated in an update of 
the  Customer  Project  Process  as  well  as  approval  matrix  for  the 
Systems  business  (simplification  and  standardization  across  all 
Divisions); and
the  Treasury  launched  a  new  Treasury  management  system  that 
will provide an extended coverage of Treasury flows throughout the 
Group. The new tool has been launched along with new processes 
allowing the automation of Treasury operations, automatic postings 
and will also strengthen the security of Treasury flows.

• 

• 

Operating units
For internal control to be effective, everyone involved must understand 
and  continuously  implement  the  Group’s  general  guidelines  and  the 
Key Internal Controls.

Training in Key Internal Controls continued in 2019 for those involved 
for  the  first  time  in  the  annual  self-assessment  process:  newly 
promoted managers and units recently integrated. Operational units 
undertook  self-assessment  of  compliance  with  the  Key  Internal 
Controls governing their scope of operations.

The self-assessments conducted during the 2019 campaign covered 
more than 90% of consolidated sales and made it possible to define 
improvement plans in operating units, when necessary. The ultimate 
goal is that these evaluations should cover at least 90% of consolidated 
sales each year.

The  self-assessments  are  conducted  in  the  units  by  each  process 
owner.  Practices  corresponding  to  the  Key  Internal  Controls  are 
described  and  the  entity  is  either  compliant  or  not  compliant  with  a 
particular control.

If a particular unit is non-compliant with any of the controls, an action 
plan is defined and implemented to achieve compliance. These action 
plans are listed in the self-assessment report.

The  unit’s  financial  manager  conducts  a  critical  review  of  the  self-
assessments by process and certifies the quality of the overall results. 
The self-evaluation is then also certified by the person in charge of the 
unit.

The regional internal controllers carry out controls on site to assess the 
reliability  of  self-assessments  and  conduct  diagnostic  missions  as 
requested by management.

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Internal Control Department
The Internal Control Department continued to deploy the Key Internal 
Controls – training and requests for self-assessments – throughout the 
units, with the scope extended to cover new units.

In 2019, certain Key Internal Controls that have been identified since 
2015 as critical remained a focus and actions were taken to increase 
their level of awareness and compliance. Led by the IT Internal Audit 
and  Digital  team,  the  IT  Internal  Controls  Framework  is  being 
developed.

The  most  common  findings  and  observations  derived  from  these 
audits  relate  to  the  following  topics:  awareness  of  the  Principles  of 
Responsibilities and of the Responsibility & Ethics Dynamic program, 
segregation of duties and access rights to IT systems, management of 
price conditions, alignment with the Chart of Approval, solutions and 
projects bid management and margin control at the execution phase, 
security of payments, business continuity related aspects, etc.

The Regional Internal Controls team completed more than 106 on-site 
inspection missions in 2019 to assess the level of internal control and 
issued the necessary recommendations when needed.

Group Compliance Committee
The Group Compliance Committee defines the process to detect and 
manages  non-compliance  of  ethical  cases  with  appropriate 
investigation  process.  The  governance  on  Ethics  &  Compliance  is 
reflected in chapter 2 Ethics & Compliance, page 115.

The list of Key Internal Controls continues to evolve.

The  software  package  for  the  management  of  self-assessment 
questionnaires and follow-up action plans of internal audit and internal 
control introduced in 2011 continues to be improved.

The local Internal Control team which consists of around 13 members 
located  in  various  geographies  dedicated  their  efforts  to  improving 
internal controls in the local entities.

Internal Audit Department
The  Internal  Audit  Department  contributes  to  the  analysis  and  to 
strengthening the internal control system by:

•  mapping general risks;
•  verifying  the  effective  application  of  Key  Internal  Controls  during 

audit assignments;

•  reviewing  the  audited  unit’s  Internal  Control  self-assessment  and 

related action plans.

Audit  assignments  go  beyond  Key  Internal  Controls  and  include  an 
in-depth review of processes and their effectiveness.

Internal Audit also reviews newly acquired units to assess their level of 
integration  into  the  Group,  the  level  of  internal  control  and  the 
effectiveness  of  operational  processes,  as  well  as  ensuring  Group 
rules  and  guidelines  are  properly  applied,  and  more  generally 
compliance with the law.

A summary overview of the department’s audits makes it possible to 
identify  any  emerging  or  recurring  risks  that  require  new  risk 
management  tools  and  methodologies  or  adjustments  to  existing 
resources.

In 2019, Internal Audit performed 38 audits, including:

•  audits of units;
•  audits of a number of risks or operating processes;
•  analyses of internal control self-assessments by audited units;
• 
follow-up audits to ensure recommendations are applied;
•  assistance assignments.

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10. How we manage risks

10.6 Internal control procedures governing the 
production and processing of consolidated and 
individual Company accounting and financial 
information

In addition to:

• 
• 

• 

its regulatory tasks;
its  responsibility  for  overseeing  the  close  of  accounts  across  the 
Group;
its  audits  of  the  Group’s  results  with  respect  to  set  targets  (see 
“Internal Control Organization and Management: Finance, Control 
& Legal Affairs Department”);

The Reporting and Consolidation unit is tasked with overseeing:

The internal controls used to confirm the existence, completeness and 
value of assets and liabilities are based on:

•  each  subsidiary’s  responsibility  for  implementing  procedures 

providing an adequate level of internal control;

•  defining  levels  of  responsibility  for  authorizing  and  checking 

transactions;

•  segregating tasks to help ensure that all transactions are justified;
• 

the  integration  of  statutory  and  management  reporting  systems 
developed  to  guarantee  the  completeness  of  transaction  data 
recorded in the accounts;

• 
• 
• 

the quality of reporting packages submitted monthly by subsidiaries;
the results of programmed procedures; and
the integrity of the consolidation system database.

•  all  of  the  subsidiaries  apply  IFRS  with  regard  to  recognition 
principles,  measurement  and  accounting  methods,  impairment 
and verification;

•  checks  and  analyses  as  described  above  performed  by  the 

In addition, the Reporting and Consolidation unit ensures that:

Reporting and Consolidation unit.

• 

•  given that the Group consolidated financial statements are finalized 
a  few  weeks  after  the  annual  and  half-year  balance  sheet  date, 
subsidiaries perform a hard close at May 31, and November 30, of 
each year so that most closing adjustments for the period can be 
calculated in advance;
the scope of consolidation as well as the Group’s interest and the 
type of control (exclusive control, joint control, significant influence, 
etc.)  in  each  subsidiary  from  which  the  consolidation  method 
results are determined in cooperation with the Finance, Control & 
Legal Affairs Department;
instructions to the units on the closing process, including reporting 
deadlines,  required  data  and  any  necessary  adjustments  are 
issued;
the  Group’s  consolidated  financial  statements  are  analyzed  in 
detail,  to  understand  and  check  the  main  contributions  by 
subsidiaries, as well as the type of transactions recorded;

• 

• 

•  accounting classifications are verified;
• 

the preparation and approval of the statement of changes in equity 
and the cash flow statement are the key control points.

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11. Risk factors

11.1 Principal risks

The Group risk inventory is organized in four categories and includes 18 key risk factors identified. 

The key risks selected and presented below are the risks considered by the Group as specific to its business and identified as having the potential to 
affect its activity, its image, its financial situation, its results or the achievement of its objectives. Other risks, not identified or not significant according 
to the Group, could eventually affect its performance. In each category, risks are ranked on a descending order impacting the Group (the first one 
being the most likely to affect the Group). This ranking is the result of the process performed as part of the overall risk management described in 
section 6.4 “Risk identification and management”. It is established on the potential net impact corresponding to the potential impact (financial/legal/
reputation), considering the current mitigation and reduction measures, as well as the probability of occurrence of this risk.

Categories and Risks

1

Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.1 World deglobalization and fragmentation 

1.2 New players such as Digital giants, software players and energy majors entering the energy efficiency and 

renewable energy space

1.3 Export controls

1.4 Corruption linked to B2B and project business 

1.5 Strengthening of chemical and resource-related regulations in Electrical and Electronic Equipment space

1.6 Human rights, environmental and safety issues through the value chain

2

Risks related to Operations

2.1 Risk of cyber security on the Schneider Electric infrastructure and its digital ecosystem 

2.2 Connected products at Schneider Electric or customer sites used as a gateway to attack Group’s customers 

and partners

2.3 Product quality

2.4 Supply chain flexibility 

2.5 Innovation and Research & Development (R&D)

2.6 Digital evolution and software offers

2.7 Pricing strategy 

2.8 Competition laws 

3

Risks related to Internal Organization

3.1

Talent attractiveness, workforce engagement, sales force upskilling and recruitment of digital competencies

3.2 IT systems management

4

Financial risks

4.1 Counterparty risk 

4.2 Currency exchange risk

Potential  
net impact

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11. Risk factors

1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.1 World deglobalization and fragmentation 

Risk description 
Stable trade is beneficial for economic growth. Trends of increased mercantilism is lending towards regionalization of trade around the United 
States, China, Russia and Europe poles. Nationalized, rather than globally balanced government regulations and policies on, but not limited to 
digitization, circularity, carbon, supply chain management and others could handicap offer development efficiency through redundant efforts. 
These offer development duplication efforts can potentially impact Schneider Electric’s profitability. 

Furthermore, this acceleration of national versus global trade policies is increasing the pressure on the supply chains of global companies in the 
forms of both tariff and non-tariff barriers. As such, trade wars could disrupt Schneider Electric’s operations and global supply chain. The above-
mentioned  combination  of  both  nationally  orientated  tariff  and  non-tariff  burden  could  increase  the  cost  to  market  and  potentially  adversely 
impact the Group profitability. 

2019 Specific events 
In 2019, trade tensions between United States and respectively China and Mexico led to some negative impacts on sales and profitability.

Risk mitigation 
In order to mitigate the risk on supply chain efficiencies and tariffs impacts, Schneider Electric has a multi-hub organization. Indeed, the Group 
has R&D and supply chain activities, suppliers and commercial networks in the main international hubs, which are North America, EMEA and 
Asia. In this multi-local context, Schneider Electric can rebalance its activities across geography as per Tailored Supply Chain.

Schneider Electric has also created an internal team focusing on geopolitics that are reshaping the global business landscape with a change of 
trade  paradigm.  While  the  pace  of  external  changes  continues  at  a  historically  unprecedent  scale  regionally,  these  teams  are  working  with 
internal stakeholders from BUs, R&D, Regional Ops and Global Transversal functions (i.e. Finance, GSC, Legal, Marketing). 

Schneider Electric has committed to highly credible industry organizations globally to support stabilization of global trade. These materialize in 
collective industry positions and responses to public response requests. The Group publicly communicated in support of stable, rules-based trade.

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1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.2 New players such as Digital giants, software players and energy majors entering the energy efficiency and 
renewable energy space 

Risk description 
Schneider Electric operates in the energy market which attracts new players and creates a new competitive landscape. Indeed, the Energy 
industry is undergoing major transformations and disruptions driven by the following main trends:

•  A net-zero world: pressure on climate change and sustainability call for a change in Business practices;
•  An all-electrical world: oil majors urged to reduce their impacts on carbon emissions;
•  An all-digital world: shifting power to digital giants and software players.

In this context, Schneider Electric’s competition landscape is evolving, and the Group can see now some Digital giants, software players or large 
companies such as Energy majors positioning themselves as providers of energy efficiency, which can directly compete with the digital services 
Value Proposition currently developed by the Group. 

Risk mitigation 
The Group is driving competition performance analysis and follow-up of organizational changes, M&A news, reviewing its scope of competitors 
and key players in its environment.

To anticipate these changes in the competitive landscape, the Group is communicating more widely about its values and positioning on Climate 
change and sustainability. 

Schneider  Electric  provides  a  full  portfolio  of  solutions  for  customers  (hardware  +  software)  –  as  EcoStruxure  solutions  –  and  Energy  and 
Automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability.

It also implies developing the Group’s network of Partners and reinforcing its Strategic Technology Alliances.

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11. Risk factors

1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.3 Export Controls 

Risk description 
International, Foreign and National Export Control Laws and Regulations govern the transfer of goods, services and technologies within a country 
or between countries and/or their nationals. Elements that may trigger restrictions and licensing requirements may include but not limited to 
countries, parties, product and end-uses. 

Schneider Electric being a Multi-National Corporation (MNC) with international operations spanning across more than 100 different countries 
worldwide must constantly ensure full compliance to such laws and regulations by implementing a robust corporate export control compliance 
program. As any implications may result in a significant impact on the Group’s businesses, results, reputation and financial position.

Albeit Schneider Electric product portfolio has only a limited product range that may have dual-use goods features as well as non-dual use goods 
(e.g. breakers) that may be used in sensitive applications; prohibition, restriction or licensing requirements may apply to these products especially 
if associated with political sensitive countries and destinations. 

Risk mitigation 
Schneider Electric has strict mandatory corporate export control due diligence processes in place to address and mitigate the above described 
risks. To that end, Schneider Electric Group deploys a Corporate Export Control Program led by its Global Export Control Center of Excellence 
(CoE). The CoE composed of specialists that monitors and enforces the Corporate Export Control Program with the support of the Schneider 
Electric Export Control Network.

Schneider Electric Corporate Export Control Program includes but not limited to export control due diligence screening processes (e.g. embargo 
and restricted countries screening, denied party screening, dual-use goods screening and sensitive applications screening); incorporation of 
Export  Control  provision  in  main  sales  and  procurement  contractual  template;  conducting  of  regular  online  and  classroom  awareness  and 
training sessions for all Schneider Electric employees.

Schneider Electric Group continues to enhance and update its Corporate Export Control Program to ensure compliance with all applicable export 
control laws and regulations, both local and extra-territorial.

In 2019, Schneider Electric incorporated Export Control as a standalone principle in the updated Corporate Principles of Responsibility. A new 
Export Control Awareness module was also launched on the Corporate Learning Platform to further enhance the efficiency and accessibility  
of Export Control awareness and training. 

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1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.4 Corruption linked to B2B and project business 

Risk description 
The  exposure  of  the  Group  to  corruption  risk  has  been  increasing  for  several  years,  due  to  the  expansion  of  the  Group’s  activities  in  new 
economies, especially in Asia and Africa, through organic growth and mergers and acquisitions. 

The business model of the Group relies on a large ecosystem of partners, including more than 50,000 suppliers throughout the world representing 
a procurement volume in excess of EUR 12 billion, but also, resellers, and distributors. This ecosystem may represent a risk for the Group to be 
accountable for activities performed on its behalf, but also regarding potential conflict of interest or unethical solicitation. 

In addition, the Group is participating in complex projects involving a large range of partners in sectors at risk, such as Oil and Gas, and with 
end-users from the public sector in countries at risk.

Over the past 3 years, the increase of law enforcement by public authorities, higher press coverage of fines imposed on companies and new 
regulations requiring a strong compliance program have significantly changed the impact of corruption risks.

Risk mitigation 
To  mitigate  this  risk,  Schneider  Electric  has  built  a  dedicated  Group  Compliance  Team,  composed  of  corporate  compliance  counsels  and 
regional compliance officers. 

The whistleblowing system of RED line for employees and GREEN line for external stakeholders is also managed to combat this risk. In 2019, 560 
and 32 alerts of all natures respectively coming from RED Line and GREEN Line have been received and managed through follow up inquiries.

In addition, Group Principles of Responsibility were updated in April 2019 with reinforcing guidance regarding anti-corruption policy. Then, in 
August 2019, Business Agents Policy was updated and deployed and in November 2019, the same process was applied for Anticorruption Code 
of Conduct.

Furthermore, corruption risk mapping was performed in 2019 at regional level, and internal controls and Internal Audit missions were reinforced 
on compliance risks.

94% of Sales, Procurement and Finance employees have been trained thanks to the Anticorruption e-learning. The content of this e-learning  
is updated each year. 

A system built-in segregation of duties control is in place in main Group’s ERPs.

All compliance related aspects are part of due diligence done by the Group for Mergers and Acquisitions.

For detailed 2019 actions, please refer to sections 2.1.4 and 2.1.5 of the Report.

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11. Risk factors

1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.5 Strengthening of chemical and resource-related regulations in Electrical and  
Electronic Equipment space 

Risk description 
Schneider Electric’s plants and products are subject to strict environmental laws and regulations.

Many countries have increased legal requirements for the use of chemicals and resources, both in manufacturing processes and in the bill of 
materials of products.

Key Product Environmental regulations were strengthened in 2019, especially those specific to Electric and Electronic Equipment (EEE): RoHS 
(restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) and WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment). RoHS bans 
ten chemical substances for many product categories, sold by Schneider Electric: this may require substitutions, and may represent a considerable 
risk of non-compliance; WEEE concerns the Group Extended Producer Responsibility, and obliges an active role in the framework of products end 
life, particularly in terms of financing the collection channels.

In addition, as described in Note 21 of Chapter 5 of this Document, provisions of EUR 293M are set aside to cover environmental risks. These 
provisions are primarily funded to cover clean-up costs (not covering potential penalties). The estimation of the expected future outflows is based 
on reports from independent experts.

French ‘Duty of Care’ and Country-specific initiatives (e.g. China) have reaffirmed the expectations towards engaging Suppliers in Environmental 
de-risking efforts.

The Group Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) activity is opportunistic, and Schneider Electric needs to critically assess Environmental risks of all 
acquired companies’ product portfolios, to ensure strict environmental compliance of all their products and in every market where they are traded.

Local  regulations  (Country,  Europe,  China,  etc.)  could  force  a  percentage  of  recycled  content  in  some  product  categories,  where  neither  the 
relevant recycled resources may be available, nor the product can be certified or accepted – with recycled content – by IEC, NEMA or any other 
electrical standards.

Regulations  phase  out  specific  chemical  substances  or  resources  too  quickly,  whilst  no  relevant  alternative  may  have  been  found  in  a  
scalable manner.

Risk mitigation 
The Group’s Integrated Management System (IMS), which covers Safety, Energy, Quality, and Environment, continues to be deployed across all 
Industrial sites and major commercial offices.

Offer  Creation  Process  (OCP)  is  strict,  and  each  step  and  deliverable  embed  ecoDesign  ambitions  and  principles:  selection  of  resources, 
identification of critical substances, lifecycle assessment, then production of REACh and RoHS report.

The Group’s community of ecoDesign business partners train the R&D teams in all new and coming environmental regulations and assist them 
with precise guidance.

Environmental and Safety compliance audits, conducted by third-party consultants or internal specialists, take place periodically across countries.

Schneider Electric has been part of task forces on the Circular Economy playing leadership roles in multi-stakeholder dialogues in Europe, China, 
and  the  US,  to  discuss  opportunities  and  hurdles:  regulations,  environmental  impacts,  protection  of  customers’  interests  and  job  creation. 
Schneider Electric is active in France’s Circular Economy Roadmap and engaged in China with MIIT on circular economy. The Group leads 
GIMELEC, FIEEC, and engage with IGNES, ORGALIME discussions for its sector on circular economy, in various circles.

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1. Risks related to the environment in which the Group operates

1.6 Human rights, environmental and safety issues through the value chain 

Risk description 
Schneider Electric’s procurement volume represents more than EUR 12 billion with more than 50,000 suppliers. As part of the Duty of Vigilance 
program in the supply chain, Schneider Electric has performed a risk analysis through its network of suppliers, and identified potential risks in 
the following areas:

•  Human Rights
•  Environment
•  Ethical Business Conduct
•  Cybersecurity

The occurrence of these risks with one of the Group’s suppliers may result in the following impacts on Schneider Electric:

Reputation
Schneider Electric’s image may be negatively impacted by suppliers who:

•  Do not respect Human Rights, or safety rules for their workers;
•  Are responsible for pollution and damage to the environment;
•  Are conducting business in a non-compliant or illegal manner.

Disruption of supply chain due to:

•  Short term termination of relations with a supplier.
•  Events resulting from the lack of safety or insufficient protectives measures (fire prevention, etc…) that may affect the supply of components.
•  Damage to data exchanged with suppliers, or digital systems (virus, malware).

2019 Specific events 
In France, disputes between NGOs and French companies (excluding Schneider Electric) concerning non-compliance with the duty of vigilance 
have started in 2019. The final decisions will be handed down in 2020 and will allow a better evaluation of the legal risks associated with the Duty 
of Vigilance program.

Risk mitigation 
A sustainable approach to the supply chain starts with the selection of suppliers according to the “Schneider Electric Supplier Quality Management” 
system, which includes sustainable development criteria weighing 30% of the total evaluation of a supplier.

In 2019, Schneider Electric organized the Global Suppliers Day. During this day, the Principles of Responsibility were introduced to suppliers.

As  part  of  the  Group’s  3-year  sustainability  plan  for  2018-2020,  strategic  suppliers  are  requested  to  submit  (themselves)  to  an  ISO26000 
evaluation. Consistent with a continuous improvement effort, these suppliers are expected to achieve on average a +5.5 points increase in their 
score by 2020.

Schneider Electric has built a supplier vigilance plan in which risky suppliers are identified using criteria that take into account the geographical 
location of the supplier, the technologies and processes used. A 3-year audit plan is then built, to perform at least 350 supplier on-site audits. 
When  non-conformances  are  identified,  corrective  actions  are  deployed.  The  suppliers  are  then  re-audited  to  verify  that  the  actions  have 
remediated the non-conformances. In 2019, 99.5% of non-conformances from 2018 have been closed. The supplier vigilance plan also includes 
an internal training program for Schneider Electric Procurement teams and workshops with suppliers. 

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11. Risk factors

2. Risks related to Operations

2.1 Risk of cyber security on the Schneider Electric infrastructure and its digital ecosystem 

Risk description 
Schneider  Electric,  like  other  organizations  with  a  similar  global  footprint  and  presence,  is  exposed  to  the  risk  of  cyberattacks  and  data  
privacy breaches.

As an industrial and technology company, the Group has “traditional” IT and Operational Technology activities spread over more than 25 sites 
with major R&D activities and more than 200 production and logistic units.

On those sites, Operational Technology systems are converging more and more with IT systems, especially through the use of Internet of Things 
expanding the attack surface. 

Additionally, the move from product-centered business model to service-oriented business model with software (e.g. digital offers like “Advisor” 
software suites) and augmented data presents the risk of Intellectual Property theft.

Risk mitigation 
NIST framework (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover) is used with a Cyber Risk register and High-Value Assets (more than 25) program.

Cyber threats are mitigated by implementing capabilities i.e., enforcing mechanisms including a Data protection program. 

Events and incidents are monitored through a Security Operations Center driven jointly the Group’s partners.

Schneider Electric’s posture is continuously revisited and adapted through Reality Checks, including emergency and improvement plans across 
the Company.

~100% of connected users and ~37000 factory workers are trained for cybersecurity in 2019.

All cyber risk assessments were completed in 2019 by the Group’s cybersecurity consulting partner. 

Furthermore, this year, three major cyber crisis simulation exercises were performed. 

Lastly, independent “reality checks” were performed: 3 cross-cutting internal audits and external assessments.

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2. Risks related to Operations

2.2 Connected products at Schneider Electric or customer sites used as a gateway to attack Group’s 
customers and partners 

Risk description 
The Energy industry is becoming more digital and this includes IoT and its major accelerators for mobility, the cloud, pervasive sensing, big data 
and analytics. 

The  resulting  increased  digitalization  of  products,  including  native  connectivity,  is  increasing  the  exposure  to  cyber  security  risk,  where  
connected products and digital offers (e.g. 32 “Advisor” type of offers) at Schneider Electric or customers sites could be used as a gateway for 
malicious cyberattacks. 

Schneider Electric is launching an ecosystem collaboration platform called Exchange with 50k+ registered Users, ~300 Apps, more than 150 
service providers listed and ~100 communities onboarded. 

Those  kind  of  digital  offers  and  platforms,  if  compromised,  could  negatively  affect  service  quality,  profitability  and  image  reputation  of  
Schneider Electric.

Risk mitigation 
Product Security Office is reinforced with strong mandate and connection across the business units.

Schneider Electric is developing products and securing the ecosystem (ISA/IEC62443 and ISO2700x) in conformity to Cybersecurity standards. 
Schneider Electric follows a Secure Development Lifecycle process to build cybersecurity into its products even before the design stage. 

IoT Cloud Platform (EcoStruxure Technology Platform) is certified against ISO27001 standard.

The Group enforces digital security and privacy conformance assessing Platforms, Applications and Digital Offers.

In case of cyber incident, a process of response, connecting and debriefing is organized with partners and customers.

In 2019, security and privacy were enhanced by Design with new Secure Development Lifecycle and certified against IEC62443-4-1. Also, all of 
32 digital offers (mainly from “Advisor” software suites) were assessed in the framework of Digital security and privacy conformance.

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11. Risk factors

2. Risks related to Operations

2.3 Product quality 

Risk description 
Schneider Electric has more than 260 000 references produced in 191 factories spread in 46 countries around the world.

Product quality and safety is a critical topic for the Group operating in the Energy industry, as product malfunctions or failures could result in 
Schneider Electric incurring liabilities for tangible, intangible damages or personal injuries. The failure of a product, system or solution may involve 
costs related to the product recall, result in new development expenditure and consume technical and economic resources. 

Schneider Electric’s products are also subject to multiple quality and safety controls and regulations and are governed by both national and 
supranational standards. New or more stringent standards or regulations could result in capital investment or costs of specific measures for 
compliance. 

The above-mentioned costs could have a significant impact on the profitability and cash equivalent of the Group. The business reputation of 
Schneider Electric could also be negatively impacted. Indeed, the Group has been impacted by several recalls more or less recently ranging 
from EUR 10 to 40 M depending on the case.

Risk mitigation 
Thanks to analytics the Groups is starting to proactively listen for weak signals from internal captures or from customer experiences.

In 2019, the Group launched a specific program called Phoenix to continue to strengthen manufacturing tools and processes. This is to be 
extended to logistic processes and suppliers.

The Group feeds its new offer design by constant learning, insights from the current offer, and leverage methodologies such as “Agile” to embed 
quality in each and any design step.

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2. Risks related to Operations

2.4 Supply chain flexibility 

Risk description 
The Group is exposed to fluctuation in economic growth cycles and to the respective level of investment within the different countries in which it 
operates. Economic ups and downs could impact the footprint of Schneider Electric’s supply chain. 

Furthermore, the raise of renewable energy is increasing the tension on some markets such as batteries. This could result in additional costs or 
possible shortages potentially impacting the Group profitability. Some more or less recent shortages such as electronic components in 2017, or 
electromechanical ones in 2019, are respectively led to sales losses of EUR 40M and EUR 30M.

Schneider Electric can also be exposed to supply chain dependency and business continuity risk. For instance, one cluster of plants in South 
East Asia supplies 80% of EUR 1 billion line of business. Any incident or interruption of production (natural disasters, social unrest, and pandemics) 
on this plant could lead to shortages, compensation costs or top line losses. 

Finally, the increase of circular economy regulation could increase the pressure on product traceability. Failure to comply with those regulations 
could result in fines potentially impacting the Group’s profitability and reputation.

Risk mitigation 
The Group requires its sites to have a robust business continuity plan for any large-scale events which can severely impact the business, such 
as natural disasters, social unrest, and pandemics. Each of Schneider Electric’s sites has an assigned business continuity leader whose role is 
to manage this process if something occurs and initiate a crisis management command center at a local and, if necessary, global level in Head 
Quarters, led by the Global Security Officer. This process has a proven track record of success and continues to protect the Group’s people  
and assets. 

Finally, the Group’s supply chain strategy team assesses the supply chain flexibility on an ongoing basis to ensure the right level of flexibility and 
capacity from one site to another, if there is a need due to interruption. This is well understood by the supply chain leadership. The Group has a 
network of 191 factories and 97 distribution centers globally and the strategy is building a more regional supply chain, set-up for redundancy 
purposes but more importantly to give Schneider Electric’s customers peace of mind that the Group is a resilient company and they will receive 
world class service. 

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GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

11. Risk factors

2. Risks related to Operations

2.5 Innovation and Research & Development (R&D) 

Risk description 
The worldwide markets for the Group’s products are competitive in terms of development and introduction time for new offers. In this regard, 
failure  for  the  Group  to  renew  its  offer  portfolio  through  dynamic  Research  and  Development  activities  could  impact  the  competitiveness  of 
Schneider Electric.

In addition, with the digital transformation, the Group is increasing its share of Digital and Software offers that have a shorter life-cycle compared 
to the Product offers.

In 2019, 5% of the Group revenue has been invested in R&D of which a significant part is dedicated to digital. Therefore, the Group needs to do 
the right trade-off between funding the digital development and at the same time, keep in place for the renewal of the core offer. This year, R&D 
costs increased by 6 % in 2019 resulting in an R&D to Sales ratio that increased by +8 bps (organic growth), due to increased investment in digital 
and in products. The Group strategy includes material investment in R&D, innovation and digital.

Schneider Electric owns more than 18,000 patents and there were more than 850 patents application in 2019.

Risk mitigation 
Since the software-based market has faster cycles, the Group is constantly adapting and evolving toward greater customer centricity, in its 
research and development processes, through the increased use of agile methodologies to shorten the development cycles and by getting 
closer to the local customer markets.

In 2019 the Group deployed a new multi-hubs strategy in the Group’s main markets, to bring research and development closer to final customers.

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2. Risks related to Operations

2.6 Digital evolution and software offers 

Risk description 
Major transformation in several areas is impacting the markets in which Schneider Electric operates, including the digitization of the Energy industry.

In the age of the IoT, customers expect ever smarter products with open interfaces enabling them to be tightly integrated into more and more 
complex software-based solutions and benefit from new services leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms. 

The Group is investing in its digital transformation journey and as such is increasing the share of its digital offers. In 2019, software and digital 
services had a doubled-digit growth, increasing the software offering (double digit growth) and registering a 25% growth in e-commerce sales 
while connected customers and Assets under Management (AuM) increased respectively by 20% and by 50% versus 2018. As such, Schneider 
Electric  is  focusing  on  offering  more  digital  and  services,  generating  more  recurring  revenues  and  creating  customer  stickiness.  In  2019,  it 
represents 25 % of Schneider Electric’s revenue. 

Also, on February the 13th 2020, the Group announced its intention to launch a voluntary public tender offer for RIB Software SE, a construction 
software provider, in order to expand capabilities in building life cycle digitalization. This acquisition will continue Schneider Electric’s journey to 
build a software portfolio and a leadership position in digital and sustainable smart building solutions.

The transformation risk will be linked to the monetization of this new digital portfolio in order to generate a steady revenue stream from this mass 
customers and products connectivity.

Risk mitigation 
The Group has launched several initiatives including but not limited to: 

•  creation of a new organization dedicated to the growth of digital services with a clear ambition to leverage a robust strategy and structured 

offer portfolio;

•  monetizing critical connected assets with advanced Advisor offer through installed base, using Artificial Intelligence and algorithms;
•  definition of a consistent connectivity path for partners and direct go-to-market.

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11. Risk factors

2. Risks related to Operations

2.7 Pricing strategy 

Risk description 
Raw  material  inflation  and  foreign  exchange  rate  fluctuation  can  impact  the  product  cost,  with  differences  across  the  product  lines.  Such 
fluctuations,  if  not  offset  by  tactical  pricing  decisions  in  compliance  with  national  and  international  laws,  can  impact  negatively  the  Group’s 
profitability. As illustration, in 2018, the delayed adjustments to raw material inflation led to EUR 80M sales mis opportunity.

In addition, the current market evolution requires different ways of working as the E-commerce and internet are evolving quickly and the actors 
are becoming more regional and, in many cases, global. 

Risk mitigation 
To anticipate negative impact on profitability the Group has reinforced its comprehensive global pricing program with robust compliance, pricing 
and quotation tools.

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2. Risks related to Operations

2.8 Competition laws 

Risk description 
Schneider Electric’s products are sold in markets worldwide and are subject to national and supra-national competition laws and antitrust regulations.

Some Group entities worldwide including, but not limited to, entities in Pakistan, France and Spain have been directly or indirectly cited in antitrust 
proceeding or investigated. 

In Pakistan, the Group inherited, and subsequently discontinued local operations acquired from Areva. These operations were investigated and 
sanctioned by the World Bank.

In France, investigations were performed in September 2018 by the French police and antitrust authorities at Schneider Electric’s head office  
and other premises concerning the electrical distribution activities in France. Schneider Electric is cooperating with the French authorities in  
their investigations. 

For  Spain,  the  local  subsidiary  was  indicted  for  anti-competitive  behavior  related  to  a  previously  owned  subsidiary.  The  investigation  was 
concluded in February 2020 without any significant consequence for the Group.

Risk mitigation 
The whistleblowing system of RED line for employees and GREEN line for external stakeholders such as suppliers is managed to identify any 
inappropriate practice or behavior with competitors or business partners that may be reported.

Furthermore, internal controls and internal audit missions have been reinforced on compliance risks, including in respect of competition and 
antitrust risks.

The revised compliance due diligence program for Merger and Acquisitions was issued to strengthen upfront identification of compliance issues 
with potential acquisition targets.

The Group updated and deployed the revised Group Principles of Responsibility in April 2019 with reinforced guidance regarding competition 
and antitrust rule as issued various other polices and directive related to competition and anti-corruption.

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11. Risk factors

3. Risks related to Internal Organization

3.1 Talent attractiveness, workforce engagement, sales force upskilling and recruitment of digital 
competencies 

Risk description 
The  digital  transformation  comes  with  the  need  for  specific  skills  especially  in  the  areas  of  technologies,  energy  efficiency  solutions  and 
consultative  selling.  To  consult  on  digitization  and  to  support  agile  ways  of  working,  the  Group  must  prioritize  digital-centric  positions.  For 
Schneider Electric, the top areas of focus include: software product owners, software developers, scrum masters, agile coaches, data scientists, 
data engineers, UX/UI designers, integration architects, cybersecurity specialists, and security engineers. Currently at Group level there are 
approximately 8,000 digital technologists with largest concentration of employees in India, US, France, and China.

Competition for highly qualified management and technical personnel, particularly business technologist, is intense in the Group’s industry and 
becomes a bigger challenge as the Group continues its trajectory of growth. In 2019, approximately 17% of global professional hires were in 
digital-centric roles- doubling the digital hiring composition from year-prior. 

Future continued success depends in part on the Group’s ability to attract, hire, onboard, develop and retain the best qualified personnel. In 
addition to critical skills, workforce diversity especially gender, generation and nationality is a priority. For example, in 2019, ~50% of white collars 
hiring  globally  are  early-career/fresh  graduates  (increase  of  2%  pts)  to  ensure  continued  supply  of  early-career  talents.  Also,  at  Group  and 
country levels, more programmatic efforts are in progress to support ‘senior talents’ regarding future skills development, knowledge transfer, and 
career assignments to leverage their expertise and experience. 

Risk mitigation 
The Group’s People Strategy is strongly anchored in its new people vision, which includes Employee Value Proposition and employer branding. 

Schneider Electric’s entire people strategy defines the transformation it wants to accomplish, including increasing diversity and inclusion, pay 
equity and family leave.

Other examples include the proactive career development and planning that are also underway, and the training plans provided to all new front-
line and mid-level managers. 

Schneider Electric’ continuous listening strategy ensures the Group listens to the employees throughout their employment lifecycle (onboarding, 
OneVoice internal survey, exit, etc.), and acts on their feedback to drive engagement.

New training and upskilling program for all Sales representatives and Sales leaders was developed in 2019 for deployment in 2020, and a new 
certification training program for Key Account Managers.

The Group is also focusing on recruiting young digital talents to sustain the digital transformation.

In 2019, Schneider Electric has launched an Open Talent Market platform to facilitate internal job and project assignments and a new digital 
employee listening tool to analyze employee engagement.

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3. Risks related to Internal Organization

3.2 IT systems management 

Risk description 
The Group operates either directly or through service providers, a wide range of highly complex information systems, including servers, networks, 
data repositories, applications and databases, on premise and in the cloud, that are essential for the efficiency of its sales and manufacturing 
processes, as well as platforms to enable Digital Offers such as EcoStruxure™. The Group is deploying various applications aimed at enhancing 
commercial experience, employee effectiveness and supply chain efficiency as well as enabling digital commercial offers.

In  addition  to  that,  for  example  the  Group  is  managing  80  finance  ERP  systems  inherited  from  M&A.  The  Group  needs  to  set  up  dedicated 
governance and cost control structures because of projects’ complexity, extensive functionalities and worldwide deployment.

Failure  of  any  of  those  hardware  or  software,  fulfillment  failure  by  a  service  provider,  new  application  or  software  deployment  issues  could 
adversely affect the quality of service offered by Schneider Electric.

In addition, the provision of safe and secure foundational Information Systems is critical to the ongoing expansion of digital offers and customer 
interactions. When the Group is moving towards more Digital offers, service and software then the variety of legacy systems makes it harder and 
more complex to evolve.

Despite the Group’s policy of establishing governance structures and contingency plans, there can be no assurance that information systems 
projects will not be subject to technical problems and/ or execution delays. While it is difficult to accurately quantify the impact of any such 
problems, data loss or delays, they could have an adverse effect on inventory levels, service quality and, consequently, on the Group’s financial 
results.

Risk mitigation 
The  Group  regularly  examines  alternative  solutions  to  protect  against  those  risks,  performs  regular  compliance  checks  on  service  provider 
service level agreements and has developed contingency plans, and incident response capabilities to mitigate the effects of any information 
system failure.

The Group undergoes constant evolution and planning pertaining to its information systems, which encompasses but is not limited to: 

•  ERP transformation and the evolution of the Group’s financial systems to prepare for Digital Offers;
•  Elimination of legacy IT applications and associated hardware to simplify the landscape and mitigate risks linked to obsolescence; 
•  Ensure sustainability of IT landscape with ongoing focus on business continuity and disaster recovery planning for hardware and software. 

All applications are subject to certification testing attempting to remove system vulnerabilities. These systems are housed either in on premise 
data centers managed by the Group’s service providers or are cloud- based applications and, as required, conform to the EU General Data 
Protection Regulation.

In 2019, the Group has reduced legacy IT applications by 40% in a simplification objective and implemented a new Financial and Treasury 
systems enabling more agility for Digital Offers. 

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11. Risk factors

4. Financial risks

4.1 Counterparty risk 

Risk description 
The Group has a particularly wide international presence (more than 115 countries): the revenue is almost equally spread across the four regions 
(Asia Pacific, Western Europe, North America, Rest of the World), and 41% of the revenue is generated in new economies. 

The Group is therefore facing multiple counterparty risks, as any economic downturn could lead to local liquidity issues with consequences in 
terms of cash collection and delay of payments from the customers, affecting adversely the Group cash conversion rate. 

In 2019, delay of payment was observed in India and in UAE in 2019. Furthermore, the liquidity market is becoming more tense in geographies 
such as China, India, Italy and UAE. This potential cash shortage could impact the whole value chain in those countries.

As of December 31st, 2019, 13.7% of trade receivables were overdue, of which 1% by more than 4 months, (refer to Note 16 of the financial 
statements).

2019 Specific events 
In 2019, due to the industrial dependence on imported goods, the Turkish lira volatility weighted on the economic dynamics. Customer payment 
behaviors continued to deteriorate due to high-level of debt and lower cashflows. In Argentina, the skyrocketing interest rates and pressure on 
exchange rate lead to a default risk increase. 

Risk mitigation 
Financial transactions are entered into with carefully selected counterparties and adapted terms and conditions are included in contracts with 
customers.

Banking counterparties are chosen according to the customary criteria, including the credit rating issued by an independent rating agency.

Group policy consists of diversifying counterparty risks and periodic controls are performed to check compliance with the related rules.

In addition, the Group takes out substantial credit insurance and uses other types of guarantees (letters of credit and bank guarantees) to limit 
the risk of losses on trade accounts receivable.

As of December 31st, 2019, the amount of the provision for receivables impairment is EUR 459M as described in Chapter 5.

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4. Financial risks

4.2 Currency exchange risk 

Risk description 
The Group’s international operations and the particularly wide international presence expose it to the risk of fluctuation of exchange rates.

Fluctuations in exchange rates between the reporting currencies of the Group entities and the currencies of transactions can have an impact on 
the Group’s results and distort year-on-year performance comparisons. The same applies to the fluctuations between euro and the reporting 
currencies, in a more significant proportion.

The main exposure of the Group in terms of currency exchange risks is related to the US dollar, Chinese Yuan and currencies linked to the US dollar.

In  2019,  revenue  in  foreign  currencies  amounted  to  EUR  21.6  billion,  including  around  EUR  7.2  billion  in  US  dollars  and  EUR  3.6  billion  in  
Chinese yuan.

The  Group  estimates  that  in  the  current  structure  of  its  operations,  a  5%  appreciation  of  the  euro  compared  to  the  US  dollar  would  have  a 
translation effect of around minus EUR 50 million on EBITA.

The result of exchange gains and losses of 2019 amounts to EUR 49M as described in Chapter 5.

Risk mitigation 
The Group manages its exposure to transactional currency risk to reduce the sensitivity of earnings to changes in exchange rates. Receivables 
and  payables  of  the  Group’s  subsidiaries  denominated  in  currency  other  than  their  functional  currency  are  hedged  primarily  by  means  of 
rebalancing assets and liabilities per currency (natural hedge).

More than 20 currencies are involved, with the US dollar, Chinese yuan, Singapore dollar, Australian dollar, British pound, the Hungarian forint 
and Russian rubles representing the most significant sources of those risks.

Depending on market conditions, risks in the main currencies may be hedged based on cash-flow forecasting using contracts that expire in  
12 months or less.

The  financial  instruments  used  to  hedge  exposure  to  fluctuations  in  exchange  rates  are  described  in  note  23  of  the  consolidated  financial 
statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 (Chapter 5).

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Transport insurance
Risks of loss or damage to goods while in transit, including intragroup 
shipments  are  covered  by  a  global  insurance  program  renewed  on 
January 1, 2019.

Erection all risk insurance
The erection all risk insurance program providing cover for damage to 
work and equipment for projects taking place at our clients’ premises 
was continued in 2019.

Other risks
In addition, Schneider Electric has taken out specific cover in response 
to certain local conditions, regulations or the requirements of certain 
risks, projects and businesses.

Self-insurance
To  optimize  costs,  Schneider  Electric  self-insures  certain  high-
frequency/low-severity risks through two captive insurance companies:

• 

•  a captive company based in Luxembourg provides mainly Property 
Damage and Transport reinsurance worldwide as well as Liability 
reinsurance outside the US and Canada. The total amount retained 
for these risks is capped at EUR20,2 million per year;
for the entities located in the US and Canada, a captive insurance 
company  based  in  Vermont  (USA)  is  used  to  standardize 
deductibles  for  general/products/professional  liability,  workers’ 
compensation and automobile liability. These retentions range from 
USD1 million to USD5 million per claim, depending on the risk. An 
actuary validates the reserves recorded by the captive company 
each year.

The cost of self-insured claims is not material at the Group level.

Cost of insurance programs 
The cost (including tax) of the Group’s main global insurance programs, 
excluding  premiums  paid  to  captives,  totaled  around  EUR19  million  
in 2019.

GROUP’S STRATEGY: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

11.2 Insurance strategy 

Why we think this is important 
Schneider  Electric’s  general  policy  for  managing  insurable  risks  is 
designed to defend the interests of employees and customers and to 
protect the Company’s assets, the environment and its shareholders’ 
investment.

How we are mitigating the risks:
•  We identify and analyze the impact of our main risks.
• 

In order to prevent the risks of damage and protect our production 
capacity,  we  define  protection  standards  (including  for  the  sites 
managed by third parties), organize audits of our main sites by an 
independent  loss  prevention  company  and  roll-out  of  a  self-
assessment questionnaire for the other Group sites.

•  We draw up business continuity plans, in particular, for the Group’s 

main sites and critical suppliers.

•  We implement crisis management tools with the Group’s Security 

Department.

•  We  carry  out  hazard  and  vulnerability  studies  and  safety 

management for people and equipment.

•  We  negotiate  global  insurance  programs  at  Group  level  for  all 
subsidiaries  with  insurers  meeting  appropriate  minimum  credit 
ratings.

•  We implement these global programs in countries where the Group 
operates in compliance with local regulations through a network of 
international brokers.

•  We optimize financing for high-frequency/low-severity risks through 
retentions managed either directly (deductibles) or through captive 
insurance companies.

Liability insurance
The  insurance  program  renewed  on  January  1,  2017  for  a  period  of 
three years was continued in 2019. This program, deployed in more 
than 75 countries, provides coverage and limits in line with the current 
size of the Group and its evolving risks and commitments.

Certain specific risks, such as aeronautic, nuclear and environmental, 
are covered by specific insurance programs.

Property damage and business interruption insurance
A new insurance program has been put in place as of July 1, 2019 for 
two years. This is an “all risks” policy which covers events that could 
affect Schneider Electric’s property (including fire, explosion, natural 
disaster,  machinery  breakdown)  as  well  as  business  interruption 
resulting from those risks.

Assets are insured at replacement value.

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In this section

1.  Sustainability at the heart  

of Schneider Electric’s strategy 

1.1  Towards long term positive impact 

1.2  Evaluation of the main non-financial risks  

and opportunities created 

1.3   The Schneider Sustainability Impact, a regular  

and objective measure of the Group’s actions 

1.4  Open dialog with stakeholders 

1.5   Integrated and transverse governance  

of sustainable development 

1.6   External and internal guidelines for a solid framework 

1.7  Ratings and awards 

2.  Green and responsible growth 
driving economic performance 

2.1  Smart energy management products  

and solutions to help fight climate change 

2.2  Schneider Electric's Principles of Responsibility 

2.3  Human rights 

2.4  Ethics & Compliance program 

2.5  Focus on anti-corruption 

2.6  Combating tax evasion 

2.7  Digitally trusted and secure 

2.8  Vigilance plan 

2.9  Relations with subcontractors and suppliers 

3.  Schneider Electric’s commitments  
towards environmental excellence 

3.1  Environmental Strategy 

3.2  Climate strategy towards net-zero CO2 emissions 

3.3  Eco-efficient manufacturing 

3.4  Circular economy 

3.5  Product stewardship 

4.  Committed to and on behalf of employees 

4.1  Step Up 

4.2  Employee health and safety 

4.3  Talent and employee engagement 

4.4  Learning and development 

4.5  Diversity & Inclusion 

4.6  Compensation and benefits 

4.7  Social dialog and relations 

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157

160

164

171

174

5.  Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company 

177

5.1  25 years of commitment to youth, skills 

development, and reducing the energy gap 

5.2  Access to Energy program 

5.3  The Schneider Electric Foundation 

5.4  Territorial positioning and local impact  

on economic and social development 

6.  Methodology and audit of indicators 

6.1  Methodology elements on the published indicators 

6.2  Concordance of indicators with the French 

Non-Financial Performance Declaration themes 

6.3  Independent third party’s report on the consolidated  

non-financial statement presented in the management report 

7. 

Indicators 

7.1  Environmental indicators 

7.2  Social indicators 

7.3   Societal indicators 

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204

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Sustainable 
Sustainable 
development
development

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Life Is On | Schneider Electric

85
 85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s 
strategy

In this 21st century, humanity is facing the most daunting challenge in its history: the need to 
radically transform its economic growth model in less than 30 years or face catastrophic changes 
to its ecosystem. While global GHG emissions continue to grow(1), the devastating effects of these 
changes are already being felt: an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme climate 
events, melting glaciers and disappearing coral reefs. Added to this is the alarming loss of 
biodiversity and growing inequalities.

Neither the 840 million people without electricity for whom Schneider 
Electric develops inclusive business models and creates solutions for 
clean, safe and reliable energy, nor the 50 to 125 million energy-poor 
Europeans the Group supports through its Foundation.

With its new Principles of Responsibility, placing human rights, people 
development, ethical business conduct, cybersecurity, environmental 
action and corporate citizenship at its core, as well as the Schneider 
Sustainability 
(SSI),  Schneider  Electric  continuously 
demonstrates that it can be a trusted partner.

Impact 

2025

• 

Invest EUR10bn in R&D

•  Reach carbon neutrality in the Group’s operations  

by offsetting remaining emissions

•  Phase out SF6

•  Provide access to energy to 50 million people

•  Support 10,000 entrepreneurs

•  Train 1 million underprivileged people 

•  Train 10,000 trainers

Resolutely  determined  to  contribute  to  the  17  United  Nations 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Schneider Electric provides 
innovative solutions to overcome the energy paradox: balancing the 
need  to  reduce  the  planet’s  carbon  footprint  with  the  inalienable 
human right to quality energy and access to digital. Schneider Electric 
seeks  to  be  a  role  model  and  to  embark  its  ecosystem  onto  a  just 
transition for a net-zero carbon world.

from  helping 

Schneider  Electric  has  made  strong  commitments  for  its  entire 
ecosystem,  ranging 
their 
sustainability practices, to reducing its customers’ emissions through 
innovative solutions, as well as deploying an ambitious action plan for 
its own operational scope. In addition, the Group is convinced that in 
this journey for a better planet, no one should be left behind. 

its  suppliers 

improve 

The Group’s sustainability roadmap

2020 

Reach the 21 objectives of the Schneider  
Sustainability Impact on:

•  Climate

•  Circular economy

•  Health & equity

•  Ethics

•  Development

(1)  UN Emissions Gap Report 2018

86

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

1.1 Towards long term positive impact

1.1.1 Long-term corporate commitment for sustainability  
with short-term and medium-term objectives
For Schneider Electric, sustainability is a tangible growth pillar which 
encompasses 
improvement  of  cross-functional 
(environmental, ethical, social and economic) issues across its entire 
value  chain  and  its  stakeholders.  Therefore,  naturally,  the  Group’s 
sustainability  process  is  hardwired  into  its  strategy.  This  process  is 
built around five major challenges identified by its materiality matrix: 

the  continuous 

•  Climate
•  Circular economy
•  Health & equity
•  Ethics 
•  Development

These  five  trends  are  the  pillars  supporting  the  Group’s  roadmap  
in the short term. 

In the medium and long term, Schneider Electric aligns its strategy on 
key issues under the UN SDGs in coherence with its business model 
and global footprint.

1.1.2 A strategy serving energy transition and climate 
technologies
Schneider  Electric  is  strategically  positioned  to  capitalize  on  these 
challenges,  while  the  associated  risks  are  low  and  controlled.  The 
Group performs regular assessments of the direct and indirect risks 
and opportunities linked to climate change challenges, and has built a 
scenario planning function and roadmap since 2018. 

2030

•  Reach net-zero operational emissions and reduction  
of scope 3 emissions by 35% (vs 2017) as part of the 
Group’s validated 1.5°C Science-Based Target

•  Provide access to energy to 80 million people

•  Consume 100% renewable electricity (RE100)

•  Double energy productivity vs 2005 (EP100)

•  Switch to 100% electric cars (EV100)

As  a  global  specialist  in  the  digital  transformation  of  energy 
management  and  automation,  the  Group  places  its  expertise  and 
solutions at the service of its customers to ensure that energy is safe, 
reliable, efficient, connected and sustainable. The Group proposes an 
integrated  offering  of  technologies  and  market-leading  solutions 
tailored  to  customer  needs,  promoting  the  transition  towards  more 
electric, digital, decarbonized, and decentralized energy.

Schneider Electric’s response is to reduce its own impact and to offer 
products, services and solutions which help its customers reduce their 
energy  consumption  and  CO2  emissions.  The  solutions  Schneider 
Electric brings to the market are directly linked to activities to mitigate, 
adapt  and  improve  humanity’s  resilience  to  climate  change  (see 
“Smart  energy  management  products  and  solutions  to  help  fight 
climate change” pages 109 to 111). In 2019, Green Revenues represent 
70% of the Group’s total revenues. In addition, to further contribute to 
a  new  electric  and  digital  world,  100%  of  Schneider  Electric’s 
innovation projects are aligned with its purpose, more than 90% being 
either strictly green or neutral (more details are provided page 111).

The numerous awards received each year by Schneider Electric and 
its  leadership  in  the  main  ESG  indices  confirm  that  the  Group  is 
headed in the right direction (see pages 106-107). To further improve 
its  best  social  and  environmental  practices,  the  Group  joined  the 
United  Nations  Global  Compact  LEAD  group  in  2018  and  the 
“Pathways  to  Low-Carbon  &  Resilient  Development”  and  “Decent 
Work  in  Global  Supply  Chains”  working  groups.  In  2019,  the  Group 
also joined the Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) initiative, a group 
of  major  international  companies  pledging  to  tackle  inequality  and 
promote diversity in their workplaces and supply chains, sponsored 
by the French Presidency of the G7 and overseen by the OECD.

2050

•  Engage with suppliers towards a net-zero supply 

chain

•  Engage actively with sustainable business initiatives 

such as the UN Global Compact

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 87

2Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder InformationSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1.2 Evaluation of the main non-financial risks and 
opportunities created

1.2.1 Evaluation methodology
As  part  of  its  Extra-Financial  Performance  Declaration,  the  Group 
presents  the  main  risks  and  opportunities  identified  with  respect  to 
major societal challenges in this section.

In order to compile the list of the main non-financial risks for the Group, 
a  panel  of  both  internal  and  external  tools  is  used  to  address  the 
expectations of its stakeholders as best as possible.

Internal tools:

•  See detailed materiality matrix on page 89
• 

Internal audit risks matrix

External signals and international frameworks:

•  Regulatory framework: the key topics of the French Extra-Financial; 

• 

Performance Declaration;
International  institutions/organizations  (UN  Global  Compact  and 
SDGs);

•  Non-financial and NGO rating agencies;
•  Specific requests from investors and customers;
•  Recommendations from the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial 
Disclosure, SASB framework (see also pages 104 to 105 internal 
and external guidelines.

The  analysis  covers  the  entire  value  chain  of  the  Group  and  its 
stakeholders: suppliers and subcontractors, transactions, customers, 
as  well  as  Schneider’s  scope  extending  to  the  activities  at  its 
Foundation,  on  cross-functional,  environmental,  social  and  societal 
topics, human rights and anti-corruption.

Each  topic  is  monitored  by  the  relevant  departments  and  their 
management  teams,  who  are  in  charge  of  proper  risk  assessments 
and the implementation of mitigation and prevention actions. The main 
departments and managers are:

•  Safety, Environment, and Real Estate and the Global SVP
•  Human Resources and the Chief Human Resources Officer
•  Sustainability and the Chief Sustainability Officer
•  Procurement and the Chief Procurement Officer

The main identified risks are quantified on probability of occurrence 
and magnitude of impact by these departments. On this basis, the list 
is reviewed and validated by relevant SVPs, by the board of directors’ 
secretariat,  Internal  Audit  team,  and  presented  to  the  HR  and  CSR 
Committee and to the Sustainability Executive Committee.

Seven  main  non-financial  risk  categories  were  identified  and  are 
presented  in  detail  on  pages  90-93:  environment  and  circular 
economy,  climate,  health  and  safety  at  work,  human  resources 
(recruitment  and  competencies,  gender  equity),  anti-corruption, 
human rights in the supply chain, and socially responsible investments. 
Risks  presented  here  are  gross  risks,  i.e.  absolute  risks  before  a 
mitigation plan is implemented.

The risks linked to privacy and data security and to consumer health 
and  safety  identified  by  the  materiality  matrix,  were  not  retained  
as  CSR  risks  but  as  business  risks  and  are  therefore  described  in 
chapter  1  pages  70,  71  and  79.  Additionally,  risks  arising  from  the 
sourcing of critical materials, identified by the industry standard SASB 
on Electrical and Electronic Equipment, are also discussed under the 
business risks section in chapter 1, pages 51, 64, 73 and 351.

1.2.2 Materiality analysis
In  2017,  Schneider  Electric  renewed  its  materiality  analysis(1)  by 
questioning  external  stakeholders 
(e.g.  customers,  suppliers, 
international organizations, trade associations, experts, shareholders, 
members of the board of directors, etc.) and top and senior managers 
within the Group (strategy, country presidents, safety/environment/real 
estate, businesses and services, human resources, industrial design, 
IoT  and  digital  transformation,  European  labor  councils,  etc.).  The 
participants  represented  five  nationalities;  32%  of  the  respondents 
were women, 68% were men. Participants were asked to assess the 
significance of each issue according to a quantitative scoring scale, 
and then were interviewed for qualitative evaluation and justification of 
the given scores. This made it possible to adjust the averages so as to 
obtain  a  more  representative  matrix  of  the  interviewees’  intentions. 
These 
the 
relationship with its stakeholders and learn about their expectations. 
Beforehand, the challenges were defined using a study of the sector’s 
stakes (analysis of the different CSR guidelines, sector benchmarks, 
etc.) and a comparison with the 2013 materiality analysis. With the help 
of consulting firm B&L Evolution, the aim is to ensure that Schneider 
reports  on  the  most  important  economic,  social  and  environmental 
challenges; identifies current and future opportunities and risks for the 
business; and updates its sustainability agenda with key stakeholders’ 
expectations.  In  particular,  the  materiality  matrix  was  one  of  the 
sources used to design the 2018-2020 Schneider Sustainability Impact 
and  to  confirm  the  topics  to  be  addressed  in  the  Registration 
Document.

interviews  also  enabled  Schneider 

to  consolidate 

(1)  Definition is based on AA 1000 Assurance Standard’s materiality principle as well as the Standard GRI strategic roadmap.

88

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

1.2.3 Key learnings
The  materiality  matrix  below  displays  the  results  of  the  analysis.  The 
external  and  internal  visions  of  the  challenges  are  generally  aligned. 
Challenges related to governance, communities and local development 
are  generally  less  material  than  challenges  related  to  human  rights, 
consumers,  working  conditions  and  relationships, 
fair  practices  
or the environment. Six challenges are defined as crucial: human rights  
and  duty  of  vigilance,  data  security  and  privacy,  business  integrity, 
workplace safety and access to health care, and carbon neutrality.

The 2019 registration document, Schneider Electric’s commitments for 
the climate (see pages 132-136) and finally the 2018-2020 Schneider 
Sustainability Impact cover all these priority challenges through Group 
policies, improvement plans, indicators, and short-term or long-term 
goals.

For further details, please visit the Schneider Electric website.

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Materiality matrix

5.0

External signals

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4.1

3.2

2.3

2.3

Human right and duty of  vigilance

Business integrity

Occupational safety 
and access to care

Privacy and data security

Carbon neutrality

Consumer health and safety

Eco-design
Transition to tomorrow’s occupations

Diversity and inclusion

Recovery and refurbishment 
of  end-of-life products

Diversity, independence 
and effectiveness of  the 
board of  directors

Energy efficiency and CO2 avoided
Renewable energies

Use of  recycled or 
biosourced materials

Zero waste to landfill

Tax transparency

Well-being 
and stress 
reduction

Gender pay equity

Stakeholder engagement

Employee engagement
Environmental risk management

Universal access to electricity

Access of  women 
to positions of  
responsibility

Hazardous substances

Water 
consumption 
and treatment

Social dialog 
and freedom of  
association

Fair 
competition

Responsible communication and marketing

Fuel poverty

Fair and equitable 
officers’ compensation

Contribution to local 
development

Job creation

Transparency 
of  lobbying

Study of  the societal impacts of  the activity

Economy of  functionality

3.2

4.1

Importance of issues according to Schneider Electric

Internal signals

5.0

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Governance

Human rights

Fair practices

Environment

Communities and local development

Working relationships and conditions

Consumer issues

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

Following its assessment of material risks, Schneider Electric presents its main extra-financial risks and opportunities.

Risk description 

Risk impact

Policies

Due diligence and results

Performance

Opportunity created 

Environment and circular economy

Circular economy

Strengthening of circular 
economy regulation  
(on product lifecycle)

Volatile prices and 
materials/resource 
availability

Circularity concept 
reduced to waste 
recycling, not taking  
into account lifetime, 
reparability  
and serviceability

Horizontal regulations 
not taking product 
specificity into account

Conflicting regulations 
(waste/end-of-life/ 
hazardous substances 
restriction)

Cost increase  
of primary materials

Disruption of supply

Safety risk if assets 
handled by non-certified 
third parties (repair, 
end-of-life)

Health & Safety impact

Reputation impact

Strengthening of  
waste regulation

Chemical substances

Strengthening of 
chemical substance 
regulation

Market shift 

Consumers preferences 
for eco-friendly products

Increased costs  
and administrative 
requirements of  
waste management

Reputation impact

Access to market  
since products may be 
forbidden (regulations) 
or blacklisted 
(prescriptors)

Multiplication of 
uncoordinated regional 
legislation, with different 
requirements

Circular economy 
strategy

Group Environment 
Policy

EcoDesign Way™

Green Premium™

Participation in 
multistakeholder panels 
(FREC, MIIT China, 
AFEP, Gimélec, FIEEC, 
IGNES, ORGALIME)

Circularity in EcoDesign 
WayTM for product 
lifetime, reparability  
and serviceability

This risk is more 
qualitative stressing  
that circularity is not  
only waste recycling  
but also serviceability, 
upgradeability, etc.

Awareness that 
circularity has to be 
product and sector 
specific, incorporation  
of recycled materials in 
products all the same

SSI#7: 96% cardboards/
pallets from recycled/
certified sources in 2019

Lean, agile, efficient 
manufacturing 
processes

Achieving 22% of  
the 2025 recycled 
plastics target

Circular resources  
and Towards Zero  
Waste to Landfill

100% cardboard and 
pallet for transport 
packing from recycled  
or certified sources  
by 2020

Raw material cost 
productivity and  
hedging strategy

+100% increase of 
recycled plastics  
by 2025 (in weight, 
baseline 2017)

Circular offers: 
ECOFIT™, and takeback 
schemes (EOL, etc.)

End-of-life information  
for our products with 
Green Premium™

Circular supply chain: 
waste as worth Towards 
Zero Waste to Landfill

120k tonnes of avoided 
primary resource 
consumption through 
ECOFIT™, recycling  
and take-back programs  
by 2020

200 sites Towards Zero 
Waste to Landfill by 2020

SSI#8: Increasing 
ambition to 120k  
from 100k 

97k tonnes avoided  
up to end of 2019

Market growth for 
Schneider Electric 
circular offers (repair, 
retrofit, takeback, EOL)

SSI#6: 193 sites Towards 
Zero Waste to Landfill by  
end of 2019

Industrial waste 
monetization

Substances and Material 
Directive: REACh,  
RoHS, China RoHS,  
CA Proposition 65

Group Environment 
Policy

EcoDesign Way™

75% of sales achieved 
with Green Premium™  
by 2020

SSI#5: +55.2% of sales 
under Green Premium 
end of 2019

Market opportunity for 
Green Premium™ offers

Chemical substitution 

Deployment of REACh 
o5a “once an article, 
always an article

Green Premium™

Extended transparency

Pollution prevention and control

Soil, water, and air 
contaminations at 
Schneider Electric sites

Non-compliance 
findings from public 
authorities and fines 

Group Environment 
Policy

Health impacts on 
personnel at our sites

Site property pollution 
and environmental 
provisions

241 sites certified  
ISO 14001 in 2019

100% Global Supply 
Chain factories with 
CLEARR assessment

Robust management 
system to drive 
environmental 
performance

IMS (Integrated 
Management System)
with ISO 14001 
certification

Environmental risk 
analysis

CLEARR

Environment due 
diligence in M&A

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2

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Risk description 

Risk impact

Policies

Due diligence and results

Performance

Opportunity created 

Climate

Climate change mitigation

Volatile energy prices, 
rising carbon prices;

Climate and energy 
regulation strengthening;

Energy cost increase

Energy Policy

Cost increase of 
purchased goods  
and services

Schneider Energy  
Action & Smart Factory 
Renewable Strategy

Evolution of energy mix, 
phase-out of fossil fuels

Emissions in  
Supply Chain

Electric power outage 
and power quality

Market growth for 
Schneider Electric 
energy efficiency  
and renewable offers

Showcase of 
EcoStruxure in  
our sites

10% energy efficiency 
target in 2020 v/s 2017

8.7% energy  
efficiency in 2019

Digital energy 
management in our  
sites with EcoStruxure

10% CO2 savings  
in transports

120MT saved on 
customers’ end

+25% revenues ESS

SSI#2: 4.1% CO2 
efficiency in transport  
in 2019

SSI#1: 50% renewable 
electricity in 2019

Reduced costs

Reduced environmental 
impact

80% renewable 
electricity target by 2020

Increased revenues

Customers attractivity

Growth of energy 
demand from IT  
and IoT

IT cost increase 
Reputation impact

Green IT/OT

WeGreenIT study

Customer attractivity

Data center optimization

Reputation improved

Application landscape 
rationalization

Hardware asset 
management

Digitization and IoT  
are enablers of the 
energy transition

Lean IT/OT architectures 

SF6 regulation 
strengthening

SF6 strategy

Phase-out of SF6  
in products and 
production processes

SF6 cost increase (tax)

Climate change adaptation

Increased frequency  
and severity of extreme 
weather events

Damage to property  
and assets

Business Continuity  
& Risk Management

Supply disruption

Insurance policy

GRC

Water scarcity 

Disruption of supply

Water stewardship

0.25% SF6 leaks  
target in 2020 in 
manufacturing process

0.24% SF6 leaks in  
2019 in manufacturing 
process

Disruptive innovation

Eliminate SF6 from our 
products in 10 years

Weather risks part of 
Business Continuity  
& Risk Management 
Program, leading to 
preventive investment  
to secure assets

Business continuity

Business continuity 
expertise extended  
to critical suppliers

Water scarcity  
risk mapping

22.2 m3/head on  
average in 2019

Water intensity reduction 
of 5% in 2020 vs 2017

0.000094 m3/EUR 
turnover

Health and Safety at work

Engagement

Risk of having 
disengaged employees 
feeling that their opinion 
is not taken into account 
which could impact the 
financial results of the 
Group

Most employees are 
taking the OneVoice 
survey, qualitative and 
quantitative results  
and verbatim 

Ideal working place

Not providing ideal 
working conditions to 
colleagues could create 
a risk of not being able  
to attract and retain best 
talent on the market

Absenteeism

Cost of turnover

Disengagement

Branding – company 
image on the market

SSI#9: 64% Employee 
Engagement Index  
in 2019

Improved employee 
engagement leading  
to greater performance

Continuous listening 
strategy, employee-
centricity 

Gives the opportunity  
to our employees to 
share their opinion  
and is key to being  
agile in the way the 
Group’s organizations 
are driven

A global survey 
surveying 100% of 
Group employees once 
per year + design and 
launch of pulse survey 
targeting populations  
for whom attention is 
needed (return from 
maternity leave, results 
dropping down) + 
verbatim deeper analysis

Employee Value 
Proposition

Global Family-Leave 
Policy

Pay Equity

Global Anti-Harassment 
Policy

Career development  
and learning

Flexibility@Work 
guidelines

Well-being practices 

100% of employees  
are working in countries 
that have fully deployed 
the Family Leave Policy 
by 2020

SSI#12: in 2019, 99% of 
employees are working 
in countries that have 
fully deployed the  
Family Leave Policy

Schneider Electric  
is well recognized as  
an attractive employer

90% of employees  
have access to  
a comprehensive 
Well-being at work 
program (including 
access to medical 
coverage and well-being 
training) by 2020

SSI#11: 47%  
of employees  
have access to  
a comprehensive 
well-being at work 
program

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

Risk description 

Risk impact

Policies

Due diligence and results

Performance

Opportunity created 

Health and Safety at work (continued)

Safety

Legal nonconformance

Loss productivity

Safety strategy

Global EHS alert

SSI#10: 2019 MIR = 0.79

Absolute requirement

Impact to Company 
image/customer 
confidence

Citation/fines

Serious/fatal employee 
injury/illness

Loss of or impact  
to employees

Loss of productivity

Property damage

Impact to Company 
image/customer 
confidence

Citation/fines

Human Resources

Recruitment and competencies

Risk of not attracting  
and retaining the best 
talent in the market

Cost of recruiting  
and onboarding

Impact of talent’s  
brand perception

Global safety directives

EHS assessment

See other safety KPIs 
pages 153-155

Global Action Plan

Safety strategy

Global safety directives

Serious Incident 
Investigation Process 
(SIIP)

2019 fatal, serious,  
LTIR and LTDR figures 
provided pages 153-155

Absolute requirement

Global Action Plan

KPIs

GlobES reporting

Global Safety alerts

EHS assessment

Faster time to hire, better 
candidate and hiring 
manager experience, 
better quality of hire

New tool to support 
internal mobility piloted

New EVP launched  
as part of the  
Company wide  
People Vision

New applicant tracking 
and candidate 
relationship 
management systems  
to be implemented in 
2020-2021

Investment in sourcing 
and market intelligence 
tools for all recruiters  
in 2020

Open talent market  
for internal mobility

New Employee Value 
Proposition (EVP) 
Schneider GoGreen 
program 

Increase in brand 
awareness, talent market 
share and reduction in 
employee turnover

GoGreen in the City 2019 
achieved 23,000+ 
registrations and 3,000+ 
students around the 
world submitted their 
ideas for a sustainable 
city. Four top talents 
were hired from the 
program

Internal mobility 
increased from 20% 
(2018) to 33% (2019)

Glassdoor rating of 
Schneider’s new EVP 
increased from 3.8 (end 
2018) to 4.0 (end 2019) 

Gender equity

Risk of not providing 
equal opportunities to 
everyone and impacting 
ability to attract and 
retain the best talent  
on the market

Cost of turnover

Recruitment of women

Loss of women in top 
potential pipeline

Women representation  
in leadership roles

Legal issues

Gender pay equity

Brand/Company image

Executive-level 
governance body to 
drive gender equality 
across Schneider

People attraction  
and retention with  
equal opportunities  
for everyone

40% of new hires are 
women by 2020

The Diversity & Inclusion 
board met twice in 2019

30% of top positions  
are women by 2020

SSI#15: 95% of 
employees covered 
under the pay equity 
framework by 2020

Diversity & Inclusion 
Board, sponsored by  
2 Executive Committee 
members and consists  
of 12 board members 
from different entities 
and geographies 

Please consult “Diversity 
and Inclusion” section  
for more details on  
the performance

Financial Times,  
Forbes, Catalyst, 
Equileap, Bloomberg 
and Universum 
recognized Schneider 
Electric as one of the 
Diversity & Inclusion 
leaders in 2019

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Risk description 

Risk impact

Policies

Due diligence and results

Performance

Opportunity created 

Anti-corruption

Corruption is the abuse 
of entrusted power for 
private gain. It can be 
classified as grand, 
petty and political, 
depending on the 
amounts of money lost 
and the sector where it 
occurs. It may occur 
through third parties’ 
activities (partners, 
suppliers, agents, 
companies to be 
acquired)

Reputation impacts

Legal impact

Financial impact

Impact on the 
development  
of the Company

Impact on the  
employer brand

Principles of 
Responsibility

Global Anti-Corruption 
Policy

Anti-Corruption Code  
of Conduct

Gift & Hospitality Policy

Business Agents Policy

ISO 37001 certifications

Red and Green Line alert 
system

Specific risks map for 
anti-corruption

100% of sales, 
procurement and finance 
employees trained every 
year on anti-corruption

ISO 37001 certifications 
on Middle East entities

Alerts investigated and 
closed in 2019 led to 105 
disciplinary sanctions

SSI#18: 94% of sales, 
procurement, and 
finance employees  
have been trained on 
anti-corruption in 2019

More opportunities with 
actual and potential 
customers

People attraction  
and retention

Sustainable business 
development 

Human rights in the supply chain

Violations of human 
rights and fundamental 
freedoms, serious bodily 
injury, environmental 
damage, or health  
and safety risks in  
supply chain

Reputation impacts

Legal impacts

Health & Safety  
of suppliers

Schneider Electric 
employees, customers

Environmental pollution

Duty of vigilance  
with suppliers and 
subcontractors, 
leveraging RBA 
membership

SSI#16: +3.70 points 
supplier sustainability 
performance 

Collaboration 
strengthening  
with suppliers

SSI#17: 279 onsite 
supplier audits since 
2018

SSI#18: 94% training  
on anticorruption

EEHS risk mapping  
of suppliers

Onsite supplier audits 
with RBA protocol

EEHS in procurement 
process (code of 
conduct, supplier 
qualification, 
performance  
review, etc.)

Continuous improvement 
with ISO 26000 standard

Training

Green Line Alert system

Conflict minerals 
compliance program

Conflict-free mineral 
monitoring

Collaboration 
strengthening  
with suppliers,  
improved reputation

At the end of 2019, the 
Group confirmed that 
more than 80% of the 
relevant purchases  
are “conflict-free”.  
The remainder are still 
under analysis, mainly 
due to the number of 
lower-ranking suppliers 
who are themselves  
in the process of 
developing this initiative

Socially responsible investing 

Reputational impact

Market share value

Given current 
momentum for 
sustainable finance and 
emerging regulations, 
there could be risk  
that the Group is not 
captured by SRI or 
green portfolios

Transparent and public 
reporting on 
sustainability objectives 
and performance

Engagement with 
stakeholders to identify 
critical sustainability 
topics

Engagement and dialog 
with investors to ensure 
expectations are met

Schneider Sustainability 
Impact Program

SSI score of 7.77/10  
in 2019

Inclusion in main ESG 
indices and top-ranking 
recognition

Numerous leadership 
positions in ESG  
indices and external 
recognitions in particular 
CDP A score for 9 years 
in a row, membership of 
Dow Jones Sustainability 
World index

Greater attractivity  
to investors and 
strengthened 
partnership with  
clients, suppliers and 
other partners in the  
Group’s ecosystem

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1.3 The Schneider Sustainability Impact, a regular  
and objective measure of the Group’s actions

1.3.1 A single, specific sustainability performance monitoring tool since 2005

To have a significant impact and initiate lasting change, performance 
must  be  measured,  although  there  is  no  recognized  standard  that 
defines  an  organization’s  sustainability  performance.  That  is  why 
Schneider Electric defines specific objectives and measures its results 
each quarter since 2005 in a dashboard commonly referred to as a 
“barometer”.  In  2018,  this  barometer  was  renamed  Schneider 
Sustainability Impact (SSI). The action plans of the SSI are carried out 
at  Group  level.  Schneider  Electric  uses  this  tool  to  address  its 
sustainability  challenges  and  to  improve  each  of  the  pillars  of  its 
strategy identified through its materiality matrix. The barometer uses a 
scoring scale of 10 and provides an overall measure of the Group’s 
progress  on  sustainability  issues.  The  tool  also  enables  Schneider 

Electric to anticipate and effectively manage its sustainability risks and 
opportunities  by  mobilizing  key  stakeholders  around  specific, 
measured objectives and reliable results. The barometer’s monitoring 
systems are audited annually by an external auditor (limited assurance).
Each barometer seeks to:

•  Mobilize the whole Company around sustainability goals (ethics, 

social, environmental and business);

•  Share the Group’s improvement plans with stakeholders.

On  a  daily  basis,  Schneider  Electric  proves 
environmental and social interests are convergent.

that  economic, 

Overview of the 5 barometers since 2005,  
and example achievements.

2012-2014:

14

KPIs in program

16%
CO2 savings on 
transportation

460

Missions with the 
“Schneider Electric 
Teachers” NGO

2005-2008:

10

KPIs in program

>120

Products with an 
environmental profile

-20%

Number of lost days 
from work accidents 
per employee per year

2009-2011:

13

KPIs in program

70.4%

of employees worked 
on ISO 14001 certified 
sites

1,291,768

Households at the 
Base of the Pyramid 
got access to energy 
thanks to Schneider 
Electric solutions

2018-2020:

21

KPIs in program

7.77/10

2019 overall 
performance

9

Indicators with 
increased objectives

2015-2017:

16

KPIs in program

100%

of products in R&D 
designed with 
Schneider EcoDesign 
WayTM

98.4%

of our entities passed 
our internal Ethics & 
Responsibility 
assessment

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1.3.2 Process to select and prioritize commitments

1

2

3

4

5

Analysis of 
material 
challenges

Definition  
of key 
performance 
indicators

Validation of 
monitoring 
goals and 
methods

Launch of the 
three-year 
program

Quarterly 
performance 
reporting

6

Annual 
external 
verification

Non-financial  annual  results  are  presented  together  with  financial 
results  by  Jean-Pascal  Tricoire,  Chairman  and  CEO  of  Schneider 
Electric, in order to demonstrate the Group’s commitment to making 
sustainability  part  of  the  Company’s  long-term  strategy.  In  addition, 
since  2014,  quarterly  results  have  been  presented  together  with 
quarterly  financial  information  to  institutional  investors  by  Emmanuel 
Babeau, Deputy CEO and CFO.

1.3.2.4 A key component of the variable compensation of the 
Group’s employees
Since  2011,  the  barometer  score  is  included  in  the  variable 
compensation of global functions and Company leaders. In 2019, the 
sustainability  component  has  been  strongly  reinforced  in  short-term 
incentives, in the profit-sharing incentive plan for the French entities 
Schneider  Electric  Industries  and  Schneider  Electric  France,  and  in 
the  long-term  incentive  plan  for  the  Group’s  key  talents  and  critical 
roles.  Further  details  are  provided  in  section  “Compensation  and 
benefits” page 172. 

1.3.2.1 Analysis of material challenges
Every three years and as part of the Company’s programs, the Group 
defines  a  new  dashboard  in  the  wake  of  an  exercise  to  identify 
sustainability  challenges  on  the  basis  of  external  and  internal 
contributions.

The  voices  of  each  stakeholder  are  thus  taken  into  account  via  the 
Group’s  materiality  matrices,  meetings  with  SRI  investors,  the 
questionnaires from rating agencies or from customers, which all shed 
light  on  our  strategic  points  of  differentiation  and  on  salient  societal 
concerns. 

1.3.2.2 Definition of key performance indicators
For  each  target  and  indicator,  and  this  is  a  critical  point  for  the 
operational implementation of each barometer, the ambition is defined 
in consultation with the departments concerned. For the Group, it is a 
guarantee  of  strong  mobilization  in  the  field  that  is  consistent  with 
actual priorities; for teams, it is the assurance of having the necessary 
means  and  visibility  to  improve.  In  each  new  period,  the  barometer 
update  takes  into  account  results  obtained,  progress  still  expected, 
the emergence of new topics and new priorities, and the experience 
gained.  Thus,  it  is  a  powerful  tool  to  move  the  Group  forward  on  its 
major challenges.

Four scenarios may emerge from one barometer to the next:

• 

• 

• 

• 

Improvement  plans  are  maintained  in  the  barometer  and  their 
targets are renewed or increased;
Improvement  plans  change,  new  and  more  innovative  or  better-
adapted indicators that cover the same subject are implemented; 
old indicators continue to be monitored internally if necessary;
Improvement plans are removed from the barometer; this is also the 
case with indicators that have reached a threshold. They continue 
to be monitored internally if necessary;
Improvement plans to address new challenges are implemented.

1.3.2.3 Governance and validation of the barometer
The  Sustainability  department  presents  a  draft  version  of  the  new 
barometer to the board of directors’ HR and CSR Committee, to the 
European  Works  Council,  and 
the  Sustainability  Executive 
Committee for validation. This latter committee includes four members 
of  the  Executive  Committee:  Strategy,  Human  Resources,  Global 
Supply Chain and Marketing. The new barometer is then approved by 
the CEO.

to 

Quarterly  results  are  supervised  by  the  Sustainability  Executive 
Committee, which makes decisions on any corrective actions that may 
be necessary to reach objectives. This committee meets twice a year. 
The HR and CSR Committee within the Board of Directors conducts an 
annual  review  of  the  Group’s  sustainability  policy,  analyzing  in 
particular the performance of the barometer.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1.3.2.5 Active communication of sustainability performance
The results of each barometer are released through the main channels 
below:

•  Quarterly  conference  calls  on  the  Group’s  financial  and  non-

financial results to investors and the business press;

•  The  Group’s  website  (quarterly  press  releases,  presentation  of 

integrated quarterly results);

•  The Intranet (including a quarterly internal video featuring the CEO 
and the CFO on the quarter’s results – these videos have strong 
internal visibility);

•  The “Webradios”, which inform the Sustainability Fellows (see page 
98)  about  performance  and  achievements  for  the  quarter  and 
provide an update on key sustainability topics;

•  Communications  with  the  board  of  directors  via  its  HR  and  CSR 

Committee and the Executive Committee;

•  The  Group’s  Annual  Reports  (Registration  Document  including  
the  statutory  auditors’  report,  Schneider  Sustainability  Report, 
Integrated Report);

•  The quarterly internal rating for managers on monitoring the level of 

achievement of objectives related to variable compensation;

•  Customers or investors events.

1.3.3 Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020
For each of its five major challenges Climate, Circular economy, Health 
& Equity, Ethics and Development, Schneider Electric sets ambitious 
objectives, which will require the Group to improve each year.

The 2018-2020 Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) includes 21 key 
performance indicators. Once each performance is converted into a 
score  out  of  10,  the  average  of  these  scores  indicates  the  overall 
performance of the SSI, with all the indicators having the same weight. 
Departments  directly  affected  by  the  improvement  plans  (Human 
Resources,  Environment,  Access  to  Energy,  etc.),  each  represented 
by a project leader, implement measures to achieve the objectives of 
the  plans.  This  project  leader  works  directly  with  local  managers  in 
their respective areas.

The table below shows Schneider Electric’s sustainability performance 
in 2019. When the SSI was launched on January 1, 2018, the global 
rating was 3/10. At the end of 2018, it exceeded its target of 5/10 and 
attained  6.10/10.  Following  this  excellent  performance,  the  Group 
decided to increase the ambition for nine indicators by about 20% (#3, 
#5, #8, #10, #13, #16, #17, #20 and #21). End 2019, the SSI achieved a 
7.77/10 score, ahead of a 7/10 objective.

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Climate

Circular economy

Health & equity

Ethics

Development

Renewable electricity

1. 
2.  CO2 efficiency in transportation
3. 

 Million metric tons CO2 saved on our customers’ end thanks to 
EcoStruxure offers
 Increase in turnover for our EcoStruxure Energy and 
Sustainability Services

Sales under our new Green Premium program
Sites labeled Towards Zero Waste to Landfill
 Cardboard and pallets for transport packing from recycled or 
certified sources
 Metric tons of avoided primary resource consumption through 
ecoFit, recycling, and take-back programs

9. 
 Scored in our Employee Engagement Index
10.  Medical incidents per million hours worked 
11.  

 Employees have access to a comprehensive well-being at 
work program 
 Employees are working in countries that have fully deployed 
our Family Leave Policy
 Workers received at least 15 hours of learning, and 30% of 
workers’ learning hours are done digitally
 White-collar workers have individual development plans
 Employees are working in a country with commitment and 
process in place to achieve gender pay equity

 Increase in average score of ISO 26000 assessment for our 
strategic suppliers
 Suppliers under human rights and environment vigilance 
received specific on-site assessment
 Sales, procurement, and finance employees trained every 
year on anti-corruption

4. 

5. 
6. 
7. 

8.  

12.  

13. 

14. 
15.

16. 

17.  

18. 

2019  

progress

50% (cid:83)
4.1% (cid:83)
89 (cid:83)

2020  
target

80% 
10% 
120

23.8% (cid:83)

25%

55.2% (cid:83)
193 (cid:83)
96% (cid:83)

75% 
200
100%

97,439 (cid:83) 120,000

64% (cid:83)
0.79 (cid:83)
47% (cid:83)

70%
0.88
90%

99% (cid:83)

100%

62% (cid:83)

100%

79% (cid:83)
99% (cid:83)

90%
95%

+3.70 (cid:83) +5.5pts

279 (cid:83)

350

94% (cid:83)

100%

19.  Turnover of our Access to Energy program
20.  Underprivileged people trained in energy management
21.  Volunteering days thanks to our VolunteerIn global platform

x1.56 (cid:83)

x4
246,268 (cid:83) 400,000
15,000

11,421 (cid:83)

 2019 audited indicators.

The 2017 performance serves as a baseline for the 2018-2020 Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI). Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of 
indicators. The performance of each indicator is presented in detail in corresponding chapters.

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1.4 Open dialog with 
stakeholders

1.4.1 Focused dialog with clearly identified 
stakeholders
This diagram is an overview of sector stakeholders proposed in France 
by  Gimélec(*),  the  French  trade  association  for  electrical  equipment, 
automation and related services.

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

Groups and 
Professional
Unions,
Consortiums,
JV, etc.

Schneider Electric engages in open and continuous dialog with each 
of its stakeholders. In particular, the Sustainability department takes 
into account the comments, ratings and evaluations from stakeholders 
on the Group’s Sustainability policy and programs. This feedback is 
integrated  into  the  drawing  up  of  the  Registration  Document,  the 
Group  corporate  brochure  (Schneider  Sustainability  Report),  the 
Integrated  Report,  and  new  improvement  plans  throughout  the 
Company  program  as  well  as  during  the  design  of  the  Schneider 
Sustainability Impact every three years.

s

r

o m e

t

s

u

C

Buildings,
Industry,
Infrastructure
and Energy

Civil society

Non-Governmental
Organizations,
Media, etc.

Contractors,
Integrators,
OEM, Systems
Manufacturers,
Distributors

Local Residents
and Territorial
Collectivities

Suppliers and
Subcontractors

Employees

Gimélec
companies

Shareholders,
Investors, Banks
and Insurers

Authorities and
Global Compact

S
o

c

i

a

l

Social
Partners 
and Bodies,
UIMM, etc.

SRI, Financial and 
Extra-Financial 
Analysts, etc.

F

i

n

a

n

c

i

a

l

Legislators,
European
Commission 
ILO, OECD, etc.

Institutional

Standardization
Bodies IEC
and Product
Certification

Other Standardization
Bodies, Teaching and
Research, Independent
Experts, etc.

Technical

(*) Source: CSR sector reporting guide, 2017.

1.4.2 Revenue breakdown
Every  year  for  the  last  14  years,  Schneider  Electric  has  published  a 
diagram  showing  its  revenue  distribution  for  its  various  stakeholders. 
This exercise allows the importance of each stakeholder to be highlighted 
from the point of view of financial flows and shows their share in this flow.

2019 Total Revenue: €27,158 million

Employees:  
wages
€7,333 million

States:  
income taxes 
€690 million

Non-governmental 
organizations: 
donations
€20 million

Shareholders: 
dividends
€1,296 million

Bank:  
net bank fees
€129 million

Procurements  
and other
€14,704 million

Investment capabilities

Net external financing*  
including capital change
(€829 million)

Operating Cash flow 
after Dividend Payment
€2,986 million

Investments and 
development
€806 million(1)

Net financial 
investments
€169 million(2)

Change  
in cash
€1,182 million

R&D: €1,368 million

*  Borrowings, capital increases and treasury stock disposals.
(1)  Of which EUR303 million in R&D.
(2)  Of which EUR90 million for long-term pension assets.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

The table below presents the major dialog channels with stakeholders. It is not exhaustive.

Stakeholder

Customers

Dialog

Quarterly customer satisfaction surveys 

Co-innovation programs

Department

Quality, Customer Satisfaction, 
R&D, Sales, EcoDesign

Online publication of environmental information on products

Financial

Quarterly conference calls to present financial and non-financial  
information, meetings and plenary meetings

Finance, Board Secretary, 
Sustainability

Regular meetings with individual shareholders

Quarterly newsletters to shareholders

Response to non-financial rating questionnaires

Individual meetings with SRI analysts

Response to SRI analyst questions

Partners

Purchaser/supplier meetings

Suppliers’ day

Supplier qualification process

Procurement, Environment,  
R&D,  Businesses, Sustainability

Awareness-raising about the Global Compact and ISO 26000

Participation in commissions and work groups on the sustainability  
of professional groups

Social

Half-yearly employee satisfaction surveys

Social dialog with employee representation bodies

Sustainability webradios

Technical

Collaborative approach, creation and participation in competitiveness  
cluster initiatives, R&D programs, university chairs and professional 
associations

Active participation in international standardization bodies

PEP Ecopassport program

Institutional

Committment to and promotion of the Global Compact

Relationships with public authorities, legislators and the European 
Commission, especially in the field of energy efficiency

Civil society

Participation in working groups and local and international  
organizations on challenges within our industry

Community programs

Partnerships with local NGOs

Human Resources, 
Sustainability

R&D, Activities, Environment

Sustainability, Purchases, 
Influence

According to subject and 
audience, Foundation and  
Access to Energy program

1.4.3 Engaging employees in sustainability:  
The Sustainability Fellows community
Schneider Electric believes that all of its employees should be aware 
of  the  major  sustainability  issues  and  be  ambassadors  of  its 
sustainability  commitment.  To  achieve  this  goal,  an  initiative  was 
launched  in  2013:  The  Sustainability  Fellows.  Relying  on  the  internal 
social  network,  the  community’s  objective  is  to  make  all  employees 
aware of what sustainability is, what the main challenges linked with 
this topic are, inside and outside the Company, and to understand the 
link  between  Schneider  Electric’s  strategy  and  climate  or  societal 

challenges.  The  goal  is  also  to  allow  members  of  this  community  to 
share their views in order to solve problems, improve the Company’s 
policies and actions, or to learn about the different ways to get involved 
daily  or  occasionally.  The  Sustainability  department  acts  as  the 
community  manager:  from  posts  or  polls  to  quarterly  webradio  live 
broadcasts. The community grew from a few hundred people in early 
2013 to more than 3,700 Sustainability Fellows in 2019.

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1.4.4 Global and local external commitments to move forward collectively
Schneider Electric works with different local and international organizations and associations on economic, social and environmental issues to 
foster  sustainability  in  cooperation  with  various  players.  Schneider  Electric  confirms  its  commitment  to  and  participation  in  discussions  on 
challenges related to climate change.

Topic

Commitment

Sustainable governance 
and cross-functional 
topics

Climate

Cybersecurity

International:  World  Business  Council  for  Sustainable  Development  (WBCSD);  Business  for  Social  Responsibility 
(BSR); United Nations Global Compact (Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of Global Compact France since 2013, was 
appointed in 2018 a member of the Global Compact Board of Directors); International Chamber of Commerce (ICC, 
Environmental  and  Energy  commission);  International  Electrotechnical  Committee  (IEC)  in  many  areas,  including 
environmental standardization; T&D Europe (the European association of the electricity transmission and distribution 
equipment and services industry); Business for Inclusive Growth coalition (B4IG); CEN-CENELEC Circular Economy 
groups supporting the European mandate M/543. 

France: ORSE (French Study Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, board of directors); EpE (Entreprises pour 
l’Environnement),  Afep  (French  Association  of  Private  Sector  Companies,  Environmental  and  Energy,  CSR 
commissions); Medef (French Business Confederation, Energy Competitivity Climate, Environment, CSR commissions); 
Gimélec (French trade association for electrical equipment, automation and related services, sustainability commission 
and commissions on topics related to energy efficiency, smart grids); FIEEC ((French trade association for electronic, 
electric and communication equipment); CCI France (Environmental and Energy commission).

International: Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition; Caring for Climate; The Climate Group and We Mean Business 
(RE100,  EP100,  EV100,  Responsible  Climate  Policy,  Report  Climate  Change  Information/TCFD);  Business  Climate 
Summit;  Clinton  Climate  Initiative;  The  2°C  Challenge  Communiqué;  White  House  Pledge;  Global  Compact  LEAD 
(Pathways to Low-Carbon & Resilient Development); ETC (Energy Transitions Commission); T&D Europe – Chair of the 
European  group  in  charge  of  “Alternatives  to  SF6  gas”  in  the  T&D  industry;  signatory  of  the  UN  Global  Compact 
Business Ambition for 1.5°C Pledge.

France: EpE (Zen 2050), French Business Climate Pledge, Climate Chance.

International:  ISO/IEC  JTC  1/SC  27:  Information  security,  cybersecurity  and  privacy  protection;  IEC/TC65/WG10: 
Security for industrial process measurement and control – Network and system security; ITIC, the IT Industry Council 
(Board and Cybersecurity Chair).

Europe:  CEN/CLC/JTC  13  –  Cybersecurity  and  Data  Protection;  CLC/TC  65X  –  Industrial-process  measurement, 
control and automation; Digital Europe (board); The European cyber-security organization (ECSO, convenorship of 
the group in charge of the standardisation, certification and supply chain management aspects); EG2 group (part of 
the  European  Commission  Smart  Grid  task  force,  in  charge  of  advising  it  for  a  future  network  code  for  electricity 
supply cybersecurity).

US:  IEEE  Power  System  Communications  &  Cybersecurity  Committee  (PSCC);  ISA99:  Industrial  Automation  and 
Control Systems Security; The Cybersecurity Coalition.

Energy/Energy 
efficiency/ Electric 
mobility/ Digital/ 
Renewables

International:  Alliance  to  Save  Energy;  The  Green  Grid  (Board);  eu.bac  (the  European  association  for  building 
automation  and  controls  –  energy  efficiency  in  buildings);  Orgalim  (Orgalim  Presidency  and  Chairmanship  of  the 
Energy  Group);  CAPIEL/CECAPI  (Capiel  vice  Chair;  Impact  of  Digitization  for  Buildings;  Smart  buildings);  Global 
Alliance for Building and Construction (GABC).

Europe: European Alliance to Save Energy (Vice-chair); Energy Solutions; Solar Power Europe; CEN- CENELEC-ETSI 
clean  energy  package  group;  International  Electrotechnical  Committee  (IEC,  in  many  areas,  including  e-mobility  
and smart charging, storage, microgrids, distributed energy resources, grid integration both on digital and hardware 
perspectives).

France: National Industry Council (Sectoral Strategic Committee: New Energy Systems); National Energy Transition 
Council, Green Building Plan; Promodul, financing company for energy transition; Avere (Electric Vehicle Association, 
Board of Directors and vice-chairmanship); IFPEB (Institut français pour la performance énergétique du bâtiment); 
Industry of the Future Alliance; P2E Initiative; Ignes (digital, energetic and security engineering industries); France 
Data  Centers;  Comité  Stratégique  de  Filière  (CSF);  Industries  des  Nouveaux  Systèmes  énergétiques;  Minalogic, 
Conseil National de l’industrie.

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1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

Topic

Commitment

Smart grids and 
sustainable cities

Circular economy  
and product 
environmental 
performance

Access to energy

International:  Research  Triangle  Cleantech  Cluster  (Raleigh,  North  Carolina);  Grid  Edge  Executive  Council 
(Greentech Media); Fort Collins Cleantech Cluster (Colorado); OpenADR Alliance; smartEn (Smart Energy Europe, 
association of market players driving digital and decentralized energy solutions Chairman of the Board); Peak Load 
Management  Alliance;  North  American  Electric  Reliability  Council  (NERC,  Functional  Model  Demand  Response 
Advisory Team); NEMA Smart Grid Council; IEEE (T&D and Power and Electronics Society); Association of Energy 
Service  Professionals  (AESP);  Association  for  an  Energy  Efficient  Economy  (AEEE);  Pacific  Northwest  Demand 
Response  program;  Capiel  (European  Coordinating  Committee  of  Manufacturers  of  Electrical  Switchgear  and 
Controlgear, Smart grid project group); Orgalim (Infrastructure Task Force); Urban Infrastructure Initiative led by the 
WBCSD; Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA); Bay Area Climate Collaborative (SF Bay); NEMA Distribution 
Automation Section 8DA; T&D Europe – Chair of the Working Group smart grids and micro grids; EG3 group, part of 
the  European  Commission  Smart  Grid  Task  Force,  in  charge  of  defining  regulatory  recommendations  for  the 
deployment of flexibility; ISGAN (International Smart Grid Action Network); CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Smart Energy grid 
Co-ordination  group;  International  Electrotechnical  Committee  (IEC)  in  many  areas,  including  the  Smart  Energy 
System committee.

France: Think Smart grids, Tenerrdis Energy Cluster.

International: Ellen MacArthur Foundation membership; European Standardization CEN-CENELEC JTC10 Circular 
Economy  (supporting  the  European  mandate  M/543  for  assessing  recyclability,  remanufacturability,  repairability); 
PEP ecoPassport (Product Environment Profile, Presidency), PEP ecoPassport was selected by EU as leader of PEF 
(Product  Environment  Footprint)  experimentation  phase  (2020-2021)  for  EEE  cluster  (Electric  and  Electronic 
Equipment),  for  promotion  of  transparent,  robust  and  digital  Product  Environmental  information;  International 
Electrotechnical Committee (IEC, in many areas, including environmental standardization).

France:  Afep  (Circular  economy  working  group),  AFNOR  Circular  Economy,  Gimélec  (chairmanship  of  strategic 
taskforce for Circular Economy); MTES/Feuille de Route Éonomie Circulaire (active contributions, working groups).

International: Co-signatory of a white paper for the WBCSD on business solutions for access to energy for all and  
co-pilot of the “Low carbon electrification in remote areas” group; Sustainable Energy for all; Club ER; Alliance for 
Rural Electrification; Gogla; Co-lead of the B4IG coalition’s Inclusive value-chain & ecosystem working group; IFC 
Energy2Equal; Women’s Forum climate charter; Power For All Powering Jobs Campaign; Solar Impulse Foundation.

France: Supporting partner of the Movement for Social*Business Impact/Enterprise and Poverty Chair at HEC.

Fuel poverty

International: Ashoka, Social Innovation to tackle energy poverty program.

France: The Rénovons initiative/CLER the energy transition network (Hope, la chaire pour lutter contre la Précarité 
Energétique/Fondation Grenoble INP); Stop à l’exclusion énergétique/Fondation des transitions.

Diversity & Inclusion

International: Signatory of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP); The Global Deal; Member of the B4IG 
coalition’s “Building inclusive workplaces” working group.

France: Diversity Charter; Agreement for professional gender equality; Parenthood Charter; Disability Agreement; 
Agreement  on  inter-generational  mechanism;  Apprenticeship  Agreement;  Framework  Convention  on  Jobs  for  the 
Future (Emplois d’Avenir); Businesses and Neighborhoods (Entreprises et Quartiers) Convention.

Education

International: Training program in energy management for disadvantaged people, in partnership with local vocational 
training centers and/or national or international non-profit organizations.

Ethics  
and human rights

Biodiversity

Philanthropy

France: Paul-Louis Merlin school, framework agreements with the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education 
and Research, partnerships with the continuing education network of UIMM, Ingénieurs Pour l’École network (IPE), 
selected by the Ministry of Education for the Digital School project.

International: Transparency International, Global Compact LEAD (Decent Work in Global Supply Chains).

France: Cercle éthique des affaires (Business ethics club, Board of Directors), Club Droits Humains (Human rights 
club) of Global Compact France, Entreprises pour les droits de l’homme (Companies for human rights).

Livelihoods (carbon offset fund for biodiversity and rural communities), act4Nature Initiative; CDC/ Caisse des Dépôts 
et Consignations – B4B+ club (Positive Biodiversity Businesses) membership.

International: IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort), more than 70 NGOs supported each year in over  
35 countries.

France: Fondation de France, Admical (Association pour le développement du mécénat industriel et commercial, 
member of the European network CERES); IMS-Entreprendre pour la cité; Centre français des fonds et fondations; Pro 
Bono Lab; Alliance pour le Mécénat de compétences.

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Topic

Commitment

Standardization

With around 700 experts actively participating in international and national standardization bodies, Schneider Electric 
is making a decisive contribution to the creation and distribution of standards that ensure the safety and reliability of 
electric facilities and equipment, and address their environmental impacts all along their life cycle to prepare for a 
better circular economy, support the new energy landscape with the goal of greener energy integration, safer energy 
delivery and better integration of prosumers, and support the digital transformation of the industry.

Schneider  serves,  in  particular,  as  a  main  contributor  of  the  French  electrotechnical  institute,  which  is  a  founding 
member of international (IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission) and European organizations (Cenelec – 
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization).

Involved in these two organizations, at governance and technical levels, it participates actively in the standardization 
of smart grids, for which it leads the definition of standards and the standardization roadmap within the European 
smart grids coordination group, as well as the group in charge of standardizing the interfaces between smart buildings 
and smart grids. 

It chairs the IEC Committee on Environmental standardization of Electric and Electronic Equipment and is secretary 
of IEC SC23K on Energy Efficiency Products, Systems and Solutions.

It chairs the French Committee for environmental standardization and the French Committee on Circular Economy.

It was a major contributor to smart manufacturing initiatives such as the AIF in France. Notably, it is a member of the 
Council Board and of the IEC Conformity Assessment Board.

It chairs the Smart Energy Grid coordination group of the CEN-CENELEC-ETSI (European Standardization Committee 
–  European  Committee  for  Electrotechnical  Standardization  –  European  Telecommunications  Standards  Institute), 
responsible for ensuring availability of an appropriate set of standards for the rollout of smart grids in Europe, as well 
as supporting the coming new legislative “Clean Energy Package”.

CEN-CENELEC-ETSI are the three official European standardization bodies.

Schneider  also  chairs  the  group  at  the  IEC  level  in  charge  of  defining  the  roadmap  of  international  standards  to 
support the rollout of the Smart Energy sector (smart grids, in addition to interfaces with other energies). This roadmap 
also includes cybersecurity and resilience, as well as the impact of the IoT.

It  contributes  to  the  European  Commission’s  Circular  Economy  package,  with  CEN-CENELEC-ETSI  developing  a  
set of standards assessing reparability, reusability, recyclability, remanufacturability, etc. of products by 2020 which 
fall  within  the  scope  of  the  EcoDesign  directive.  Schneider  has  appointed  active  experts  in  each  of  the  working 
groups.

In 2018 it led the UPS manufacturers’ group in the EU Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) pilots for 
defining rules to assess the PEF of products put on the EU market, prior to its implementation of the European policy.

It chairs several ISO (International Standardization Organization) technical committees.

At the forefront of digital transformation, it is a board member of the European AIOTI initiative (Alliance for Internet of 
Things Innovation), leading in particular the buildings work group, and leading the IEC 17 working group on compliance 
assessment in the field of cybersecurity.

Since February 2007, Schneider has represented France on the IEC’s Advisory Committee for Environmental Aspects 
(ACEA).

ACEA works to advise and coordinate the IEC’s efforts to tackle environmental issues.

The Group also chairs the IEC’s Advisory Committee for Energy Efficiency (ACEE), created in 2013, and chairs the 
Advisory Committee on Safety (ACOS).

It also chairs many French standardization committees hosted by AFNOR (French standards organization).

It is particularly heavily involved in the working group on sustainability (chairing environment and circular economy 
groups) and in the work on the rational use of energy.

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1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1.5 Integrated and transverse governance  
of sustainable development

At Schneider Electric, Sustainability is integrated in the processes and 
bodies  that  design  and  execute  the  Group’s  strategy  at  board 
executive and operational levels.

1.5.1 The board of directors
In 2013, the Board of Directors decided to extend the powers of the 
Remuneration  Committee  to  corporate  social  responsibility  issues. 
Since 2014, there has been a specific committee for CSR: the HR and 
CSR Committee (See pages 252-253). 

1.5.2 The Sustainability Executive Committee
Since 2010, the three members of the Executive Committee in charge 
of  Human  Resources,  Global  Supply  Chain  and  Strategy  have  met 
twice per year with the Sustainability Director to monitor and steer the 
Group’s action plans in this area. In 2016, the Global Marketing EVP, a 
member of the Executive Committee, joined this committee.

1.5.3 The Sustainability department
The Sustainability department, created in 2002, has been part of the 
Strategy department since 2008. It has the following responsibilities:

•  Schneider Electric’s sustainability strategy and rollout action plans 

at Group level with relevant entities;

•  Schneider  Electric’s  innovative  community  projects  to  ensure 
continued improvements in the Group’s performance in this area.

It is organized around four areas:

•  Ethics, in charge of leading the Ethics & Compliance program (see 

pages 115-117);

•  Social  responsibility,  specifically  with  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation  as  well  as  local  economic  and  social  development 
programs (see pages 185-190);

•  Access  to  energy,  with  responsibility  for  the  Access  to  Energy 

program (see pages 179-185);

•  Group  performance,  in  particular  by  steering  the  Schneider 
Sustainability Impact, the Extra-Financial Performance Declaration, 
the Schneider Sustainability Report, and the Integrated Report (see 
pages 94-96).

1.5.4 The Sustainability Communication Steering 
Committee
In  2017,  Schneider  Electric  set  up  a  Sustainability  Communication 
Steering  Committee.  Its  members  are  those  impacted  by  the 
sustainability journey of the Group for the coming years. Among them, 
the  Chief  Marketing  Officer, 
the  
Chief  Sustainability  Officer,  the  Safety,  Environment  and  Real  Estate 
SVP, the Energy & Sustainability Services (ESS) SVP, and the Talent 
Management SVP.

the  Chief  Strategy  Officer, 

1.5.5 Other key organizations
•  Global  Supply  Chain  organization,  with  responsibilities  including 

safety and the environment (See page 131).
•  Human Resources organization (See page 152).
•  The Ethics Committee (See page 115).

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Board of Directors:  
HR & CSR Committee

•  Advise on the sustainability strategy 

•  Analyze sustainability policies and practices

Executive Committee:  
Sustainability Executive Committee
Strategy, Industrial Operations, Human Resources, Marketing

•  Challenge, align with strategy and decide

Strategy Executive Vice-President

Sustainability department

•  Set the sustainability strategy 

•  Manage innovation projects 

•  Lead the relationship between internal and external stakeholders

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Corporate functions

Networks and specific committees

Businesses

•  Schneider Sustainability Impact – Sustainability Executive Committee

•  Implement strategy and 
Company programs

•  Deploy policies 

•  Execute sustainability 
objectives (Schneider 
Sustainability Impact, 
variable compensation) 

•  Support awareness

•  Access to Energy – A2E Committee 

•  Environment – SERE Committee

•  Climate – Carbon Committee

•  HR-HR Committee, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, etc.

•  Safety – SERE Committee

•  Ethics – Ethics Committee & Fraud Committee

•  Foundation – Foundation’s Executive Committee & Schneider 

VolunteerIng Board

•  Sustainable purchasing – Global Purchasing Committee & business 

reviews with recommended suppliers

All Employees

•  Sustainability Fellows webradios

•  Schneider VolunteerIng NGO

•  Schneider Electric Foundation delegates

•  Regional Sustainability Directors

•  Implement strategy and 
Company programs

•  Deploy policies 

•  Execute sustainability 
objectives (Schneider 
Sustainability Impact, 
variable compensation) 

•  Support awareness

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1.6 External and internal guidelines for a solid framework

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
The  SASB  Foundation  was  founded  in  2011  as  a  not-for-profit, 
independent  standards-setting  organization.  Schneider  Electric 
extra-financial disclosure is aligned with SASB reporting guidelines 
for its sector (Electrical and Electronic Equipment): 

•  Energy management (see pages 137-141 and 202-203), 
•  Hazardous waste management (see pages 143-146 and 202), 
•  Product safety (see pages 72 and 120), 
•  Product lifecycle management (see pages 147-150), 
•  Materials sourcing (see pages 51, 64, 73 and 351),
•  Business ethics (see pages 77, 115-125 and 258). 

The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure 
(TCFD)
In  June  2017,  the  “Task  Force  on  Climate-related  Financial 
Disclosure”  (TCFD),  a  working  group  led  by  Michael  Bloomberg 
under G20 Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) mandate published its 
recommendations for companies’ climate action disclosure. These 
recommendations  comprise 
four  categories:  Governance, 
Strategy,  Risk  Management  and  KPIs  and  targets.  CEOs  from 
more than 100 companies signed a statement of support for the 
TCFD  recommendations  and  Schneider  Electric’s  CEO  was 
among  them.  Schneider  Electric  is  fully  aligned  with  those 
recommendations. Detailed information can be found in Schneider 
Electric’s CDP Climate Change public disclosure and in this report 
in particular:

•  Governance:  pages  88,  102-103,  112,  128-133,  228-234  and 

252-253

•  Strategy: pages 63-81, 90-93, 109-111 and 128-136
•  Risk management: pages 52-62, 88-89 and 128-136
•  Metrics and targets: pages 128-136 and 201-204

1.6.1 External guidelines

The United Nations Global Compact
The  Global  Compact  was  launched  in  1999  by  UN  Secretary-
General Kofi Annan. It brings companies and non-governmental 
organizations  together  under  the  aegis  of  the  United  Nations  to 
“unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals”. 
Parties  signing  the  Global  Compact  commit  to  ten  fundamental 
principles in four areas: human rights, labor rights, the environment 
and anti-corruption.

By  signing  the  Global  Compact  in  December  2002,  Schneider 
Electric made a public commitment to these universal values. 
In  line  with  the  requirements  of  the  Global  Compact,  Schneider 
Electric publishes an annual Communication on Progress (COP) 
and  meets  the  requirements  of  the  Global  Compact  Advanced 
Level  with  this  report.  This  publication  reports  on  the  Group’s 
different  action  plans  and  monitoring  indicators  for  the  ten 
principles of the Global Compact.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
In  2010,  the  International  Organization  for  Standardization  ISO 
published  its  guidelines  on  organizations’  social  responsibility 
(ISO  standard  26000).  This  standard  promotes  a  compromise 
involving different players from the public, private and non-profit 
sectors  from  around  100  countries,  and  a  vision  of  how  an 
organization  should  view  societal  responsibility.  Schneider 
Electric’s  actions  towards  sustainability  are  committed  to  ISO 
26000.  This  standard 
the  sustainability  actions 
undertaken by the Group since the early 2000s and provides an 
educational support and framework for its actions in the field. The 
Group has worked since 2012 to promote the adoption of the ISO 
26000 principles with its suppliers (see pages 125-127 “Relations 
with sub-contractors and suppliers”). 

legitimizes 

Schneider Electric also adopts other ISO guidelines or certifications 
(see  ISO  14001  and  ISO  50001  p.139;  ISO  45001  p.153;  
ISO  9001  p.138;  ISO  27000  p.120;  ISO  14025  and  14021  p.150; 
ISO 14044 p.193).

The Global Reporting Initiative
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was established in 1997 as a 
mission  to  develop  globally  applicable  directives  to  report  on 
economic, environmental and social performances; it was initially 
intended for companies and subsequently for any governmental or 
non-governmental organization. Brought about by the Coalition for 
Environmentally  Responsible  Economies  (CERES)  in  association 
with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), the GRI 
integrates 
the  active  participation  of  companies,  NGOs, 
accounting bodies, business associations and other stakeholders 
from  across  the  globe.  In  2016,  Schneider  Electric  integrated 
updates to the GRI Standards. A reference table with its indicators 
and those proposed by GRI is available on the Schneider Electric 
website.

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1.6.2 Internal guidelines

Principles of Responsibility
Schneider Electric has written guidelines that promote an ethical 
framework  and  strategic  roadmap  in  which  the  activities  of  the 
Group are carried out: The Principles of Responsibility, which are 
supplemented  by  policies  and  related  directives.  The  Group’s 
Principles of Responsibility were updated in 2019. See page 112.

Ethics & compliance
In  addition  to  the  Principles  of  Responsibility,  which  act  as  a 
reference framework within which Schneider Electric conducts its 
business,  different  policies  and  directives  bolster  the  Group’s 
commitments  in  terms  of  business  ethics  and  integrity.  The 
Business  Agents  Policy  was  fully  updated  and  strengthened  in 
January 2015 and deployed worldwide. It specifies the rules to be 
followed when an external stakeholder is solicited to get a deal and 
integrates the approval process of business agents. The Internal 
Fraud  Investigation  directive  was  also  updated  mid-2015  and 
clearly indicates the commitment to whistleblower protection. The 
new Gifts & Hospitality Policy was approved by the Group’s CEO 
in December 2015 and was deployed locally. In 2016, the Group 
also put in place a new anti-corruption policy deployed in 2017. It 
is supplemented by an anti-corruption Code of Conduct detailing 
related  processes.  In  2016,  a  new  directive  specified  the  Alerts 
Management  processes.  Other  policies  cover  social  media 
management, data management and protection, competition law, 
the market ethics code, etc.

Human rights
In 2017, Schneider Electric drafted a specific Human Rights Policy 
as part of a broader program on duty of vigilance in its value chain 
and in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human 
Rights (see pages 113-114).

the  Group’s  sustainability  expectations 

Responsible purchasing
In 2016, Schneider Electric renewed the charter for its suppliers, 
called the Supplier Guide Book. The first chapter of this Book sets 
five  areas: 
out 
environment,  fair  and  ethical  business  practices,  sustainable 
purchasing,  working  conditions,  and  human  rights.  These 
requirements  are  detailed  in  a  dedicated  document  called  the 
Supplier  Code  of  Conduct.  In  2018,  the  Group  adopted  the 
Responsible  Business  Alliance  (RBA)  Code  of  Conduct  for 
suppliers.

in 

Environment
Schneider  Electric’s  environmental  policy  aims 
improve 
industrial processes, reinforce product EcoDesign and incorporate 
Group  customers’  concerns  about  environmental  protection  by 
providing them with product and service solutions. It is bolstered 
by the Energy, EcoDesign, Materials and Substances, and WEEE 
(Waste  Electrical  and  Electronic  Equipment)  policies.  These 
policies apply to the Group and are accompanied by global action 
plans.

to 

Social
The  Group’s  Human  Resources  policies  cover  the  following: 
diversity  &  inclusion,  health  &  well-being,  safety,  security  and 
travel,  employee  engagement,  recruiting,  international  mobility, 
training,  human  capital  development,  talent  identification,  total 
remuneration, and social benefits. These apply to the Group and 
are accompanied by global processes.

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1. Sustainability at the heart of Schneider Electric’s strategy

1.7 Ratings and awards

1.7.1 Ratings and indices

Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
In 2019, Schneider Electric was one of the 318 companies in the 
DJSI (Dow Jones Sustainability Index) world index, which selects 
the  top  10%  worldwide  ESG  leaders  across  58  industry  groups 
from the 2,500 largest companies of the S&P Global Broad Market 
Index.  Schneider  Electric  was  ranked  third  in  the  Electrical 
Components  &  Equipment  group  with  a  score  of  83/100  (a  +2 
points progress vs 2018). It has been part of this index since 2002, 
except in 2010 and was Industry Leader between 2013 and 2016. 
Evaluation for this family of indices is provided by RobecoSAM, an 
independent  asset  manager  headquartered 
in  Switzerland, 
acquired in 2019 by the American group S&P Global.

CDP Climate A list and Supplier Engagement Leader
In 2019, Schneider Electric was one of 179 companies of the 8,361 
companies that participated in the CDP Climate Change program to 
secure  a  place  on  the  Climate  A  list,  and  the  only  company  in  its 
industry  to  achieve  an  A  rating  for  the  ninth  consecutive  year. 
Schneider Electric is also a member of the CDP Supplier Engagement 
Leader Board for its performances as a supplier, by examining four 
key areas of the CDP questionnaire on climate change: governance, 
objectives, scope 3 emissions and commitment in the value chain.

It  belongs  to  several  STOXX  indices,  in  particular  Global  Low 
Carbon Footprint, Global Climate Change Leaders, EURO STOXX 
50  Low  Carbon,  Global  ESG  Environmental  Leaders  and  Global 
ESG Impact indices.

Schneider  Electric  also  received  an  A-  score  for  its  second 
participation in CDP’s Water security questionnaire.

It  is  also  part  of  the  Ethibel  Sustainability  Index  (ESI)  Excellence 
Europe and Global. 

FTSE4Good
Schneider  Electric 
the  FTSE4Good  Developed, 
Environmental  Leaders  Europe  40,  FTSE  Environmental 
Opportunities, and FTSE EO Energy Efficiency indices. 

is  part  of 

ISS Oekom (now ISS-ESG) Industry Leader
Schneider  Electric  is  at  Prime  level  at  Oekom  and  second  in  its 
industry (Electric Components) out of 91 companies. 

MSCI industry leader
Schneider Electric has been at AAA grade since 2011, an industry 
leader and a member of the MSCI SRI, Socially Responsible, ESG 
Leaders,  Select  ESG  Rating  &  Trend  Leaders,  Low  Carbon 
Leaders, and Low Carbon Target (list non exhaustive).

Sustainalytics leader
Following  its  assessment  in  December  2019,  Schneider  Electric 
was ranked first among peers with $36-$51bn market cap, with a 
score  of  85/100  and  is  part  of  the  STOXX  Global  ESG  Leaders, 
Environmental  Leaders,  Social  Leaders,  Governance  Leaders, 
Impact, and STOXX Sustainability indices.

ECPI
Schneider  Electric  is  included  in  the  ECPI  Carbon,  Ethical, 
Renewable  Energy,  Global  Developed  ESG  Best  in  Class, 
Megatrend, Climate Change and Circular Economy leaders.

Vigeo Eiris Industry Leader and Ethibel Sustainability Index
The composition of the Euronext Vigeo Eiris indices is updated twice 
per year, in June and December, based on the opinions of Vigeo Eiris 
conducted approximately every two years. Following assessment in 
late  2019,  Schneider  Electric  is  an  industry  leader  (Electric 
Components and Equipment) at the highest level (Advanced), with a 
rating of 65/100 (+2 points vs previous rating). As of December 1st, 
2019,  Schneider  Electric  is  part  of  the  Euronext  Vigeo  Eiris  World 
120, Europe 120, Eurozone 120 and France 20 indices. 

ISS
Schneider  Electric  achieved  a  1  ranking  in  Environment,  1  in 
Social,  and  4  in  Governance  at  ISS  (Institutional  Shareholder 
Services, Inc.) in the 2019 QualityScore. The rating scale runs from 
1 to 10, with 1 representing the lowest risk level and 10 the highest.

EcoVadis Advanced level and Gold rating
Schneider Electric has achieved Advanced level (and Gold rating) 
at EcoVadis with a rating of 80/100.

Overview of Schneider Electric sustainability external ratings

  Industry average score 

  Schneider 2019 score 

83/100

A =

4.7/5

65/100

80/100 =

AAA =

85/100

B- =

43

B*

2.2

BB

67

D+

7th year in  
World index

9th year  
in A List

4th year in 
Developed index

Included in  
World 120 index

2,500

8,300

4,700

4,000

Top 1% of 
assessed 
universe

50,000

AAA for  
9th year

#1 in  
peer group

Industry  
leader

7,500

11,000

3,800

DJSI

CDP Climate 
Change

Assessed universe (# companies)

FTSE4GOOD

Vigeo Eiris

EcoVadis

MSCI ESG 
Rating

Sustainalytics

ISS-ESG

*  Average score among: ABB, Legrand, Siemens, Eaton, Emerson, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and 

Yokogawa.

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1.7.2 Other awards in 2019 and beyond

Among the awards received for sustainability, the Group highlights 
the following:

CAC40 2019 trophies: Schneider Electric is ranked 3rd in 2019.

Impak Finance, the new independent impact rating agency, has 
ranked Schneider Electric first in CAC40 for its contribution to the 
UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Group obtained a score 
of 435/1000, way ahead of CAC40 average of 218/1000.

Integrated Thinking Award: Schneider Electric is the winner of 
the  2017  Integrated  Thinking  Awards  in  Europe  in  the  Large 
Companies  category,  organized  by  the  Responsible  Capitalism 
Institute; this distinction hails the real integration of sustainability 
into the Group’s strategy and the great attention paid to dialog with 
all its stakeholders.

Carbon  Clean  200  list:  in  the  first  quarter  of  2020,  Corporate 
Knights  ranked  Schneider  Electric  number  9  worldwide  for  its 
revenue devoted to energy transition.

Global 100 most sustainable corporations: Schneider Electric 
ranked  29th  in  January  2020  in  the  list  drawn  up  by  Corporate 
Knights. This is the 8th year running it has appeared on this list.

Carbon Clear (EcoAct): Schneider Electric is 4th in the CAC 40 in 
the fight against climate change.

The  Circulars  2019:  Schneider  Electric  won  an  award  in  the 
Multinational Companies category of The Circulars 2019 awards 
for its commitment to the circular economy. This award recognizes 
Schneider Electric’s efforts to make the circular economy a core 
tenet of its strategy and its innovation as well as its ambitious goals 
in the field.

Gartner  supply  chain  top  25:  Schneider  Electric  is  11th  in  the 
Gartner Supply Chain top 25 ranking for the exemplary management 
of its value chain. Schneider also received Gartner’s 2019 Industrial 
Manufacturing Supply Chainnovator award.

Bloomberg  Gender-Equality 
is 
present  in  Bloomberg’s  gender-equality  performance  index 
among 325 companies, published in January 2020.

Index:  Schneider  Electric 

Catalyst award: Schneider Electric received an award in 2019 for 
its capacity to attract female employees in India, an initiative that is 
an  integral  part  of  the  Group’s  global  diversity  and  inclusion 
program.

Equileap Gender Equality Global Report and Ranking: according 
to  Equileap,  Schneider  Electric  is  one  of  the  100  companies 
worldwide with the highest level of workplace gender equality. The 
Group ranked 31st overall, and 1st in its sector.

Ethisphere:  Schneider  Electric  was  one  of  the  128  most  ethical 
companies according to Ethisphere’s ranking in February 2019, for 
the  ninth  consecutive  year;  only  three  French  companies  were 
included in this year’s ranking.

Employer Rewards: Forbes recognized Schneider Electric US as 
one  of  the  world’s  most  attractive  employers;  Schneider  is 
recognized  by  Fortune  as  one  of  the  “World’s  Most  Admired 
Companies” in the Top 5 of the electronic industry for the second 
consecutive  year;  Schneider  received  a  score  of  4.0  from 
Glassdoor at the end of 2019; Schneider Electric is recognized as 
one of the “World’s Most Attractive Employers” by Universum. In 
the  US,  Schneider  ranks  among  the  best  employers  promoting 
diversity  according  to  Forbes  “Best  Employer  for  Diversity”  and 
“America’s  Best  Large  Employers”;  Schneider  US  was  also 
recognized as being a “Best Company for Women” by Comparably, 
a “Military Friendly Company” by Military Friendly, and certified as 
a “Great Place to Work” by 81% of polled employees.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

2. Green and responsible growth  
driving economic performance

In this section:

2.0  Context, goals, key targets and results 

108

2.5  Focus on anti-corruption 

2.1   Smart energy management products and solutions  

2.6  Combating tax evasion 

to help fight climate change 

2.2  Schneider Electric's Principles of Responsibility 

2.3  Human rights 

2.4  Ethics & Compliance program 

109

112

113

115

2.7  Digitally trusted and secure 

2.8  Vigilance plan 

2.9  Relations with subcontractors and suppliers 

118

120

120

121

125

Context and goals
Climate  change  is  one  of  the  main  challenges  of  the  21st  century. 
Schneider Electric works for industries that account for the majority of 
global energy consumption but as energy consumption is not always 
optimized, it makes it one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions. As 
a global specialist in energy management, Schneider’s products and 
solutions  help  reduce  energy  consumption  and  CO2  emissions.  The 
Group is developing energy efficiency offerings to reduce energy bills 
up to 30% for every type of building.

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

The Group works in more than 100 countries, with adaptable practices, 
standards  and  values.  Schneider  is  also  committed  to  acting 
responsibly  towards  all  of  its  stakeholders.  Therefore,  the  Company 
has  defined  its  Principles  of  Responsibility  that  apply  to  the  entire 
Group  and  are  based  on  dedicated  organization  and  processes.  In 
addition,  Schneider  is  committed  to  sharing  its  sustainability  vision 
with as many of its suppliers as possible.

Climate

Ethics

Renewable electricity

1. 
2.  CO2 efficiency in transportation
3. 

 Million metric tons CO2 saved on our customers’ end  
thanks to EcoStruxure offers

4. 

16. 

17.  

18. 

 Increase in turnover for our EcoStruxure Energy and 
Sustainability Services

 Increase in average score of ISO 26000 assessment  
for our strategic suppliers
 Suppliers under Human Rights & Environment vigilance 
received specific on-site assessment
 Sales, procurement, and finance employees trained every 
year on anti-corruption

2019  

progress

50% (cid:83)
4.1% (cid:83)
89 (cid:83)

2020  
target

80% 

10% 
120

23.8% (cid:83)

25%

+3.70 (cid:83) +5.5pts

279 (cid:83)

350

94% (cid:83)

100%

 2019 audited indicators.

The 2017 performance serves as a starting point value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results pages 140-141 for indicator 1, 141-142 
for indicator 2, 135-136 for indicator 3, 109-110 for indicator 4, 126-127 for indicator 16, 122-124 for indicator 17, and 119 for indicator 18).

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2.1 Smart energy management products  
and solutions to help fight climate change

2.1.1 Description of risks and opportunities
The  planet  is  facing  an  unprecedented  challenge  as  global  primary 
energy needs are expected to increase by more than 50% by 2040(1) if 
not limited thanks to energy management actions. At the same time, 
awareness of the urgent need to decarbonize energy production has 
never been higher. Schneider Electric research indicates that 93% of 
large  companies  are  deploying  energy  and  resource  efficiency 
measures  to  reduce  their  overall  carbon  emissions.  Even  with 
mitigating energy management actions currently pledged, net energy 
consumption is likely to rise by 25%.

Energy management lies at the heart of Schneider Electric’s business 
strategy. Customers – companies, citizens, governments – all want to 
reduce  their  costs  and  environmental  impact  while  constantly 
improving  the  reliability,  safety  and  performance  of  their  homes, 
buildings, sites and equipments.

To ensure that energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction 
targets are achieved, and to facilitate the increasing share of renewable 
energy and clean technologies in the energy mix, Schneider Electric 
provides  an  innovative  and  competitive  portfolio  of  products  and 
software solutions to help its customers.

2.1.2 Active Energy Management
Economic and environmental factors are driving organizations to seek 
out energy and resource solutions at record rates. As at this writing, 
more  than  700  companies  globally  have  committed  to  reduce  GHG 
emissions  in  alignment  with  prevailing  climate  science  through  the 
Science-Based  Targets  initiative.  Some  of  these  same  companies 
have also made public commitments to energy productivity, renewable 
energy procurement, or electric vehicle deployment through initiatives 
such as the RE100, EP100, and EV100. Deregulation of global energy 
markets drives even further need for organizations to rely on a trusted, 
independent advisor to support their procurement pursuits.

The increasing complexity in energy and resource management calls 
for  data-driven,  integrated  strategies  that  support  organizations 
across  their  product  and  service  portfolio.  We  call  this  holistic 
approach  to  buying  energy  smarter,  using  it  more  efficiently,  and 
stewarding global resources Active Energy Management (AEM). AEM 
enables thousands of Schneider Electric clients worldwide to maximize 
investments,  deliver  greater  returns  and  build  more  robust,  viable 
operations that can endure in the face of growing global challenges.

Practical examples of AEM include tracking, managing, and disclosing 
environmental  impact  data  to  voluntary  or  regulatory  agencies; 
managing  the  increasing  convergence  in  energy  procurement  of 
conventional  and  renewable  power;  exploring  and  investing  in 
renewable and clean technologies; implementing demand response 
programs  based  on  real-time  price  or  carbon  signals;  combining 
distributed energy resources and efficiency technology to cut costs, 
reach CO2 reduction goals, and increase resiliency; and using utility 
records to validate compliance with industry standards and regulatory 
requirements. Given the rapid evolution of the energy landscape, and 
the push to a more decentralized, decarbonized and digitized future, 
this type of integrated thinking and action is essential and can create 
new financial opportunities.

Schneider  Electric  helps  the  world’s  leading  companies  set  energy 
and sustainability goals, develop a strategy, collect data and deploy 
solutions and programs to reduce their footprint and meet their goals. 
Services and software offers include:

•  Energy and sustainability strategy development, including climate 

change and carbon neutrality initiatives;

•  Strategic  procurement  programs 

traditional  and 
renewable  energy,  distributed  energy  resources,  and  carbon 
offsets;

including 

•  Enterprise efficiency consulting to reduce energy consumption;
•  Sustainability consulting services including science-based carbon 

reduction target goal setting;

•  Energy  and  sustainability  certification  and  compliance  and 

reporting;

•  Enterprise-wide  energy  and  sustainability  data  collection  and 
integration  into  the  EcoStruxure™  Resource  Advisor  software 
platform  (Schneider’s  Energy  &  Sustainability  Services  manages 
more than 128 million metric tons of carbon equivalent on behalf of 
its clients annually);

•  Software to improve manufacturing and construction efficiency.

Buying  energy  smarter.  Using  energy  efficiently.  Operating  more 
sustainably. All worthy pursuits on their own, but much more effective 
when combined through Active Energy Management. As resource and 
climate  concerns  grow,  integrated  energy  and  carbon  management 
gives companies a holistic view of their performance, and access to 
the  data  they  need  to  refine  their  strategies  and  drive  innovation. 
Moreover,  companies  that  embrace  smart  grid  increase  electric 
reliability  and  lower  risk  of  price  fluctuations  which  make  for  more 
profitable companies.

Data

Strategy

Buy energy at the 
lowest possible cost

Save more energy with less 
money

All while stewarding global 
resources

Energy is the most volatile 
commodity in the world

93% of companies have adopted 
energy efficiency

More than 200 companies globally 
committed to RE100

(1)  International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2017.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

SSI#4: 25% increase in turnover for our 
EcoStruxure Energy and Sustainability 
Services

Schneider Electric’s Energy and Sustainability Services (ESS) 
works with thousands of clients around the world to help them 
proactively manage their energy, carbon, and resource 
footprints. ESS annually manages more than €30B in energy 
spend (70GW), 128 million metric tons of CO2, and over 
250,000 client sites. ESS is the foremost advisor to 
corporations on global energy procurement, including 
renewable energy and emission-reducing technologies. It 
has received recognition for its microgrid solutions, 
sustainability consulting, and EcoStruxure Resource Advisor™ 
software, as well as being honored as a leading ESCO and 
Energy-as-a-Service provider.

% turnover increase vs 2017

+23.8%

2.1.3 Partner of choice in the energy transition
Distributed  Energy  Resources  (DERs)  are  reshaping  the  energy 
landscape. Consumers are now able to reach new heights in energy 
cost savings, sustainability and resilience by investing in DERs behind-
the-meter, turning themselves into prosumers.

Intermittent  and  decentralized,  DERs  employ  innovative  power 
systems  designed  to  optimize  and  ensure  system  stability,  and  to 
finance asset implementation. This calls for behavioral changes, new 
and smart technologies and new business models. Today, DERs can 
help tackle energy challenges by creating an optimized way to access 
reliable, green, and resilient energy.

Microgrids are the emerging energy ecosystem that provides practical 
answers through a local, interconnected energy system within clearly 
defined electrical boundaries, which incorporate loads, DERs, energy 
storage, and control capabilities.

Schneider Electric’s microgrid management offerings consists of:

•  The  EcoStruxure™  Microgrid  Advisor,  which  is  a  cloud-based 
solution  that  leverages  powerful  analytics  to  optimize  microgrid 
performance, 
terms  of  sustainability,  energy  costs  and 
productivity;

in 

•  The  EcoStruxure™  Microgrid  Operation,  which  is  an  on-premise 
solution that ensures grid stability and energy reliability in several 
scenarios (islanded, grid-tied, etc.);

•  The Energy Control Center, which is all the microgrid in one box – 

minimizing the impact on the rest of the installation.

The  open  scalable  EcoStruxure  solutions  can  be  connected  with 
Schneider  Electric  or  third-party  systems,  for  both  new  and  existing 
infrastructures.  This  combined  with  innovative  business  models  to 
help end users to navigate the landscape, optimize system design and 
operation, and achieve the desired energy goals.

Schneider Electric’s Access to Energy solutions electrify remote areas, 
from  individual  systems  in  homes  and  micro-enterprises  used  to 
develop commercial and leisure activities, to larger scale systems in 
public institutions, schools, healthcare centers and other community 

buildings. Schneider Electric recently launched Villaya Emergency, a 
mobile hybrid microgrid, that provides cost effective clean energy to 
people without access to energy (see more details pages 179-185).

2.1.4 Driving grid transformation in the energy 
transition
The energy landscape is under transition driven by megatrends like 
decentralization and decarbonization of energy generation as well as 
digitization across the grid. Grid operators must innovate to provide 
customers  with  reliable  power,  all  the  while  running  operations  at 
maximum efficiency.

Schneider Electric recognizes that the world of the prosumer and that 
of the electricity company are tightly interconnected. EcoStruxure™ for 
Electricity Companies harmonizes and unites both sides of the energy 
equation.  It  contains  offers  that  help  both  supply  and  demand  side 
energy players to harness and capitalize on the new energy landscape.

With EcoStruxure™ for Electricity Companies:

•  The Group helps electricity companies to build a sustainable future, 
by providing greener power generation, building smarter grids and 
serving  the  new  energy  consumer  at  an  affordable  cost,  while 
improving their profitability;

•  EcoStruxure™ for Electricity Companies makes electrical networks 
and  generation  assets  smarter  through  digitalization.  Schneider 
Electric’s  digital  solutions  help  its  customers  satisfy  their  own 
customers’  electricity  demand  without  interruption,  with  greater 
grid  resilience,  more  reliability  and  better  cost  avoidance, 
integrating greener and more sustainable energy at an acceptable 
cost while still reducing their carbon footprint;

•  Second,  it  integrates  DER  and  renewable/intermittent  energy 
sources into existing grids in a safe and optimal way. It ensures the 
grid stays stable and manageable as the growth of decentralized 
renewables continues into the foreseeable future;

•  Third,  it  optimizes  and  extends  the  life  of  existing  grid  assets 
through  services.  Electricity  companies  are  some  of  the  most 
asset-intensive  organizations  on 
the  planet,  and  Schneider 
Electric’s services, expertise and technologies lead to substantial 
efficiencies  and  avoided  downtime,  which  means  huge  cost 
savings for its customers;

•  Fourth,  it  provides  microgrid  solutions  for  prosumers.  Microgrids 
and  energy-as-a-service  are  gaining  popularity  because  they 
solve  many  different  energy  problems.  Those  include  ensuring  a 
reliable  power  supply,  reducing  energy  costs,  reducing  CO2 
emissions,  taking  ownership  of  consumption,  giving  users  the 
power  of  choice  and  control,  and  optimizing  the  energy  mix 
according to one’s particular goals.

2.1.5 Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency means using less energy for equivalent performance 
or service. This reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions 
and saves money while contributing to energy security and creating 
jobs. In its World Energy Outlook 2017, the IEA estimates that over 80% 
of the economic potential of energy efficiency in buildings and more 
than half in industry, remains untapped. The world has to use energy 
at least 3% more productively each year in order to stay below the 2° 
global  warming  level,  and  there  is  a  big  opportunity  to  reduce 
emissions with energy efficiency(1).

Improved  energy  efficiency  not  only  pays  dividends  by  trimming 
consumption  and  costs,  it  also  brings  environmental  sustainability 
benefits, which can deliver as much as 2.5 times the value of reduced 
energy usage (IEA). And the good news is that most companies are 
working towards increasing energy efficiency. 

(1) https://rmi.org/press-release/energy-efficiency-can-address-climate-change-drive-prosperity-and-strengthen-national-security/.

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Schneider Electric promotes active energy efficiency solutions, which 
consist  of  optimizing  the  entire  energy  cycle  using  energy  control 
products,  systems,  services  and  softwares.  Schneider  is  helping 
companies and utilities to reduce energy consumption by up to 30%, 
as well as optimizing their processes.

2.1.6 A measure of Green Revenues and Green 
Innovation
Within  its  Purpose,  Schneider  Electric  clearly  places  green  offers  to 
customers as essential: 

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ architecture framework enables the 
Group,  its  partners  and  end-user  customers  to  develop  scalable 
digital solutions that:

“At  Schneider  Electric,  we  believe  access  to  energy  and  digital  is  a 
basic human right. We empower all to make the most of their energy 
and resources, ensuring Life Is On everywhere, for everyone, at every 
moment. 

•  Maximize  energy  efficiency  and  sustainability  through  smarter 

systems and real-time, data-driven decisions;

•  Optimize  asset  availability  and  performance  through  predictive 

analytics and proactive maintenance;

•  Enable  smart,  productive,  and  profitable  operations  through 

reduction of waste and downtime;

•  Provide  mobile  insight  and  proactive  risk-mitigation  through 

simulation, situational awareness, and digitization; and

•  Foster  open  innovation  and  interoperability  through  development 
and partnerships with leading standards organizations and best-
in-class technology leaders.

For  Schneider  Electric,  EcoStruxure™  is  tailored  to  its  end-markets, 
where  it  has  decades  of  deep  domain  expertise  and  applied 
experience. EcoStruxure™ solutions are deployable both on premise 
and in the cloud, with built-in cybersecurity at each of the innovation 
levels:  connected  products;  edge  control;  apps,  analytics,  and 
services.

For  the  residential  end-market,  Schneider  Electric’s  Wiser  system 
controls  measures  and  monitors  home  energy  usage,  for  increased 
comfort  and  a  more  efficient  use  of  energy  in  residential  homes. 
Schneider also offers the integration of safe recharging infrastructures 
for  electric  vehicles  in  home  electrical  systems  and  enable  next 
generation efficient electric home heating.

We provide energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and 
sustainability.  We  combine  world-leading  energy  technologies,  real-
time  automation,  software  and  services  into  integrated  solutions  for 
Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. 

We  are  committed  to  unleash  the  infinite  possibilities  of  an  open, 
global, innovative community that is passionate about our Meaningful 
Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.”

In  line  with  this  Purpose,  Schneider  Electric  activities  and  revenues 
evolve,  to  bring  more  efficiency  and  sustainability  everywhere.  In 
2019,  Green  Revenues(1)  represent  around  70%  of  the  Group’s  total 
revenues (using a stringent Green Revenue definition detailed below). 
In  addition,  to  further  contribute  to  a  new  electric  and  digital  world, 
100% of Schneider Electric’s innovation projects are aligned with its 
purpose,  more  than  90%  being  either  strictly  green  or  neutral, 
according to the definition(2) outlined below.

(1)  Green Revenues: Green revenues are defined as offers that bring energy, climate or resource efficiency to our customers, while not generating any significant harmful 

impact to the environment. Schneider Electric’s green revenues are split into 4 categories described thereafter. Activities included are:
1/ Energy efficiency architectures bringing energy and/or resource efficiency to customers. Offers include Building Management systems, Power management systems, 
lighting and room control, thermal control, variable speed drives, Energy & Sustainability consulting services (ESS), and industry automation;
2/ Grid reinforcement and smart grid architectures contributing to Electrification and Decarbonization. This includes all technologies and architectures contributing to a 
New Electric World, helping grid and electrification come to life: smart grid and microgrid technologies, EV charging infrastructures, medium voltage systems to upgrade 
electricity distribution networks, low voltage connectable offers enabling smart grid management and energy efficiency, secure power and switches that enable security 
and security of supply;
3/ Products with differentiating green performance, flagged thanks to our Green Premium program. Green Premium products offer environmental transparency (with 
digital lifecycle analysis and circular end-of-life instructions), superior compliance to stringent environmental regulations and differentiating performance on climate, 
resources or health. (note: double-accounting with categories 1 or 2 is removed);
4/ Services that bring benefits for circularity (prolonged asset lifetime and uptime, optimized maintenance operations, repair and refurbish) and energy efficiency 
(maintenance to maintain the operational performance of equipment and avoid a decrease of energy efficiency over time).
Revenues derived from activities with fossil sectors and others are excluded, including Oil & Gas, coal mining and fossil-power generation, in line with prevailing 
Corporate Responsibility reporting practices and forthcoming EU regulations (Green Taxonomy), even though Schneider Electric’s technologies deliver resource and 
carbon efficiency in such sectors as well. In line with Schneider Electric’s strategy to phase out SF6 from offers by 2025, SF6-containing switchgear for medium voltage 
applications are also excluded. In addition, neutral technologies such as signaling, racks and enclosures, access control or emergency lighting are excluded.

(2)  Green and neutral innovation: Green innovation concerns every innovation contributing to a decarbonized world, for instance energy and processes efficiency, resource 

optimization, SF6 free projects or Green Premium offers. Innovation for offer development in certain sectors is excluded (for instance Oil & Gas, coal mining, and fossil-fuel 
generation). Innovation which is neither Green nor excluded is deemed Neutral.

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2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

2.2 Schneider Electric's Principles of Responsibility

Digitally trusted and secure: in a world becoming more digital every 
day, Digital Trust is a fundamental area of focus for Schneider Electric, 
its employees and network of customers, partners and suppliers. The 
Principles  of  Responsibility  embrace  this  important  responsibility, 
covering  cybersecurity,  data  protection  and  privacy,  and  Artificial 
Intelligence  (AI).  For  more  details,  consult  section  “Digitally  trusted 
and secure” page 120.

Act  for  the  environment:  environment  is  at  the  heart  of  Schneider 
Electric’s activity, through the offers and solutions the Group brings to 
customers, through the sentiment of Schneider employees and culture, 
and  through  its  ambition  to  contribute  positively  on  the  important 
subjects  of  climate  change,  environment  and  biodiversity.  The 
Principles  of  Responsibility  address  the  subjects  of  climate  change 
and CO2 emissions, resource saving and circular economy, as well as 
environmental  preservation.  For  more  details,  consult  “Schneider 
Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence” pages 128 
to 150.

Responsible  corporate  citizenship:  Schneider  Electric 
is  a 
community of people that interacts with other groups and communities 
across the planet. Schneider’s ambition to make a difference is here 
expressed though specific programs such as Access to Energy, or the 
Group  support  to  the  development  of  local  communities.  For  more 
details, consult section “Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company” 
pages 177 to 191.

2.2.3 Communication and training for all employees
Ethics  and  responsibility  are  both  a  team  effort  and  an  individual 
commitment.  Management  has  been  continuously  involved  in  the 
design  of  the  deployment  plan,  on  communication  sessions  and 
learning tools to ensure everyone at Schneider Electric is aware of the 
Principles  of  Responsibility  and  has  the  opportunity  to  learn  and  to 
reflect.

The new version of the Principles of Responsibility was first introduced 
by  the  CEO  and  the  Executive  Committee  to  the  community  of  
Top  Leaders,  and  then  cascaded  by  leaders  throughout  the 
organization  via  specific  communication  events  (townhall  speeches, 
conferences, seminars…). A dedicated mandatory learning including 
interviews  from  Executive  Committee  leaders,  role  plays  in  real 
situations,  quiz  tests,  and  an  acknowledgement  of  the  Principles  of 
Responsibility has been made available to employees. This training is 
either an e-learning for connected employees, or an in-class version 
for non-connected employees.

At  the  end  of  2019,  the  training  completion  rate  for  all  Schneider 
Electric eligible employees was 96%:

Connected employees: 
97% completion
Non-connected employees:  93% completion

As  a  global  company,  Schneider  Electric  is  convinced  that  its 
responsibility  goes  beyond  compliance  with  local  and  international 
regulations  and  is  committed  to  conducting  its  business  ethically, 
sustainably and responsibly. 

Schneider  Electric  believes  that  companies  can  make  a  positive 
impact and contribute to making the world a better place for all. The 
Group  supports  the  17  United  Nations  Sustainable  Development 
Goals,  and  their  translation  into  tangible  business  actions.  The 
Principles  of  Responsibility  are  the  Group’s  Ethics  Charter,  which 
serves as a reference for every person and every team in the Company. 
Together they aid us in pursuing Schneider’s objectives in a way that is 
meaningful,  inclusive  and  positive.  The  Principles  of  Responsibility 
apply to all employees at Schneider and its subsidiaries, as well as to 
contractors,  self-employed  workers,  and  persons  working  on  the 
Group’s  premises.  They  also  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  in  its 
relations with customers, partners, suppliers, and external stakeholders 
in general. 

2.2.1 Major upgrade in 2019 
The  Principles  of  Responsibility,  initially  published  in  2002,  then 
updated in 2009 and 2013, have undergone a major upgrade in 2019 
to  address  society  and  business  permanently  evolving  challenges. 
The  Principles  of  Responsibility  were  inspired  by  the  Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights, the ten principles of the United Nations 
Global  Compact,  and  standards  issued  by  the  International  Labor 
Organization  (ILO)  and  the  Organization  for  Economic  Cooperation 
and Development (OECD).

The  creation  of  this  2019  version  has  relied  on  the  involvement  of 
Schneider Electric resources: employee sentiment has been captured 
through  a  large  series  of  interviews  and  workshops,  ensuring  the 
Group’s diversity was well reflected in the opinions collected. Internal 
experts have brought their knowledge on specific technical topics and 
external stakeholders provided their opinion and view.

The new version of the Principles of Responsibility was published in 
June 2019 on Schneider Electric internal and external website and can 
be downloaded in 26 different languages.

2.2.2 The five pillars of the Principles of Responsibility
Today  the  Principles  of  Responsibility  are  built  on  the  following  five 
pillars:

Human  rights  and  people  development:  what  Schneider  Electric 
stands for in terms of human rights, diversity and inclusion, safety at 
work, employees development, fighting against forced labor, and zero 
tolerance for all kinds of harassment. For more details consult section 
“Human rights” page 113.

Ethical business conduct: Schneider Electric business is important, 
but  the  way  the  Group  conducts  this  business  is  equally  important. 
in  an  ethical,  sustainable  and 
Schneider  conducts  business 
responsible  manner.  With  its  Principles  of  Responsibility  and  its 
compliance  program,  codes  and  policies,  Schneider  addresses 
matters such as corruption, conflicts of interest, business agents or fair 
competition. For more details, consult sections “Ethics and Compliance 
program” and “Focus on anti-corruption” pages 115 to 119.

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2.3 Human rights

2.3.1 Risks and opportunities 
Human rights is a fundamental topic that has significantly evolved over 
the past years, under the pressure of geopolitical influence, social and 
economic  transformations  as  well  as  technological  developments. 
Schneider Electric has consistently focused on human rights and has 
the ambition to remain an exemplary company on this subject.

Schneider  Electric’s  review  of  risks  and  opportunities  covers  the 
following areas:

Fundamental human rights:
•  Respect and dignity: the healthy and respectful relations at work 

between individuals and teams, and towards communities;

•  Child labor: defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO) 
as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and 
their  dignity,  and  that  is  harmful  to  their  physical  and  mental 
development;

•  Forced labor: defined by the ILO as all works or services for which 

a person has not offered themselves voluntarily or willingly;

•  Freedom  of  association:  the  right  for  workers  to  join  professional 

organizations that can defend their interests.

Decent working conditions:
•  Health & safety: potential incidents of various degrees of severity 

and related to workplace conditions;

•  Security at work: the physical or verbal violence that may originate 

from internal or external threats;

•  Working time and leave: ensuring employees work on a schedule 
that respects legal time frames, rest periods and leave provisions, 
and  are  given  the  possibility  to  balance  between  personal  and 
professional time; 

•  Wages and benefits: paying employees a compensation that is fair 

in view of their profile, skills and qualifications;

2.3.2 Group policy
Schneider Electric’s human rights approach is articulated as follows:

•  First, Schneider is committed to fully respecting and applying laws 

and regulations in all countries wherever it operates; 

•  Second, Schneider is committed to fostering and promoting human 
its  operational  sites  and  subsidiaries 

throughout  all 

rights 
worldwide; 

•  Third,  Schneider  wishes  to  support  human  rights  beyond  its 
borders, leveraging its large network of partners and stakeholders 
to  promote  the  implementation  of  actions  that  will  ensure  the 
respect of people’s rights.

2.3.2.1 Schneider Electric alignment with international standards 
and frameworks 
Schneider Electric adheres to the following principles or guidelines:

•  The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
•  The  international  human  rights  principles  encompassed  in  the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which sets out a common 
standard for all types of organization; 

•  The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which formulate 
recommendations  for  companies,  including  for  the  respect  of 
human rights;

•  Since 2003, Schneider Electric is part of The United Nations Global 
Compact,  an  initiative  to  encourage  all  companies  to  adopt  a 
responsible behavior in their business. In 2011, the United Nations 
issued  the  Guiding  Principles  on  Business  and  Human  Rights 
which precisely define the roles and responsibilities of States and 
businesses  on  these  matters.  Schneider  Electric  is  committed  to 
these Guiding Principles and to the United Nations Declaration on 
the Rights of the Child. 

•  Harassment: continuous solicitation with the intention of exhausting 

a person or forcing that person into unwanted behaviour;

•  Data privacy: securing the data that individuals are placing into the 
Company’s  hands  so  that  their  privacy  and  freedom  remain  safe 
and protected.

2.3.2.2 Schneider Electric guiding documents
Through its Principles of Responsibility, Schneider Electric is taking a 
strong  position  on  what  values  it  stands  for.  The  “human  rights  and 
people  development”  section  gives  guidance  on  the  following 
subjects:

Equal opportunities:
•  Discrimination:  creating  a  situation  of  inequality  based  on  an 

employee’s personal characteristic, at work or when hiring;

•  Diversity and inclusion: risk of introducing several biases that would 
result  in  an  unbalanced  representation  of  the  society  inside  the 
Company, and the exclusion of some groups or communities from 
the Company;

•  Development of competencies: giving employees the opportunity 

to learn, maintain and develop their skills and abilities.

•  Respect, fairness and dignity;
•  Diversity, inclusion and individual development;
•  Safety at work;
•  Health, well-being, and the way we work;
•  Protecting the vulnerable against labor abuses;
•  No tolerance for harassment.

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2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

Example actions are described hereafter. 

Schneider Electric develops a gender pay equity plan to reduce pay 
gap and ensure a fair remuneration between genders. Schneider has 
also initiated a global process to analyze wage levels and employment 
practices  against  local  living  wage  standards  set  by  an  external 
consultant (BSR). 

Schneider is implementing training programs that are specific to the 
policies listed above, to raise the level of awareness of employees and 
give  them  advice  on  how  to  react  or  behave  in  specific  situations. 
Some of these trainings are mandatory, others are part of recommended 
training paths. Such programs cover a very wide area of topics, from 
anti-harassment to well-being, or how to overcome bias and develop 
an inclusive culture (see also pages 160 to 163).

Specifically,  for  Health  &  Safety,  the  Group  maintains  a  follow-up  of 
safety  metrics.  Incidents  are  reviewed  with  management,  corrective 
actions  are  implemented  when  necessary,  and  communications  are 
sent  to  relevant  teams  throughout  the  Company.  When  needed,  a 
global  safety  alert  can  be  launched  to  draw  all  relevant  employees’ 
attention. Schneider Electric organizes a yearly “Global Safety Day”, to 
inform all employees and keep the level of awareness high on this key 
topic  (see  also  “Employee  health  and  safety”  section  pages  153  to 
155).

2.3.3.3 Deployment of actions towards suppliers
Human  rights  are  included  in  the  integration  of  the  sustainable 
purchases  approach  in  the  selection  of  new  suppliers.  Schneider 
Electric uses a qualification process called Schneider Supplier Quality 
Management  to  select  new  suppliers.  It  is  based  on  an  evaluation 
questionnaire  combined  with  on-site  audits,  which  include  human 
rights and Health & Safety assessments. 

Schneider Electric Supplier Code of Conduct states the framework in 
which the Group wishes to operate with vendors. Schneider expects 
suppliers  to  respect  the  fundamental  principles  on  health,  safety, 
people’s protection and development as defined in this document.

Other actions are implemented through the Group’s Vigilance plan. For 
more  details  consult  section  “Vigilance  plan”  and  “Relations  with 
subcontractors and suppliers” pages 121 to 127.

2.3.4 Partnerships and working groups
The Group has joined Entreprises pour les Droits de l’Homme (EDH – 
Businesses  for  Human  rights),  a  leading  French  association  of 
businesses  providing 
tools  and  advice  on 
its  members  with 
implementing  the  UN  Guiding  Principles  on  Business  and  Human 
Rights. Schneider has also joined the Responsible Business Alliance 
(RBA), in 2018, a non-profit coalition of more than 120 companies from 
the electronic, retail, automobile and leisure industries for compliance 
with human rights, sharing the best practices with regards to on-site 
auditing and monitoring of suppliers’ activity, including on forced-labor 
issues.

The  Group  also  joined  the  Global  Compact  LEAD  working  group 
“Decent  Work  in  Global  Supply  Chain”.  Schneider  co-leads  the 
Business  for  Inclusive  Growth  (B4IG)  coalition’s  “Advancing  human 
rights in direct operations and supply chains” and “Building inclusive 
workplaces” working groups. 

Human Rights Policy: 
Schneider Electric has formulated a specific global policy that defines 
its position on human rights. It is applicable to all Schneider permanent 
or temporary employees working on Group premises. It also aims at 
inspiring  external  stakeholders.  For  all  human  rights  risks  identified 
above, and based on the “Protect, Respect, Remedy” principles, the 
policy  provides  a  framework  and  gives  guidance  to  employees  and 
teams  on  how  to  behave  in  their  daily  operations  or  when  facing  a 
specific situation. 

2.3.2.3 Specific policies 
In addition its Principles of Responsibility and the global Human Rights 
Policy, Schneider Electric has implemented specific policies to provide 
guidance in the following areas: 

Human Resources: 

•  Diversity & Inclusion Policy: applies to the entire Company and 
covers  all  facets  of  diversity,  as  Schneider  wants  to  mirror  the 
communities in which the Group operates. This policy is based on 
respect  and  dignity,  which  are  the  foundations  for  fairness  and 
equity;

•  Family  Leave  Policy:  provides  a  framework  so  that  every 
employee,  whatever  the  country  of  employment,  can  take  some 
specific  leave  to  enjoy  some  of  life’s  special  moments  with  their 
families;

•  Global Anti-harassment Policy: states Schneider’s commitments 
to  have  zero-tolerance  for  any  kind  of  harassment  or  offensive 
behaviors.

Health & Safety:

•  Health & Safety Policy: states the rules and guidelines applicable 
to all Schneider employees and to specific populations performing 
specialized tasks as well. It is supported by learning tools, and it is 
the subject of an annual “Global Safety Day”;

•  Global  Travel  Policy:  defines  the  rules  applicable  to  travelers, 
including  the  safety  guidelines,  procedures  and  processes  to 
ensure at all moments the safety of Schneider business travelers.

2.3.3 Due diligence
2.3.3.1 Duty of vigilance: risks identified and prioritization of 
mitigation actions 
In  accordance  with  the  2017  French  duty  of  vigilance  law  and  its 
ambition  to  behave  as  an  exemplary  company,  Schneider  Electric 
implemented a specific vigilance plan. In 2019, Schneider presents its 
“duty of vigilance risk matrix” which highlights human rights risks at its 
sites, as well as for suppliers and contractors. 

Several actions are implemented to mitigate the highest identified risks 
in this matrix. For more details, consult section “Vigilance plan” pages 
121 to 125.

2.3.3.2 Deployment of internal actions 
Schneider Electric entities and subsidiaries are monitored through the 
implementation of Key Internal Controls. These controls are designed 
in coordination with the Internal Audit team and consist in an annual 
self-assessment  covering  different  operational  topics.  Human  rights 
and Health & Safety controls are included in this annual review. The 
results of these assessments allows to benchmark the entities and to 
prioritize mitigation plans when necessary. 

Internal actions regarding respect and dignity, freedom of association, 
health  and  safety,  working  time  and  leave,  wages  and  benefits, 
harassment, discrimination, diversity and inclusion and development 
of  competencies  are  described  in  section  4  “Committed  to  and  on 
behalf of employees”. 

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2.4 Ethics & Compliance program

2.4.1 Dedicated compliance policies completing the Principles of Responsibility
Driven  by  the  Principles  of  Responsibility,  the  Ethics  &  Compliance 
program  forms  the  basis  of  common  frames  of  reference  and 
processes. The Principles of Responsibility are completed by global 
and local compliance policies in order to provide specific answers to 
the  different  pillars,  specific  legal  obligations  and  local  practices. 
Policies  accessible  publicly  are  presented  in  the  graph  below  are 
presented  in  the  graph  below.  In  addition,  Schneider  Electric  has 
deployed  several  other  policies:  Travel  Policy,  Security  Policy, 
Competition  Law  Policy,  Business  Agent  Policy  and  Export  Control 
Policy.

In addition, as a global company, Schneider Electric has strict policies 
and practices in areas identified with high political risks to significantly 
reduce  or  eliminate  them.  The  Group  strictly  respects  all  applicable 
embargoes  and  trade  regulations  and  has  set  up  export  control 
organizations  and  processes  in  its  operations.  The  export  control 
processes  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  due  diligence  screenings 
(embargo and restricted countries, denied-party lists, dual-use goods, 
sensitive  applications).  The  aim  is  to  ensure  compliance  with  all 
applicable export control laws and regulations, both local and extra-
territorial.

2.4.2 Dedicated teams and organization
Schneider Electric has built strong governance to lead the Ethics & Compliance program to the best standards, with responsibilities at Executive, 
Corporate and zone levels.

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Executive Committee

Ethics & Compliance Committee

Define, explain and disseminate priorities

Group Compliance Committee

Disciplinary Committee

Detect and manage non-compliance

Disciplinary review of non-
compliance and levy sanctions

Ethics Delegates  
(former PoR Advisors)

Compliance Officers

Promote Principles of Responsibility 
and give advice

Prevent, analyze and manage cases 
of non-compliance

Alert Systems

Red Line  |  Green Line

Principles of 
Responsibility

Public Compliance 
Policies
Anti-harassment Policy
Anti-corruption code of 
conduct
Gifts & Hospitality Policy 
Conflict minerals 
statement
Supplier code of 
conduct (RBA)

Other public policies
Diversity & Inclusion 
Policy 
Human Rights Policy
Energy Policy 
Environmental Policy

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2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

Executive  level:  Schneider  Electric  has  put  in  place  a  dedicated 
governance  to  lead  the  Ethics  &  Compliance  Program  to  the  best 
standards.  The  program  is  overseen  by  the  Group  Executive 
Committee, through the Group Ethics & Compliance Committee. This 
Committee,  chaired  by  the  Group  Deputy  CEO  and  CFO,  and 
composed of two other Executive Committee members – EVP Chief 
Human  Resources  Officer  and  EVP  Strategy  –  and  of  the  relevant 
heads  of  functions  in  charge  of  the  program  (Legal,  Compliance  & 
Ethics  and  sustainability),  is  in  charge  of  defining  the  program’s 
strategy and priorities. It must ensure that the program is consistent 
with the Group’s strategic goals. It provides its Executive Committee 
members  with  operational  elements  to  be  incorporated  into  the 
corporate strategic program.

Corporate  level:  the  Group  has  put  in  a  two-fold  governance  to 
detect, manage and remediate any non-compliance:

•  A  Compliance  Committee,  in  charge  of  detecting  and  managing 
non-compliance with appropriate investigation process applying to 
cases  reported  through  management,  internal  channels  and 
through the Red and Green Lines. This Committee is co-led by the 
SVP Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, the Group Head of Internal 
Control  &  Audit  and  the  Group  Head  of  Safety  and  Security, 
assisted by the Group Compliance Director and the Head of Bureau 
of Investigation;

•  A Disciplinary Committee, chaired by the Chief Human Resources 
Officer, was created to rule on the sanctions specified for serious 
the 
cases  of  non-compliance  with 
management of an alert by Group Compliance Committee, aiming 
to ensure consistency and fairness in the sanctions taken. 

internal  rules, 

following 

Zone level: two networks support the implementation of the Ethics & 
Compliance program: 

• 

first, a network of nine Regional Compliance Officers is in charge of 
the implementation and adaptation of the Compliance Program at 
local  level,  with  the  support  of  the  Ethics  Delegates  and  Legal 
department; they also manage non compliance cases by delegation 
given by the Group Compliance Committee. 

•  Then, the Ethics Delegates, located in all countries of the Group, 
support the implementation of the Principles of Responsibility, and 
advise employees faced with ethical dilemmas. 

In  addition  to  the  Group  Compliance  team  in  charge  of  general 
compliance matters, an Export Control Center of Excellence composed 
of specialists monitors and enforces the export control program of the 
Group,  through  awareness-raising  programs  and  support  to  the 
operational teams. The export control processes include, but are not 
limited to, due diligence screenings (embargo and restricted countries, 
denied-party lists, dual-use goods, sensitive applications). The aim is 
to  ensure  compliance  with  all  applicable  export  control  laws  and 
regulations, both local and extra-territorial.

2.4.3 Two alert systems to cover all stakeholders
2.4.3.1 The professional alert system for employees:  
the Red Line
When an employee is a victim of or witness to a potential violation of the 
Principles of Responsibility, he/she may report it through the Red Line: 
a professional alert system, available since 2012. This system ensures 
the confidentiality of the exchanges and protects the anonymity of the 
whistleblower (unless there is legislation to the contrary). In compliance 
with local legislation, this system is provided by a third-party company 
and  proposes  alert  categories,  a  questionnaire,  and  an  information 
exchange  protocol  between  the  person  issuing  the  alert  and  the 
person  responsible  for  the  internal  investigation.  Each  concern 
reported is analysed by the Group Compliance Committee or at least 
two  of  its  representatives,  in  order  to  appoint,  if  necessary,  a  two-
person team to conduct an investigation, comprised of a Compliance 
Officer  and  an  investigator  from  the  Schneider  Electric  Bureau  of 
Investigation  or  linked  to  the  latter.  Based  on  the  findings  of  the 
investigation, management, or Group Disciplinary Committee for the 
most  sensitive  alerts,  takes  appropriate  measures  to  sanction  or 
exonerate the party or parties involved. Each year, a detailed report 
with  statistics  (number  and  type  of  alerts  by  geographic  area)  is 
presented  to  the  Audit  Committee,  which  reviews  and  approves  the 
preventive and corrective actions to be taken.

Unless there are legal provisions to the contrary, the system can be 
used to send any concern in the following areas in every country in 
which 
the  Group  operates:  discrimination,  harassment,  safety, 
environmental  damage,  unfair  competition,  corruption,  conflicts  of 
interest, accounting manipulation, document forgery, insider trading, 
theft, fraud and embezzlement.

560 concerns were received through the Red Line from collaborators 
in  2019,  representing  a  71%  increase  over  2018.  Alerts  investigated 
and closed in 2019 led to 105 disciplinary sanctions. 

Distribution of Red Line cases received by categories

Distribution of Red Line cases received by region

5%

4%

47%

12%

14%

  Discrimination, 
harassment, unfair 
treatment

  Violation of policy

  Theft

  Conflict of interest

  Bribery and corruption

  Other 

9%

9%

10%

4%

4%

4%

35%

18%

12%

13%

 North America

 MEA

 APAC

 India

 Europe

 South America

 France

 Greater China

 Russia and CIS

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2.4.3.2 The professional alert system for external stakeholders: 
the Green Line
The  Green  Line,  launched  in  2018,  is  a  professional  alert  system, 
available  online  and  featuring  a  simple  and  intuitive  interface.  It  is 
aimed  at  all  Schneider  Electric  external  parties,  suppliers, 
subcontractors,  customers  and  commercial  agents  who  might  be 
coping with or may have witnessed any unethical situation involving or 
affecting  Schneider.  The  processing  of  alerts  follows  a  similar 
procedure to that of the Red Line.

32 alerts were reported through the Green Line in 2019.

Distribution of Green Line cases received by category

28%

9%

19%

  Bribery and corruption

  Conflict of interest

  Health & safety

  Theft, fraud, 
embezzlement

16%

  Discrimination, unfair 
treatment, forced labor

  Others

12%

16%

2.4.4 A regular monitoring and control of the Ethics & 
Compliance program 
The Ethics & Compliance program is an integral part of the Group’s 
key  internal  controls,  with,  in  particular,  two  categories  of  specific 
controls that the internal controllers review in subsidiaries, evaluating 
the  degree  of  maturity  and  the  effectiveness  of  the  program:  the 
Principles of Responsibility and alert system, and the Business Agent 
Policy. Whenever an evaluation indicates points of weakness, action 
plans must be set up and monitored by internal auditors.

Furthermore,  the  Group’s  internal  audit  program  includes  specific 
tasks related to the Ethics & Compliance program, or to activities or 
subsidiaries for which an evaluation of the maturity and effectiveness 
of the program will be reviewed. This occurred in 2019 with an audit of 
business agents within the business unit Process Automation.

2.4.5 Award for excellence
The Group has been selected by The Ethisphere Institute as part of the 
2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies index for the ninth year running.

In addition, the Group received two Silver Awards in July 2019 at the 
French Trophée du Droit ceremony for “2019 Best Compliance Team” 
and “2019 Innovation”.

2

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

2.5 Focus on anti-corruption

2.5.1 Risks and opportunities
The Company interacts constantly with all stakeholders throughout the 
world:  its  borders  are  expanding,  its  environment  is  changing  ever 
more  quickly,  its  activities  are  becoming  globalized  and  its  social 
responsibilities are growing. The challenges are numerous:

•  Gain and maintain the highest confidence of its stakeholders;
•  Growing  pressure  from  public  authorities  which  requires  solid 

Ethics & Compliance programs, especially to fight corruption;

•  Attract and retain talents, especially within new generations, who 
consider  an  ethical  working  environment  as  a  key  element  of 
engagement. 

Each  year,  Schneider  Electric  draws  up  a  risks  map  at  Group  level 
which is presented to the Management Committee and used to identify 
all  risks  faced  by  the  Company,  especially  with  regard  to  Ethics  & 
Compliance: in 2019, the dedicated corruption and influence-peddling 
risk mapping was integrated to the Group risk mapping presentation to 
the Management Committee. For more details consult pages 58 to 61.

Furthermore, to meet the legal obligations specified by the December 9, 
2016 French law known as the Sapin 2 Act, in 2018, Schneider Electric 
drew up a specific map of corruption and influence-peddling risks at 
Group level. In 2019, based on the same methodology, a corruption 
and influence-peddling risk mapping was performed in each region of 
the Group, to identify risks specific to each region where the Group is 
located. Results of regional corruption risk mapping were presented to 
regional  Ethics  &  Compliance  Committees  to  let  them  discuss  and 
approve specific action plans to mitigate such risks.

Main risks may be divided in two parts:

•  Operations
•  Third parties 

To  go  deeper  into  the  risk  assessment,  especially  by  focusing  on 
operational risks, a new methodology was elaborated end of 2019 by 
Compliance, Ethics and Internal Controls, and will be launched in 2020, 
addressing Ethics & Compliance risks, including corruption. 

2.5.2 Group policy 
Schneider Electric applies a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption 
and  other  unethical  business  practices  and  considers  that  “doing 
things  right”  is  a  key  value-creation  driver  for  all  its  stakeholders.  In 
addition to the compliance with all international and local regulations, 
all Schneider employees are expected to comply with the Company’s 
values  of  integrity  and  transparency.  Schneider  will  not  tolerate  any 
exception  or  show  any  weakness  in  ruthlessly  sanctioning  any 
misconduct.

Schneider  also  participates  in  a  Global  Compact  France  working 
group  comprising  companies  with  advanced  status,  tackling  many 
subjects including anti-corruption. It contributes to the sharing of best 
practices  organized  in  particular  by  the  professional  organization 
Cercle Ethique des Affaires.

The  Anti-corruption  Compliance  program  is  part  of  the  Ethics  & 
Compliance program, presented in pages 115 to 117.

This  program  has  become  a  full-fledged  value-creating  subject, 
whether through the recognition of a management system compliant 
with  industry  standards  via  certification,  or  by  incorporating  this 
subject into key performance indicators of the Schneider Sustainability 
Impact.

In order to meet the requirements of the French Sapin 2 Act, the Group 
released an Anti-corruption Code of Conduct. The Code was reviewed 
in  November  2019  to  take  into  account  results  of  the  corruption  risk 
mapping,  to  incorporate  principles  of  the  former  Anti-Corruption 
Policy, and to provide employees with examples illustrating situations 
they may face.

The Gifts & Hospitality Policy provides guidance to employees on the 
ethical  handling  of  gifts  and  hospitality  received  and  given  by 
Schneider Electric employees. 

A  new  version  of  the  business  agent  policy  was  released  in  August 
2019  to  meet  legal  requirements  and  public  authorities’  guidance, 
especially regarding risk based approach of the due diligence, as well 
as  internal  recommendations  following  several  audits  performed  on 
applicability of the policy in 2018. A due diligence digital tool managed 
at Group level will be put in place in 2020. 

These policies complete the body of rules aimed at preventing risks in 
the area of corruption.

including 

2.5.3 Prevention of the risks related to corruption
2.5.3.1 Anti-corruption due diligence
Schneider  Electric  business  agents, 
intermediaries, 
consultants,  lobbyists  and  business  finders,  assisting  Schneider  in 
developing its business are subject to a due diligence and approval 
process, which has been centralized with the Business Agent Policy 
reviewed  in  2019.  Several  documents  and  information  are  gathered 
and sent to Group Compliance which will perform the due diligence 
and manage the approval process, by analyzing risks of corruption, 
sanctions  and  unethical  practices.  According  to  a  first  level  of 
assessment, the business agent will be approved based on the level 
of risk and with additional checks if relevant. 

The  Company  has  been  committed  to  preventing  and  controlling  
the potential occurrence of corruption within its operations for many 
years now. 

Regarding  suppliers,  some  compliance  checks  are  performed, 
through  the  supplier  management  process.  In  addition,  for  sensitive 
M&A  operations,  some  compliance  checks  are  performed  with 
outsourced local investigations. 

Schneider Electric is an active member of Transparency International 
France,  a  leading  NGO  which  aims  to  stop  corruption  and  promote 
transparency,  responsibility  and  integrity  at  all  levels  and  across  all 
sectors; the Group participates in inter-company exchanges organized 
by the NGO. 

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2.5.3.2 Anti-corruption trainings 
An anti-corruption e-learning has been developed in 2018. The aim is 
that 100% of employees identified as “at risk” through their job codes 
complete the training each year. This indicator is part of the Schneider 
Sustainability Impact.

in  person 

Furthermore, 
in  sensitive 
geographic areas regarding Ethics & Compliance challenges (Brazil, 
India) or in locations where a specific risk is higher (such as the export 
control risk).

learnings  were  organized 

SSI#18: 100% of sales, procurement 
and finance employees trained every 
year on anti-corruption

Launched in 2018, the Anti-corruption e-learning, initially 
mandatory for Finance, Sales and Procurement teams, was 
extended to 201 job codes identified at risk, representing 
approximatively 40,000 employees instead of 23,000 
employees in 2018. At the end of 2019, 94% of exposed 
employees had completed this e-learning. 

% targeted employees trained in 2019

94%

2.5.4 Focus on responsible lobbying, political activity 
and donations
In  its  Principles  of  Responsibility,  under  the  “responsible  corporate 
citizenship”,  Schneider  Electric  takes  a  clear  stance  with  regards  to 
responsible lobbying, political activity and donations. As a company, 
Schneider Electric has a role to play in the public debate addressing 
leading  issues  with  the  global  community.  It  is  necessary  that  the 
Group states its positions clearly, participate in technical discussions 
and  support  responsible  public  policy  development.  However, 
Schneider Electric believes that this representation of interests shall be 
conducted in a transparent and fair manner, allowing its third parties 
and stakeholders to understand its activities, positions and statements. 
In particular, Schneider does not engage in political activity or political 
representation and does not make any payment to political parties in 
relation to its public representation. In 2019, Schneider has not been 
involved in sponsoring local, regional or national political campaigning. 

In the U.S., political contributions can only be made by a corporation 
through  a  legally  formed  Political  Action  Committee  (PAC)  or  Super 
Political Action Committee. Schneider Electric does not engage with 
Super PAC activity nor does it have a PAC in the U.S. and therefore 
cannot make any political contributions in this country.

The Group’s anti-corruption and bribery policy are formalized through 
two  documents:  the  Anti-Corruption  policy  and  the  Anti-Corruption 
Code of Conduct. The first extends the Principles of Responsibility by 
introducing the principle of zero-tolerance for corruption and bribery 
at Schneider, and the second defines the behavioral rules that every 
Schneider employee must implement to respect this principle.

Schneider Electric is fulfilling information about its lobbying activities in 
the  French  High  Authority  for  Transparency  in  Public  Life,  in  the  EU 
transparency  register  and  in  the  US  Lobbying  Disclosure  Act 
Registration.

For  2018  and  2019  the  Group  discloses  membership  fees  towards 
trade  associations,  business  coalitions  and  think-tanks  to  a  large 
extent  in  the  sense  that  many  organizations’  fees  counted  are  not 
primarily  focusing  on  political  campaigns  or  legislative  activities  but 
rather  on  standardization  activities  and  industry  best  practices. 
However,  as  they  could  be  referenced  in  policy  development  in  the 
margin of their activities, we decided to include those. The following 
geographies are covered: Europe, the U.S., China and Russia, which 
are  where  the  Group  is  mostly  active  when  it  comes  to  policy  and 
legislation.

Total contributions to such groups globally amounted 2.5 M€ in 2016, 
2.6 M€ in 2017 and 2.1 M€ in 2018. 2019 data is not available at the time 
this  report  is  published  (April  2019)  as  reporting  on  these  matters 
typically ends mid-year or end of year.

Largest contributions and expenditures concern two main engagement 
topics: 

•  The first is “sustainable energy for all”: Schneider Electric believes 
that energy management and energy efficiency are critical to move 
forward a new energy landscape and therefore supports a policy 
framework that unleashes the business and climate opportunities 
related 
landscape.  Contributions  and 
expenditures on this topic amounted 0.37 M€ in 2018 (0.26 M€ in 
2017) globally;

the  new  energy 

to 

•  The second is “powering the digital economy”: The Group supports 
the emergence of digital economy to bring new opportunities for 
businesses and people and therefore supports a policy framework 
that facilitates the digital transformation globally. Contributions and 
expenditures on this topic amounted 0.23 M€ in 2018 (0.24 M€ in 
2017) globally.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

2.6 Combating tax evasion

During the financial year, no consequence of the Group’s activities on this point was identified during the implementation of the appropriate 
internal control measures.

2.7 Digitally trusted and secure

2.7.1 Cybersecurity context and stakes
Digitization is evolving and rapidly transforming Schneider Electric’s 
environment. This new environment generates many opportunities and 
risks. Companies are now more and more vulnerable to the following 
risks: 

2.7.4 Personal data protection
Schneider Electric believes that the global implementation of a digital 
strategy  must  reconcile  economic  objectives  and  respect 
for 
fundamental human rights, including the right to protection of personal 
data and privacy.

•  Threats to revenue and reputation due to data breaches;
•  System risks due to bogus system access and control;
• 

Inherent system vulnerabilities from cloud data storage  
and computing;

•  Physical damage to machines and factories from malicious attacks.

Schneider Electric has chosen to implement a code of conduct for the 
protection  of  personal  data  (Binding  Corporate  Rules),  a  legal 
framework proposed to international companies by the personal data 
protection  authorities  in  the  European  Union  and  a  comprehensive 
personal data protection policy.

The  European  Parliament  and  Council  General  Data  Protection 
Regulation  (EU)  2016/679  came  into  force  on  May  25,  2018.  The 
Company has set up an action plan to align the practices of entities on 
the  new  obligations.  Numerous  actions  were  undertaken  under  this 
plan and in particular, all European employees were offered training; 
awareness-raising  campaigns  were  carried  out  by  the  Group; 
processing registers were prepared; the online confidentiality policy 
was updated; the applications review procedure was upgraded and a 
management and notification process for personal data breaches was 
developed. This Regulation is an opportunity for Schneider Electric to 
strengthen  its  global  governance  procedure  on  personal  data 
protection, and to continue and step up its efforts to rally its entities 
and employees on the subject, an essential condition for developing 
the trust of its employees and its customers in a digital environment. 
The implementation of this action plan is periodically monitored by the 
Company’s  Management  with  the  assistance  of  the  Group  Data 
Protection Officer.

2.7.5 Training and awareness
An  online  training  on  cybersecurity  is  mandatory  for  all  employees. 
This training provides employees with all the tools they need to protect 
their  personal  data.  At  the  end  of  2019,  96%  of  Schneider  Electric 
employees have completed this training. Specific employee categories 
received mandatory training for risks linked to their activity. 

implemented 

Schneider  Electric 
the  General  Data  Protection 
Regulation (GDPR) requirements and a specific training was launched 
to  present  the  major  challenges  of  this  regulation.  This  training  is 
mandatory  for  Schneider  Electric  employees  in  Europe  and  key 
functions.

These risks are inherent to any company operating in the digital space, 
but  in  the  case  of  industrial  infrastructures  such  as  the  ones  of 
Schneider  Electric’s  customers,  the  physical  and  financial  damage 
can be particularly high and, in some cases, involve security impacts. 

2.7.2 Reinforcing the Group’s cyberposture and that of 
its ecosystem of partners and customers 
Schneider Electric deploys several actions to reinforce its cyberposture 
and that of its ecosystem of partners and customers:

•  Holding a cyber related business risk register to articulate potential 

• 

• 

vulnerabilities/attacks and define remediation activities; 
Identifying and prioritizing high value assets (crown jewels) to the 
Company’s operation;
Implementing cyber capabilities and digital locks around people, 
processes and technologies;

•  Deploying  general  and  dedicated  awareness  and 

training 

programs: 
 – In  2019,  96%  of  Schneider  Electric  employees  completed 
training  on  cybersecurity.  Specific  employee  categories 
received mandatory training for risk linked to their activity;

 – Schneider  Electric  implemented  the  GDPR  requirements  and 

introduced mandatory training for employees;

•  Monitoring, detecting, responding and learning from events and all 

those with partners and customers;

•  Performing reality checks via metrics, internal and external reviews, 

cyber crisis drills and vulnerability assessments;

•  Partnering with leading companies in the field of cybersecurity.

2.7.3 Proposing cybersecurity by design
In addition, Schneider Electric’s cybersecurity by design includes:

•  Adopting  cybersecurity  by  design  strategy,  which  aligns  to  the 
NIST  Cybersecurity  Framework  and  other  recognized  standards 
(ISA/IEC 62443 and ISO 27000);

•  Schneider Electric IoT-enabled EcoStruxure platform provides our 
customers with end-to-end cybersecurity solutions and services to 
protect a vast digital ecosystem.

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2.8 Vigilance plan

2.8.1 Context
Schneider Electric seeks to be a role model when it comes to ethics, in 
its interactions with customers, partners, suppliers, and communities, 
the respect and promotion of human rights. The Group strives to have 
a  positive  impact  on  the  planet  and  the  environment  in  the  way  it 
contributes to find solutions to limit climate change.

The Group’s vigilance plan plan reflects this ambition. It also complies 
with the provisions of 2017 French law on Corporate duty of vigilance. 
The plan includes:

•  A  risk  analysis  specific  to  vigilance:  risks  that  Schneider  Electric 

poses on for its ecosystem and environment;

•  A review of the key actions implemented to remediate or mitigate 

these risks;
•  An alert system;
•  Governance specific to vigilance.

In this annual report, Schneider reviews the risk matrix analysis, and 
some  of  the  actions  to  mitigate  these  risks  will  be  described.  When 
needed,  the  reader  will  be  directed  to  other  sections  of  the  annual 
report  to  get  the  relevant  information.  For  more  comprehensive 
information,  the  full  vigilance  plan  of  the  Group  is  available  as  a 
standalone  document  and  can  be  downloaded  from  Schneider’s 
website.

2.8.2 Evaluation of the main risks towards Schneider 
Electric’s environment
2.8.2.1 Methodology
In  2019,  Schneider  Electric  developed  a  specific  risk  matrix  for  the 
implementation  of  its  vigilance  plan.  The  methodology  is  consistent 
with  other  risk  evaluations  maintained  at  Group  level  but  focuses 
specifically on the risks posed by Schneider on its environment and 
ecosystem.

The scope of work is Schneider, its subsidiaries and majority-owned 
joint ventures, as well as its suppliers.

Risk  categories:  five  risk  categories  have  been  identified:  human 
rights, environment, business conduct, offer safety and cybersecurity. 
In  order  to  be  able  to  make  a  granular  assessment  of  the  risk  level 
based  on  the  nature  of  that  risk  and  the  impact  it  may  have  on 
Schneider Electric ecosystem, each category has been divided into 
specific risk areas.

Human rights:
•  Decent workplace;
•  Health and safety;

Environment:
•  Specific substances management;
•  Waste and circularity;
•  Energy, CO2, GHG and particles emissions;

Business conduct:
•  Ethical business conduct;
•  Whistleblowing and alert systems;

Offer safety
•  Cybersecurity.

Risk  location:  the  Group  has  studied  three  areas  where  risks  may 
occur:

Schneider  Electric  sites:  sites  have  been  segmented  based  on 
categories that present specific level of risk. Employees with frequent 
travels (sales, field services, travelers , audit, top management...) have 
been assessed separately; 

Suppliers: the level of risk differs based on the type of process and 
technologies  used,  and  the  Group  has  therefore  segmented  the 
analysis  by  component  category.  The  risk  level  is  an  average 
assessment. The geographical location is factored in when selecting 
suppliers for the audit plan;

Contractors: when implementing a customer project, like building a 
large  electrical  system  at  the  customer’s  site,  Schneider  Electric  is 
working  with  contractors,  leveraging  their  expertise  (civil  work, 
electrical  contracting,  etc.).  This  “off-site”  project  work  generates  a 
specific level of risk for contractors. A separate “off-site and projects 
execution” category for contractors has therefore been defined for the 
assessment.

Risk evaluation and scale: the evaluation combines the probability of 
occurrence of the risk, with the seriousness of consequences from the 
risk. This is an evaluation of risk before impact of mitigation actions. 
After taking into consideration the impact of these mitigation actions, 
the level of risk may be significantly reduced. Risks are assessed on 
the following scale: 

1-Non-existent; 2-Low; 3-Medium; 4-High; 5-Very high.

In this study, no “Very high” risk level was identified.

2.8.2.2 Key findings
Schneider Electric sites: on Schneider sites, the higher level of risk is 
found on CO2, GHG (greenhouse gas) and particles emissions. The 
level of this risk tends to be higher on production and service sites. The 
other significant risk is cybersecurity, as Schneider offers and systems 
are increasingly connected to that of customers.

Suppliers: risk levels tend to be more evenly spread across the different 
categories of risk, except in the case of specific industrial processes like 
metal work, or battery manufacturing. Transportation and shipping also 
generate a level of risk specific to the sector.

Contractors:  due  to  the  specific  nature  of  project  work  (civil  work, 
installation, etc.) that implies high labor activity on construction sites, 
this type of supplier carries a medium to high level of risk.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

The risk matrix below summarizes Schneider Electric’s risk analysis:

Schneider Electric sites

Suppliers

Contractors

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Very high risk

High risk

Medium risk

Low risk

Human rights

Environment

Business conduct

Decent  
workplace

Health and  
Safety

Specific  
substances 
management

Waste and  
circularity

Energy,  
CO2 and GHG 
emissions

Ethical business  
conduct

Whistleblowing 

Offer safety and 
cybersecurity

Offer safety 

Cybersecurity 

The following measures are the main actions implemented to mitigate 
the highest risks identified in the Vigilance risk matrix.

2.8.6 Cybersecurity
Please refer to section “Digitally Trusted and Secure” page 120. 

2.8.7 Vigilance plan for suppliers
2.8.7.1 Supplier risk categories and audit plan
Schneider  Electric  is  conducting  a  specific  evaluation  of  suppliers. 
This  evaluation  covers  all  natures  of  risks  identified  and  considers 
specific parameters such as the type of industrial process used by the 
suppliers,  their  technology,  and  the  geographic  location  of  those 
suppliers. This allows to factor in risks that may arise from a country’s 
specific situation (social, political…).

These parameters are compiled in a third-party independent database 
(Verisk  Maplecroft),  with  an  annual  evaluation.  Schneider’s  entire 
network  of  tier  1  suppliers  (52,000)  is  processed  through  this 
methodology. The Group identified 1,500+ “high risk” suppliers (see 
graph  1)  and  targeted  to  audit  350  of  them  as  part  of  a  three-years 
audit plan. 

2.8.3 Principles of Responsibility
Please refer to section “Principles of Responsibility” page 112.

2.8.4 Schneider Electric sites main environmental 
actions
Deployment  of  environmental  actions  on  Schneider  Electric  sites  is 
developed  in  section  ”Schneider  Electric’s  commitments  towards 
environmental excellence”, pages 128 to 150 and covers notably:

•  Certification of its sites to ISO standards;
•  Schneider Electric specific programs to reduce CO2 emissions;
•  Reduction of SF6 emissions; 
•  Schneider Energy Action program for energy efficiency;
•  Reduction of waste and increased circularity.

2.8.5 Schneider Electric sites’ main health, safety and 
human rights actions
Deployment of health, safety and human rights actions on Schneider 
Electric  sites  is  explained  in  section  “Human  rights”  and  in  section 
“Committed  to  and  on  behalf  of  employees”,  pages  151  to  176  and 
covers notably:

•  Schneider Electric’s employees safety;
•  Human rights and people development policies;
•  Well-being programs. 

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~52 000 suppliers

~11,000 suppliers analysed  
(~80% of procurement value)

~1,500+ high risk suppliers

350 suppliers targeted for  
Three-year on-site audit plan

The  audit  plan  was  started  in  2018.  2019  is  the  second  year  of 
implementation. So far, Schneider Electric is on track with the schedule 
and planning to complete the 350 audits before end 2020. Schneider’s 
audit questionnaire and audit methodology are fully aligned with the 
RBA  framework  (Responsible  Business  Alliance,  ex-  EICC,  of  which 
Schneider  is  a  member  since  January  2018).  This  audit  plan  is 
integrated into the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI). 

In 2019, the Group conducted 124 initial on-site audits with suppliers 
(see graph 2). Initial audits are the ones conducted for a first time with 
a supplier, within the scope of the vigilance plan. These audits allow to 
identify  non-conformances  and  request  the  supplier  to  implement 

corrective  actions.  40  re-audits  with  suppliers  already  audited  have 
also been conducted to review the corrective actions implemented to 
remediate non-conformances identified during the initial audit.

A  major  part  of  non-compliance  is  related  to  health  and  safety  and 
labor  regulations  (38%  and  23%  respectively).  Graph  3  gives  the 
breakdown of non-conformances by topic and graph 4 gives them by 
geography.  An  analysis  of  the  154  “top  priority”  non-compliance  of 
2019 shows the following issues are the most recurring. The pattern is 
similar to 2018:

•  Health  and  safety  (60%  of  top  priority  non-compliance  issues): 
weak  emergency  procedures,  insufficient  emergency  training 
issues and preparation drills, insufficient fire alarm and protection 
systems, lack of medical response equipment and training;

•  Labor standards (36% of top priorities): respect of working time, 
resting  days  (time  measurement  systems  are  often  insufficient), 
overtime reporting and payment, formalization of working contracts;
•  Environment  and  management  systems  (4%  of  top  priorities): 
lack of administrative compliance, management tools and systems, 
insufficient waste management and pollution prevention systems.

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% Audits carried out (2019) – Graph 2

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

SSI#17: 350 suppliers under human 
rights and environment vigilance 
received specific on-site assessments

The 3-year program ambition has been elevated from 300 to 
350 specific on-site audits, and Schneider Electric is well on 
track to reach overall target. The 124 initial audits performed 
in 2019 have allowed to raise 1,745 non-conformances. Out of 
these non-conformances, 154 are assessed as “top priority”, 
and are given very specific attention during the re-audits of 
the suppliers. Schneider’s objective is to close 100% of all 
types of non-conformances identified, whatever their priority 
level.

# Suppliers on-site assessments to end 2019

279

2.8.7.2 Remediation and mitigation actions
As of end 2019, Schneider Electric has closed 99.5% of 2018 and 27% 
of 2019 non-compliances (all types) representing a cumulated rate of 
60%  over  24  months.  Schneider’s  approach  is  to  help  suppliers 
remediate  the  issues,  by  sharing  good  practices  and  by  providing 
them  with  guidance  and  training.  Where  non-compliances  are  not 
remediated,  the  Group  may  stop  the  relationship.  In  2019,  two 
relationships with suppliers have been terminated (four in 2018).

In order to reinforce the coordination between Schneider teams and 
suppliers  on  vigilance  topics,  a  specific  training  program  has  been 
implemented. The primary target audience is the Procurement team, 
and  the  training  modules  aim  at  increasing  their  knowledge  on  the 
natures  of  risks,  so  they  can  integrate  these  topics  early  in  the 
discussions with suppliers. At the end of 2019, 300+ employees have 
taken  these  trainings.  These  trainings  combine  in-class  experience 
with e-learning sessions.

To  raise  suppliers’  awareness,  improve  their  ability  to  identify  risks 
earlier  and 
implement  mitigation  solutions,  Schneider  Electric 
organized face-to-face workshops dedicated to vigilance subjects. At 
the end of 2019, 70 supplier teams have attended these events. These 
sessions include in-class face to face workshops and digital webinars. 

2.8.7.3 Other actions
Schneider Electric has deployed a continuous improvement program for 
its strategic suppliers based on the ISO 26000 standard.

As of today, more than 700 strategic suppliers, representing 70%+ of 
total  strategic  purchasing  volume  have  submitted  their  data  and 
obtained an average score of 54.8pts out of 100. (For reference, the 
average  score  of  companies  in  Ecovadis  database  is  43pts,  and 
Schneider’s own score is 80pts).

2.8.8 Contractors for projects execution on customer site
2.8.8.1 Project execution environment
Schneider Electric’s products and solutions are usually combined into 
larger systems such as electricity distribution and energy management 
in a building or production process automation in a factory. The build-
up  of  such  systems  can  be  complex  and  typically  involve  several 
different actors before they are commissioned by end customers. For 
Schneider, there are two options: to sell components through channel 
partners who take the responsibility to build and deliver the system; or 
to  build  and  deliver  the  system  directly  for  the  end  customer,  as  a 
project.  This  second  option  requires  coordinating  several  project 
contractors  (panel  manufacturers,  system 
integrators,  building 
contractors…),  usually  on  the  premises  of  the  end  customer.  The 
common  characteristics  of  these  projects  are  that  they  happen 
primarily off-site (mostly on customer premises, existing or future), they 
involve  several  different  actors,  global  or  local,  each  bringing  their 
specific added value. Each project is specific, in its size, duration and 
location.  Therefore,  the  relations  with  contractors  are  specific  to  a 
contract, and not necessarily recurrent.

2.8.8.2 Vigilance plan specific to the project execution 
environment
Schneider  Electric  operates  with  a  pool  of  project  contractors  (or 
“solution  suppliers”)  of  more  than  8,000  companies.  Not  all  of  them 
may be active during a year. In the course of its supplier risk mapping 
exercise,  Schneider  has  identified  approximatively  110  solution 
suppliers  categorized  as  “high  risk”.  Schneider  current  three-year 
audit plan is targeting 60+ on-site audits of these suppliers (included 
in the overall 350 target). Between 2018 and 2019, 40 suppliers have 
already been audited.

2.8.8.3 Main findings and actions
The most recurring non-conformities with high risk solution contractors 
are:  insufficient  on-site  security  measures  to  protect  workers; 
improvement  needed  in  working  conditions;  the  lack  of  working 
contract formalization; respect of working hours and resting days.

In  addition  to  these  non-conformities,  specific  risks  related  to  local 
contract negotiation and relations with local authorities may occur. 

Actions following non-conformities are the same as with other suppliers 
(re-audits, trainings, workshops). Specific measures are implemented 
for  this  project  environment:  Schneider  Electric  implements  regular 
reviews  of  safety  incidents  on  customers’  sites,  involving  the  Global 
Safety team and the Project Management leadership. The Group also 
reinforced trainings on anti-corruption and business agent policies for 
its employees involved in commercial negotiations. The project follow-
up with contractors and the selection processes for contractors has 
been adapted to ensure vigilance topics are considered early in the 
project stage.

2.8.9 Alert system and whistleblowing
To allow specific alerts to be reported with a high level of confidentiality 
and  to  be  dealt  with  at  a  high  level,  Schneider  Electric  relies  on  an 
online internal system called Red Line. A similar alert system has been 
implemented  for  external  cases.  This  system,  called  Green  Line,  is 
available for external stakeholders including suppliers, subcontractors, 
customers and business agents. It allows alerts to be raised on issues 
such  as  corruption,  theft,  human  trafficking,  health  &  safety, 
environmental  pollution  etc.  Green  Line  is  managed  similarly  to  the 
internal alert system Red Line. For more details consult section “Two 
alert systems to cover all stakeholders” pages 116 to 177.

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2.8.10 Governance
The plan is governed by the duty of vigilance Committee, set up in 2017. 
The Steering Committee meets twice a year in normal circumstances. 
Overall, since the creation of this instance, nine committee meetings 
have been held (five in 2017, two in 2018, two in 2019). The Committee’s 
objective is to provide a discussion on strategic orientation, prioritize 
initiatives  and  the  resources  allocated  to  their  implementation.  This 
committee also reviews the actions in progress and their results, and 
defines decisions on next steps for action.

Management:
•  Senior Vice President (SVP), Sustainability
•  SVP, Global Safety and Environment
•  SVP, Global Procurement
•  SVP, Global Customer Projects
•  SVP, Ethics and Responsibility

Experts:
•  Environment Performance Measurement
•  Sustainable Procurement

Composition of the duty of vigilance Committee
Chairman:
•  Executive  Vice  President  Global  Supply  Chain 

(Executive 

Committee member)

Human Resources will be represented in this committee in 2020.

2.9 Relations with subcontractors and suppliers

2.9.3 Group policy
Since 2004, the Group has been encouraging its suppliers to commit 
to  a  sustainable  development  initiative,  first  and  foremost  through 
measuring the proportion of its purchases made with suppliers who 
are Global Compact signatories. Since 2012, Schneider Electric has 
wanted to place itself in a continuous improvement process as well as 
to  follow  up  with  its  suppliers  by  requiring  them  to  make  progress 
according to the ISO 26000 guidelines.

This approach is strengthened by the General Procurement Terms and 
Conditions which all suppliers must abide by: each supplier undertakes 
to apply the principles and guidelines of the ISO 26000 international 
standard, the rules defined in the ISO 14001 standard, and is informed 
that the energy performance of its supply has been considered as part 
of the selection criteria. Suppliers also commit to respect all national 
legislation  and  regulations,  the  REACH  regulation  and  the  RoHS 
directives, and, more generally, the laws and regulations relating to the 
prohibition  or  restriction  of  use  of  certain  products  or  substances. 
Lastly, suppliers are expected to report the presence and country of 
origin of any and all conflict minerals supplies in accordance with the 
requirements of the US Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 known as the “Conflict 
Minerals” law. In this context, Schneider Electric has a “conflict-free” 
objective.

Schneider  publishes  a  charter  for  its  suppliers,  called  the  Supplier 
Guide  Book,  initially  launched  in  2016.  The  first  section  of  this 
articulates expectations for suppliers on sustainable development in 
the  following  five  areas:  environment,  fair  and  ethical  business 
practices,  sustainable  procurement,  labor  practices,  and  human 
rights. In 2018, the Group adopted the Responsible Business Alliance 
(RBA) Code of Conduct for suppliers. The purpose of this is to align 
Schneider efforts with industry best practice.

2.9.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Schneider  Electric  has  been  involved  in  an  ambitious  approach  to 
including  sustainable  development  challenges  in  supplier  selection 
and  working  processes.  This  approach  is  all  the  more  important  as 
Schneider’s Procurement volume represents more than EUR12 billion 
– and more than 52,000 suppliers.

With a complex global supply chain, there are some potential risks that 
Schneider Electric is committed to mitigating in the areas of health and 
safety,  human  rights,  ethics,  the  environment  and  sustainable 
development. Proactively managing upstream supplier risks, through 
Schneider Electric’s Supplier Vigilance, Sustainable Development and 
Procurement  programs  &  processes  also  improves  the  Group’s 
reputation,  shareholder  value  and  greatly  lowers  legislative  and 
business risks.

By  working  closely  with  its  suppliers  to  develop  their  maturity  in 
integrating  sustainability,  Schneider  Electric  further  de-risks  and 
improves  its  competitive  advantage  by  continually  improving  the 
global supply chain. Other opportunities and benefits include carbon 
footprint  reduction  and  opportunities  to  co-innovate  sustainable 
solutions with top suppliers and partners.

2.9.2 How to identify and manage
Schneider  Electric  has  a  risk  management  system  to  identify  and 
manage  critical  suppliers,  and  uses  a  tool,  SRIM  –  Supplier  RIsk 
Management – to capture risks and ensure the follow-up of identified 
cases with an extended source.

The Group has also been performing sustainability risks assessments 
with  its  own  purchasing  specialists,  supported  by  its  Schneider 
Supplier Quality Management processes and ISO 26000 assessments 
for strategic suppliers.

In addition, Schneider is reinforcing its sustainability risk assessment 
by geography and type of activity as part of its vigilance plan, based 
on  the  following  categories  of  risks:  human  rights,  environment, 
business  conduct,  offer  safety  and  cybersecurity.  In  this  context, 
Schneider has performed a risk analysis in 2019 across all its suppliers 
with the help of a recognized third-party expert mapping tool available 
through the RBA partnership.

Schneider Electric has also launched its professional alert system for 
external stakeholders.

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 125

 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. Green and responsible growth driving economic performance

2.9.4 Due diligence and results
2.9.4.1 Integration of the sustainable purchases approach in the 
selection of new suppliers
Schneider  Electric  uses  a  qualification  process  called  Schneider 
Supplier Quality Management to select new suppliers. It is based on 
an evaluation questionnaire combined with on-site audits by Schneider 
quality specialists.

It includes two specific sections on sustainability. The following have 
been chosen as the criteria of evaluation, that are the most relevant 
areas identified for the business of Schneider:

•  People  and  social  responsibility:  training,  human  rights  and  ISO 

26000, health & safety;

•  Environment: ISO 14001 and energy savings, EcoDesign, REACH 

and RoHS, conflict minerals.

Schneider  Supplier  Quality  Management  includes  four  supplier 
assessment modules. The last being decisive and where sustainable 
development criteria account for nearly 30% of supplier evaluation. In 
addition,  all  of  these  criteria  have  a  minimum  level,  below  which  a 
supplier cannot be selected to work with Schneider. Schneider carried 
out 650 audits of this type in 2019. Since 2014, the Group has launched 
an e-learning program which covers expectations in these fields and 
defines  the  documents  and  proof  to  be  obtained  from  audited 
suppliers.  In  2017,  Schneider  Electric  has  also  digitized  its  supplier 
approval module tool, making it more efficient and consistent across 
the organization.

Thanks to this new capability, all newly assessed suppliers have their 
action plan registered in a central database available to all in real time, 
making  supplier  interactions  more  fluid.  These  are  tracked  by 
Schneider Electric supplier leaders on a monthly or pluri-annual basis 
depending on the severity of the action plan.

2.9.4.2 Promotion of a continuous improvement process based 
on the ISO 26000 standard for strategic suppliers
A statement on the importance of sustainable development is made to 
each major supplier of Schneider Electric by its Group Procurement 
pilot  after  the  latter  has  been  trained  in  the  approach.  For  these 
suppliers, in 2012 Schneider began an initiative that is based on an 
evaluation carried out by a third party.

Sustainable development has become one of the seven pillars used to 
measure  supplier  performance  since  2011;  allowing  the  highest-
performing  suppliers  to  become  “strategic”  suppliers.  Performance 
resulting from the third-party evaluation is one of the key points of the 
sustainable development pillar.

The Group has set out to engage all its strategic suppliers in a process 
of continuous improvement on this pillar. At the end of 2019, strategic 
suppliers  represented  c.  60%  of  Schneider’s  purchases  volume. 
Strategic  suppliers  who  have  passed  the  third-party  evaluation 
process cover 70%+ of total strategic purchasing volume.

From  2018,  the  Group  took  on  the  ambitious  target  of  achieving  a  5 
points out of 100 increase in the average ISO 26000 assessment score 
of  its  strategic  suppliers  between  2018  and  2020  as  part  of  the 
Schneider Sustainability Impact. In 2019, this target was raised to 5.5 
points  increase.  This  indicator  of  the  SSI  is  integrated  into  the 
performance incentive of Procurement employees receiving a bonus. 
The Schneider Electric strategic supplier ISO 26000 ratings remain one 
of the key aspects of Schneider’s supply chain and Procurement led 
sustainable development strategy. 

The  elements  of  the  assessment  are  now  an  integral  part  of  the 
business  reviews  scheduled  between  buyers  and  suppliers,  on  a 
quarterly to yearly basis, depending on the suppliers. This monitoring 
supposes an improvement from the supplier.

SSI#16: 5.5 pts /100 increase in average 
score of ISO 26000 assessment for our 
strategic suppliers

In 2019, the average score for 1,000+ strategic suppliers is 
54.8/100, up 3.7 points vs 2017, and one of the top performing 
supply chains measured by the third-party evaluation 
(Ecovadis). For reference, the average score of companies in 
Ecovadis database is 43/100, while Schneider’s own score is 
80/100. This achievement is due to continued prioritization in 
the strategic sourcing process and desire to continually 
improve the environmental, labor and human rights, ethics 
and sustainable procurement aspects of Schneider Electric’s 
supply chain.

Points increase vs 2017

+3.70

In  addition  to  the  external  assessments,  Schneider  Electric  defined 
“off-limit” situations which are:

•  Employee safety risks
•  Environmental pollution
•  Child labor

These situations have been identified as material issues in Schneider’s 
supply  chain  and  unacceptable  for  a  supplier  of  the  Group.  Each 
buyer  is  expected  to  be  alert  enough  to  detect  any  problem  areas 
related to sustainable development themes when visiting a supplier’s 
site.  Off-limit  cases  must  be  addressed  immediately  or  escalated 
using the specifically defined process.

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To support this approach, training was made available to Procurement 
teams: basic training on the ISO 26000 standard for all purchasers is 
now part of the standard purchaser curriculum; and more advanced 
training allows employees to learn how to question strategic suppliers 
during business reviews (whether assessed by a third party or not). 
For  these  off-limit  situations,  Schneider  Electric  favors  a  practical 
training approach, based on case studies, to ensure that purchasers 
have a clear understanding of situations that are unacceptable per the 
Group’s standards. This also includes how to react if such a situation is 
encountered by procurement.

Potential detection may come from supplier on-site audits conducted 
as part of the vigilance plan leveraging RBA guidelines (see previous 
paragraph):  a  process  is  in  place  for  immediate  alert  towards  the 
Procurement community, including also executives, for escalation and 
response.

2.9.4.3 Conflict Minerals rule
In  August  2012,  the  SEC  (US  Security  and  Exchange  Commission) 
adopted  the  Conflict  Minerals  rule  as  part  of  the  Wall  Street  Reform 
and Consumer Protection Act. This rule requires companies to conduct 
a “reasonable country of minerals’ origin inquiry” and due diligence to 
determine whether “conflict minerals”, as defined in the rule, are used 
in their supply chain.

Although this rule does not apply directly to Schneider Electric – since 
it  is  not  registered  with  the  US  SEC  –  it  is  deeply  concerned  about 
social and environmental conditions in some mines that could supply 
metals  for  its  products.  As  part  of  the  Group’s  sustainable  business 
practices, it is committed to increasing its responsible metal sourcing 
efforts.

In working towards these commitments, Schneider has taken a number 
of steps including:

•  Updating  its  Procurement  Terms  and  Conditions  to  reflect  its 

expectations from suppliers;

•  Establishing a “Conflict Minerals Compliance Program” supported 
and sponsored by its top leadership. This program was developed 
based  on  the  OECD  Due  Diligence  Guidance  for  Responsible 
Supply  Chains  of  Minerals  from  conflict-affected  and  high-risk 
areas and other appropriate international standards;
Identifying the use of conflict minerals in its products;

• 
•  Engaging with its suppliers so that they respond in a timely manner 

to its requests for evidence of compliance.

Schneider is working with an expert third party, collecting information 
from its suppliers to identify the source of the minerals in question and 
ensure  they  are  recognized  as  “Conflict-Free”  within  established 
International standards such as CFSI (Conflict-Free Smelter Initiative), 
London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and others.

The Group is aware of the complexity of this task, and that it will take 
time  to  collect  the  required  information,  but  it  is  committed  to 
contributing to this responsible sourcing initiative as well as responding 
to  its  customers’  potential  concerns.  At  the  end  of  2019,  the  Group 
confirmed that more than 80% of the relevant purchases are “conflict-
free”. The remainder are still under analysis, mainly due to the number 
of  lower  ranking  suppliers  who  are  themselves  in  the  process  of 
developing this initiative.

2.9.4.4 Rollout of eco-responsible initiatives
Schneider Electric is rolling out several eco-responsible initiatives with 
its suppliers.

For example, Schneider has chosen to go further than the European 
REACH and RoHS regulations. The approach is therefore rolled out in 
the Group over the whole product portfolio and all suppliers, regardless 
of their geographic origin. To support the REACH and RoHS projects, 
Schneider  Electric  has  implemented  a  data  collection  process 
supported by a dedicated team to gather the required information from 
its  suppliers.  This  has  allowed  it  to  significantly  reduce  its  response 
time to collect such information and therefore be quicker to respond to 
its customers’ inquiries. In addition to data collection, Schneider put in 
place a review process for this data to guarantee its quality. Thanks to 
this process, the level of verification required for a given supplier can 
be adjusted in order to make the controls more stringent in cases where 
deviations have been detected.

Another example is Schneider Electric’s commitment to supporting the 
small and medium enterprises network. This support is given through 
an approach to work in an adapted manner with certain suppliers. In 
France, Schneider is a major player in the International SME Pact.

Finally,  by  the  very  nature  of  its  activity,  the  Group  continually 
encourages  its  ecosystem  (including  customers  and  suppliers)  to 
implement energy efficient solutions.

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3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards 
environmental excellence

In this section:

3.0  Context, goals, key targets and results  

128

3.3  Eco-efficient manufacturing 

3.1  Environmental strategy 

129

3.4  Circular economy 

3.2  Climate strategy towards net-zero CO2 emissions 

132

3.5  Product stewardship 

137

143

147

Context and goals
Schneider Electric’s environmental strategy is both a reflection and an 
enabler  of  its  profitable  growth  strategy.  2019  came  with  confirmed 
evidence  of  the  speed  of  climate  change,  resource  depletion  and 
biodiversity losses. Earth Overshoot Day fell on 29 July, earliest ever. 
2019 was a tipping point, with students striking, international coalitions 
and climate change always more evident with extreme weather events. 
In  the  corporate  sphere,  2019  saw  the  multiplication  of  customers 
strategically seeking environmentally beneficial offers. 

Schneider Electric is determined to continue transforming its supply 
chain and business models, towards a “one-planet prosperity” for all. 
Schneider  is  working  to  adopt  lowest-impact  operations,  while 
inventing resource efficiency-enabling technologies for its customers. 
The Group wants to show there is way for companies to ‘do good while 
doing well’. The Group’s environmental strategy is built on three pillars: 
climate, resources and biodiversity.

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Climate

Circular economy

Renewable electricity

1. 
2.  CO2 efficiency in transportation
3. 

 Million metric tons CO2 saved on our customers’ end thanks  
to EcoStruxure offers

4. 

5. 
6. 
7. 

8.  

 Increase in turnover for our EcoStruxure Energy and  
Sustainability Services

Sales under our new Green Premium program
Sites labeled Towards Zero Waste to Landfill
 Cardboard and pallets for transport packing from recycled  
or certified sources
 Metric tons of avoided primary resource consumption through 
ECOFITTM, recycling, and take-back programs

2019  

progress

50% 
4.1% 
89 

23.8% 

55.2% 
193 
96% 

2020  
target

80% 

10% 
120

25%

75% 
200
100%

97,439 

120,000

 2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting point value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 140-141 for indicator 1,  
141-142 for indicator 2, 135-136 for indicator 3, 109-110 for indicator 4, 147-149 for indicator 5, 145 for indicator 6, 144 for indicator 7 and 143-144 for indicator 8).

2025

2030

•  Carbon  neutrality  in  the  Group’s  operations  (scope  1 
and 2) by sharply reducing emissions from energy, SF6 
and  company  vehicles,  and  offsetting 
remaining 
emissions ;

•  Reach the COP21 goal of carbon neutrality in its expanded 
ecosystem  –  5  years  early  –  by  delivering  more  CO2 
savings to customers than its carbon footprint;
•  Phase-out of SF6 in Schneider Electric products.
•  Double  the  quantity  of  recycled  plastics  in  Schneider 

Electric products.

•  Net-zero operational emissions and reduction of scope 3 emissions by 
35%  (vs  2017)  as  part  of  the  Group’s  validated  1.5°C  Science-Based 
Target;

•  Switch to 100% renewable electricity (RE100);
•  Double energy productivity vs 2005 (EP100);
•  Shift 100% of its company fleet to electric cars (EV100).

2050

Engage with suppliers towards a net-zero supply chain.

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3.1. Environmental Strategy

Fifteen years ago, Schneider Electric embarked on a journey to make 
a  positive  impact  and  to  deliver  incremental  year-on-year  resource 
efficiency gains. In last few years, the Group decided to be bolder and 
dared  to  disrupt  current  models.  In  the  Group’s  industry  sector,  this 
means  a  race  towards  decarbonization  and  circularity  in  everything 
the  Group  does,  with  a  determination  to  support  the  customers’ 
endeavors  in  doing  the  same.  With  this  in  mind,  an  environmental 
strategy for sustained business performance and contribution to the 
world’s environmental challenges has been structured to allow three 
forms of “compatibilities” of business development with critical earth 
boundaries:

•  +1.5  °C  climate  compatibility:  the  determination  to  build  value 
propositions, business models and supply chains which are +1.5 °C 
compatible  (i.e.  allowing  the  fast  decarbonation  of  operations  
and customers);

•  One-planet  compatibility:  to  decouple  resource  consumption 
from business growth, the stretch to be as circular as possible (i.e. 
pushing back “Earth Overshoot Day” by December 31);

•  Life  compatibility:  to  design  products  and  industrial  processes 
that do not alter life, water or biodiversity (i.e. striving to not harm life 
directly or indirectly in the extended supply chain).

Put differently, Schneider Electric sees itself and reviews its progress 
as part of a broader ecosystem: first, how the Group as a company 
and in its supply chain delivers progress within the limits set out above. 
Second,  how  customers  are  helped  to  do  the  same  through  offers, 
solutions and services. Third, how Schneider helps the world at large, 
its cities, buildings, infrastructure, and progresses against the same 
three factors (climate, resources and life), through customers and the 
Schneider offers they leverage.

3.1.1 Description of risks and opportunities 
This environmental strategy aims at both addressing risks and seizing 
opportunities. Risks and opportunities are addressed by the following 
environmental transformations:

Environmental  resource  productivity  (e.g.  reduced  energy  and 
materials consumption) helps both reduce operating costs and reduce 
risks related to price volatility and resource availability. This touches 
resources such as copper, steel, polyamides or cardboard. In 2019, 
Schneider  Electric  saw  its  efficiency  efforts  and  its  waste  ratios 
improve.

Decarbonization of operations: with costs assigned today to CO2 in 
various parts of the globe (by either regulations, carbon markets, or 
corporations  themselves)  in  various  domains  (e.g.  electricity,  oil, 
carbon markets and carbon trading schemes, etc.), and expecting this 
trend  to  expand,  it  is  critical  to  drastically  reduce  CO2  emissions. 
Organizations failing to demonstrate active decarbonization may see 
their value undermined. Conversely, companies that are successful at 
decarbonizing  their  supply  chains  and  business  models  should  be 
more reassuring business partners for customers and investors alike.

Proactive chemical substances substitution is an opportunity, as 
an  increasing  proportion  of  customers  expect  less  hazardous 
substances  in  products,  and  more  and  more  standards  and  norms 
come  into  play.  Remaining  ahead  of  regulations,  notably  REACH, 
RoHS (EU and China), California’s Proposition 65, and distributors’ or 
buildings’ specific standards in this space, is paramount. It is both a 
responsibility and a way to sustain our access to world markets in a 
leadership  position.  Such  substitution  efforts  also  trigger  costly 
processes,  requalification  efforts,  sourcing  efforts,  and  come  with 
some compliance risks in case not fully executed.

Circular economy innovations: an obsession to avoid wastage, and 
to  reuse,  repair,  retrofit  or  recycle  translates  into  cost  savings.  A 
circular mindset also triggers process innovations and opens the door 
to  new  business  models  enhancing  customer  intimacy  thus  loyalty 
(e.g. take-back and modernization services). High hopes are placed 
on circularity as a state of mind as it can transform multiple industries 
for the better.

Environmental  information  and  footprint  transparency,  superior 
environmental  compliance:  more  and  more  customers,  green 
building  standards,  distributors  and  electricians  prefer  offers  with 
green credentials. It is both a risk, if one is too lenient in this domain, 
and an opportunity to harness if made an integral part of a deliberate 
approach.  Many  building  standards,  local  regulations,  mandate  or 
promote offers providing EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations). 
There is clearly a growing premium assigned to transparency.

Site and property environmental excellence: ill-managed industrial 
processes can trigger spills and contamination of water, soil and air, 
and this is clearly a risk for a company as much as for the environment. 
However,  a  proactive  approach 
towards  site  and  property 
environmental  risks  helps  preserve  continuity  of  operations,  reduce 
risks of unexpected legal action and avoid environmental remediation 
costs. In addition, removal of hazardous and chemicals substances in 
workshops helps preserve workers’ health.

to 

Other  risks  and  opportunities  related 
the  definition  of  an 
Environmental  Strategy  could  also  have  been  detailed:  risk  and 
opportunity  to  tarnish  or  enhance  Employee  Value  Proposition  and 
brand  attractiveness  to  future  employees.  In  2019,  the  sustained 
importance  for  employees  deciding  to  join  Schneider  Electric  of  its 
commitment  to  environmental  excellence  has  been  particularly 
reaffirmed. Additionally, the risks and opportunities of an environmental 
strategy relate to the Group’s reputation with analysts, rating agencies, 
investors, governments, NGOs, civil society, and overall brand image, 
depending upon our performance. 

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3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.1.2 Environment strategy 2030 and its pillars
Schneider Electric has defined a clear environmental strategy, defining 
priority  initiatives  and  related  goals  across  environmental  domains, 
fully  aligned  with  both  the  Company  program  and  the  sustainable 
growth  strategy.  At  Schneider,  environmental  considerations  go  far 
beyond  efforts  towards  the  sustained  reduction  of  the  business’ 
footprint  on  the  planet,  as  they  embed  everything  the  Group  does, 
from  strategy,  R&D,  Manufacturing,  Procurement,  Finance,  Human 
Resources,  Transportations,  Sales,  Marketing,  Services,  to  the  way 
value propositions to customers are spelt out.

The  2020  Schneider  Electric  environmental  strategy  was  defined  in 
2015, introduced in previous annual reports, and is structured around 
six main pillars: CO2 neutrality strategy in the extended supply chain, 
resource  efficient  supply  chain,  “Waste  as  Worth”  mindset, 
environmental performance delivered to customers, circular business 
models  and 
increasingly  stronger  environmental 
governance (suppliers, compliance and products, etc.).

innovations, 

The  2025-2030  Environmental  &  Climate  Strategy  has  now  been 
defined, it will bring previous strategy to the next level, accelerating 
Schneider’s  CO2,  Circular  Economy,  and  Biodiversity 
related 
transformations. A key guiding principle of this 2025-30 Environment & 
Climate  strategy  will  be  to  embed  further  CO2  and  resources 
considerations in everything the Group does, from acquisition, supply 
chain strategy and network modelling, R&D resources use, and go-to-
market.  Everyone  at  Schneider,  wherever  they  operate  and  in 
whichever  function,  must  understand  and  deploy  CO2  and  resource 
efficiency priorities. 

Now, briefly introducing below the six components of the environmental 
strategy, 2019 achievements and key aspirations:

1)  CO2 and resource strategy towards a climate-compatible and 
planet-compatible growth path. A CO2 strategy and its roadmap 
(with  2025,  2030  and  2050  time  horizons)  have  been  defined, 
towards  “+1.5°C  climate  compatibility”  with  a  step-by-step 
decoupling of the growth journey from climate impacts. The Group 
has  received  validation  for  its  2030  target  by  the  Science-Based 
Target initiative. Furthermore, through efforts in R&D and EcoDesign, 
a broad range of products has been designed, along with services 
and solutions delivering measurable CO2 gains to customers, as the 
Group’s Climate Bond showed. In 2018-19 period, considering only 
modernization (‘brownfield’) projects leveraging our technologies, 
and  with  a  rigorous  and  conservative  calculation  methodology,  it 
was  externally  verified  that  Schneider  Electric  helped  save  more 
than 89 Mt CO2 through its customers, enabling absolute emissions 
reductions compared to previous years. 

Such  savings  come  in  addition  to  our  own  supply  chain 
decarbonation efforts. Schneider is notably a member of RE100, 
EP100 and EV100 initiatives to drive operational CO2 emissions to 
zero by 2030.

2)  Building  an  increasingly  more  sustainable  supply  chain. 
Resource  efficiency  remains  a  clear  priority.  The  present  report 
initiatives  and 
contains  specific  sections  about  Schneider 
achievements 
reduction  of 
towards  energy  efficiency, 
transportation and manufacturing externalities, adoption of green 
best  available  techniques  in  its  plants  and  distribution  centers. 
Additionally,  key  Schneider  processes  embed  environmental 
considerations, making environmental performance and resource 
productivity key dimensions of major decisions (e.g. through the 
SPS/Schneider  Production  System  framework).  On  the  energy 
front, leveraging the Group’s own solutions and expertise, its sites 
delivered 8.7% energy efficiency gains compared to 2017, which 
is ahead of the ambitions of 10% gain every three years.

3)  Considering  waste  as  worth.  Schneider  Electric  drives  an 
“obsession  towards  zero  waste”  across  its  facilities  globally, 
focusing on the largest waste-emitting sites. Waste minimization, 
reuse,  recycling,  energy  recovery  and  landfill  avoidance  have 
become  an  integral  part  of  plants  and  distribution  centers’ 
performance  scorecards,  and  constant  progress  is  seen.  This 
year, Schneider is proud to have 193 plants receiving the “Towards 
Zero Waste to Landfill” designation.

These efforts in the areas of EcoDesign and industrialization also 
add  to  our  ability  to  generate  less  waste  and  be  smarter  with 
resource use.

4)  Promoting  sustainable  value-addition  to  Schneider  Electric 
leveraging  the  repowered  Green  Premium™ 
customers, 
program.  A  growing  proportion  of  customers  value  the  Group’s 
sustainable performance offering and how they clearly benefit from 
it  (e.g.  kWh,  CO2,  water,  costs,  low  toxicity,  superior  safety, 
reparability,  longer  lifespan,  access  to  markets,  etc).  Previous 
features  of  Green  Premium™  until  end  of  2017  were  focused  on 
compliance and transparency. Building on such robust foundations, 
Schneider  repowered  its  program  adding  five  clear  forms  of 
sustainable value addition, to be spelt out for each offer (products, 
solutions,  services),  and  much  more  client-centricity.  More  than 
55% of Company revenues in 2019 were made with offers already 
complying with the new definition of Green Premium™.

Innovation  also  touch  the  24/7  available  MySchneiderApp 
features, providing access to digitized environmental information 
(REACH,  RoHS,  Product  Environment  Profile/PEP,  End-of-Life 
Instructions/EoLI).

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5) 

Implementing  a  circular  economy  in  a  variety  of  ways  for 
Schneider  Electric  customers’  satisfaction.  Schneider 
circularity expresses itself in many ways. The services help prolong 
products’ lifetime, and help customers enjoy energy management 
and automation services using fewer resources, ‘doing more with 
less’, and for a limited capital expenditure. The Group also grows its 
services towards the management of its products’ end-of-life, for 
low and medium-voltage equipment, or UPS (Uninterrupted Power 
Supply) systems, for instance. Circularity is seen as a magnifying 
glass  helping  drive  further  innovation  and  value-addition  for  its 
customers, as well as resource frugality for the benefit of the planet; 
Schneider took part and led many multi-stakeholder consultations 
in Europe, the US, China and France on this matter. The partnership 
with  the  Ellen  MacArthur  Foundation  CE100  initiative  on  circular 
economy helps the Group innovate faster. Schneider was awarded 
in January 2019 in Davos World Economic Forum, it was worldwide 
winner  of  the  “The  Circulars”  competition,  in  the  Multinational 
Category, and Jean-Pascal Tricoire received this world leadership 
distinction.

6)  Constantly strengthening environmental governance. Core to 
an  ambitious  environmental  strategy  is  robust  governance. 
Schneider  Electric  selects  and  grows  its  supplier  base  taking 
environmental  riska  and  performance  into  consideration,  with 
more  than  1,000  independent  assessments,  hundreds  of  field 
visits and audits, and 279 audits with RBA/Responsible Business 
Alliance framework. 

Additionally,  environmental  risks  are  assessed  and  mitigated  in 
the supply chain with ISO 14001 certification. Finally, the Group 
embeds  environmental  considerations  across  key  functions’ 
processes,  such  as  procurement,  capital  expenditures, 
manufacturing, logistics, acquisition, human resources, etc.

3.1.3 Organization
At  Group  level,  the  Environment  SVP  determines  the  Group’s 
environmental strategy, covering subjects from the definition of green 
to 
offers  and 
environmental actions in manufacturing and logistics. He is in charge 
of the Group’s Resources, CO2 and Substances strategy.

the  associated  marketing  and  communication, 

The network of leaders driving environmental transformations consists of:

•  For  the  design  and  development  of  new  offers:  EcoDesign  and 
environmental managers in each business in charge of integrating 
key  environmental  issues  into  the  development  of  offers  and 
product  design,  and  environmental  managers  in  charge  of 
communicating relevant environmental features to customers;

•  For the management of industrial, logistics and large tertiary sites: 
Safety  and  Environment  Vice-Presidents  are  nominated  in  each 
region,  with  dedicated  teams  reporting  to  them.  They  are 
responsible for implementing the Group’s policies across all sites in 
their geographical remit, including plants and distribution centers, 
as well as some services sites, national and regional headquarters, 
commercial  entities  and  R&D  centers.  In  each  region,  managers 
coordinate teams across a group of sites (clusters), as well as for 
each site. These environmental and safety leaders are in charge of 
reporting on performance as well as coordinating progress plans;
•  For logistics: the Logistics SVP and his/her teams within the Global 
Supply Chain Department are in charge of reducing and measuring 
CO2 emissions from freight at Group level;

•  For countries and commercial entities: environment managers and 
safety champions are appointed in each country, responsible for 
local  reporting  actions  where  necessary,  monitoring  regulations, 
taxes  and  national  opportunities  as  applicable  (e.g.  national 
transcriptions  of  the  WEEE  in  relation  to  end-of-life  product 
management,  monitoring  of  RoHS  China,  etc.),  the  proactive 
management  of  local  environmental  initiatives,  and  relations  with 
local stakeholders;

•  For the other functions: environmental managers or correspondents, 
in functions such as: procurement, finance, insurance, marketing, 
industrialization,  security,  mergers  and  acquisitions,  sustainable 
development.

Various governance bodies enable these communities of experts and 
leaders within the environmental function to meet every month or every 
quarter,  depending  on  the  topics  and  entities,  to  ensure  consistent 
adoption of environment policies and standards throughout the Group. 
To  implement  these  policies,  environment  leaders  coordinate  a 
network of more than 600 managers responsible for the environmental 
management of sites, countries, product design and marketing.

This  network  has  access  to  a  wide  range  of  resources  including 
directives,  standards,  policies,  best  practices,  benchmarks, 
implementation  guides,  all  of  which  are  shared  on  the  dedicated 
intranet site and databases.

Leading  experts  in  various  environmental  fields  (EcoDesign,  energy 
efficiency,  circular  economy,  CO2,  etc.)  are  identified  globally.  Each 
year,  a  process  recognizes  those  individuals  who  have  a  specific 
expertise the Company is eager to maintain and grow. Such experts 
are named Edisons, and there are eight specific domains where such 
Edisons were identified, one of them being environment. Each year, an 
Edison  Environment  is  expected  to  dedicate  10%  of  his/her  time  to 
lead a global initiative related to his/her expertise, such as development 
of an e-learning course, a new standard, or an innovation.

To educate all employees on environmental issues, and to give them 
the  necessary  skills,  e-learning  modules  have  been  developed  on 
topics such as the circular economy, CO2 and EcoDesign. Additionally, 
an Environment Intranet site is accessible by all employees to inform 
them about our ongoing programs, best practices, results, goals and 
upcoming deadlines. In 2019, we launched a Company-wide initiative, 
whereby each of our employee can each day of the year share their 
suggestion  to  Green  our  operations.  #ActforGreen  in  our  social 
network is there for that.

On June 5, 2019 on UN World Environment Day, as has been the case 
for each year over the last five years, Schneider Electric organized its 
annual “Global Environment Day” event involving tens of thousands of 
Group employees across hundreds of sites, inviting them to celebrate 
and to share innovations in the areas of CO2 emissions reduction and 
the  circular  economy,  both  internal  to  the  Group  and  external  in 
association  with  local  communities.  The  tagline  of  our  Global 
Environment Day was “A Passion for Green Growth”, which summarizes 
how we see the environment at Schneider.

In  2019,  environmental  performance  has  also  been  reported  and 
discussed in a number of other instances:

•  Quarterly reviews with global supply chain leadership;
•  Quarterly  steering  committees  with  business  units,  discussing 
progress  on  EcoDesign,  the  Green  Premium™  eco-label  and 
product environment stewardship initiatives;

•  Multiple  ad  hoc  sessions  and  presentations  to  the  Group  Audit 
Committee,  board  of  directors,  Executive  Committee,  Human 
Resources Committee and Sustainability Committee.

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3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.2 Climate strategy towards net-zero CO2 emissions

3.2.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Global climate science is clear: public and private spheres must work 
together  to  reduce  global  carbon  emissions  and  halt  the  rise  in 
temperature to below +1.5 °C.

In  line  with  TCFD  recommendations,  Schneider  Electric  launched  a 
prospective  approach  on  climate  change  and  energy  transition  two 
years  ago,  by  setting  up  a  dedicated  organization  in  charge.  The 
scenarios developed by Schneider demonstrate that a net-zero carbon 
future, aligned with IPCC’s 1.5°C scenarios, is possible and the Group 
is uniquely positioned to embark its ecosystem onto an inclusive, low-
carbon transition. The Group sees the energy and climate transition as 
an opportunity for companies which are “part of the solution” to grow 
their  revenues.  Schneider’s  energy  management  and  industrial 
automation  help  customers  deliver  energy  and  resource  efficiency 
and  reduce  CO2  emissions.  Furthermore,  smart  grid  technologies 
unlock the potential to electrify energy usage, powered by renewable 
electricity.

Climate risks identified in the short, medium and long term are related 
to climate mitigation and adaptation: 

•  Volatility  of  energy  and  commodity  prices  and  regulation 
strengthening will generate increasing and volatile operating and 
investment  costs  along  Schneider’s  value  chain,  impacting  both 
Schneider’s  expenditures  and  that  of  its  suppliers.  This  can 
translate into an increase of the cost of goods sold and reduced 
margins.  This  risk  can  be  mitigated  by  securing  low-carbon  and 
resilient  sources  of  supply,  increasing  resource-efficiency,  and 
increasing resale prices along the value chain. In addition, physical 
assets  are  retrofitted  for  resource-efficiency,  as  competition  with 
new built efficient infrastructure will increase. For instance, energy-
efficient  and  digital  buildings  provide  superior  comfort  to  users 
while lowering operating costs, which translates into higher asset 
value. 

•  Schneider also considers the possible financial impacts of future 
CO2 costs on its activity, looking both at operational (scopes 1 and 
2) and supply chain (scope 3) footprints. Given the relatively low 
level  of  the  Group’s  scopes  1  and  2  carbon  emissions,  carbon 
pricing rather has indirect than direct impacts, resulting in increased 
costs  from  the  supply  chain,  especially  in  the  purchasing  of  raw 
materials  and  manufactured  components  containing  metals  and 
plastics. A carbon tax at EUR30 / ton of CO2 is estimated to have an 
impact  on  the  Group  up  to  +EUR230m  globally  (incl.  direct  and 
indirect impacts).

•  Climate  change  mitigation  will  lead  to  regulation  strengthening, 
which can disrupt markets. For instance, SF6-insulated switchgear 
can  have  a  significant  impact  on  climate  change  if  SF6  is  
mishandled at the end of life of the equipment and leaks into the 
atmosphere.  Schneider  strives  to  anticipate  regulation  changes 
and launched a SF6-free air-insulated medium voltage switchgear 
in 2019.

•  Extreme  weather  events,  floods,  droughts,  and  other  climate 
impacts will increasingly put pressure onto supply chains. Shortage 
can translate directly into revenue loss (missed orders), increased 
costs (urgent shipping) and increased working capital requirements 
(stock  management).  Extreme  events  can  also  cause  damage  to 
property  and  assets.  This  risk  can  be  mitigated  by  adopting  a 
flexible  and  resilient  supply  chain,  with  the  ability  to  rebalance 
supply and manufacturing.

3.2.2 Group policy
Schneider Electric has been a leading contributor to the fight against 
climate change for the past 15 years by implementing its own energy 
management and industrial automation services across operations, by 
supporting  its  clients  in  achieving  their  low-carbon  and  efficiency 
objectives and by allowing more than 27 million people to gain access 
to electricity. Schneider also takes an active part in a variety of multi-
stakeholder organizations to promote solutions to climate change, call 
for  a  price  to  CO2  and  strengthen  CO2  governance  globally.  Finally, 
Schneider  contributes  since  2011  to  the  Livelihoods  funds,  which 
proposes  innovative  investment  models  to  simultaneously  address 
environmental  degradation,  climate  change  and  rural  poverty,  while 
helping businesses become more sustainable.

In  its  new  Principles  of  Responsibility,  launched  in  2019,  Schneider 
adopts an unequivocal position regarding impact on climate change 
and CO2 emissions. At COP25, the Group reaffirmed its ambition to be 
a  role  model  in  the  fight  against  climate  change,  by  sharply 
decarbonizing  its  own  operations  and  by  delivering  services  and 
solutions that allow its customers to reduce more CO2 emissions than 
those produced by its activity. Climate ambitions are defined for 2025, 
2030 and 2050:

•  Be carbon neutral in the Group’s operations by offsetting remaining 

emissions no later than 2025;

•  Reach  the  COP21  goal  of  carbon  neutrality  in  its  expanded 
ecosystem  by  2025  –  5  years  early  –  by  delivering  more  CO2 
savings to customers than its carbon footprint;

•  Achieve  net-zero  operational  emissions  and  reduce  scope  3 
emissions by 35% by 2030 (vs 2017) as part of its validated 1.5°C 
Science-Based Target;

•  Engage with suppliers towards a net-zero supply chain by 2050.

These commitments were taken as part of the “Business Ambition for 
1.5°C  –  Our  Only  Future”.  Since  2018,  Schneider  is  one  of  the  15 
companies  (out  of  4,500+  signatories)  to  join  the  Global  Compact 
LEAD initiative “Pathways to Low-Carbon and Resilient Development” 
to proactively share best practices in sustainable climate strategies. 

2025

2030

Being carbon neutral in operations 
by offsetting remaining emissions

Reaching carbon neutrality in 
expanded ecosystem

Achieving net-zero operational 
emissions 
Reducing scope 3 emissions  
by 35% vs 2017
Part of 1.5°C Science-Based Target

2050

Engaging with suppliers towards  
a net-zero supply chain

132

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

In  2019,  Schneider  Electric  continued  to  drive  climate  change 
engagement,  in  Davos,  at  One  Planet  Summit  in  Nairobi,  at  the  UN 
Climate  Action  Summit  in  New  York,  and  at  COP25  in  Madrid.  The 
Group also contributed to the ZEN 2050 study – Imagining and building 
a carbon-neutral France – published in July 2019. The Group was one 
of  the  99  French  companies  signing  the  French  Business  Climate 
Pledge,  collectively  expecting  at  least  EUR73  billion  of  industrial 
investments  and  R&D  in  renewable  energy,  energy  efficiency,  the 
deployment  of  sustainable  farming  practices  and  other  low-carbon 
technologies, from 2020 to 2023. Note that following the publication of 
the Pledge in August 2019, Schneider announced increased climate 
ambitions at Climate Week in New York.

The  Group’s  progress  against  climate-related  targets  is  notably 
reviewed  during  the  Carbon  Committee,  Sustainability  Executive 
Committee  and  HR  &  CSR  Committee  and  specific  programs  are 
tracked quarterly as part of Schneider Sustainability Impact.

3.2.3 Due diligence and results
3.2.3.1 CO2 footprint
Schneider Electric updates its scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint annually, 
and scope 3 emissions annually or every three years (depending on 
the source of emission). Its industrial carbon footprint (i.e. scopes 1, 2 
and 3 upstream, as per the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, excluding use 
and  end-of-life  of  products  sold)  enables  the  Group  to  quantify  and 
reduce CO2 emissions from its supply chain, adopting a cradle to gate 
view.  Scope  3  emissions  represent  around  90%  of  the  Group’s 
industrial carbon footprint, mainly from the purchase of raw materials, 
equipment and services to its suppliers. Emissions produced, saved 
and avoided by Schneider’s products and services during their use 
phase and end-of-life are also quantified (see next section).

The  diagram  below  represents  Schneider’s  2019  industrial  carbon 
footprint on scopes 1, 2 and 3 upstream, including all greenhouse gas 
emissions  from  the  upstream  activity  of  all  its  suppliers  to  the 
downstream logistics activity to distribute its products to customers.

Schneider Electric’s 2019 industrial carbon footprint

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Scope 1

Scope 2 (market based)

Scope 3

Coverage  of  reported  emissions  is  100%  for  energy,  fugitive  SF6 
emissions,  waste,  purchases,  capital  goods,  commuting,  travel  and 
freight  (coverage  is  estimated  using  a  relevant  activity  indicator  for 
each source of emissions, such as spend for purchases and business 
travel, surface for energy and capital goods, headcount for commuting 
and waste, etc.). Schneider reports no GHG emissions on franchises, 
investments,  downstream  leased  assets,  because  these  emissions 
are considered not relevant for our activities.

For  a  broader  vision  of  Schneider's  carbon  footprint,  covering  the 
entire products life cycle, the use phase and end of life of the products 
must also be taken into account. During the use phase, the emissions 
induced and saved by the Group's offers to its customers are measured 
using the methodology described in paragraph “3.2.3.5. CO2 savings 
delivered  at  every  layer  of  EcoStruxure”.  End-of-life  emissions  from 
products  sold  were  estimated  in  2019  at  4.6  million  tonnes  of  CO2e. 
These data are declared each year in the CDP Climate questionnaire, 
which is publicly available.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 133

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.2.3.2 Net-zero CO2 emissions in operations by 2030
To deliver its net-zero scope 1 and 2 2030 target, validated in 2019 by 
the Science-Based Targets initiative, the Group has launched several 
ambitious transformations, such as the phase-out of SF6 in its products 
by 2025, and the switch to 100% renewable electricity, the doubling of 
energy productivity and the shift to 100% electric cars in the Company 
fleet by 2030. The Group leverages its power and building EcoStruxure 
IoT architectures to deliver these ambitions, to monitor and optimize 
energy consumption, manage assets and grid infrastructure, manage 
distributed renewable energy resources and electricity load, monitor 
energy  quality  and  power  electric  vehicles.  The  initiatives  to  deliver 
these targets are described in the eco-efficient manufacturing section 
(pages 137 to 142).

Thanks  to  Schneider  Electric’s  energy  efficiency  and  renewable 
strategies,  the  Group  has  achieved  significant  CO2  emissions 
reduction in absolute terms in 2019 versus 2017 baseline: scope 1 and 
2  operational  emissions  have  reduced  from  698,162  tCO2e  to 
436,376 tCO2e, which is an absolute reduction of 261,786 tCO2e, and 
a -37% decrease. In 2019, Schneider operated 13 carbon neutral sites 
in six countries (as per WBCSD Green Building Council definition).

3.2.3.3 Towards net-zero CO2 emissions in supply chain by 2050
Going  further,  Schneider  Electric  is  committed  to  engaging  suppliers 
towards a net-zero CO2 in supply chain by 2050, in line with 1.5°C climate 
scenarios. Schneider is already taking concrete action to:

•  Reduce  purchasing-related  CO2  emissions  with  EcoDesign™  to 
improve  the  end-to-end  lifecycle  environmental  footprint  of  its 
offers,  notably  by  reducing  and  substituting  materials  and 
components embedded in products. Two flagship initiatives are to 
double the quantity of recycled plastics in products by 2025 and 
source 100% of transport cardboard and pallets from recycled or 
certified sources by 2020;

•  Reduce  CO2  emissions  from  freight  and  logistics  activities,  by 
shifting  from  air  to  sea  freight  and  optimizing  fill  rates  and  travel 
routes. The reduction of CO2 intensity of freight has been part of the 
Schneider Sustainability Impact since 2012;

•  Reduce CO2 emissions from waste management, with its “Waste as 
Worth”  program.  Since  2012,  Schneider  has  increased  its  waste 
recovery  ratio  by  +8%  to  95%,  meaning  that  over  11,000  tons  of 
waste  were  diverted  from  landfill  in  2019  compared  to  our  2012 
performance – more than the weight of the Eiffel Tower. In 2019, 193 
sites achieved the ‘Towards Zero Waste to Landfill’ designation;
•  Reduce  CO2  emissions  from  travel  and  commuting,  with  the 
development  of  digital  solutions  such  as  messaging,  web  audio, 
video  conference  and  remote  collaborative  brainstorming  tools. 
(see Circular economy section);

•  Reduce  CO2  emissions  from  capital  goods,  by  optimizing  real 
estate  space  occupancy.  Indeed,  by  using  existing  building 
surfaces more efficiently, it is possible to deliver more value from 
existing assets and limit the need to build new infrastructure. Saved 
surfaces  translate  directly  into  lower  CO2  emissions,  as  well  as 
spared natural habitats and agricultural land.

By 2050, achieving net-zero CO2 emissions in supply chain will require 
to  work  transversally  with  all  stakeholders,  from  product  design,  to 
sourcing, manufacturing and shipping. Schneider works to embed the 
net-zero CO2 emissions ambition in its business and industrial strategy. 
For  instance,  Schneider  considers  future  CO2  prices  in  network 
modelling  strategy.  The  Group  also  focuses  on  co-innovating  with 
suppliers. In 2018 and 2019, the Group co-developed a state-of-the-
art CO2 tracking digital solution for freight with a world-leading logistics 
company, enabling this supplier to commercialize a new offer on the 
market.

3.2.3.4 Climate-related scenarios embedded in the Group’s 
strategy
Schneider Electric has built a scenario planning function and roadmap 
since 2018. 

This  exercise  led  to  the  creation  of  several  scenarios  to  2040, 
developed  following  an  inductive  methodology  approach.  These 
scenarios  include  critical  reviews  of  the  geopolitical  landscape, 
commodity  and  resources  availability,  economic  and 
financial 
evolutions, climate sensitivity and evolving policies, energy transition 
pathways and technology developments, among others. 

The consequences on the energy transition are quantified, looking at 
ten regions and a number of sectors individually, framing the business 
landscape  in  which  Schneider  operates.  Key  findings  are  regularly 
cross-checked with new publications, particularly the ones from the 
International Energy Agency, among others, on a regular basis.

Governance  is  in  place,  under  the  leadership  of  the  Chief  Strategy 
Officer,  and  this  exercise  is  shared  internally  and  used  to  inform 
strategic priorities across business and operations. 

Across all scenarios, a key takeaway is the dominant role of:

•  Efficiency:  a  critical  enabler  for  decarbonization,  resiliency  and 

security;

•  Electrification: the world is becoming more electric, with 2x growth 

against other sources of energy;

•  Digitization:  with  the  increase  in  connectivity,  complemented  by 
real-time  information  and  competitive  computing  capabilities, 
digital technologies play a major role in reaching decarbonization 
targets while augmenting economic productivity.

Based on these inputs and findings, and by estimating the financial 
impact  such  scenarios  may  have  on  our  business  (as  risks  or  as 
opportunities), we have identified key development areas that allow us 
to  actively  contribute  to  the  low-carbon  transition.  These  scenarios 
hence  heavily  drive  our  business  strategy  in  terms  of  investments 
(R&D, 
to  develop  our 
sustainability portfolio of offers (for instance we target 75% of revenues 
from Green Premium™ products, solutions and services by 2020).

incubation,  efficiency),  and  enable  us 

In 2019, Green Revenues represent around 70% of the Group’s total 
revenues  and  100%  of  Schneider’s  innovation  projects  are  aligned 
with its purpose, more than 90% being either strictly green or neutral, 
all according to the definitions presented page 111.

134

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

3.2.3.5 CO2 savings delivered at every layer of EcoStruxure
With  EcoStruxure,  our  IoT-enabled  architecture,  Schneider  Electric 
helps  companies  become  more  efficient  and  reduce  their  CO2 
emissions. To demonstrate this positive impact, a new indicator was 
launched  in  2018  to  quantify  CO2  savings  delivered  to  customers 
through  the  use  of  Schneider  offers.  From  2018  to  2019,  Schneider 
solutions helped its customers save 89 million tons of CO2e.

3.2.3.6 Internal CO2 price
To  lead  the  global  transition  to  a  low-carbon  economy,  Schneider 
Electric calls for policymakers to define robust and predictable carbon 
pricing for companies, enabling companies to integrate collaterals on 
climate  in  their  strategy.  A  high  and  stable  price  on  carbon  will 
strengthen  incentives  to  invest  in  sustainable  technologies  and  to 
change behaviors.

Schneider has created an innovative CO2 accounting methodology to 
quantify CO2 savings delivered to customers. This methodology allows 
us  to  quantify  CO2  induced  and  saved  by  our  solutions  at  our 
customers’ premises. Detailed calculation rules are defined per offer, 
leveraging  sales  data,  market  expertise  and  technical  knowledge. 
Emission  savings  are  net  emissions  (savings  are  netted  from  use-
phase  caused  emissions)  and  consider  solely  savings  delivered  on 
brownfield (retrofit) projects. 

The methodology is designed to become a shared industry standard, 
its  principles  are  applicable  across  capital  goods  and  consumer 
durables sectors. Attention was given to define rigorous calculations, 
with  conservative  assumptions.  The  methodology  is  public  and  was 
developed  with  an  expert  CO2  accounting  consulting  company, 
Carbone 4. 

Time for Climate Impact Disclosure white paper and  
CO22 Impact Methodology guide
CO2 Impact Methodology guide

At  Schneider,  an  internal  price  on  carbon  is  used  to  embed  CO2 
externally in decision making and strategy. 

First,  an  internal  CO2  price  is  used  to  assess  the  performance  and 
resiliency  of  operations.  The  cost  of  CO2  is  evaluated  for  industrial 
activities,  looking  at  CO2  emissions  from  energy  consumption,  SF6 
leaks  and  road  freight  per  region.  CO2  cost  is  also  embedded  in 
industrial  network  modelling  to  account  for  future  CO2  prices  in 
industrial decisions. For this analysis, a short-term price of €30/tCO2 
and  a  long-term  price  of  €130/tCO2  are  used.  This  enables 
measurement  of  the  potential  impact  of  CO2  pricing  on  the  Group’s 
supply chain and review of progress against the CO2 reduction targets.
Second,  an  implicit  price  to  carbon  has  been  adopted  for  over  ten 
years, through the Group’s three flagship programs to reduce scope 1 
and 2 emissions: energy efficiency, renewable energy and SF6 leaks 
reduction. These programs are evaluated against a conventional price 
of CO2 of €30/tCO2, to assess whether the investment and reduction 
efforts  are  in  line  with  the  cost  of  CO2  externally.  Schneider  views 
internal CO2 pricing as a useful tool to reinforce its governance and 
external commitments on CO2.

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Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 135

 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

SSI#3: 120 million tons of CO2 saved on our 
customers’ end thanks to our EcoStruxure offers

CO2 savings are delivered at every layer of EcoStruxure. For instance,  
Building Management Systems (BMS) monitor, control and optimize buildings’ 
performance throughout its lifecycle. This drives occupancy productivity as well 
as energy savings. In 2018 and 2019, Schneider Electric’s BMS sales enabled 
customers to save 2.7 million tons of CO2e.

More about Schneider’s BMS

Million tons CO2 saved since 2018

89

Our ambition  
is to prove

‘More Schneider is a better climate’:

120m

tons CO2

saved through our EcoStruxureTM offers (2018 to 2020)

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5m

people in the EU

20m

hectares of US forest

Apps, 
analytics  
and services

Leverage IOT data to identify 
additional energy efficiency 
opportunities, increase the lifetime  
of assets, optimize maintenance 
services and boost demand 
flexibility.

Edge control

Manage on-site operations, with 
day-to-day optimization of energy 
consumption through remote access 
and advanced automation.

CO2 savings in the ecosystem

Example: Power purchase 
agreements (PPA)

CO2 savings in the building or 
industrial process

Example: Building Management 
System

Connected 
products

Connected products are Eco-
Designed to improve their efficiency 
and deliver electricity savings.

CO2 savings of the product

Example: Variable Speed Drive 
(VSD)

136

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

 
 
 
 
3.3 Eco-efficient manufacturing

3.3.2 Group policy
Schneider Electric continuously works towards a greener supply chain 
to protect the environment, decouple its activity from the consumption 
of  natural  resources  and  innovate  to  build  a  more  ‘circular’  supply 
chain. These ambitions are embedded in its supply chain transformation 
named “Tailored Sustainable Connected supply chain 4.0” (TSC 4.0), 
as  one  of  the  pillars  called  “Care  for  People  and  Planet”.  Flagship 
programs  include  delivering  energy  efficiency  with  the  EcoStruxure 
solutions, powering its facilities with renewable energy, minimizing its 
landfill  waste  through  the  Towards  Zero  Waste  to  Landfill  (TZWL) 
program, sustainably sourcing its cardboard and pallets for transport, 
and reducing CO2 emissions generated by transportation. The Group 
also partners with its suppliers to extend its environmental ambitions to 
its upstream supply chain.

3.3.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Environmental risks related to manufacturing include soil, water, and 
air contamination. For instance, release of hazardous substances can 
be  harmful  for  fauna,  flora,  and  human  health,  as  well  as  disrupt 
continuity of operations and tarnish reputations. 

“Resource  and  energy  efficiency”,  Schneider  Electric’s  mantra, 
delivers not only financial savings, but also limits the Group’s exposure 
to commodity-price volatility and shortage risks. The risk extends to 
the reliability of the energy a facility relies on to maintain production. 
CO2  emissions  pose  a  threat  environmentally  and  are  subject  to 
additional costs as carbon taxes become implemented. Facilities and 
industrial  assets  themselves  are  also  at  risk  of  acute  and  chronic 
climate events which can disrupt the supply chain and endanger lives.

By  using  lean  and  clean  eco-efficient  operations,  Schneider  can 
outperform competitors and avoid numerous risks. Schneider believes 
environmental  performance  is  a  powerful  tool  to  innovate  towards  a 
more  efficient  and  resilient  supply  chain  and  generate  bottom-line 
savings.  By  using  its  own  EcoStruxure  architecture  to  achieve  this 
ambition, the Group also showcases carbon efficient architectures to 
its customers.

Our 2020 sustainable supply chain ambitions

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Clean and  
safe facilites

Carbon light  
and digital

0 serious and fatal accidents

100% of applicable sites certified 
with ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and  
ISO 45001

80% of electricity comes from 
renewable sources

100% of sites deliver energy savings, 
leveraging EcoStruxure Power and 
EcoStruxure Resource Advisor

Resource efficient  
and circular

95% waste recovery rate

200 sites on the way towards zero 
waste to landfill

100% of regions with circular supply 
chain innovations

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 137

 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

Schneider  Electric  has  issued  two  global  policies  that  drive  eco-
efficiency performance, the Environment Policy and the Energy Policy. 
Regarding eco-efficient manufacturing, it is the Group’s goal to:

•  Protect the environment, prevent pollution and limit emissions;
•  Continuously improve the environmental management system and 

meet our compliance obligations;

Invent circular business models and supply chain loops;

•  Decouple the supply chain from natural resource consumption;
• 
•  Extend environmental ambitions to suppliers and partners; and
•  Spread a culture of environmental excellence in the Company. 

Regarding energy management, it is the Group’s goal to:

•  Reduce 

the  energy 

intensity  of 

its  operations,  sustainably 

decoupling energy consumption from activity growth;

•  Reduce the CO2 intensity of energy consumption, and CO2 footprint 
in  absolute  terms,  in  line  with  the  Group’s  commitments  against 
climate change;

•  Adopt  Schneider  Electric’s  own  Energy  Management  and 
Automation EcoStruxure solutions wherever possible, to showcase 
its solutions for customers and business partners, and help embark 
them onto an energy excellence journey.

Climate and Energy

-250,000 

tCO2 reduced in 2019 
(scope 1 and 2) since 
2017

50% 

30% 

13 

renewable electricity 
in 2019

energy efficiency since 
2010

carbon neutral sites in 
2019

Net-zero CO2 on 
operational scope by 2030

80% target in 2020

Rolling target of  
-3.3% each year

All sites in 2025

Waste and Water

95% 

waste recovery

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Towards Zero Waste to Landfill sites

95% target in 2020

200 sites in 2020

-13% 

water intensity since 
2017

-5% target in 2020  
vs 2017

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•  Risks  and  mitigation  actions  are  presented  to  the  board’s  Audit 

Committee;

•  Schneider  Electric’s  Company-wide  risk  repository  reflects  its 
biggest  environmental  risks  (on  suppliers,  products,  sites  and 
customer projects);

•  As  part  of  mergers,  acquisitions  and  disposals, 

thorough 
environmental due diligence of sites is conducted where chemicals 
are  or  have  been  used.  Any  environmental  risks  or  liabilities 
identified are addressed through proper risk management activities.

Historical environmental liabilities are managed on a regional level to 
ensure local expertise, regulatory knowledge and cultural awareness 
is  applied.  Using  external  consultants,  known  environmental  issues 
are  thoroughly  investigated,  and  if  appropriate,  remediated  or 
otherwise  managed  through  engineered  or  institutional  controls  to 
reduce potential risks to non-significant levels and in compliance with 
local regulations.

3.3.3 Due diligence and results
3.3.3.1 Environmental risk management and prevention
The  Group  takes  a  proactive  approach  to  managing  environmental 
liabilities  and 
regulatory  compliance, 
environmental management systems and continuous improvement are 
the  foundation  of  the  Group’s  environmental  risk  management  and 
prevention program for current, former and prospective operations.

risks.  Environmental 

On this topic, a number of initiatives are in place, and major ones which 
were again executed in 2019 can be thrown light on:

•  The  Integrated  Management  System  (IMS)  covers  the  Group’s 
supply chain sites (plants, distribution centers, large offices) and 
hosts  ISO  14001,  ISO  50001,  ISO  9001,  and  OSHAS  18000/ISO 
45001  compliance  management  systems.  Each  site  is  audited 
periodically, either externally by Bureau Veritas (every three years), 
or  internally.  Such  a  program  is  a  key  pillar  towards  robust 
environmental governance;

•  The  phase  2  of  our  CLEARR  program  (Company-wide  Look  at 
Environmental  Assessment  and  Risk  Review)  was  successfully 
rolled-out, with investigations on top sites with historical and current 
potential environmental risks;

•  Periodical  environmental  risk  and  provisions  reviews  are  done 

locally with Finance and Legal function;

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In  addition,  Schneider  Electric  uses  third-party  services  to  assess 
each  of  its  key  site’s  risk  profile,  in  relation  to  a  certain  number  of 
external  risks  such  as  fire,  earthquake,  flooding  and  other  natural 
disaster  events.  Through  this  process  and  our  Business  Continuity 
Planning  efforts,  Schneider  endeavors  to  gauge  related  risks  and 
anticipate possible steps which would be required. With around 200 
plants globally, the footprint is balanced geographically. The nature of 
the  Group’s  manufacturing  processes  (mainly  assembly)  allows 
rebalancing  of  manufacturing  lines  in  a  fairly  prompt  manner,  
if needed.

During 2019, no new material environmental impacts were identified. 
Furthermore, no Schneider sites are Seveso classified.

3.3.3.2 ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certification
ISO  14001  certification  allows  us  to  define  and  sustain  robust 
environment governance at sites, fostering continuous improvement to 
deliver  environmental  performance.  As  soon  as  the  ISO  14001 
environmental  management  standard  was  published 
in  1996, 
Schneider Electric decided to certify its sites. The Group certifies all 
industrial  and  logistics  sites  comprised  of  more  than  50  employees 
within two years of their acquisition or creation, and all large tertiary 
sites of more than 500 employees. 241 sites are certified ISO 14001 as 
of  the  end  of  2019,  representing  approximately  71%  of  the  Group 
scope based on the share of site surfaces, 80% of the Group scope in 
terms  of  energy  consumption  and  over  90%  of  the  Group  scope  in 
terms of water consumption, waste generation and VOC emissions.

The Group’s environmental reporting scope and targets are based on 
all  ISO  14001  sites.  Environment  reporting  metrics  are  shown  in  the 
table  on  pages  201-204  and  include  energy  consumption,  scope  1 
and  2  CO2  emissions,  waste  generation,  water  consumption,  VOC 
emissions and headcount included at ISO 14001 sites. 

Schneider  also  leverages  ISO  50001  certification  to  drive  energy 
excellence,  focusing  on  the  highest  energy-consuming  sites.  ISO 
50001 certification is complementary to ISO 14001 certification and 
enables us to define and sustain robust energy governance. With the 
support of this certification, the sites are equipped to understand and 
reduce  their  energy  footprint.  The  Group  ambitions  to  ISO  50001 
certify all sites consuming over 5GWh per year. End 2019, 153 sites 
were certified ISO 50001.

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3.3.3.3 Energy Action program: delivering efficiency from  
the inside out
Schneider Electric leverages the power of its EcoStruxure™ architecture 
to  deliver  energy  savings  and  uses  its  own  sites  as  showcases  for 
customers and business partners. 

In smart factories and distribution centres, the Group implements the 
three-layer  power  and  building  EcoStruxure™  architecture,  with 
connected  meters  and  sensors  to  monitor  energy  consumption  and 
quality,  edge  control  power  monitoring  software  to  optimize  daily 
operations  and  analytics  and  services  to  benchmark  performance 
and  optimize  energy  and  maintenance.  Asset  Performance 
Management also enables us to optimize operations and maintenance, 
for maximum uptime and longevity. Four of Schneider’s smart factories 
have  been  designated  as  “lighthouses  of  the  fourth  industrial 
revolution” by the World Economic Forum, in China, France, Indonesia 
and Mexico. The Group targets to have over 100 smart factories and 
DCs by 2020.

Digital management of energy in SSIC factory, China, using Power 
Monitoring Expert™ 

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In offices, Schneider’s EcoStruxure solutions Building and Workplace 
Advisor enable analytics of BMS data alongside space, utilization, and 
comfort  metrics.  These  smart  solutions  enable  the  Group  and  site 
leaders  to  actively  benchmark  and  develop  occupancy  and  facility 
management strategies to ensure we are continually right sizing our 
footprint  and  site  occupation  to  keep  energy  consumption  and 
resultant emissions to a minimum, while reducing cost and improving 
employee experience and comfort.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.3.3.4 100% renewable electricity by 2030
In  2017,  Schneider  Electric  joined  RE100  and  committed  to  source 
100%  of  electricity  from  renewables  by  2030,  with  an  intermediary 
target of 80% by 2020. In 2019, the Group sourced 50% of electricity 
from  renewable  sources,  up  from  2%  in  2017  and  30%  in  2018.  To 
deliver  its  target,  the  Group  leverages  four  complementary  tools: 
green tariffs, renewable certificates, power purchase agreements and 
on-site generation.

Many  benefits  are  seen  from  this  commitment.  First  and  foremost, 
going green is deeply aligned with the strategy. Schneider wants to be 
part of corporate actors who shape the future energy landscape, its 
own  sites  producing  and  consuming  renewable  electricity.  Second, 
renewable  sourcing  is  an  important  pillar  to  drastically  cut  CO2 
emissions from the Group’s operations, following a 1.5°C trajectory in 
line  with  Science-Based  Targets.  Third,  because  it  makes  good 
business sense. Renewable supply enables in many cases the delivery 
of  savings  on  electricity  costs.  It  is  also  a  way  to  diversify  energy 
supply  risks  and  reduce  exposure  to  the  volatility  of  market  prices. 
Also, in some developing countries, microgrid technologies coupled 
with  renewables  can  enable  the  securing  of  power  supply  and 
reducing  downtime  risks.  Four,  because  the  Group  wants  to 
demonstrate the value added of its own technologies and solutions, by 
showcasing  EcoStruxure  Microgrid  IoT  architecture  in  its  own  sites. 
inverters,  MCCBs  and 
Sites 
transformers  to  connect  onsite  solar  panels  to  the  grid  and  use  the 
energy  and  microgrid  software  to  manage  energy  production  and 
consumption.  Schneider  also  leverages  the  expertise  of  Energy 
Sustainability Services consulting teams to deliver this transformation.

leverage  Schneider’s  connected 

SSI#1: 80% renewable electricity

In  just  two  years,  the  renewable  commitment  has  deeply 
transformed our electricity sourcing strategy. For instance, in 
Mexico, a renewable Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was 
signed, delivering over 20 GWh of green electricity to seven 
facilities.

% renewable electricity in 2019

50%

Spotlight: Andover R&D Center in Andover, Massachusetts 
The building has around 830 residents and is certified by LEED design 
(Leadership  in  Energy  and  Environmental  Design  standard)  and  by 
ISO 50001. This site is complementary to Schneider Electric’s office 
hub  opened  in  downtown  Boston  in  2019,  with  a  wide  variety  of 
collaborative  spaces  that  increase  interactivity  and  productivity,  for 
higher  engagement  between  employees  and  customers.  It  has  over 
USD11  million  worth  of  Schneider  products  installed,  notably  with 
cutting edge solutions for energy management, such as EcoStruxure 
Resource Advisor, EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor, EcoStruxure Power 
Monitoring Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation.

Global,  regional  and  site  energy  reporting  is  delivered  with  the 
Resource Advisor software suite. Resource Advisor provides a data 
visualization and analysis application that aggregates volumes of raw 
energy data into actionable information. As a cloud-based software as 
a service (SaaS) model, it provides reduced solution costs, increased 
data  storage  capacity,  and  a  flexible  and  mobile  energy  solution 
enhanced by Schneider expert services.

The Group demonstrates its energy efficiency commitment by being a 
member of EP100 (Energy Productivity 100), a Group climate initiative. 
The target is to double energy productivity by 2030 against the 2005 
baseline,  meaning  double  the  economic  output  from  every  unit  of 
energy  consumed  within  25  years.  In  2019,  the  Group  has  already 
achieved a 54% reduction against the 2005 baseline.

In  general,  Schneider  Electric  sites  are  low  consumers  of  energy 
compared  with  other  industries,  because  industrial  processes  are 
discrete and assembled. Schneider Energy Action program uses site 
energy  experts  along  with  Schneider’s  Energy  and  Sustainability 
Services  (ESS)  team  to  report  and  analyze  energy  consumption,  to 
identify  energy  savings  opportunities  and  to  deploy  actions.  Since 
2005,  Schneider  has  fixed  annual  objectives  for  energy  efficiency 
each year, as part of the Schneider Energy Action program. The Group 
has met or exceeded its energy efficiency goals during the past three 
Company  programs  (2009-2011,  2012-2014  and  2015-2017),  by 
achieving  10%,  13%  and  10%,  respectively,  totalling  over  30% 
reduction over the past nine years.

The  2018-2020  Company  program  ambitions  to  reduce  energy 
consumption by a further 10% over three years compared to 2017. At 
the  end  of  2019,  this  program  will  have  enabled  the  following 
achievements: 

•  8.7% reduction in energy consumption compared to 2017 (climate 
and  level  of  production  standardized)  for  the  230  sites  with  the 
highest consumption, covering 82% of the total energy consumption 
published by the Group;

•  About  EUR8.5  million  and  110  million  kWh  were  saved  in  2019 
compared to 2017 baseline, thanks to the 8.7% energy savings;
•  About  EUR12  million  was  invested,  of  which  EUR11.5  million  in 

capital costs and EUR0.5 million in operating costs.

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2

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The SF6 leakage rate is still decreasing: from 4% in 2008, the global 
rate  was  0.24%  by  end  2019.  This  SF6  leakage  reduction  enabled 
savings of 2,188 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2019 vs. 2017. A worldwide 
community  of  SF6  experts  is  sharing  best  practices  for  processes, 
including procedures, equipment and training. Thanks to this global 
activity and to the commissioning of efficient equipment, Schneider is 
in line with the 0.25% target set for 2020.

By  2025,  Schneider  ambitions  to  phase  out  SF6  from  its  products 
entirely. In 2019, the Group launched a breakthrough innovation, with 
new SF6-free medium voltage switchgears.

3.3.3.7 CO2 efficiency in transportation
Schneider  Electric  utilizes  a  robust  transport  network  to  connect  its 
factories,  distribution  centers  and  to  deliver  to  its  customers.  The 
related CO2 emissions are part of the scope 3 emissions of the Group’s 
carbon footprint (downstream freight, following GHG protocol) as this 
activity is performed by transport suppliers. From 2015 to 2017, CO2 
emissions intensity from transportation was reduced by 10%.

The  2018-2020  Company  program  ambitions  to  further  reduce  CO2 
intensity in transportation by 10% in 2020 compared to 2017. By the 
end of 2019 performance compared to 2017 is a decrease of transport 
CO2 emission of 4.1%, in line with the target of 10% reduction by end of 
2020. Regarding Air, Ocean and Express (AOE) freight in 2019, CO2 
emissions  from  air  and  sea  transport  decreased  by  22%  versus  the 
2017  baseline.  Schneider  is  reaping  the  benefit  of  a  better  ocean 
container  loading  factor  67.4%  vs  63.4%  in  2017.  More  significantly, 
reductions in Air Freight and Express versus 2017 in the same period 
have  made  a  significant  contribution  to  CO2  reductions.  Regarding 
domestic  road  freight  in  2019,  CO2  emissions  from  road  and  air 
domestic modes increased by 12.4%.

To continually improve CO2 emissions performance and the quality of 
the reporting, Schneider has co-innovated with a third-party provider 
to standardize CO2 emissions reporting, with a worldwide coverage of 
all  transport  modes.  This  requires  transport  providers  to  supply 
accurate  reporting  each  month  on  the  freight  carried  for  Schneider. 
This new platform has been implemented in Q4 2019 and will be used 
for 2020 reporting onwards. The methodology is certified by Bureau 
Veritas.

The  collaborative  work  to  reduce  CO2  emissions  with  the  Group’s 
forwarders  will  continue,  mainly  by  optimization  of  the  transport 
footprint and piloting advanced low carbon transportation technologies 
such as electric and hybrid vehicles. 

Solar on-site power station in Schneider Electric SBMLV factory in 
China, commissioned in 2019.

3.3.3.5 Towards 100% electric vehicles in the car fleet
Part  of  Schneider  Electric’s  climate  strategy,  we 
investigate 
opportunities to improve accessibility of sites, with commuting shuttles, 
secure  bicycle  storage,  personal  lockers  and  changing  areas,  and 
pedestrian friendly access paths connecting to local routes. Schneider 
also promotes flexible working to avoid thousands of unnecessary or 
avoidable trips generating travel-led emissions by enabling employees 
to connect remotely, to work from home and at/from customer sites.

End of 2019, Schneider accelerated its efforts to cut CO2 emissions 
from transport with the commitment to switch to 100% electric cars by 
2030. The Group demonstrates this commitment by being a member 
of  EV100,  a  global  initiative  bringing  together  forward-looking 
companies committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles 
(EVs) and making electric transport the new normal by 2030. 

3.3.3.6 Reduction of SF6 emissions
All  Schneider  Electric  manufacturing  plants  and  R&D  laboratories 
handling  SF6  gas  in  their  processes  are  managing  the  reduction  of 
SF6 emissions during the different phases of their activities. Notably, 
the seal testing processes of the products are mainly done with helium 
instead  of  SF6.  This  method  ensures  that  no  emissions  are  coming 
from non-compliant enclosures during the production time.

SF6 leaks reduction trend

1.76%

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.94%

0.75%

0.56%

0.47%

0.38%

0.34%

0.29%

0.26%

0.24%

0.0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

Some  evidence  of  Schneider  initiatives  to  mitigate  the  impact  of 
transport CO2 emissions are:

•  Brazil,  partnership  with  DHL  using  electric  vehicles  to  deliver 

customers to 100 km around Cajamar distribution center;
•  Rail trucks from France to Shanghai to replace air travel;
•  Singapore,  new  electric  service  vehicles  reinforcing  the  battle 

against climate warming.

Electric vehicles for local deliveries in Singapore

SSI#2: 10% CO2 efficiency in 
transportation

As part of its efforts to reduce the CO2 intensity of transportation, 
Schneider  Electric  is  piloting  low  carbon  transportation 
technologies  such  as  electric  and  hybrid  vehicles.  For 
instance, the Group uses electric vehicles and bicycles for last 
mile deliveries in Brazil.

% CO2 efficiency in 2019 vs 2017

4.1%

3.3.3.8 Water consumption
Due  to  the  nature  of  most  of  its  industrial  processes  (manual  and 
automatic  assembly),  water  consumption  is  not  generally  a  critical 
resource for Schneider Electric, and the Group has a minimal impact 
on water quality. The topic was considered not very material by both 
internal and external stakeholders during a recent materiality analysis. 
In  2019,  water  management  and  performance  information  was 
disclosed in the CDP Water program, and Schneider was awarded a 
rating of A-. 

Schneider’s  ambition  is  to  reduce  water  intensity  (in  m3  of  water 
consumption per € of turnover) of 5% in 2020 versus 2017, with a focus 
on  sites  with  high  water  consumption  and  within  severely  stressed 
water areas. In 2019, water consumption intensity was 22.2 m3/head 
and 94 m3/m€ of revenue, an evolution of -13% against 2017 baseline.

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The Group provides a detailed breakdown of water consumption per 
source,  with  details  on  water  consumed  from  the  public  network, 
groundwater, surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.) and other sources of 
water (rain, recycled water, etc.). At the Group level, water is primarily 
used for cooling and sanitary purposes and, in a few select sites, for 
processes  such  as  surface  treatment.  Water  drawn  for  the  sole 
purpose of cooling and immediately released without alteration is also 
monitored  in  a  separate  reporting.  For  industrial  water  use,  water 
discharge  is  subject  to  appropriate  treatments  to  reduce  pollutant 
potential and subject to a monitoring plan.

3.3.3.9 Conditions of use and release into the soil
Schneider Electric sites are mainly located in urban or industrial areas. 
None of the Group’s businesses involve extraction or land farming. In 
2019, Schneider manufacturing sites conducted their annual review of 
pollution risks as part of ISO 14001 monitoring. At our sites, no spills or 
discharges were reported in 2019 with known harmful impacts on soil 
pollution.

Hazardous materials are stored, handled and used in compliance with 
regulations and with appropriate pollution protection mechanisms. As 
part of the Towards Zero Waste to Landfill program, additional focus 
was made on hazardous waste, with efforts to eliminate, substitute or 
improve treatment (see circular economy chapter, pages 143 to 146).

3.3.3.10 Discharge into the water and air
Because Schneider Electric is mainly an assembler, its discharge into 
the  air  and  water  is  very  limited.  Schneider  manufacturing  sites  are 
carefully monitored, as part of ISO 14001 certification. Discharges are 
tracked locally as required by current legislation. At our sites, no spills 
or discharges were reported in 2019 with known harmful impacts on 
water or air pollution. 

Emissions of NOx and SOx and particles into the air are monitored at 
the  site  level  in  accordance  with  applicable  legal  requirements; 
monitoring of these emissions is verified via ISO 14001 audits. These 
emissions are not consolidated at Group level.

Schneider is committed to preventing adverse health and environmental 
impacts  from  VOC  emissions,  and  for  this  works  to  reduce  VOC 
emissions from industrial activities. VOC emissions are primarily linked 
to  production.  Schneider  is  committed  to  reducing  VOC  emission 
intensity by 10% every three years. VOC emissions decreased from 
6.1  kg/person  in  2017  to  5.7  kg/person  in  2019  (-6.5%).  The  Group 
engages  with  each  of  its  industrial  sites  that  contribute  the  most  to 
VOC emissions, and that together concentrate over 80% of the Group’s 
VOC emissions, in a Pareto law approach. For these sites, environment, 
health  &  safety  and  industrialization  teams  join  hands,  and  actively 
collaborate  to  ensure  conditions  of  use  are  strictly  adhered  to,  and 
health and environmental risks are known and getting mitigated. Such 
top  VOC-emitting  sites  also  investigate  opportunities  to  reduce  and 
phase-out concerned chemicals from industrial processes wherever 
possible. 

Finally, CFC and HCFC emissions are monitored locally, in accordance 
with  applicable  regulations.  These  emissions  are  mainly  due  to  the 
operation of air conditioning systems and are not directly linked to our 
industrial activities. These emissions are not consolidated at Group level.

3.3.3.11 Noise, odors and light
All Schneider Electric sites comply with local regulations on noise and 
odor. Given the nature of its activities and distribution model, Schneider 
does not have any light pollution externality.

3.4 Circular economy

3.4.1 Description of risks and opportunities
The  risks  that  Schneider  Electric  sees  are  around  the  perception  of 
‘one size fits all’ for circularity, the temptation to see it through a waste/ 
recycling  lens  and  the  focus  on  developing  the  related  guidelines/
governance and standards based on this perception.

in 

•  Product  durability  versus  shorter-term  waste 

their 

loops:  all 
resources  are  not  equal 
thermal,  mechanical  or 
electromagnetic  profiles.  For  the  industrial  sector,  the  biggest 
impact  of  the  circular  economy  will  come  from  the  promotion  of 
reparability, upgradability, “retrofitability”, extension of lifespan and 
of  related  “product  second  and  third-life  services”.  Schneider 
Electric’s products are highly technical in nature with a long lifespan 
and are highly unlikely to end up as ocean plastic waste, yet a risk 
that the emerging regulations may be too “resource/waste centric” 
is  seen.  To  meet  quality  and  safety  expectations,  and  adhere  to 
stringent  electric  and  electronic  equipment  standards,  recycled 
materials  are  sometimes  not  available  in  either  quantity  and/or 
quality. The Group actively advocates sector-specific approaches 
to the circular economy;

•  Ensuring the safety of people and assets through qualified and 
certified services: while promoting services to extend the product 
life, Schneider Electric grows the ranks of certified experts on its 
products  (through  thousands  of  Field  Services  Representatives). 
Leveraging the circular economy, there is a fantastic opportunity to 
enable  more  repair,  retrofit,  and  recycling  services,  provided 
concerned  product  categories  are  adequately  maintained  and 
serviced by qualified and certified experts.

Opportunities  to  leverage  the  circular  economies  are  seen,  both 
externally  with  customers  and  internally  in  operations.  Schneider 
Electric’s value propositions have long delivered resource efficiency, 
allowing customers to “Do more with less”.

Schneider  Electric’s  deeply  ingrained  belief  in  the  circular  economy 
helps create a win-win-win-win ecosystem: good for the planet, good 
for  customers  (lower  TCO,  lifespan  of  assets,  etc.),  good  for  the 
Company  as  a  business  (customer  intimacy,  stickiness,  etc.),  and 
good  for  its  people  (meaningful  jobs,  pride  to  take  part  in  saving 
resources and energy, etc.).

3.4.2 Group policy
For  Schneider  Electric,  circular  economy  is  an  all-encompassing 
strategic  transformation,  rather  than  an  isolated  initiative  (such  as 
incorporating  recycled  materials  in  some  products).  It  is  core  to  the 
lasting  success  and  touches  everything  Schneider  Electric  does, 
detailed under three main channels:

•  Circular  business  models  and  value  propositions 

for 
customers: through circular capabilities such as local models of 
reuse,  retrofit,  repair,  refurbish,  take-back  and  by  unleashing  the 
potential  of  IoT,  connecting  and  digitizing  products,  (predictive 
maintenance,  performance  optimization,  leasing,  pay-per-use, 
performance contracting); 

•  Circular  resources  and  product  development:  starting  at  the 
product design phase to minimize resource usage and maximize 
reuse, recycled resources and recyclability;

•  Circular  supply  chain:  zero-waste  and  circular  excellence  in 
operations and sites with strict targets on waste reduction, reuse 
and recovery.

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Schneider Electric has been part of task forces on circular economy 
playing leadership roles in multi-stakeholder dialogues. For example, 
the  Group  is  active  in  France’s  Circular  Economy  Roadmap  and 
engaged  in  China  with  MIIT  on  circular  strategy,  leading  AFEP, 
Gimélec,  FIEEC,  IGNES,  ORGALIM  discussions  for  our  sector  on 
circular  economy,  publishing  articles  and  speaking  at  conferences 
(EPC,  Gartner,  WEF,  SCM  World,  peer-to-peer,  EthicalCorp, 
WindEurope among others).

3.4.3 Due diligence and results
3.4.3.1 Circular business models and value propositions
Most  of  Schneider  Electric’s  new  products  are  digital,  connectable, 
ensure full product lifecycle management and predictive maintenance, 
and  guarantee  optimum  performance,  enabling  us  to  move  towards 
customer-intimate models like subscription, performance contracting 
and leasing.

The first focus, before considering end-of-life, is to prolong the lifespan 
of products. These solutions, using up to 60% less materials, enable 
pull-through  and  constant  payback:  increased  customer  stickiness 
and long-term relationships.

SSI#8: 120,000 metric tons  
of avoided primary resources 
consumption through ECOFITTM, 
recycling and take-back programs 

The SSI KPI “120,000 metric tons of avoided primary 
resource consumption through ECOFITTM , recycling and take 
back programs” highlights some of the Group’s key circular 
offers to customers. To further promote these circular offers, 
the initial target of 100,000 was increased by 20%. The 
batteries recycling activity (lead as well as other components) 
accounts for a big part of the effort due to high specific 
weight of this product, the relative ease to transport them and 
the value of the material inside. Many efforts have also been 
made in other areas for products like transformers, UPS and 
switchgear.

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Metric tons avoided since 2018

97,439

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3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

•  Creation of a Circular Materials Playbook – an internal repository of 
best practices, live examples and inspirations for recycled materials 
used in products (plastics focus) and packaging;
In 
its  supply  chain  (84,000  employees),  circular  resource 
management  is  an  integral  part  of  our  Schneider  Performance 
System  maturity  assessment,  from  reuse  maximization  to  zero 
landfilling.

• 

External participation, co-development and knowledge sharing:

The Group has taken important strides in partnering and co-developing 
circular economy pilots with customers and suppliers, as below:

•  Winning the Philips Supplier Innovation event with a value proposal 
of  greater  efficiency  through  new  generation  technology  and 
sustainable business models – collaboration ongoing;

•  Partnering  with  BASF  to  develop  a  new  product  prototype  using 
recycled plastics: https://www.se.com/ww/en/about-us/press/news/
corporate-2019/new-product-prototype-recycled-plastics.jsp.

Schneider Electric continues to be part of the Circular Economy 100 
(CE100) program of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and is involved in 
various  co-projects  to  develop  partnerships  and  solutions  for  the 
challenges  faced  in  further  implementing  the  circular  economy  in 
business operations.

Some white papers for circular economy to which Schneider Electric 
contributed:

•  Enabling a Circular Economy for chemicals with a mass balance 

approach; 

•  Remanufacturing: Designing new products for many lives; 
•  Making manufacturing sustainable by design.

Awards and recognitions:
During  the  World  Economic  Forum  in  Davos,  on  January  21  2019, 
Schneider Electric was awarded the premier circular economy award, 
The  Circulars,  in  the  Multinational  Category.  The  award  recognizes 
Schneider  Electric’s  efforts  to  place  circularity  at  the  heart  of  its 
strategy  and  innovation,  as  well  as  its  ambitious  objectives.  The 
Group’s circular economy approach was highlighted in various circles 
as a result of this, some of those assets as below:

•  Schneider Electric’s overall circular economy approach; 
•  Jean-Pascal Tricoire responding to the questions on the impact of 

circular economy and next steps to share a circular future; 

•  The  Group’s  summary  in  The  Circulars  2019  yearbook  (pages  

20-24);

The underlying bulwarks of such value propositions to customers are:

•  Focus  on  traceability  –  Assets  under  Management  >  2.6  million 

YTD September 2019, growing at 45%/year;

•  Worldwide network of specialized centers providing local circular 

solutions and services.

3.4.3.2 Circular resources and product development
Mandatory  criteria  for  circularity  have  been  embedded  in  our 
EcoDesign Way principle and all new offers are designed with these 
criteria  in  mind.  The  Group  also  considers  itself  best-in-class  in 
providing product circularity information digitally via the MySE App and 
on the Website (end of life instructions available for >100 000 products).

Schneider Electric is also one of the few companies in the industrial 
sector  to  be  part  of  the  New  Plastics  Economy  Global  Commitment 
coordinated  by  the  Ellen  MacArthur  Foundation  as  well  as  recycled 
plastics commitment in the French Circular Economy Roadmap. The 
Group has committed to double the quantity of recycled plastics in its 
products by 2025.

In 2019, the Group was at 22% of the 2025 target. Various actions are 
underway such as creating an internal repository of circular materials 
examples  and 
important  proof-of-concepts  with  suppliers  and 
partners.

3.4.3.3 Circular supply chain
The Group has an obsession for zero-waste in its operations and since 
2014,  the  landfill  waste  volume  has  been  halved.  The  supply  chain 
supports the other channels as well as focusing on efficient production, 
distribution and packaging in operations.

Schneider Electric also strives to purchase circular resources for its 
supply chain. As of end 2019, 96% of its transport packing (cardboards 
and pallets) is from recycled or certified sources and the Group aims 
to reach 100% by end 2020. 

SSI#7: 100% cardboard and pallets for 
transport packing from recycled or 
certified sources

Clear communication with regional suppliers and real-time 
adaptation of part numbers in internal Schneider Electric 
systems are some underlying critical actions to achieve this 
result. Studies are also being launched to increase lifecycle 
of pallets hence reducing the need to purchase additional 
ones.

% from recycled or certified sources in 2019

96%

With these three complementary channels, the Group is able to have 
an ecosystem focus by aligning with its customers’ expectations all the 
way to embarking its suppliers.

Employee engagement and a circularity mindset:

•  Schneider Electric was among the first companies to co-develop a 
circular economy e-learning with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 
Since  2016,  more  than  4,000  employees  have  attended  this 
training;

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•  Being the winner of The Circulars award in 2019, Schneider Electric 
was invited as a panelist at WEF, Davos 2020 for the launch of the 
Circular Economy Handbook. Schneider Electric has also provided 
a case study and endorsement for this book. 

Schneider  Electric  continued  to  be  recognized  for  its  vision  and 
approach towards the circular economy with the Group coming in at 
#9  of  Fortune  magazine’s  2019  change-the-world  list  of  companies, 
with a mention of the Group designing its equipment to last longer and 
be easily recyclable, to fit into a low-waste circular economy. This is the 
first time the Group has featured in the top 10 of this list. 

In order to deliver Schneider Electric’s commitments, a waste pyramid 
has been defined as part of our Waste as Worth program. Priority is put 
on  reducing  waste  volume,  through  better  product  and  industrial 
process design. Waste is then reused in our own industrial processes 
when  possible  or  recycled  through  third  parties.  Finally,  waste  is  
recovered through energy conversion. The Waste as Worth program 
aims at drastically reducing waste left over from this virtuous circle and 
sent to landfill or burnt without energy recovery.

Waste Pyramid

3.4.3.4 Waste as Worth – “Towards Zero Waste to Landfill” sites
Because  waste  is  a  major  source  of  pollution  but  also  a  potential 
source of raw materials, waste management is a priority of the circular 
economy  strategy.  At  Schneider  Electric,  waste  is  considered  as  a 
resource. The Waste as Worth program includes:

WASTE 
GENERATION 
BASELINE

1

REDUCE
EcoDesign, 

industrialization

•  The  goal  of  achieving  200  industrial  sites  sending  Towards  Zero 
Waste  to  Landfill(1)  by  2020.  Progress  on  this  target  is  published 
quarterly in the Schneider Sustainability Impact and the Group is 
proud to mention that 193 sites received this label by end 2019;
•  The  implementation  of  specific  actions  to  reduce  and  reuse 
materials, focusing notably on thermoplastic, metal and transport 
packaging;

•  The maximization of value recovery from metal waste, focusing on 

sites generating the largest volumes.

2

REUSE
Materials  

innovation,  

EcoDesign and 

industrialization 

3

RECYCLE, 
MONETIZE
Waste segregation, 

recycling and 

monetization 

processes

4

ENERGY 
CONVERSION

Towards 
zero 
waste to 
landfill

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SSI#6: 200 sites labelled Towards Zero 
Waste to Landfill

All Schneider Electric’s industrial regions are piloting circular 
innovations to reduce waste generation volumes. In 2019, 
several sites implemented reusable boxes and pallets, that 
avoided consumption of tons of wood fibre, while generating 
significant cost savings. The Group is also carrying out an 
innovation project with a major packaging supplier to cut 
packaging waste, with workshops organized in selected 
plants. Examples of actions include switching from unit 
packaging to bulk packaging and removing packaging 
layers.

Sites towards zero waste to landfill in 2019

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Schneider Electric generates around 155,000 tons of waste annually, 
most of it being solid waste. Continuous improvement plans have been 
deployed to manage this waste, in line with the ISO 14001 certification. 
In 2019, the Group recovered 95% of total waste reported (recovery 
ratio includes material and energy recovery). This recovery ratio has 
increased from 81% to 95% since 2009, thanks to site by site waste 
management action plans.

The Group also focuses on generating value from waste, with a focus 
on  improving  waste  segregation.  This  enables  the  Group  to  ensure 
that waste recycling potential is maximized, both in terms of quantity 
and quality of recycled material. In 2019, the Group notably recovered 
over 99.97% of reported metal waste.

Finally,  Schneider  Electric  is  committed  to  ensuring  the  potential 
adverse impacts of hazardous waste on environment and health are 
mitigated.  Two  main  levers  are  investigated  as  part  of  the  Waste  as 
Worth  program:  first,  all  sites  generating  hazardous  waste  ensure 
visibility of handling and end-of-life treatment paths and seek to add 
value  to  waste  as  much  as  possible  (through  material  or  energy 
recovery)  while  neutralizing  its  hazardous  nature.  Second,  top 
hazardous waste generating sites work to reduce the volumes of waste 
generated in the first place, notably by implementing ‘Best Available 
Techniques (BAT)’ in their industrial processes. Such BAT processes 
come  along  with  superior  performances  from  a  resource  efficiency 
perspective,  and/or  chemical  substances  use  and/or  emission 
reductions.  By  2025,  the  ambition  is  to  reduce  hazardous  waste 
intensity by 20% against the 2017 baseline. In 2019, hazardous waste 
generation intensity was 0.3 tons/m€ of revenue, an evolution of -21% 
versus 2017.

(1)  ‘Towards Zero Waste to Landfill’ means over 99% of metallic waste and over 97% of non-metallic waste recovered at site level as well as 100% proper handling/treatment 

of hazardous waste.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.4.3.5 Green IT (Information Technology)
Conscious of the growing environmental footprint of IT, as well as the 
social  impact  linked  to  minerals  resources,  Schneider  Digital  has 
launched  a  Green  IT  initiative  in  order  to  measure  and  optimize  the 
environmental footprint of Schneider Electric’s information systems.
This  footprint  is  measured  using  the  Club  Green  IT  framework, 
including primary energy, GHG, water and abiotic depletion. In 2018, 
Schneider Electric participated in the “WeGreenIT” study conducted 
under the patronage of World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) by Club 
Green  IT,  following  a  generalized  LCA  screening  methodology. 
WeGreenIT results show that the yearly resource footprint of IT per end 
user  is  800  kg  of  CO2,  5740  kWh  of  primary  energy,  14000  liters  of 
water, and 3 kg of electronic waste, placing Schneider in the average 
of the 18 participating companies representing 880 000 end users.

An  action  plan  has  been  engaged  to  optimize  this  environmental 
footprint on the different components of IT.

For  end  user  equipment,  the  Group  has  updated  its  IT  Asset 
Management  (ITAM)  Policy  and  standards  with  strong  focus  on 
standardization,  sustainability  and  circular  economy  enablement. 
Consequently a Green IT training has been launched along Schneider 
Electric end users. This also includes proper usage of computers and 
focus  on  sustainable  hardware  decommissioning  through  proper 
ITAM – Asset Recovery approach aligned with 4R principles (Reuse/
Refurbish/Recycle/Renew). Leasing services (mainly in Europe, North 
America) and Employees’ PC Purchase programs (mainly Asia Pacific 
and China) enable second life for retired PCs. Responsible Recycling 
(R2)  compliant  vendors  are  prioritized  for  our  IT  Asset  Recovery 
Services.

Carbon  footprint  reduction  is  an  integrated  part  of  our  Green  IT 
requirements  for  IT  vendor  selection  processes.  Consequently,  new 
PCs acquired by us are between 15% (desktops) and 30% (laptops) 
more energy efficient than the corresponding old replaced equipment 
at  the  end  of  its  lifecycle.  Similarly,  the  reduction  of  form  factor 
enclosures allows to gain over 70% in energy efficiency and to reduce 
carbon  footprint  by  50%.  The  accelerated  desktop  to  laptop  shift  is 
helping  us  further  reduce  both  energy  consumption  and  product 
carbon footprint.

Optimization  of  the  Group  data  center  footprint  is  done  using  two 
levers: the rationalization of on-premise servers and the move to cloud. 
This year, approximately 951 servers have been decommissioned: 310 
across North America, 120 in Asia Pacific, 68 in the Middle East and 
Africa and 453 in Europe. This has resulted in the reduction of more 
than 73 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. 

The hosting of the Schneider Electric Infrastructure for Europe & Global 
applications is provided by our partner IBM for both its Montpellier and 
Grabels  data  centers.  Both  locations  are  ISO  14001  and  ISO  50001 
certified  for  the  environmental  management  of  IT.  Those  two  IBM 
datacenter  sites  hosting  Schneider  Electric  workloads,  have  been 
awarded  by  the  European  Commission  Participant  status  in  the  EU 
Code of Conduct (CoC) for Energy Efficiency in Data Center program.

Thanks  to  the  rationalization  of  the  Group’s  application  landscape, 
2,200 legacy applications have been decommissioned in 2017, 2018 
and  2019.  This  allows  Schneider  Electric  also  to  reduce  datacenter 
footprints as those applications are replaced by applications running 
on more efficient infrastructures.

Regarding the network footprint, as the move to cloud has an effect on 
network energy consumption itself, Schneider has launched different 
initiatives  to  optimize  application  hosting  between  edge  or  cloud:  a 
calculator  to  define  the  total  energy  consumption  of  servers  and 
network has been built, and a standard hybrid architecture, allowing to 
host  locally  on  virtual  machines  some  network  intensive  application 
while having a cloud DRP with the best service level has been defined 
using  Schneider  “smart  bunker”  solution.  In  addition,  local  area 
network (LAN) LIFI capability have been tested functionally. LIFI is an 
emerging technology using LED as an access point with a potential 
dramatic energy savings compared to WIFI, and a health benefit as no 
radio waves are emitted.

Finally,  different  collaboration  solutions  are  being  implemented  for 
messaging,  web  audio  and  video  conference.  Innovative  digital 
solutions  allowing  virtual  teams  to  work  in  an  agile  way  are  being 
tested, including remote collaborative brainstorming tools, electronic 
whiteboard, telepresence robot and smart glasses. The objective is to 
replace  international  travel  by  digital  interaction.  New  collaboration 
solutions  aiming  at  reducing  paper,  email  exchanges  and  further 
leveraging cloud data storage are deployed, and we implemented a 
new communication solution, cloud based, for messaging, web audio 
and video conference.

By 2020, the Group will pursue the deployment of Green IT actions, 
focusing on actions such as:

•  A measurement framework will be deployed and automated thanks 
to the deployment of a global CMDB (Configuration Management 
Database, the database where all physical assets are managed) 
and its integration with environmental and supplier database;

•  Schneider’s own EcoStruxure solutions will continue to be deployed 
throughout our facilities to reduce the energy and CO2 footprint of 
our IT equipment, with the rollout of EcoStruxure Power Monitoring 
Expert, Building Operation and Building Advisor already underway.

Our ecosystem of partners, including large cloud providers, network 
operators,  and  network  equipment  providers  will  be  invited  to  join 
hands in our Green IT initiative through co-innovation.

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3.5 Product stewardship

Over the last 17 years the Product Stewardship team has been dedicated to providing environmental premium to customers. Initially, efforts were 
focused on compliance, then on transparency. Over the last couple of years additional efforts were brought to develop more customer centric 
programs helping Schneider Electric offers to differentiate from the competition.

15 years of product stewardship with Green Premium

RoHS

RoHS REACH

2003
European Union 
adopts RoHS

2007
European Union 
adopts REACH

PEP EoLI RoHS 
REACH

2008
Green Premium 
eco-label introduced 
to provide transparent 
information on 
regulated substances 
and to share the 
environmental 
information of our 
products

EcoDesign Way

New Green Premium

2015
EcoDesign Way 
launched – our internal 
EcoDesign approach 
embedded in the offer 
creation process

2018
Upgraded Green 
Premium eco-label to 
include customer 
value propositions for 
services, solutions 
and products

3.5.1 Description of risks and opportunities
The  main  risks  Schneider  Electric  identifies  for  product  stewardship 
come from the increasing complexity of the environmental pressures 
worldwide  from  markets  and  regulations.  This  complexity  is  directly 
linked to a ‘regionalization’ of these environmental pressures (California 
PROP 65, RoHS China are some examples of regulations being more 
regionalised)  while  global  resources  are  limited.  Moreover,  the 
multiplication of distribution channels, especially e-commerce, could 
amplify  the  risk  of  non-compliance  due  to  the  regionalization  of 
environmental pressures.

With  the  environmental  regulations  being  more  stringent  year  after 
year, there is a risk for Schneider to have key materials and substance 
to deliver high performance products to fall within the regulation radar 
with possible restriction, limiting the innovation potential.

At  its  customers  side,  Schneider  has  observed  a  multiplication  of 
external  repository  to  leverage  product  environmental  performance, 
some being specific to a single customer. As such there is a risk for 
Schneider products not to be systematically referenced externally.

Products are at the very end of a customer journey, as such they are 
crystallizing  a  lot  of  expectations  for  customers  and  all  Schneider 
stakeholders.  Schneider  has  identified  a  risk  to  face  contradictory 
recommendations  due  to  regulations  overlap  (e.g.  substances 
restriction vs. circularity performance).

To  circumvent  the  risks  stated  above  Schneider  relies  on  the 
completeness of The Green Premium™ program, enabling to cover all 
relevant product oriented environmental topics. Relying on ecoDesign 
Way process and tools is also key to embed environmental performance 
as soon as possible in the new product development process enabling 
Schneider to innovate while delivering more Green Premium™ products 
that  will  differentiate  from  competitors  due  to  higher  environmental 
performance. 

The  multiplication  of  environmental  regulations  is  an  opportunity  for 
Schneider to improve suppliers’ exchanges, environmental criteria at 
supplier’s level is embedded thanks to the Schneider Supplier Portal 
(SSP)  (see  also  “Relations  with  subcontractors  and  suppliers  pages 
125 to 127).

From  customers  side,  Schneider  is  relying  on  the  Check  A  Product 
platform, a public website providing all relevant product environmental 
information.  Thanks  to  Check  A  Product,  Schneider  is  in  a  good 
position to be well referenced on external database such as the future 
SCIP database or customer’s prescription tools.

In  order  to  address  the  multiplication  and  regionalisation  of  the 
environmental  pressures,  Schneider  is  reinforcing  a  worldwide 
approach of environmental product stewardship directives feed by a 
regional and local environmental stewards’ network and strengthening 
influence position towards regulators through Schneider professional 
associations.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

3.5.2 Group policy
Schneider  Electric  strives  to  differentiate  through  innovative  green 
offers as mentioned in the Global Environmental Policy. This ambition 
is articulated through:

•  Designing energy efficient, low CO2, serviceable and safe offers;
•  Helping customers improve their environmental performance;
•  Providing digital environmental information on offers.

To reach such ambitions, Schneider has committed to:

3.5.3 Due diligence and results
3.5.3.1 Green Premium™
Launched in 2018, the updated Green Premium™ program is designed 
to deliver customer valued sustainable performance around five value 
propositions:

•  A  brand  promise  of  compliance  and  digital  transparency,  with 
offers  that  comply  with  RoHS  and  REACH  regulations,  an 
environmental disclosure and a circularity profile;

•  At a minimum two environmental performance claims selected from 

• 

Invest in R&D to create energy-efficient and environment-friendly 
solutions;

•  New EcoDesign products and solutions, develop life-cycle thinking;
Invent circular offers and business models, through products that 
• 
can be reused, repaired, retrofitted, refurbished and recycled and 
through end-of-life services;

•  Provide transparent and digitized information on the environmental 

information and benefits of offers;

•  Deliver  continuous  improvement  in  Product  Stewardship  through 

the Green Premium™ portfolio.

either of the performance pillars;
 – Resource
 – Circular
 – Well-being

•  Or obtaining recognition from an external organization.

5. Differentiation (external labels recognition, customer preference)

2. Resource performance
We help our customers reduce their 
energy and carbon footprints.

3. Circular performance
We help our customers optimize total 
cost of ownership of their assets.

4. Wellbeing performance
We help our customers to best 
protect their people from 
environmental risks.

1. Compliance and transparency (substances, environmental disclosure, circular profile,  
footprint, etc.)

In 2019, the main objectives for the Green Premium™ program were to:

•  Keep products compliant with regulations;
•  Continue identifying the environmental claims for products;
•  Extend the scope to include services and solutions;
•  Make available the additional environmental attributes in the online 

product data sheet; and 

•  Develop  customer  stories  that  demonstrate  the  value  that  Green 

Premium™ brings to customers.

On  circular  performance,  Schneider  Electric’s  ECOFIT™  service  has 
been recognized as a Green Premium™ service by helping customers 
to implement cost effective and environmentally friendly methodologies 
to  modernize  and  retrofit  their  existing  electrical  equipment  with 
minimal impact to their day-to-day operations.

Green  Premium™  information,  including  environmental  claims  and 
external  labels,  are  digitally  available  24/7  for  customers  in  the 
technical data sheet of the online catalog, in the mySchneider mobile 
app and by using the “Check a Product” website.

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SSI#5: 75% sales under our new  
Green Premium™ program

Supporting customers to achieve their sustainability goals is a 
key success factor for Schneider Electric. A customer story has 
been created to tell the story of how Green Premium™ information 
was able to help the R.W. Kern Center to achieve the 
requirements of the Living Building Challenge.

% sales in 2019

55.2%

https://youtu.be/OrhjlbQw7Xc

3.5.3.2 EcoDesign WayTM
EcoDesign Way™ is Schneider Electric’s proprietary process, deployed 
on product development projects of more than €300,000. EcoDesign 
Way™  is  fully  embedded  into  Offer  Creation  Processes  (OCP) 
mandatory  deliverables  and  encompasses  all  involved  functions 
(Marketing, Quality, Design, Project Manager). 

In  2019,  Schneider  launched  a  new  version  of  the  EcoDesign  Way™ 
scorecard  to  fully  align  with  all  Green  Premium™  value  propositions. 
Moreover,  several  initiatives  were  launched  to  embed  ecoDesign 
Way™ earlier in the OCP with strong inputs from Future Offer Manager 
in order to foster innovation and increase EcoDesign’s positive impact. 

3.5.3.4 RoHS
In  2015,  four  new  substances  (phthalates)  were  introduced  in  the 
RoHS regulation in addition to the six that already exist. The entry into 
force occurred in July 2019 for a first set of product categories. This 
regulation update was anticipated very soon, and the corresponding 
substances banned since 2015 by our Schneider Electric Chemicals 
and  Materials  Strategy.  Nevertheless,  a  specific  global  project  was 
launched  end  2018  to  get  the  last  evidences  and  secure  that  the 
products we put on the EU market are always compliant. The Group’s 
global  RoHS  worldwide  implementation  strategy  will  continue  in  the 
coming years. Schneider global tools and databases were updated to 
consider this regulation evolution. 

A key objective for the upcoming years is to embed EcoDesign more 
systematically  not  only  at  product  level,  but  at  system  and  solutions 
level  to  better  match  market  expectations.  Moreover,  a  key  success 
factor of such an objective is to mainstream the life cycle assessment 
by using a simplified life cycle assessment tool and providing training 
materials  adapted  to  the  different  functions  involved  in  the  Offer 
Creation Process.

3.5.3.3 REACH
The implementation of the European Court of Justice decision in case 
C-106/14 (O5A: once an article always an article) is fully deployed in 
the tools in 2019, which goes along with the future communication to 
our customers concerning Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) 
in our products. The high level of supplier declaration collected allows 
to stop with worst case approach, giving more relevant information to 
our customers and allowing to better target substitution actions.

In the frame of the Waste Framework Directive, ECHA was mandated 
by  the  EU  commission  to  put  in  place  a  SCIP  database  (database 
containing information on substances of concern in articles) for 2021. 
Schneider  Electric,  through  FIEEC  and  Orgalim  but  also  IEC62474, 
actively participated in the consultation about the database definition 
and  implementation,  raising  some  important  blocking  points  and 
proposing solutions. 

In parallel, a set of 7 new substances were proposed by Oeko Institute 
for the next years RoHS restrictions. After a first business and technical 
impact analysis, a set of recommendations was sent to EU in order to 
give our point of view and limit the impact, while guarantying the lowest 
exposure to chemicals for human and the environment. 

In  the  same  spirit  as  for  REACh,  Schneider  actively  participated, 
through  FIEEC  and  Orgalime  organizations,  to  the  consultation 
launched by EU, on RoHS regulation with the objective to point out the 
pros and cons and prepare the future regulation. 

3.5.3.5 WEEE
Schneider Electric has for a long time been engaged in a process that 
protects the environment and the health of people in the treatment and 
recycling of its products at the end of the life cycle.

In the context of the application of the Waste Electric and Electronic 
Equipment  (WEEE)  directive,  Schneider  is  implementing  product 
identification  and  selection  actions,  establishing  recycling  streams 
and pricing the taxes to be applied in compliance with the regulations 
of each country in which its products are sold.

For products falling within the scope of the WEEE Directive, a circularity 
profile  including  detailed  end  of  life  instructions  is  systematically 
provided through our Check A Product public website.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3. Schneider Electric’s commitments towards environmental excellence

Both certified and internal PEP align with EN15804:2013 – environmental 
Product Declaration standard for building and construction materials 
– to fit Green Building Rating Programs such as LEED or BREEAM. In 
2018 78.6% of our products revenue were covered by a PEP, including 
37.3% of ISO 14025 type III declaration and 41.3% of ISO 14021 type II 
self-declared declaration.

3.5.3.6 California Proposition 65
In order to better answer California Proposition 65 duties and fine tune 
Schneider’s warning strategy, a complementary study based on risk 
analysis  and  third-party  expertise  validation  was  carried  out,  and  a 
guideline proposed to Business Units.

3.5.3.7 Environmental Disclosure
An Environmental Disclosure is a product or solution related content 
that  provides  quantitative,  Life  Cycle  Assessment  (LCA)  based 
information. Environmental Disclosure is mandatory to enable Green 
Premium™, Schneider relies on Product Environmental Profile (PEP) to 
fulfill  this  requirement.  A  PEP  is  defined  as  a  product-oriented 
‘summarized’ version of a full LCA. It shall rely on a Product Category 
Rules  or  product  Specific  Rules.  At  Schneider,  there  are  2  types  of 
available PEP:

• 

•  Certified – a type III Environmental Declaration in compliance with 
ISO  14025.  The  Certified  PEP  shall  be  externally  reviewed  by  an 
accredited verifier and published by a Program Operator according 
to  the  rules  provided  by  this  operator  (E.g.  PEP  Ecopassport  – 
www.pep-ecopassport.org).  In  January  2020,  336  certified  PEP 
were published on the PEP Ecopassport association website;
Internal – the internal PEP is following the exact same rules as the 
certified one, however it is internally reviewed and therefore cannot 
be registered through an independent program operator. A process 
of accreditation for internal verifiers guarantees the good level of 
internal PEP verifications (training done by an external consultant). 
Verifiers are checking PEPs from other line of business than their 
own, ensuring independence. Internal PEP complies with the ISO 
14021 Auto-declaration.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

In this section:

4.0  Context, goals, key targets and results 

4.1   Step Up 

4.2  Employee health and safety 

4.3  Talent and employee engagement 

151

152

153

157

4.4  Learning and leadership development 

4.5  Diversity & Inclusion 

4.6  Compensation and benefits 

4.7  Social dialog and relations 

160

164

171

174

Context and goals
Our  people  make  Schneider  Electric  a  great  company.  The  Group 
motivates  its  employees  and  promotes  involvement  by  making  the 
most of diversity, supporting professional development, and ensuring 
safe, healthy working conditions. Its ultimate ambition is to generate 
higher performance and employee engagement, through world-class 
people  practice  that  are  supported  by  a  global/local  and  scalable 
model.

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Its  growth 

its  activities. 

Human Resources thus play a key role in supporting the performance 
and talent development of Schneider Electric in the changing context 
of 
is  characterized  by  a  sustained 
internationalization, numerous acquisitions, an increase of headcount 
dedicated to selling solutions and services, while maintaining a share 
of blue collars close to 50%. All employees are treated equally based 
on  their  skills,  notably  regarding  employment,  recruitment,  talent 
identification,  training,  remuneration,  health  and  safety,  thanks  to 
common processes and policies.

2019  

progress

64% (cid:83)
0.79 (cid:83)
47% (cid:83)

2020  
target

70%
0.88
90%

99% (cid:83)

100%

Health & equity

9. 
 Scored in our Employee Engagement Index
10.  Medical incidents per million hours worked 
11.  

 Employees have access to a comprehensive well-being at 
work program 
 Employees are working in countries that have fully deployed 
our Family Leave Policy

12.  

13.  Workers received at least 15 hours of learning,  

62% (cid:83)

100%

14. 
15.

and 30% of workers’ learning hours are done digitally
 White-collar workers have individual development plans
 Employees are working in a country with commitment and 
process in place to achieve gender pay equity

79% (cid:83)
99% (cid:83)

90%
95%

(cid:83) 2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting point value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 157-158 for indicator 9, 
154-155 for indicator 10, 156 for indicator 11, 166 for indicator 12, 160-161 for indicator 13, 157 for indicator 14, and 171 for indicator 15).

Other 2020 targets

• 
• 

Increase the representation of women across the pipeline – 40% at entry, and 30% in top positions;
Increase the representation of women in sales to 25%.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.1 Step Up

The profile of the Company has changed tremendously in the past ten 
years and the same has happened with its external environment. The 
new Schneider Electric that has been created over the past ten years 
is  much  bigger  and  well-balanced  across  geographies  and  end-
markets. It provides a unique portfolio of products, systems, services 
and  software  to  customers  through  different  go-to-market  channels 
and  consolidating  many  acquisitions.  The  Group  has  identified  that 
this new Company requires a different type of leadership. Schneider 
has embarked on an important People transformation during the past 
few years, which is embedded in the Company program called ‘Step 
Up’.  Step  Up  is  the  People  strategy  and  the  common  roadmap  to 
transform leadership and culture in the coming years.

Through Step Up, the ambition is to create:

•  a new Schneider Electric that consistently achieves high growth by 

innovating for customers and beating the competition;

•  a more engaging environment for employees;
•  an  attractive  company  for  talent  through  an  Employee  Value 

Proposition.

All  of  this  while  delivering  a  best-in-class  digital  experience  to 
employees, supported by simple and agile processes.

4.1.1 Schneider Electric’s People Vision and Our Core 
Values
Great  people  make  Schneider  Electric  a  great  company.  This  is  our 
People  Vision.  To  transform  our  culture  and  create  a  great  place  to 
work for, we launched our new People Vision in 2018, composed of our 
Employee  Value  Proposition,  our  Core  Values  and  our  Leadership 
Expectations. 

Our Core Values define the way we work together.

Customer First. Above and beyond for Our Customers. We surprise 
and delight customers as we would be nowhere without them. So, not 
only do we put ourselves in their shoes, but we also anticipate their 
needs and go the extra mile. We champion our sales people, because 
they  are  the  face  of  our  Company.  Whatever  our  role,  we  have  an 
impact on the customer’s experience.

Dare to Disrupt. Constantly in Beta. Innovation is our middle name. 
Good  is  never  good  enough,  and  that’s  why  we  are  constantly 
experimenting,  taking  risks  and  disrupting  the  status  quo.  We  think 
fast, and we act even faster. Setbacks don’t hurt us. They motivate us. 
That’s why we are not afraid to make our bets bigger, and our decisions 
bolder to power the digital economy through energy management and 
automation. We, at Schneider, ensure Life Is On.

Embrace Different. Different is Beautiful. We are 100% committed to 
inclusion. ‘Exclusion’ is not even in our vocabulary. We believe in equal 
opportunities  for  everyone,  everywhere.  This  means  welcoming 
people from all walks of life, ages and cultures, embracing different 
perspectives and calling out bias when we see it. So that every person 
feels uniquely valued and safe to be at their best. To us, a stranger is 
simply a friend we haven’t met yet.

Learn Every Day. #Whatdidyoulearntoday To stop learning is to stop 
growing. We are genuinely curious, never done with learning. To us, 
there is no such thing as knowing it all or having all the answers. We 
believe in life-long learning. Every minute of every day brings a new 
chance to listen, open up our minds, and widen our horizons. We are 
never too experienced to learn.

Act  Like  Owners.  All  in.  Together.  Entrepreneurs  at  heart,  we  take 
responsibility and ownership of everything we do. This is not somebody 
else’s  company.  It’s  ours!  We  are  individually  empowered  and 
collectively driven to collaborate and beat the competition together. In 
the end, we do what is right for Schneider first – always with integrity 
and honesty.

4.1.2 Organization
Since 2009, the Human Resources department has been structured 
around three principal roles to better respond to its missions:

HR  Business  Partners  assists  managers  on  a  day-to-day  basis  in 
setting  out  their  business  strategies  and  in  assessing  the  human 
resource  requirements  needed  to  meet  business  targets.  The  HR 
Business  Partner  also  plays  a  pivotal  role  in  anticipating  skill 
requirements and employee development, and in the management of 
employee relations.

HR Solutions creates and develops comprehensive solutions for the 
organization’s strategic challenges in key areas, such as compensation, 
benefits,  human  capital  development,  learning  and  performance 
management. Regional teams are leveraged to effectively support the 
Group’s globalized operations.

HR Services handles the logistics and administrative responsibilities 
relating  to  payroll,  sourcing,  mobility  and  training  programs,  mainly 
through shared service centers designed to optimize efficiency and costs.
Since 2015, the Group has put in place an HR Excellence initiative with 
the objective of creating HR teams ready to make the Leadership & 
Culture vision a reality while supporting the growth of the business. In 
this sense, the HR function takes a central role in driving the cultural 
transformation of the Group, designing a specific development plan 
for HR professionals, and striving to be an ever effective, scalable and 
employee-centric function. 

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4.2 Employee health and safety

4.2.1 Description of risks and opportunities
At Schneider Electric, risk assessments and strategic action plans are 
performed, based on the primary risks associated with the workplaces. 
These  plans  include  opportunities  to  reduce  serious  and  fatal 
incidents, maintain legal compliance, provide safe working conditions 
and  encourage  employee  engagement  in  the  safety  processes 
throughout the organization. 

The  plans  are  built  on  the  Top  5  Hazards  found  in  every  aspect  
of  the  Company,  which  include  driving,  electrical  hazard,  falls, 
Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT) and Fixed Powered Machines (FPM).

Injuries based on the Top 5 Hazards since 2014

10%

12%

  Driving 
  Electrical 
  Falls 
  PIT
  Machines
  Other

27%

4%

7%

40%

4.2.2 Group policy
4.2.2.1 Safety is a value
At Schneider Electric, safety is a value on which we will not compromise 
and this extends to employees, customers, partners and those working 
on their behalf. Included in Schneider’s Principles of Responsibility is 
a chapter on Safety at Work which includes the commitment to provide 
a  healthy  and  secure  workplace  for  all.  In  addition,  the  Group’s 
ambition is to achieve the highest standards of safety excellence. The 
newly  revised  Safety  and  Occupational  Health  Policy  includes  this 
statement from Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider Electric Chairman and 
CEO,  and  goes  further  to  emphasize  that  “We  care  for  each  other, 
including our colleagues, customers, contractors, and partners, and 
we want everyone back home safe each day.” Schneider is committed 
to invest in its people and its workplace as “the ambition is to be the 
standard for safety excellence worldwide.” 

The  Safety  and  Occupational  Health  Policy  establishes  the 
commitment that Schneider has made to maintaining safe and healthy 
working conditions, to fulfil legal obligations, to engage employees in 
safety  processes,  and  to  continually  improve  the  health  and  safety 
program,  and  is  the  cornerstone  of  its  certified  Safety  Management 
System.  And  in  2019,  as  part  of  its  improvement  efforts,  Schneider 
successfully transitioned its Safety Management System from OHSAS 
18001 certification to the ISO 45001 certification. This certification is in 
place for most of its targeted sites, including manufacturing, logistics 
and R&D locations. Currently, more than 180 sites are certified to ISO 
45001  with  a  goal  to  complete  100%  transition  by  the  end  of  2020. 
Currently, the transition is ahead of schedule at 98%.

4.2.2.2 EHS strategy
The  Schneider  Electric  2020  Safety  Strategy  and  Safety  Culture  is 
focused  on  the  S.A.F.E.  First  program  (S-  Self  Check,  A-  Activity 
Check,  F-  Facility  Check,  E-  Environment  Check),  developed  as  a 
personal reminder to pause and reflect on safety before beginning any 
task. The program empowers employees to stop work if unsafe.

Te c h nic al q u alifi c atio ns
a n d safe b e h aviors

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We report
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S.A.F.E.
First

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Top 5 haza r d s

S afe w ork pla c e
for everyo n e

The  2020  strategy  also  takes  into  consideration  the  five  guiding 
principles that help to determine actions to be taken as part of a work 
task. They are:

•  Ensuring employees are qualified for the work task before 

performing work;

•  Empowering employees to stop work if unsafe;
•  Reporting opportunities for improvement;
•  Resolving and sharing solutions to problems;
•  Encouraging employees to care about their own safety plus  

the safety of their co-workers and customers.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.2.3 Due diligence and results
4.2.3.1 Annual EHS Assessments
the  strategy,  annual 
implementation  of 
To  ensure  successful 
Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Assessments are performed 
in  industrial  sites  worldwide  (228  sites  end  of  2019).  The  EHS 
Assessment is a global process in which a site is evaluated (using a 
1-5 rating system) to identify opportunities and to recognize excellence. 
At  regional  and  global  levels,  EHS  teams  consolidate  site  results  to 
identify  and  prioritize  actions  to  support  site  performance,  training 
needs and cross-site mentoring opportunities. The EHS Assessment 
uses the same structure as the Schneider Performance System (SPS: 
company  performance  standardization  tool)  for  simplified  user-
adoption and to enable further alignment to SPS.

Training on hazards and their associated risks is an important part of 
Schneider Electric employee expectations. There are more than 390 
safety related topics, including 90 new offerings for 2019, housed in 
the  My  Learning  Link  database.  Employee  eLearning  training 
increased by 25% compared to 2018. Employees averaged 2.5 hours 
in 2019 compared to 2.0 in 2018.

Communication is important to ensure coordinated and standardized 
program  implementation.  This  is  evident  through  quarterly  safety 
campaigns,  safety  alerts,  workplace  standards  and  employee 
engagement  to  identify  safety  opportunities.  In  2019,  over  250k 
employee  safety  opportunities  were  identified,  a  67%  increase  from 
2018. These communication programs are deeply embedded into the 
safety culture at Schneider. 

Metric to drive engagement with the intent that every employee participates in safety opportunities

Employee engagement = Safety opportunities 
reported including near-miss and safety ideas

EHSA = Environment Health and Safety 
Assessment to drive continuous improvement 
for targeted sites (228 sites worldwide)

Employee 
Engagement

1.59

EHSA

99%

59% 

Improvement over 2018

(2018 = 1.00)

7% 

Improvement over 2018

(2018 = 92%)

4.2.3.2 Results summary
Schneider Electric has been very successful in meeting goals for the 
reduction of workplace injuries and illnesses, including those injuries 
resulting  in  lost  time  days.  Since  2011,  the  Group  has  reduced  the 
frequency  of  incidents  (MIR)  by  82%  and  the  severity  of  incidents 

(LTIR)  by  80%.  Schneider  monitors  proactive  leading  indicators  as 
well, including safety employee engagement, which tracks the rate of 
employee  participation  in  safety  opportunities,  and  the  effective 
application of the EHS Assessment tool.

MIR = Medical Incident Rate. Work-related  
medical incidents; focus on frequency

Historical trend

MIR 82% Improvement

MIR

0.79

16% 

Improvement over 2018

(2018 = 0.94)

5

4

3

2

1

0

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

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LTIR = Lost Time Incident Rate. Captures the 
number of work-related incidents requiring time 
off work (>24hrs) 

LTIR Historical trend

LTIR 80% Improvement

LTIR

0.39

11% 

Better than target

(Target = 0.44)

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

This is based on 1 million hours worked.

The Medical Incident Rate includes injuries and occupational illnesses. 
The  Occupational  Illness  Rate  is  also  tracked  independently  for 
benchmarking  purposes  and  to  drive  continuous  improvement.  The 
Occupational Illness Rate is 1.5% of our total medical incidents (MIR) 
in 2019.

Annual reduction target for 2019 are -5% for the MIR, -5% for the LTIR 
versus 2018 results.

Other key attributes 
The Group values third party (NGOs) evaluation of the safety program 
and  performance.  Each  quarter,  the  Group  focuses  on  a  key  safety 
topic to bring attention to both workplace factors and human factors 
that can and have caused serious injuries at Schneider Electric. The 
campaign  includes  a  dedicated  webportal  to  access  tools,  videos, 
training  materials,  apps,  games,  posters  and  leader-led  topics  to 
further  promote  the  importance  of  safety  worldwide.  The  fourth 
quarterly  safety  campaign  culminated  with  the  annual  Global  Safety 
Day celebration held on October 16, 2019. During Global Safety Day 
the  topic  of  emergency  preparedness  was  emphasized,  including 
solution  sharing  events,  on-site  workshops,  employee  pledge  and 
challenges, all in an effort to further engage employees around safety.

4.2.3.3 Recognition and awards
Schneider Electric was the recipient of several awards for Occupational 
Health  and  Safety  programs  in  2019.  This  includes  the  RoSPA  Gold 
awards  for  both  Safety  and  Fleet.  The  RoSPA  Awards  recognize 
achievement  in  health  and  safety  management  systems,  including 
practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

Schneider  was  proudly  represented  during  the  Campbell  Institute 
Executive Summit, organized by the National Safety Council Congress 
& Expo. During the event, the Institute recognized 196 Schneider sites 
and issued more than 300 safety awards for excellence in Occupational 
Health  and  Safety.  Schneider  benchmarks  itself  using  independent 
third-party  non-government  organizations.  For  example,  in  2019  the 
Group safety score increased 16 points compared to 2018, captured 
through the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for Safety.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

4.2.3.4 Future evolution of safety at Schneider Electric
Safety  is  a  never-ending  journey  towards  excellence.  Schneider 
Electric goals and initiatives are to be the standard in safety excellence 
worldwide.  This  pursuit  begins  with  Group  employees,  starting  with 
leaders.  Safety  is  leadership  led,  and  the  Group’s  ambition  is  to 
progress the entire community towards full empowerment as defined 
in the SAFE First Human Factors training, Safety Culture Assessment 
and Leadership action plans ready for release in 2020 and deployment 
in the years to follow. This journey towards empowerment begins with 
the understanding that we, as humans, are prone to error. Schneider 
must provide enablers for its people to identify (get involved), report 
(get engaged), and resolve to protect themselves and colleagues from 
injury  (be  empowered).  The  next  evolution  of  safety  is  one  that  will 
transform  the  global  community  throughout  the  supply  chain  and  at 
every  level  of  the  organization  including  partners,  contractors,  and 
suppliers.  The  intent  is  to  use  technology  and  innovation  to  enable 
Schneider employees to be more empowered to detect and address 
unsafe conditions or behaviors. The future of safety at Schneider starts 
with  acknowledging  that  safety  is  a  value  on  which  we  will  not 
compromise,  and  a  belief  shared  by  every  employee,  partner, 
contractor, and supplier. 

SSI#10: 0.88 medical incident  
per million hours worked

Success for this program in 2019 is attributed to a number of 
factors including the launch of the SAFE First program, a 67% 
increase in Safety Employee Engagement, and the launch of 
the EHS Assessment program. Together with Leadership 
role-modeling, Schneider Electric continues to strive to have 
a deeply embedded SAFE First culture. 

Medical incident rate in 2019

0.79

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.2.4 Well-being in our DNA
For Schneider Electric, well-being is a strategic priority with a strong 
impact on people engagement. It contributes to the core sustainability 
mission of the Company by driving well-being for employees so they 
can have a positive impact on their families, community, society and 
the planet.

The well-being ambition is to create an environment where employees 
are empowered to manage their unique life and work by making the 
most  of  their  energy.  The  program  has  been  co-designed  in  a  fully 
participative  way  through  a  global  crowdsourcing  campaign,  that 
ended with more than 6,000 ideas generated by employees to improve 
well-being.

The holistic view of well-being (physical, mental, emotional and social) 
and the joint effort between the Company, leaders and employees are 
key to the success of the program. The current strategy tackles two 
areas of impact:

1)  Empowering  individuals  –  through  training  and  awareness 
actions to encourage well-being practices for managing self and 
teams. 

2)  Enabling  environment  –  through  policies  and  programs  like 
Flexibility at Work, Global Family Leave, New and Smarter Ways of 
Working, Mindfulness at Work and Workplace of the Future. 

The  commitment  to  well-being  is  also  reflected  in  the  Schneider 
Sustainability Impact 2018-2020, where we pledged for a combined key 
indicator that 90% of our employees have access to a standard level of 
healthcare  coverage  and 
their  well-being 
(awareness).  Since  2016,  60,000  employees  have  been  trained  in 
different topics such as New and Smarter Ways of Working, the upside of 
stress, mindfulness at work (training and practice sessions), “energizing 
our people to perform”, using strengths to prevent burnout, etc.

leverage 

training 

to 

SSI#11: 90% of employees have access 
to a comprehensive well-being at work 
program

France exemplifies how well-being is embedded in Schneider 
Electric´s DNA. In France:

1)  100%  employees  have  access  to  a  standard  level  of 

healthcare coverage

2)  Integration  of  Well-Being  in  the  2019  French  Essentials 

learnings:
•  5,000+  employees  trained  on  “how  to  manage  their 

energy to be at their best”;

•  500+ managers trained on prevention of psycho-social 

risks at work;

•  52%  employees  trained  on  how  to  manage  their  well-

being.

3)  Well-Being  and  New  and  Smarter  Ways  of  Working 
for 

the  monthly  onboarding  day 

practices  part  of 
newcomers

4)  3,800+  employees  have  taken  advantage  of  remote 

working (32% of NDVC employees).

% global employees with access to a comprehensive  
well-being at work program in 2019

47%

The global ambition is reinforced through local events and activities 
(walking meetings, flexible working measures, running clubs, healthy 
food  at  the  canteen  and  vending  machines,  yoga  and  meditation 
practice,  etc.)  promoting  the  program  in  employees’  day-to-day 
experience of working for Schneider Electric. 

In  2019,  for  the  first  time,  Schneider  raised  awareness  within  the 
organization about the importance of mental health in the workplace, 
aligned with the World Mental Health Day, sponsored every year by 
the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 10.

Finally, 2019 closed with external recognition in the Middle East where
Schneider was a finalist in four categories and awarded in two:
“Social Well-being in the Workplace” and “The Daman Corporate
Health  and  Wellness”  at  the  Daman  Corporate  Health  and  Wellness 
Awards. 

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4.3 Talent and employee engagement

4.3.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Attracting and developing talent is crucial to the ongoing success of 
Schneider  Electric.  The  Group  is  working  to  become  the  “best 
company” to work for, and constantly strives to provide the environment 
and  motivation  for  its  employees  to  take  control  of  their  own  career 
progression,  through  access  to  learning  and  development  and  the 
latest  job  opportunities,  and  through  readily  available  resources. 
Measures are in place to minimize the impact of employee turnover, 
performance  and  disengagement  on  company  productivity  and 
performance. See also Principal risks pages 63 to 81.

4.3.2 Group policy
Schneider Electric places a strong focus on the effective management 
of talent at all levels. There are two aspects to talent management for 
Schneider – for all employees and high potential talent. 

The  Group  ensures  all  employees  have  the  tools  and  processes  in 
place to set clear goals and have a development plan to guide their 
performance, development and learning in their current role as well as 
for future potential roles. The process is enabled by an integrated HR 
information  system  called  TalentLink.  This  system  allows  data 
management and analytics in the areas of strategic workforce planning 
and talent management; it also improves the matching of resources to 
demand regarding learning in the different parts of the Company. In 
2019,  a  one-stop-shop  career  development  platform  called  Open 
Talent Market was piloted to create an internal talent market leveraging 
Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  to  match  the  supply  and  demand  of  talent 
throughout Schneider.

For  high  potential  talent,  an  annual  talent  review  process  operates 
across the Company to help ensure that high potential individuals are 
identified and realize their full career potential. Structured succession 
planning  for  critical  roles  helps  to  accelerate  individual  career 
development  while  maintaining  continuity  for  the  organization.  In 
selecting and developing talent, an important consideration is also to 
foster diversity such as gender and nationalities (new economies as 
well  as  mature  economies).  Towards  the  end  of  the  talent  review 
process  across  the  entities,  there  is  an  aggregated  review  with  the 
Executive  Committee  to  discuss  the  overall  health  of  the  leadership 
pipeline and succession strength for top positions.

SSI#14: 90% of white collar employees 
have Individual Development Plans 
(IDP)

Schneider Electric’s collective future success depends on 
the ability of each employee to perform, develop and grow 
their careers. Since 2017, the Group has set the ambition for 
all white collar employees to have at least one development 
discussion with their manager every year. To achieve the 
ambition, employee testimonials were shared, with 
supporting processes and toolkits developed to support the 
cultural change. In 2019, the performance and development 
processes have been integrated to enable employees and 
managers to have broader conversations on how their 
development plan can enable them to deliver higher 
performance. The number of white collar employees with an 
IDP has increased from 32% in 2017 to 79% in 2019.

% white collar employees with an IDP in 2019

79%

4.3.3 Due diligence and results
4.3.3.1 Employee engagement and OneVoice
Set up in 2009, the OneVoice internal survey was designed to measure 
employee  satisfaction.  The  survey  has  evolved  to  include  employee 
engagement as well as employee satisfaction to derive a more holistic 
view of employee sentiment on the ground.

The OneVoice survey in numbers at the end of 2019:

•  100%  of  employees  surveyed  once  a  year  from  2018,  including 
pulse  surveys  on  targeted  populations  to  move  to  a  continuous 
listening strategy;

•  One single platform for all Human Resources surveys;
•  89,000 emails sent, out of which 71,978 answered;
•  39,297 people reached via “kiosks” on 280 production sites;
•  3,749 managers receiving a dedicated report;
•  More than 40,000 verbatim analyzed;
•  A constantly improving participation rate from 62% in 2011 to 84% 

in 2019, which makes the feedback even more valuable.

Employees are asked to fill out a short questionnaire evaluating their 
engagement  and  measuring  the  drivers  of  engagement  such  as 
diversity,  learning,  well-being,  etc.  This  process  helps  the  Group 
identify  key  avenues  for  improving  major  employee  engagement 
factors.

Analyzed  by  country,  by  site  and  by  unit,  the  survey  results  help  to 
steadily improve employees’ commitment to processes and projects, 
the  proper  execution  of  which  is  crucial  to  both  successfully 
implementing  the  Group’s  strategy  and  satisfying  customers.  A 
customer  focus  question  was  introduced  in  2015  to  measure  if  “at 
Schneider  Electric  we  continuously  seek  ways  to  better  serve  our 
customers”.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

Because the workplace is a key enabler in engaged employees, and 
to  leverage  the  workplace  policy  implementation,  a  new  driver  was 
added,  “workplace”,  which  scored  70%  in  2019.  To  be  aligned  with 
Schneider  People  Vision,  the  notion  of  “inclusion”  has  also  been 
included in the diversity driver, with the gender self-declaration and 
the question about learning modified.

Managers are also involved in this process: following communication 
of  the  results,  managers,  with  the  support  of  their  HRBP,  organize 
feedback sessions with their team to foster dialog and build relevant 
action plans, based on both qualitative and quantitative results.

A key performance indicator for the Group is the Employee Engagement 
Index, which is also registered in the Schneider Sustainability Impact. 
This index enables Schneider to compare itself with the best employers 
in the industry and the best employers in key regions of the world. In 
2019, the Employee Engagement Index at Group level is 64% (-3 pts 
vs. 2018). In 2019, a Global Program Committee launched, in which all 
program directors and Customer Satisfaction Leaders are embedded, 
to make sure that relevant action plans are put in place based on both 
employees’  and  customers’  voice.  Human  Resources  business 
partners and managers also worked on local action plans and sharing 
best  practices.  More  importantly,  Schneider  looks  very  closely  to 
ensure action plans are seriously followed and recorded in the platform 
to  ensure  best  practice  can  be  shared  across  the  organization.  In 
2019, 76% of employees answered that they were aware of an action 
plan implemented in their team (compared to 68% at the end of 2012, 
79% in 2018). For this type of indicator that measures the engagement 
of  employees,  every  point  is  important.  For  reference,  the  Group 
started the measurement of this indicator in 2012 at 55%.

SSI#9: 70% scored in  
our Employee Engagement Index

One of the most impressive increases observed in the 
Employee Engagement Index is in France Operations (+ 6 
points), one of five regional organizations where survey 
results have remained stable for several years at a low score. 
To change this situation, the management team put 
engagement very high on the agenda while engaging and 
driving both efforts and actions at a territory and local level. 
The results of the survey and the areas for improvement, as 
well as top stories analyzed in the verbatim, were the 
foundation of the discussions with teams at a local level (site). 
Site managers and local team managers were included and 
empowered to lead feedback sessions and make sure 
adapted and relevant action plans were put in place.

% scored

64%

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4.3.3.2 Employer branding
4.3.3.2.1 Our employee value proposition
The Group is also looking to establish a strong name as an employer 
and communicate around its Employee Value Proposition, which is our 
promise to current and future employees.

We  believe  that  great  people  make  Schneider  Electric  a  great 
company. We are driven by our meaningful purpose, and continuously 
create an inclusive environment where employees are empowered to 
be at their best and innovate.

• 

•  Meaningful: we empower all to make the most of their energy and 
resources, ensuring Life Is On everywhere, for everyone, at every 
moment.  Our  mission  is  to  provide  energy  and  automated  digital 
solutions for efficiency and sustainability. We adhere to the highest 
standards of governance and ethics.
Inclusive: we want to be the most diverse, inclusive and equitable 
company, globally. We value differences and welcome people from 
all  walks  of  life.  We  believe  in  equal  opportunities  for  everyone, 
everywhere.
•  Empowered: 

that 
empowerment  generates  high  performance,  personal  fulfilment 
and fun. We empower our people to use their judgment, do the best 
for our customers, and make the most of their energy.

innovation.  We  believe 

freedom  breeds 

Our  Employee  Value  Proposition  continues  to  evolve  in  step  with  the 
business.  Making  the  emotional  connection  as  to  “Why  Schneider 
Electric?” is fundamental in the ability to not only attract the best talent 
and be an “employer of choice”, but also to have it resonate as authentic 
with employees as a form of encouragement, motivation and inspiration.

4.3.3.2.2 Flagship program: Schneider Go Green
Launched in 2011, Schneider Go Green is an annual global competition 
for business and STEM students around the world to find innovative 
solutions for energy management and automation – exposing students 
from all over the world to our employer brand. It is now established as 
a global initiative to attract female and male graduates for early career 
opportunities  and/or  ongoing  talent  fulfilment  objectives.  Over  the 
years,  the  competition  expanded  its  scope  to  become  a  great 
opportunity for students all over the world to not only share their bold 
ideas, but also to start their career at Schneider Electric.

Students  are  asked  to  present  their  bold  idea  on  efficient  energy 
solutions for a better and more sustainable future. Working in pairs with 
at  least  one  female  participant,  students  are  required  to  propose 
creative  (and  viable)  solutions  for  critical  energy  management  and 
automation in different categories such as: sustainability and access 
to energy, buildings of the future, grids of the future and plants of the 
future.

In  2019,  the  global  finalists  made  their  final  pitch  at  the  Global 
Innovation Summit of Schneider for the first time, held in Barcelona. On 
October 3, 2019, the winning team was announced: Team Aloe e-Cell 
from Rajasthan Technical University in India. Schneider Electric also 
announced  the  launch  of  its  tenth  edition  under  the  new  name  of 
‘Schneider  Go  Green’.  Sixteen  finalist  students  will  be  invited  to  the 
Innovation Summit Las Vegas in June 2020.

Over the past nine years, Schneider Go Green has had over 113,000 
registrants and more than 18,800 students have submitted ideas from 
165  countries.  In  2019  alone,  23,000  students  registered  and  over 
3,000 students submitted their ideas, a new record for the competition, 
proving that Go Green has been developing a strong and increasing 
interest  from  students  for  this  contest,  especially  from  emerging 
economies.

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4.3.3.2.3 University partnerships
Schneider Electric continues to focus on key relationships with a core 
selection of partner universities throughout the world. This enables a 
deep relationship to develop for the benefit of all. Relationships have 
primarily been developed with universities which offer specialization 
that  aligns  with  the  Group’s  business  needs  –  most  commonly  in 
engineering,  energy  management, 
technology  and  business. 
Relationships  with  universities  are  maintained  at  a  local  and  global 
level. A selection of initiatives is set out below:

•  Sharing of Schneider’s business acumen – for example competitions 

and guest lectures
•  Sponsorship initiatives
•  Collaboration on innovation projects and hackathons
•  Office site and Innovation Summit tours
•  On-campus recruitment events
•  Digital  and  face-to-face  speaking  engagements  and  networking 

opportunities

•  Mentoring relationships

We have a wide range of career paths available to students pursuing 
the start of their career at Schneider, including projects and services, 
industrial/manufacturing, general management, marketing and sales. 
This  is  supported  by  development  programs  around  the  world 
including  graduate  programs,  internships,  apprenticeships  and  co-
ops.

This approach has enabled strong talent pipelines to be established to 
attract future talent with key target skills and create greater awareness 
of Schneider as an employer of choice.

4.3.3.2.4 Our employer brand, social media and recognition
Social  media  plays  a  central  role  in  Schneider  Electric’s  employer 
branding – enabling it to engage extensively with talent to showcase 
the  Company  as  an  employer  and  the  diversity  of  its  business. 
Schneider  also  greatly  values  the  opportunity  social  media  gives  to 
have dialog and receive feedback. 

Key achievements in 2019 can be found in this chapter, pages 106-
107. In particular:

•  The Financial Times recognized Schneider as Global Top 50 and 
#4 in its industry as a ‘Leader in Diversity’ in their 2020 ranking;
•  Fortune recognized Schneider as one of the ‘World’s Most Admired 

Companies’ and Top 5 within the Electronics Industry in 2019;

•  Universum,  university  student  specialized  ranking,  recognized 
Schneider as Top 50 ‘World’s Most Diverse and Inclusive Employers 
2019;’

•  Forbes recognized Schneider Electric USA as some of ‘America’s 

Best Large Employers’ in 2019;

•  Fortune  ranked  Schneider  #9  on  their  ‘Change  the  World’  list  in 

2019;

•  Great Place to Work certified Schneider Electric in the US and in 

Brazil;

•  Schneider Electric Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, was 
named  in  Harvard  Business  Review’s  ranking  of  ‘The  Best-
Performing  CEOs  in  the  World,  2019’  as  well  as  ‘Glassdoor  Top 
CEOs’ in the US;

•  Schneider’s Glassdoor rating is on a steady growth, up to 4.0 at the 
end  of  2019,  recognizing  Schneider  Electric  France  and  USA  as 
one of the Best Place to Work for 2020:
 – In 2016, Schneider’s rating was at 3.5 and increased to 3.7 and 
3.9 in subsequent years, leading to 4.0 at the end of 2019, out of 
a 5 point scale. The Glassdoor average is a 3.5.

 – Contributing to the overall Glassdoor rating, Schneider is rated 
as 4.1 in Culture & Values, 3.9 in Work/Life Balance, and 3.8 in 
Compensation & Benefits.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.4 Learning and development

Many  activities  were  organized  including  global  Live  Talks,  digital 
flash-mobs, leader stories of success and failure, virtual tours, ‘a day 
in the life’ job shadowing opportunities, open days, gameified learning, 
and photo and video contests on Yammer (company social network). 
Most  activities  were  designed  and  delivered  by  employees.  Results 
from the two days show over 90% respondents were satisfied with the 
day  and  with  the  quality  of  activities  offered  and  over  80%  learnt 
something  new,  explored  different  ways  to  develop  themselves  and 
reflect on how to apply their new learning at work. 

Internal  trainers:  The  Group  actively  promotes  a  learning  and 
teaching culture by developing its internal trainer capability. There is a 
global  community  of  internal  trainers  with  targeted  development 
opportunities and recognition. There are currently over 9,000 internal 
trainers identified globally who delivered over 140,000 hours of training 
in 2019.

4.4.3.1.2 Learning environment:
The Group is investing in promoting an environment where employees 
are able and equipped to Learn Every Day. As part of this, managers 
are encouraged to use learning rituals within their teams, are involved 
in facilitating and sponsoring learning programs and also role model 
learning themselves. 

The  Company  aspires  to  create  an  inclusive  environment  for  the 
development of its employees. Between 2014 and 2017, the focus was 
on providing at least one day of training for each employee and the 
Company has achieved over 80% for the past five years (82% in 2019). 
Over the last two years the focus has been on the inclusion of workers 
in factories and distribution centers, with two objectives:

•  100% of workers to receive at least 15% of training hours per year; 

and
in parallel, 30% of worker training hours to be completed digitally.

• 

Those two objectives form one indicator of the Schneider Sustainability 
Impact  and  require  the  possibility  for  workers  to  connect  to  the 
Schneider Electric network, either from a computer kiosk installed in 
the  facility,  or  from  their  mobile  phone  via  a  secured  authentication 
process. This also required the deployment of training content tailored 
for them both in terms of subject matter and languages. 

4.4.1 Description of risks and opportunities
The  ongoing  growth  of  Schneider  Electric’s  businesses  in  markets 
around the world requires the development of leaders and innovators 
across all disciplines. Matrix organization structures and virtual teams 
place  new  demands  on  employees.  Digitization  and  the  Fourth 
Industrial  Revolution  are  creating  new  fields  and  markets  requiring 
rapidly  changing  skills.  The  Company  program  initiatives  are  also 
quickly  changing  and  require  ongoing  adaptation  and  skills 
enhancement to be agile and innovative for employees and customers. 
For  these  reasons,  learning  and  career  development  remain  at  the 
heart of Schneider’s human resources policy.

4.4.2 Group policy
Learning at Schneider Electric has evolved from traditional classroom 
training and tracking the number of learning hours to ‘Learn Every Day’ 
as one of five core values in the people vision of the organization. The 
learning  transformation  journey  continues  with  a  focus  on  digital 
learning,  driving  partnerships  with  the  business  and  our  learners, 
fostering a learning culture where people learn for today and tomorrow. 

The Group has defined its learning strategy around four components:

•  Accelerate learning culture transformation and 

#whatdidyoulearntoday rituals to embed and unleash the value of 
learning every day;
•  Accelerate  digital 
deployment; and

learning  strategy  and  mobile 

learning 

•  Learning paths for critical roles to develop skills (technical and 
behavioral)  for  the  future,  with  a  focus  on  EcoStruxure  learning, 
sales and technical learning paths. We also launched Schneider 
Essentials  learning  for  all  connected  employees  and  Business 
and Finance Essentials for leaders.

The key indicator to track progress in this direction is the percentage 
of employees who express their satisfaction via the learning driver in 
the OneVoice employee survey in response to the question ‘I can learn 
and grow personally and professionally at Schneider’. In addition, the 
Group also focuses on tracking the learning of its ‘worker’ population 
as part of the Schneider Sustainability Impact.

Our employees are curious and never stop learning. 

4.4.3 Due diligence and results
4.4.3.1 Learning culture
4.4.3.1.1 Global Learning Days
In line with the core value of Learn Every Day, the Group organised two 
global Learning Days in 2019. The theme for the first day in July was 
‘All About Digital’ and for the second day in November ‘Customer First’. 
The intention of the learning days was to:

•  reinforce learning for all as a key part of the Group’s culture;
•  experience  different  ways  of  learning,  especially  promoting 

learning from experience and exposure, powered by digital;

•  engage employees to adopt new behaviors on digital and customer 

first to generate business impact.

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4.4.3.2.1 My LearningLink
At the center of this ecosystem is My LearningLink, Schneider’s global 
learning  platform  which  integrates  e-learning,  webinars,  social 
learning, classroom learning, assessments and full certification paths. 
It was progressively deployed in all countries in 2013 and took off in 
2014. All academies and country-level courses are registered in My 
LearningLink.

•  200,000 sessions opened per month;
•  more than 20,000 modules of learning content are available in up to 

13 languages;

•  more than 130,000 employees have access to the system; and
•  82% of employees followed at least one day’s training (instructor-

led training and digital learning).

No managerial approval is required for employees to register for online 
courses; employees are actively encouraged to take the responsibility 
for  developing  their  skills  and  competencies.  This  platform  is 
instrumental  in  developing  the  skills  of  the  workforce  at  all  levels, 
supporting business strategies by targeted learning activities as well 
as enabling them to become a stronger actor in their own development.

Since March 2018, a new homepage was launched for My LearningLink. 
Leveraging  both  top-down  driven  messages,  as  well  as  artificial 
intelligence  machine-learning  recommendations,  it  provides  a  more 
personalized,  consumerized  and  mobile  experience  to  employees. 
More  than  41,000  employees  visit  My  LearningLink  every  month.  In 
November  2019,  a  learner  survey  answered  by  1,200  employees 
revealed  a  satisfaction  of  4.2  out  of  5  for  the  learning  experience  at 
Schneider overall. 

My  LearningLink  is  also  used  to  deliver  online  training  content  to 
Schneider  partners.  The  mySchneider  Partner  Portal  is  deployed  in 
140  countries  and  provides  a  customized  learning  experience  with 
targeted training content that is most relevant to the partner’s business. 
As of 2019, the training portal is accessible to over 750,000 Schneider 
partners, with over 150,000 courses completed since its inception, in 
2015.

4.4.3.2.2 Digital Citizenship
To accompany the immense shift that digital provokes in all parts of the 
organization, the Company has deployed an upskilling program called 
Digital  Citizenship.  Mostly  based  on  a  combination  of  the  digital 
acumen  library,  a  French  start-up  called  Coorp  Academy  and  self-
developed  videos  and  digital  mindset  assessments,  the  Digital 
Citizenship  program  enables  employees  to  progress  in  either 
awareness  on  digital  topics  like  blockchain  or  big  data,  up  to  being 
certified on agile scrum mastering or deep technical knowledge. 

SSI#13: 100% of workers received at 
least 15 hours of learning, and  
30% of workers’ learning hours are 
done digitally

In 2019, 122 digital learning corners were set up across the 
world. They enable factory and logistics centers’ workers to 
have access to individual computers to browse digital 
learning offers. 

% achieved in 2019

62%

4.4.3.2 Digital learning
The  Bersin  by  Deloitte  infographics  on  the  Modern  Learner  (2018) 
show  that  the  half-life  of  a  skill  today  is  between  3.5  and  5  years. 
Because Schneider Electric wants to achieve its business goals and 
stand out from the competition, it must invest in its people and prepare 
them for the future with the right set of skills, at the speed of change. 
The innovations conducted in the past three years in digital learning 
are solid steps in that direction.

To  support  the  rapid  changes  in  the  Company,  Schneider  has 
implemented an open learning ecosystem comprised of:

•  Learning experience platforms to provide easy access to consume, 
share  and  create  formal  and  informal  learning  content  on  mobile 
and desktop; 

•  Learning Management System to administer instructor-led training, 

• 

compliance and reporting; and
Innovative  content  from  shallow  to  deep  and  from  videos  to 
elaborated learning paths. 

All those platforms are interconnected to provide a relevant, intuitive 
and effective one-stop shop experience powered by digital.

The  Group  progressed  on  its  journey  to  transition  towards  a  more 
digital  learning  catalog.  Since  2014,  the  number  of  digital  training 
hours available increased up to 39%, mainly through business-driven 
action  plans  like:  deploy  a  large  catalogue  of  e-Learning  in  13 
languages available without any approval to all Schneider employees; 
make Ted Talks videos directly in-line with transformation and business 
priorities available; integrate specialized learning providers for digital 
awareness,  software  and  IT  to  cope  with  constant  changes  in  that 
field, as well as dedicated digital libraries for Procurement and Finance 
functions.

This resulted in a 4pts increase in the digital hours consumed, from 
40.3% in 2018 to 44.4% in 2019 (16% in 2014), while maintaining a high 
level of satisfaction from employees (4.2/5 rating on the digital learning 
offer – Source: My LearningLink).

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.4.3.2.3 EdCast: learning on the go for leaders and digital populations
In  2017,  a  new  way  of  learning  was  piloted  with  a  platform  called 
EdCast.  Based  on  aggregated  search  and  curation,  it  enables  the 
academies  and  the  learners  themselves  to  easily  connect  several 
sources of content, bundle them in pathways, and curate them for a 
specific group. All this on an open and mobile-first app and desktop 
modality. The Group strongly believes that the success of learning is in 
its ability to provide the right knowledge at the right time, and EdCast 
really pushes this approach to a new level.

In 2018, a leadership program, was launched called “License to Lead” 
(See  Leadership  development  section  for  more  details).  The  Digital 
DNA program was also launched for all the employees of Schneider 
Digital department (3,000 people). The aim is to educate this population 
to  become  digital  citizens,  meaning  mastering  some  of 
the 
fundamentals  of  the  digital  transformation  of  Schneider  Electric’s 
industry  and  ways  of  working.  The  Group  also  launched  a  specific 
program on Smart Factory transformation targeted to its plant staff in 
order to equip them with its EcoStruxure solution knowledge.

This is a first step towards a broader vision of learning that encompasses 
tacit knowledge and information creation and sharing, formal training, 
informal  learning  and  a  community  aspect,  all  equally  available  on 
mobile and desktop.

In 2019, the monthly active users on EdCast were respectively 30% for 
License  to  Lead  and  20%  for  Digital  DNA,  which  are  below  our 
expectations. It demonstrates that providing a cutting edge learning 
platform  is  not  enough  to  create  a  sustainable  learning  habit  and 
improving this is a focus in 2020.

4.4.3.2.4 Klaxoon: gamified, mobile-first, agile
One of the most important outcomes to make learning stick is to fight 
the forgetting curb. To do so, one needs to activate the learning during 
the  learning  experience  itself  but  also  after.  With  Klaxoon,  a  French 
start-up  twice  awarded  best  innovative  start-up  in  the  world  by  the 
CES (2016 and 2017), the Group delivers on this promise by using on-
the-fly  activities  to  activate  the  content  during  training  sessions 
(brainstorm  during  a  workshop,  live  questions  during  a  training)  but 
also  and  above  all,  before  and  after  learning.  Creating  mobile 
responsive gameified quizzes with the possibility to challenge others 
and re-take the quiz, activities can also be integrated in MyLearningLink 
to be embedded in existing curricula. In 2018 more than 150 experts 
and  learning  professionals  were  using  Klaxoon  to  spread  their 
expertise or reinforce knowledge. The plan has been extended to 500 
internal trainers in 2019.

4.4.3.2.5 Yammer
In  2017  Schneider  Electric  deployed  Microsoft  Yammer  as  its  social 
media  platform.  Today  with  more  than  49,000  active  users,  Yammer 
provides  a  digital  environment  for  sharing  knowledge,  experiences 
and exchange on different topics. It is an incubator for communities; 
200 communities of practice are officially referenced in the Company, 
as part of the communities@work program. They promote a new way 
of working, with a strong culture of sharing, where members can learn 
from each other.

This ecosystem is interconnected via APIs (Application Programming 
Interfaces) enabling both reliable reporting and a better experience for 
the employees.

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4.4.3.3 Learning paths and relevant offers to build great 
professionals 
4.4.3.3.1 Onboarding
From  a  newcomer’s  perspective,  Schneider  Electric  focuses  on  a 
systematic and consistent onboarding experience in the first 90 days. 
The  program  is  articulated  around  a  signature  experience  including 
seven  hours  of  digital  learning,  complemented  by  local  ad  hoc 
sessions  as  well  as  exposure  with  executives  for  the  Group’s  Vice-
Presidents  and  above.  In  2019,  completion  of  the  digital  learning 
curricula went up from 71% to 90%.

4.4.3.3.2 Learning paths for key roles
To  promote  a  culture  of  learning  based  on  the  3E  model  (10% 
education,  90%  informal  exposure  and  experience),  learning  paths 
were created for a large majority of existing roles. 90% of the roles (job 
codes  in  the  internal  system  of  reference)  are  covered  with 
recommendations  of  training  of  which  65%  include  exposure/
experience actions. Those learning paths are widely used during the 
employee  development  process.  It  enables  each  employee,  during 
the conversations with their managers, to get profiled recommendations 
based on their current role and explore development opportunities for 
a  future  one.  In  2019,  33,000  employees  used  the  employee 
development portal where the learning paths are available. The portal 
is being updated and improved for the 2019 campaign, enlarging the 
coverage of learning paths with exposure and experience propositions.

4.4.3.3.3 Leadership development
The  ongoing  development  of  leaders  within  Schneider  Electric  is  a 
critical element of its future success as well as the ongoing Step Up 
transformation. 

The past year has seen a significant acceleration in the cultural and 
business transformation of the Company, led by leaders, through the 
continued  focus  on  leadership  trainings  and  application  led  by  the 
Global Leadership Academy. 

2019 saw four major focus areas in particular. Firstly, deploying Core 
Values training and Leadership Expectations training to introduce all 
the leadership community to the People Vision and expected actions 
of leaders to drive the Company. In the course of the past 12 months, 
more  than  85%  leaders  completed  the  Leadership  Expectations 
training, providing a solid platform for the ways and means of leading 
through role modelling. 

Second,  continuing  the  accelerated  development  of  high  potential 
leaders  by  delivering  a  cohesive  set  of  leadership  programs  called 
‘Transforming  Schneider  Leadership’  (TSL).  In  2019,  this  series  of 
programs  cascaded  the  key  theme  of  ‘Purposeful  leadership  for  a 
Digital  World’  to  five  levels  in  the  Company,  with  more  than  1,000 
leaders  from  Executive  Vice  President  level  to  early  career,  high 
potential talent, identified via the annual talent management process. 
The programs are designed to fast-track capability building to address 
personal, team, organizational and strategic leadership alongside key 
business  themes  of  digital  transformation  and  innovation.  Leaders 
demonstrated  a  return  on  their  learning  investment  through  an 
individual ‘action lab’ which addressed a specific and actionable work 
project. 

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Account  Management  Excellence  and  end  user  segment 
Expertise:  Solutions  University  offers  a  comprehensive  learning 
portfolio  including  certifications  for  sales  and  account  management 
and EcoStruxure for segment, tailored to the organization’s needs and 
performance  environments.  The  Solutions  University’s  aim  is  to 
support  the  solutions,  services  and  digital  business  growth  with  a 
special  focus  on  strategic  accounts.  In  2019,  Solutions  University 
delivered  800  segment  certificates  to  end-user  sales  and  solutions 
architects;

Functional  academies  covering  key  functions:  Finance,  focusing 
especially  on  enabling  the  upskilling  and  reskilling  of  the  function 
powered  by  digital  both  on  controllership  and  business  partnering; 
Human Resources, equipping HR employees with skills of the future; 
Digital and IT, with a focus on digital competencies, starting from basic 
application  skills  through  to  advanced  expert  level  topics,  including 
dedicated programs on Digital Awareness and Digital Citizenship for 
all  employees;  and  finally  the  Marketing  Academy  focused  on 
Customer  Centricity  and  Digitization  to  Innovate,  targeting  4,500 
marketers  but  also  all  employees  involved  in  Schneider  Electric 
transformations.

4.4.3.3.5 Schneider Essentials
In 2019, for the first time, three courses were assigned to all connected 
employees of the Company. The aim was to create a strong culture of 
common  “must-knows”  on  either  compliance  or  cultural  topics.  The 
courses were:

•  Our  Principles  of  Responsibility:  our  ethical  guidelines  that  were 
totally  revamped  in  early  2019  to  better  reflect  the  reality  of  the 
world we live in (see details on page 112);

•  Cybersecurity:  a  key  stake  that  is  everyone’s  responsibility  to 

protect the Company; and

•  Our Core Values: in 2018, Schneider launched a new People Vision 

with the five core values are at the center of it.

The courses were assigned to all employees via MyLearningLink and 
automated monthly emails were sent to remind people of the courses 
left to complete and also to managers so they would know which of 
their employees were still to complete some of the courses. At the due 
date of November 29, 2019, 97% of all employees had completed the 
three trainings. The Schneider Essentials approach will be carried out 
again in 2020.

Third, the Leadership Academy launched a new leadership program 
specifically  designed  for  mid-career  women  leaders,  called  the 
‘Schneider Women Leaders Program’. In 2019, 120 women enrolled in 
this  program  from  across  the  Company.  The  program  uses  virtual 
sessions,  peer  coaching  and  direct  1:1  coaching  with  qualified 
coaches  to  address  development  areas  where  women  are  typically 
challenged  in  their  career.  In  2020  this  cohort  of  women  will  come 
together for a face to face summit event to complete their learning and 
have an opportunity to interact with, and be mentored by, select top 
leaders from across Schneider. 

Fourth,  the  Academy  continued  to  innovate  through  providing  high 
quality  digital  learning  for  senior  leaders  to  support  personalized 
learning  through  the  ‘License  to  Lead’  initiative.  With  1,200  active 
users, it allows leaders to learn ‘on the go’ with any mobile device. The 
‘License to Lead’ program covers critical learning topics on leadership 
and  about  Schneider  Electric’s  business,  industry  and  competitors. 
With an engagement score of 86%, thousands of modules completed 
and leaners generating and publishing and sharing their own curated 
content, the program is stepping up knowledge and learning across 
the top leadership community. The initiative was recently recognized 
externally by the Chief Learning Officer association, with an award for 
the most innovative digital learning initiative. 

4.4.3.3.4 Academies to support business priorities
The  academies’  curricula  are  built  using  the  outcome  of  workforce 
planning.  Schneider  Electric  benefits  from  a  network  of  learning 
solution  internal  consultants.  They  are  in  different  geographies  and 
support  managers  and  HR  Business  Partners  in  identifying  the 
relevant  learning  solution  for  the  needs  of  their  employees.  For 
example:

Global  Supply  Chain  (GSC):  The  Global  Supply  Chain  Academy 
provides  every  employee  from  senior  executives  to  factory  workers 
within the GSC function with the opportunity to learn and develop their 
functional knowledge, capability and competencies in the seven areas 
of  Safety  and  Environment,  Customer  Satisfaction  and  Quality, 
Purchasing,  Manufacturing,  Supply  Chain  Planning,  Logistics  and 
Industrialization.  In  2019,  the  GSC  Academy  focused  on  delivering 
digital learning to approximately 48,000 employees located in plants 
and  distribution  centers  to  enable  all  workers  to  Learn  Every  Day  in 
local languages;

Research & development: The Offer Creation Academy addresses 
the  needs  of  the  Offer  Creation  Process  (OCP)  to  ensure  the  right 
competency levels of R&D employees globally. The range of learning 
options  covers  the  entire  OCP  lifecycle,  addressing  skills  such  as 
project  management,  design  and  testing,  R&D  processes,  software 
tools, etc.;

Sales  to  end  users  directly  and  through  partners:  The  Sales 
Excellence  Academy  is  set  to  prepare  the  global  salesforce  for  the 
challenges of digital commercial transformation in line with business 
strategies.  It  develops  training  paths  for  sales  leaders,  account 
managers and sales specialists (about 16,000 employees) to impart 
knowledge, skills and behavior to sell through partners. The curriculum 
aims  to  cover  both  foundational  skills  for  all  sales  people  in  contact 
with  customers  and  advanced  courses  to  address  more  complex 
sales  environments  and  coaching  and  dynamic  sales  management 
skills.  A  key  focus  area  is  helping  the  salesforce  address  customer 
pain points and needs by proposing value adding solutions; 

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.5 Diversity & Inclusion

4.5.1 Description of risks and opportunities
In a world where change is the new norm and innovation is critical to 
ongoing  business  success,  Schneider  Electric  recognizes  that  it  is 
crucial  to  attract  and  retain  a  diverse  workforce  to  build  a  high 
performing  leadership  pipeline.  The  Group’s  Diversity  &  Inclusion 
ambition  is  to  offer  equal  opportunities  to  everyone  everywhere. 
Schneider wants its employees — no matter who they are, or where in 
the world they live — to feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their 
best.  The  Group  believes  that  Diversity  &  Inclusion  is  a  business 
imperative  as  greater  engagement,  performance,  and  innovation  is 
generated through diversity of people and an environment of inclusion.

4.5.2 Group policy
The  Group’s  overall  aspiration  to  improve  the  lives  of  people 
everywhere in the world by developing sustainable energy solutions 
for  its  customers  extends  to  its  Diversity  &  Inclusion  ambition.  This 
ambition is to provide equal opportunities to everyone everywhere and 
to  ensure  all  employees  feel  uniquely  valued  and  safe  to  contribute 
their best.

At  Schneider  Electric,  the  first  Group  Diversity  Policy  was  written  in 
2006 and broadened at the end of 2013. With the new People Vision 
launched  in  2018,  Schneider’s  global  Diversity  &  Inclusion  Policy 
follows  two  major  commitments  which  incorporates  the  Group’s 
ambition:

•  Embrace different; and
•  Build a culture of inclusion.

At the Group level, Diversity & Inclusion focuses on five areas  
of diversity:

•  Gender;
•  Nationality;
•  Generation;
•  LGBT+; and
•  Disability.

While Diversity & Inclusion is increasingly driven by local and regional 
regulations, with which the Group complies, countries where Schneider 
operates  are  encouraged  to  tackle  additional  Diversity  &  Inclusion 
challenges  specifically  relevant  to  their  markets  and  tailored  to  their 
local needs.

4.5.3 Governance 
The Diversity & Inclusion board is a global group of top leaders from all 
markets and sponsored by the Executive Committee. The board acts 
as a sounding board for the global Diversity and Inclusion strategy as 
well as internal and external diversity and inclusion champions. Board 
members are nominated by the Executive Committee to serve a two to 
three-year term.

The Group’s leaders are accountable for Diversity & Inclusion through 
the Schneider Sustainability Impact, the Group’s transformation plan 
and steering tool for sustainability by 2020. The Schneider Sustainability 
Impact  is  also  factored  into  every  employee’s  short-term  incentive 
plans. 

The  Group  has  operations  in  over  100  countries,  with  employees 
representing  over  150  nationalities.  All  Schneider  Electric  entities 
develop  Diversity  &  Inclusion  action  plans  while  meeting  local 
regulations  and  addressing  country-specific  situations.  Diversity  & 
Inclusion  leaders  have  been  appointed  in  more  than  30  countries/
zones  and  entities  of  the  Group  to  lead  these  actions  plans.  This 
Diversity & Inclusion network convenes monthly to share best practices.

4.5.4 Due diligence and results
4.5.4.1 A strong focus on gender diversity
Schneider  Electric’s  Diversity  &  Inclusion  strategy  places  strong 
emphasis  on  gender  diversity,  based  on  the  strong  conviction  that 
building a gender balanced company that is equally inclusive of men 
and  women  is  both  the  right  thing  to  do  and  critical  to  diversity  of 
thought, to unleash innovation and deliver the best sustainable energy 
solutions to customers.

Overall Workforce

Women in leadership

Non-DVC hiring

Sales hiring

33%

23%

41%

26%

67%

77%

59%

74%

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

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4.5.4.1.1 United Nations Partnerships
HeForShe is a United Nations Women solidarity movement for gender 
equality. It invites men and boys to build on the work of the women’s 
movement  as  equal  partners,  crafting  and  implementing  a  shared 
vision of gender equality that will benefit all.

4.5.4.2 LGBT+ Inclusion
In March 2018, Schneider Electric committed to the UN Free and Equal 
Standards of Conduct for Business on Tackling Discrimination against 
Lesbian,  Gay,  Bi,  Trans  and  Intersex  People,  standing  up  for  equal 
rights and fair treatment for LGBT+ people everywhere.

Since June 2015, Schneider Electric has been engaged as a HeForShe 
IMPACT 10x10x10 Champion and made three commitments to:

By adopting these standards, the Group pledges to:

• 

• 

• 

Increase the representation of women across the pipeline – 40% at 
entry, and 30% in top positions by 2020;
Implement  a  worldwide  pay  equity  process  reaching  95%  of  our 
global workforce by 2020; and
Involve  Group  leaders  and  establish  a  dedicated  executive-level 
governance body to drive gender equality across Schneider.

In  addition  to  being  involved  in  HeForShe,  Schneider  has  also 
committed  to  the  Women’s  Empowerment  Principles.  Launched  in 
2010  by  UN  Women  and  the  UN  Global  Compact,  the  Women 
Empowerment  Principles  are  a  set  of  seven  principles  guiding 
businesses on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace 
and  community.  In  2019,  Schneider  became  the  first  multi-national 
the  UN  Women’s 
company 
Empowerment Principles (WEPs) across its global leadership team. In 
addition to the Group’s Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, each 
of  the  country  leaders  have  also  personally  signed  the  WEPs.  This 
strong  engagement  from  the  Group’s  business  leaders  to  act  as 
change agents in their respective markets completes the Group CEO’s 
personal commitment to transform Schneider towards gender equality.

to  achieve  100%  commitment 

to 

In 2018, Jean-Pascal Tricoire’s appointment to the Board of the United 
Nations  Global  Compact 
further  demonstrated  Schneider’s 
commitment to the Sustainability Development Goals including SDG 5 
– Gender equality, SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth, and 
SDG 10 – Reduce inequalities, directly tying into Diversity & Inclusion.

4.5.4.1.2 Building a gender-balanced leadership pipeline
As  of  end  of  2019,  women  make  up  23%  of  managerial  positions 
(defined as all employees with at least one direct report). To build a 
robust gender balanced leadership pipeline, the Group has engaged 
in several actions.

Because  they  are  a  key  internal  leadership  talent  pool,  Schneider 
Electric  has  been  focusing  on  hiring  and  including  more  women  in 
sales and technical roles. As of end of 2019, women made up 22% of 
STEM  roles  with  a  hiring  rate  of  31%.  Similarly,  as  of  end  of  2019, 
women made up 19% of the sales population with a hiring rate of 26%. 
Schneider’s  ambition  is  to  increase  the  representation  of  women  in 
sales to 25% by end 2020.

In 2019, the Company launched the Schneider Women Leaders’ Program 
(SWLP), replacing the previous Women in Leadership initiative. Through 
SWLP, the Group supports its women talents’ professional development 
through a virtual nine-month coaching program, ending with a three- day 
face-to-face  global  summit.  The  initial  cohort  included  120  women 
across all regions. As of the end of 2019, over 800 women have benefitted 
from this targeted leadership development. 

Employee  Resource  Groups  (ERGs)  also  play  a  large  role  in 
empowering  women  locally  and  helping  drive  efforts  to  advance 
women  in  leadership.  As  of  the  end  of  2019,  local  ERGs  have 
contributed  to  the  Group’s  efforts  towards  gender  equality  and 
inclusion in more than 30 countries.

•  Respect the human rights of LGBT+ workers, customers  

and members of the public;

•  Eliminate workplace discrimination against LGBT+ employees;
•  Support LGBT+ employees at work;
•  Prevent  discrimination  and  related  abuses  against  LGBT+ 
customers, suppliers and distributors – and insist that suppliers do 
the same; and

•  Stand up for the human rights of LGBT+ people in the communities 

where Schneider does business.

Schneider  is  100%  committed  to  inclusion  and  the  Group’s  policies 
reflect this commitment: for example, all individuals and couples can 
benefit from Schneider’s Global Family Leave Policy, whether they are 
welcoming  a  child  in  their  home  through  natural  birth,  adoption,  or 
surrogacy. 

In addition to signing the UN Free and Equal Standards, across the 
globe,  Schneider  has  also  made  public  statements  of  support  to 
advance  LGBT+ 
inclusion:  Schneider  Brazil,  Chile,  Argentina, 
Colombia and France have all signed LGBT+ equality charters. Lastly, 
in June 2019, the Company announced the launch of a global LGBT+ 
Employee Resource Group (ERG): Schneider LGBT+ and Allies. The 
Group is open to all – LGBT+ people and allies alike – with an interest 
to further inclusion in the workplace.

4.5.4.3 Inclusive policies
Schneider Electric recognizes that diversity without inclusion does not 
work. Policies and practices have been developed and applied with 
an inclusive mindset so that everyone can feel that they are uniquely 
valued and belong.

4.5.4.3.1 Multi-hub business model
Schneider  Electric  wants  everyone  everywhere  in  the  Company  to 
have the same chance of success irrespective of their nationality or 
location.  To  deliver  on  this  ambition,  the  Group  created  a  multi-hub 
model and systematically relocated global jobs to three hubs across 
the world to have a truly global leadership. Instead of having a single 
global  headquarters,  Schneider  has  multiple  hubs:  Paris,  Boston, 
Hong  Kong.  Not  only  has  this  model  helped  to  attract  and  develop 
local talent, it has been instrumental in the expansion of the business 
with localized decision-making.

4.5.4.3.2 Gender pay equity
Equal  pay  for  equal  work  is  a  core  component  of  the  Group’s 
compensation  philosophy.  Since  2015,  as  part  of  its  HeForShe 
commitments, Schneider Electric has developed and implemented a 
Pay  Equity  Framework.  This  is  a  common  global  methodology  to 
identify gender pay gaps within comparable groups of employees and 
lead  a  country-driven  approach  to  address  gaps  with  appropriate 
corrective actions.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

The Group exceeded its ambition, which was to extend the Pay Equity 
Framework to 95% of its global workforce by the end of 2020: as of the 
end  of  2019,  the  Framework  has  been  implemented  in  all  countries, 
covering 99% of Schneider’s total workforce. 

The  Company  has  also  built  in  reminders  to  check  hidden  bias  and 
mitigate  them  through  inclusive  tips  into  its  major  human  resource 
programs, including performance and salary review processes.

4.5.4.3.3 Global Family Leave Policy
With  its  industry-leading  Global  Family  Leave  Policy,  Schneider 
Electric supports employees with personal time at critical life stages 
and empowers everyone to manage their ‘unique life and work’ so that 
they can be at their best.

While  the  Group’s  countries  have  flexibility  to  define  eligibility  and 
policy details per statutory/market requirements, the policy sets global 
minimum standards:

•  Fully  paid  parental  leave  (primary  parent  –  12  weeks;  secondary 

In addition to raising awareness on hidden biases, in 2018, through the 
launch of a Global Anti-Harassment Policy, Schneider reinforced the 
Group’s position on zero-tolerance on harassment, setting clear and 
consistent  expectations  of  workplace  conduct.  The  policy  defines 
harassment,  including  sexual  harassment,  outlines  the  roles  of 
employees, managers and witnesses in creating a workplace free of 
harassment, and highlights the different reporting channels available 
to  all,  while  maintaining  confidentiality  and  protection  against 
retaliation. The policy defines a global minimum standard; where local 
legislations  define  additional  standards  beyond  the  global  policy, 
Schneider entities comply with them. 

parent – 2 weeks);

•  Care leave (for sick/elderly relatives – 1 week); and
•  Bereavement leave (1 week).

In 2019, Schneider’s new Principles of Responsibility were launched, 
in  alignment  with  the  Company’s  Global  Anti-Harassment  policy. 
Mandatory e-learning on the Principles was rolled out to all employees.

As  of  the  end  of  2019,  all  countries  had  implemented  the  policy, 
covering  99%  of  benefit  eligible  employees.  By  2020,  all  benefit 
eligible employees are required to be covered by this policy.

4.5.4.5 External recognition

SSI#12: 100% Employees working in 
countries that have fully deployed the 
Global Family Leave Policy

Prior to the launch of the Global Family Leave Policy in 2017, 
employees in the US who needed time to care for their family 
had to use their vacation/paid time off or go on unpaid or 
partially paid leave. Thanks to the policy, they now have 
access to four types of paid family leave, to help them be 
present for life’s most significant moments. Since its 
deployment in the US, almost 2,000 employees have 
benefited from the policy. Schneider Electric US has even 
gone beyond global requirements, offering unique services 
that support parents returning to work, including travelling 
nursing mothers. 

% employees covered in 2019

99%

4.5.4.4 Tackling biases and discrimination
Schneider Electric has developed a comprehensive education approach 
on hidden bias to build inclusive teams and leaders at every level:

• 

Inclusion and hidden bias coaching session for senior management 
teams (N-1 & N-2 of Group Executive Committee); 

•  Leadership  skills  series  on  inclusive  leadership  (coaching  and 

e-learnings) for all people managers; and 

•  Overcoming hidden bias e-workout for all employees. 

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The  Group’s  longstanding  commitment  to  gender  equality  and 
inclusion was globally recognized multiple times in 2019 (see pages 
106-107):

•  Schneider  was  included  in  the  2020  Bloomberg  Gender  Equality 

Index, for the third year in a row.

•  Schneider was ranked first in the industrial sector and 31st globally 

in the Equileap Gender Equality Global Report and ranking.

•  Schneider was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Top 
50 Diversity Leaders 2020 on its first-of-its-kind ranking for Diversity 
& Inclusion in Europe. 

•  Schneider was selected as winner of the 2019 Catalyst award for 
Attracting  and  Retaining  Women  in  Schneider  Electric  India,  an 
initiative that is an integral part of the global Company’s diversity & 
inclusion transformation.

•  Schneider was ranked in the Top 50 for the Universum’s Diversity & 
Inclusion Index, which recognizes the most diverse and inclusive 
employers of the world.

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4.5.4.6 Focus on France
Gender diversity

Overall workforce

Non-DVC hiring

30%

41%

70%

59%

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

Sales hiring

28%

  Male
  Female
vs. 2018

72%

4.5.4.6.1 Gender diversity
In 2018, Schneider Electric Industries and France (SEI-SEF) signed a 
new collective agreement setting concrete ambitions and action plans 
to  advance  gender  balance,  combat  gender  stereotypes  and  close 
pay gaps within the organization. Thus, 2018 and 2019 marked a clear 
progression, especially in regard to women in sales. For example, two 
women  were  promoted  to  strategic  VP  positions  in  the  French 
management committee, and in the residential market sales team, a 
specific learning program on gender diversity was deployed.

Schneider Electric has partnered with Elles Bougent (an association of 
women  engineers),  C  Génial  Foundation  (a  foundation  promoting 
STEM  jobs),  and  MEDEF  (union  of  employers)  to  promote  technical 
roles  in  schools,  with  a  focus  on  gender  diversity.  As  of  the  end  of 
2019, through this network, 100 Schneider Electric women in technical 
roles  had  exchanged  with  over  3,000  pupils  at  their  school  or  on 
Schneider Electric sites.

Lastly, in 2019, a one-year mentoring program was launched with an 
initial group of 17 high potential women paired with senior leaders. The 
focus  of  this  program  is  to  increase  both  the  promotion  of  female 
talents and their access to leadership positions.

4.5.4.6.2 LGBT+ inclusion
In  June  2018,  Schneider  Electric  France  signed  the  LGBT+  Charter 
designed  by  L’Autre  Cercle  (“The  Other  Circle”),  a  non-profit 
advocating for LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace. Schneider Electric 
France’s LGBT+ and Allies network was launched in 2018 and in 2019, 
the  network  nominated  three  major  sponsors:  two  senior  vice 
presidents  from  the  business  and  one  from  human  resources.  To 
celebrate  the  2019  World  Day  Against  Homophobia,  a  five-day 
communication  campaign  was  launched  to  sensitize  employees  to 
LGBT+ issues. 

local  unions  (2019-2021)  reinforcing 

4.5.4.6.3 Disability inclusion
In 2018, Schneider Electric France signed a new three-year agreement 
its  commitment  on 
with 
employment,  inclusion  and  development  of  people  with  disabilities, 
and  addressing  digital  accessibility.  Overall,  employees  with 
disabilities  account  for  6.6%  of  the  workforce,  with:  3.6%  in  direct 
employment  and  3% 
(mainly  with 
subcontractors).  As  of  end  of  2019,  Schneider  Electric  France 
employed  approximately  800  employees  with  disabilities  with  18 
recruited as apprentices and nine as permanent workers.

in  undirect  employment 

In  November  2019,  Schneider  Electric  France  participated  in  the 
Duoday  initiative,  sponsored  by  the  French  government.  This  action 
gives the opportunity to an employee from Schneider Electric to share 
one day at work with a person with disabilities, has so far attracted 65 
volunteers.

4.5.4.6.4 Generational and socio-economic inclusion
As of the end of 2019, employees under the age of 30 made up 6% of 
the  overall  workforce  in  France  and  42%  of  new  hires.  Schneider 
Electric  France  supports  employment  of  students  and  young 
professionals from diverse social backgrounds: 

•  Schneider Electric France’s association “100 chances – 100 jobs” 
offers personalized career opportunities to 18-30 year-olds without 
higher  education  qualifications  or  degrees.  The  ambition  is  to 
provide at least 60% of candidates with jobs and/or skills training 
opportunities.  As  of  end  2019,  7100  young  people  have  been 
supported. (see more details page 191);

•  Partnering with Tous en Stages association (“Internships for all”), 
Schneider Electric France encourages its suppliers and vendors to 
empower  high  school  students  with  internships.  As  of  end  2019, 
540 internships were offered under this program.

4.5.4.6.5 Inclusive policies
Schneider Electric France’s Family Leave Policy exceeds the Group’s 
minimums  by  providing  up  to  21-day  secondary  parental  leave.  In 
addition, the Company offers a six-month 80% part-time option (with 
90% pay) upon return and 160 childcare spaces. Schneider Electric 
also supports employees’ work-life balance through flexibility at work 
policies:

•  3,800 employees subscribed to teleworking;
•  Flexibility for employees as caregivers (specific leave, donation of 
days between employees, support of internal social workers); and
•  Voluntary  Time  Off  per  year  for  assignments  within  associations 

sponsored by the Schneider Electric Foundation.

Schneider  Electric  France  has  raised  awareness  about  the  Global 
Anti-Harassment  Policy  and  has  committed  to  the  government-led 
#StOpE  initiative  against  sexual  harassment,  along  with  30  other 
companies. In addition, in 2019, Schneider Electric France established 
a network of 50 referents to address sexism and sexual harassment 
cases. These individuals have been equipped and trained to be the 
first point of contact for employees who are victims of such behaviors. 
Also,  awareness  on  domestic  violence  was  addressed  within  the 
Company during a dedicated event jointly organized by the Schneider 
health  team  and  local  NGOs.  The  national  domestic  violence 
emergency number was communicated to employees on all sites.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.5.4.7 Focus on the United States
4.5.4.7.1. Gender diversity in the US

Overall workforce

Non-DVC hiring

26%

34%

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

74%

66%

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

4.5.4.7.4 Employee Resource Groups
Beyond Schneider Electric US’ policies and programs, seven dynamic 
Employee  Resource  Groups  (ERGs)  work  hard  as  a  community  to 
spread awareness of inclusive behaviors through the execution of the 
D&I  calendar.  Their  purpose  this  year  was  to  focus  to  the  national 
holidays that celebrate different minority groups throughout the year, 
which  resulted  in  a  more  visible  engagement  of  senior  leaders, 
increased  number  of  events  and  attendees,  and  increased  social 
media engagement.

4.5.4.7.5 Diversity for business: Supplier Diversity program
Schneider Electric US’ Supplier Diversity program strives to identify, 
include  and  engage  qualified  diverse  suppliers  to  support  the 
Company’s goals and provide a level of excellence to all stakeholders. 
The program is in pursuit of qualified Small Business Enterprise (SBE), 
Veteran  (VET),  Minority-Owned  Enterprise  (MBE),  Women-Owned 
Enterprise  (WBE),  and  Historically  Underutilized  Business  Zones 
(HUBZone)  suppliers  that  provide  quality  products  and  services  at 
competitive prices. 

As  of  end  2019,  11.1%  of  Schneider  Electric’s  US  suppliers  were 
diverse.  In  2019,  the  Company’s  Supplier  Diversity  program  was 
recognized  at  Intel’s  annual  Preferred  Supplier  Event,  making 
Schneider the first company in the energy sector in the US to receive 
that recognition. 

4.5.4.7.6 External recognition
Schneider  Electric  US  received  different  recognitions  for  building  a 
diverse and inclusive culture:

86%

• 

In  2019,  listed  amongst  Forbes’  Best  Employer  for  ALL,  Women, 
Diversity and New Graduates;

•  Listed as a Military Friendly Company, empowering veterans, and 

being enriched by their experience; 

•  Certified as a Great Place to Work and a Fortune Best Workplace in 

Manufacturing & Production; and 

•  Listed as a Best Company for Women by Comparably.

Sales hiring

14%

  Male
  Female
vs. 2018

4.5.4.7.2 Hiring, retaining and mentoring diverse teams
Schneider Electric has partnered with the Society of Women Engineers, 
the  National  Society  of  Black  Engineers,  Military  MOJO  and  Navy 
Nukes to tap into a diversified talent pool. These partnerships support 
the  Company  at  university  level  to  engage  with  the  most  diverse 
generation  to  date  in  the  US  through  a  variety  of  actions,  such  as 
sponsoring Hackathons and engaging Schneider Electric’s leaders in 
campus events.

Schneider Electric US also launched a Mentoring Program designed 
to  further  promote  the  mentoring  and  development  culture  in  an 
inclusive way, by making opportunities available for everyone through 
a  variety  of  options:  a  series  of  inspirational  videos  from  leaders, 
sharing  their  perspectives  and  experiences  on  our  leadership 
expectations; face-to-face mentoring circles organized by Employee 
Resource  Groups;  and  a  mentoring  website  with  resources  and 
materials  to  enable  employees  to  seek  a  mentor  on  their  own. 
Additionally,  mentoring  opportunities  are  available  for  all  employees 
with the introduction of Open Talent Market, Schneider Electric’s one-
stop-shop career development and internal talent market, powered by 
Artificial Intelligence.

4.5.4.7.3 Inclusive benefits
Schneider  Electric  US  is  proud  to  offer  inclusive  family  planning 
benefits as part of the heath care plans available for employees. As of 
January  2020,  benefits  include  family  planning  support  for  infertility 
treatment, fertility support and benefits for adoption and surrogacy. 

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4.5.4.8.3 LGBT+ and disability inclusion
As inclusion starts with awareness, Schneider Electric Greater India 
celebrated Pride month in June and the International Day of Persons 
with Disabilities in December. Over 600 employees from all parts of the 
organization  took  part  in  these  events.  Employees  increased  their 
awareness through engaging in the panel discussions, with community 
members and their allies, and in Yammer conversations on LGBT+ and 
disability inclusion. 

4.5.4.8.4 Social impact
As  part  of  the  Schneider  Electric  Greater  India  President’s  personal 
commitment  to  the  Women  Empowerment  Principles  (WEPs),  the 
organization introduced the Prerna Awards to promote gender equality 
beyond  the  workplace  to  society.  As  of  end  2019,  seven  women 
entrepreneurs  with  small  or  medium-sized  enterprises  have  been 
recognized  for  empowering  women  through  creating  new  jobs  or 
making their mark in a male dominated sector.

Schneider  Electric  Greater  India  has  also  developed  the  Jagriti 
initiative,  which  aims 
to  educate  school  children  on  gender 
stereotyping. From 2016 to 2019, 10,000+ children in private schools 
have benefitted from the initiative. In 2019, the program was extended 
to 400 students from government schools in rural areas as well as to 
250 Schneider Electric facilities staff.

4.5.4.8.5 Inclusive policies
As of end 2019, Schneider Electric Greater India was fully aligned with 
the Group’s Global Family Leave Policy, and in some cases exceeding 
Group minimums. Employees are also provided with discounted day 
care centers near office locations.

Schneider  Electric  Greater  India  also  supports  employees  through 
additional leave and flexibility at work policies:

•  Advanced sick leave, in case of prolonged sickness;
•  Sabbaticals, for family care at critical times;
•  Voluntary time off, for community volunteering activities;
•  Flexible  work  policy,  with  flexible  timing  for  arrival  and  departure 
from the office, work from home in times of exigency and part-time 
options. 

4.5.4.8 Focus on Greater India (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) 
4.5.4.8.1 Gender Diversity

Overall workforce

Non-DVC hiring

24%

41%

76%

59%

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

  Male
  Female

vs. 2018

Sales hiring(1)

35%

65%

  Male
  Female
vs. 2018

(1)  International Operations, including Greater India Zone

4.5.4.8.2 Gender inclusion
Since 2015, Greater India has been implementing a successful holistic 
approach  to  build  a  gender-balanced  leadership  pipeline.  This 
longstanding  focus  and  multi-dimensional  approach  to  gender 
diversity has been recognized globally by the 2019 Catalyst Award.

To accelerate gender diverse hiring at entry level, Schneider Electric 
India  focuses  on  campus  engagement  by  leading  actions  such  as 
Schneider’s leaders being guest lecturers, student onsite visits, and 
college visits and partnerships. For middle level roles, the Mid-Level 
Infusion  project  encourages  hiring  mid-level  women  from  different 
industries in business roles. For senior level roles, systematic industry 
mapping ensures that the Group attracts potential women leaders.

In addition, through a program named Her Second Innings, Schneider 
Electric Greater India strives to leverage an untapped talent pool, by 
hiring women who are looking to re-enter the workforce after a career 
break.

Lastly, the leadership development program URJA (which translates to 
‘Energy’ in English) is designed to harness the leadership skills of mid-
career  women  employees  identified  as  solid  potentials.  As  of  end 
2019, more than 400 women have participated in the program.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

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4.6 Compensation and benefits

4.6.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Immense changes are taking place – industry re-configuration, digital 
everywhere,  a  global  and  local  world  and  a  new  diverse,  multi-
generational  workforce.  To  support  Schneider  Electric’s  mission  to 
create a great place to work and to cater for the diverse needs of its 
global  existing  and  future  workforce,  the  Company  is  committed  to 
providing a competitive, inclusive compensation and benefits offering, 
which attracts, motivates and retains talent. 

Pay competitively and pay-for-performance 
Schneider Electric’s objective is to create a high-performance culture 
where  employee  rewards  and  Schneider  performance  are  linked.  In 
line  with 
the 
compensation structure typically includes fixed and variable (incentive) 
elements.  Compensation  programs  and  decisions  are  based  on 
individual  performance  and  behaviors,  Company  performance  and 
competitive market positioning. 

the  Group’s  pay-for-performance  philosophy, 

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4.6.2 Group policy
At Schneider Electric, each employee has their unique life and work 
ambitions and that’s why the Group provides a meaningful, inclusive 
and personalized reward portfolio to provide for the diverse needs of 
people and empower them to drive business results.

People  are  the  most  valuable  asset.  As  a  responsible  employer, 
Schneider prioritizes pay equity and fairness, a culture of diversity & 
inclusion,  and  a  healthy  workplace  where  all  employees  can  feel 
recognized  and  safe  to  bring  their  authentic  self  to  work.  Schneider 
ensures that all compensation and benefits decisions and policies are 
based  on  these  principles  and  follow  local  statutory  and  collective 
agreements. 

If Schneider Wins, We All Win. Employees are individually empowered 
and  collectively  driven  to  collaborate  and  beat  the  competition. 
Schneider  Electric  believes 
recognizing  and 
in 
differentiating fairly employees who contribute to the success and live 
the values of the Company. By putting recognition at the centre of a 
high-performance ambition, employees feel engaged and motivated 
to do more. Delivering high performance is rewarded by competitive 
market  pay, 
incentive  programs,  employee  shareholding  and 
opportunities to grow careers within Schneider.

rewarding, 

Benefits  are  an  essential  component  of  the  Group’s  reward  portfolio 
reflecting  the  diverse  needs  of  its  employees.  Schneider  offers  a 
portfolio of benefits to care for employees’ needs at each life stage. Its 
diverse  and  multigenerational  workforce  is  provided  with  meaningful 
choices covering a holistic range of well-being, flexibility and financial 
protections to provide peace of mind to employees and their dependents.

4.6.3 Due diligence and results
4.6.3.1 Compensation
4.6.3.1.1 Our job architecture and compensation process 
Schneider  Electric  has  implemented  a  global  job  architecture  to 
support  HR  processes  and  programs  and  to  enable  Schneider  to 
engage,  develop  and  move  talents  across  different  businesses  and 
geographies.  The  job  architecture  provides  alignment  to  market 
practice  and  organizational  structure  to  ensure  the  reward  package 
offered for a role is fair and competitive. This structure is also used to 
create transparency for career development and progression.

Leaders are equipped to make informed reward decisions throughout 
an employee’s career by providing guidance, education and tools to 
make fair and equitable decisions.

Equal pay for equal work
Schneider Electric is committed to rewarding everyone for the skill set 
they possess and values their contribution on an equal basis. Since 
2015, as part of its HeForShe commitments, the Group has implemented 
a systematic process to identify gender pay gaps within comparable 
groups  of  employees,  address  pay  discrepancies  across  genders, 
and  take  corrective  actions  at  global  and  country  levels  to  reduce 
identified gaps. 

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In  2018  this  process  was  digitized  and  incorporated  into  the  global 
HRIS compensation tool ‘Talentlink’ enabling robust global reporting 
and  analytics  to  track  progress.  At  the  end  of  2019,  a  Pay  Equity 
Framework  has  been  implemented  in  all  countries,  covering  99%  of 
Schneider’s total workforce and already achieving its 2020 ambition. 

SSI#15: 95% of employees  
are working in a country with 
commitment and processes in  
place to achieve gender pay equity

Schneider Electric has made significant progress in 
systematically identifying and addressing pay gaps. By the 
end of 2019, 99% of employees worldwide are working in a 
country with commitment and processes in place to achieve 
gender pay equity. Over the past two years, additional 
countries were added into the coverage, notably in the 
Middle East, Africa and South America. Today, the pay equity 
adjustment process is fully integrated into the annual global 
salary review. A range of communications and education 
materials have been developed with over 1,000 leaders and 
the HR community being trained to make fair and equitable 
compensation decisions in hiring, promotion and salary 
review. 

% employees covered in 2019

99%

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

Living wage
In line with its Human Rights Policy and Principles of Responsibility, 
Schneider Electric believes earning a decent wage is a basic human 
right. Schneider is committed to paying employees in the lower salary 
ranges at or above the living wage to meet their families’ basic needs. 
By  basic  needs,  the  Group  considers  food,  housing,  sanitation, 
education,  healthcare  plus  discretionary  income  for  a  given  local 
standard of living. 

In  2018,  Schneider  started  working  with  an  independent  advisor  – 
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) – to implement a living wage 
commitment.  Schneider  Electric  has  initiated  a  global  process  to 
analyze  wage  levels  and  employment  practices  against  local  living 
wage  standards  set  by  BSR.  At  the  end  of  2019,  the  analysis  had 
covered 63 countries, reaching 99% of the Schneider footprint. This 
partnership and process will continue in 2020. 

4.6.3.1.2 Short-term incentive
For employees to take a ‘One Schneider Electric’ approach, incentives 
are linked with overall Company performance and individual objectives. 
It  is  designed  to  encourage  and  motivate  employees  to  deliver  on 
collective ambitions through a sense of accountability and collaboration. 
To promote a superior sales culture, Schneider Electric offers levels of 
differentiated reward for sales people focusing on results. 

With a strong sustainability component, annual short-term incentives 
for the Group’s executives and over 60,000 eligible employees focus 
on  what  matters  to  Schneider  Electric.  Since  2011,  sustainable 
development components have been added to incentive goals of the 
Executive  Committee.  They  are  directly  linked  to  the  Schneider 
Sustainability Impact targets. 

In 2019, the weight of the Schneider Sustainability Impact criteria was 
increased from 6% to 20% in the collective part of the annual incentive 
to  further  highlight  the  importance  of  sustainability  on  Schneider 
Electric’s  business  agenda.  In  France  since  2012,  the  SSI  has  also 
been included in the profit-sharing incentive plan for the French entities 
Schneider  Electric  Industries  and  Schneider  Electric  France.  The 
reduction in the occupational accidents severity rate is also considered 
in the profit-sharing incentive plans of 26 other French entities.

4.6.3.1.3 Long term incentive
Schneider Electric’s long-term incentive plan offers share ownership 
opportunities to the Group’s key talents and critical roles to align their 
rewards with the interests and experience of Schneider shareholders, 
encouraging  them  to  Act  Like  Owners.  Similar  to  the  short-term 
incentive, a portion of the award under the long-term incentive plan is 
subject  to  the  achievement  of  the  Schneider  Sustainability  Impact 
targets.

4.6.3.1.4 Recognition is in our DNA
Every  day,  Schneider  Electric  employees  are  making  important 
contributions  to  help  the  organization  achieve  its  mission  and  key 
business  results.  The  Global  Recognition  Portal  “Step  Up”  gives 
employees  a  way  to  formally  recognize  and  celebrate  people  who 
consistently demonstrate the Company’s Core Values and go above 
and  beyond.  Schneider  creates  a  culture  where  employees  receive 
regular feedback and coaching from their managers and colleagues 
and  encourages  the  recognition  of  small  and  big  achievements  by 
simply saying “Thank you”. 

Recognition is a top motivator and driver for employees, ranking in the 
top 5 of the OneVoice Employee Engagement Survey in 2019. Gratitude 
and appreciation have a high impact across the organization and are 
a  key  priority  in  driving  engagement  and  high  performance  at 
Schneider Electric. Over 250,000 recognition moments were recorded 
in 2019 in the Step Up portal, acknowledging Schneider employees 
living the Core Values around the world. 

4.6.3.2 Benefits
Company  provided  benefits  represent  a  considerable  business 
commitment by Schneider Electric everywhere in the world. Schneider 
ensures that all employee benefits are locally and globally compliant, 
as  well  as  market  relevant.  Because  employee  benefit  plans  vary 
significantly between countries due to different levels of social, tax and 
legal  regulations,  Schneider’s  benefits  portfolio  is  primarily  country-
driven and aims at providing similar benefits within a country territory.

4.6.3.2.1 Our global benefit standards
Schneider Electric regularly reviews compliance with its global benefit 
policies  and  principles  to  ensure  that  its  inclusive  global  benefit 
standards are delivered for everyone, everywhere. These standards 
cover  healthcare,  family  leave  and  life  cover  and  are  audited  in  the 
Schneider Sustainability Impact.

One of Schneider Electric’s underlying benefit objectives is to ensure 
all its employees are equipped to manage their basic health and well-
being  and  to  provide  adequate  security  to  employees  and  their 
dependents. Health and well-being are embedded in the Schneider 
Electric strategic people priorities and contribute to its sustainability 
mission. The Company has a commitment to strive, at a minimum, that 
90% of Schneider’s employees have access to a comprehensive well-
being at work program – translated into a dual standard of access to 
well-being  programs  and  healthcare.  Well-being  training  programs 
offered are detailed page 156. Access to inclusive and comprehensive 
standard of healthcare coverage is defined by local regulations and 
employment  agreements.  As  outlined  in  the  Global  Family  Leave 
Policy  section  (page  166),  Schneider  Electric  also  supports  its 
employees with personal time off at critical life stages and this is fully 
deployed  in  100%  of  countries.  In  addition,  the  Group  commits  to 
provide financial security to employee dependents, in the event of an 
employee’s death, in the form of a minimum standard of life assurance 
coverage of at least a multiple equivalent to one year’s salary.

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4.6.3.2.2 Employee Share Ownership 
Employees are expected to “Act Like Owners” of the Company, taking 
responsibility  and  ownership  in  everything  they  do.  In  line  with  this 
strong belief, since 1995, the Group has offered employees throughout 
the  world  the  opportunity  to  become  owners  of  the  Company,  at 
preferred conditions, thanks to the World Employee Share Ownership 
Plan (WESOP). It is one of the Group’s key annual reward programs 
and was recognized by the Global Equity Organization in April 2019 
for best employee ownership plan effectiveness. 

For the first time in 2019, more than 50% of WESOP eligible employees 
in  38  participating  countries  subscribed,  representing  more  than 
56,000 employees. This is the third consecutive year of unprecedented 
participation. 

2

As  of  December  31,  2019,  the  employee  shareholding  represented 
43.7% of Schneider Electric SE’s capital and 6.3% of the voting rights. 
75%  of  the  Group  employee  shareholders  were  located  outside  of 
France, of which 13% are in China and the US, and 11% in India. This 
also  includes  employee  shareholding  resulting  from  the  long-term 
incentives grants.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.7 Social dialog and relations

4.7.1 Description of risks and opportunities
Social  dialog  and  freedom  of  association  must  be  seen  within  the 
wider  context  of  Ethics  &  Responsibility.  As  a  global  Company, 
Schneider  Electric  is  convinced  that  its  responsibility  goes  beyond 
compliance with local and international regulations and is committed 
to conducting its business ethically, sustainably and responsibly.

The  Company  is  constantly  interacting  with  all  the  stakeholders 
throughout  the  world:  its  borders  are  expanding,  its  environment  is 
changing  ever  faster,  its  activities  are  becoming  globalized  and  its 
social responsibilities are growing.

The  challenge  is  to  gain  and  maintain  the  highest  confidence  of  its 
stakeholders. To support each employee in this approach, the Group 
emphasizes the importance of placing responsibility at the heart of its 
corporate governance.

The  Group  currently  has  around  135,000  employees  worldwide. 
Following the Group’s various acquisitions, it has been able to integrate 
this exceptional professional and cultural diversity.

4.7.2 Group policy
Schneider  Electric  considers  freedom  of  association  and  collective 
bargaining as fundamental rights that must be respected everywhere 
and therefore in its Principles of Responsibility commits to complying 
with local laws in every country where it operates.

In its Human Rights Policy, Schneider confirms that it considers freedom 
of association as the basis of a regular dialog between a company and 
its employees. To that purpose, Schneider respects the individual right 
of its employees to freely join, participate in or quit labor organizations to 
assert and defend their interests. Subsequently, Schneider guarantees 
that  any  employee  wishing  to  do  so  shall  be  protected  against  any 
internal  measure  limiting  his  or  her  freedom  of  association  such  as 
discrimination  of  any  kind,  pay  loss  or  dismissal.  Schneider  also 
recognizes  the  importance  of  dialog  with  freely  appointed  employee 
representatives,  employee  representative  bodies  (such  as  Works 
Councils or employee forums) or organizations (like trade unions) and 
supports collective bargaining.

In  addition,  Schneider  joined  the  Global  Deal  initiative  in  2017.  The 
Group is promoting social dialogue as a means to foster decent work, 
quality jobs, increased productivity and, by extension, greater equality 
and inclusive growth.

4.7.3 Due diligence and results
Social dialog is managed at country level by the HR leaders with the 
employee representative bodies and unions, and at transnational level 
with the European Works Council which covers most of geographical 
Europe. Social dialog is also taken into consideration by the Group’s 
social reporting system, where local HR teams report on the presence 
of  trade  unions,  works  councils  and  Health  and  Safety  Committee 
every year.

In  2014,  while  changing  the  corporate  form  of  its  parent  company, 
Schneider Electric SA, into a European company (Société européenne), 
Schneider  Electric  negotiated  an  agreement  with  employee 
representatives of European countries about the involvement of these 
countries’ employees in the Company’s decision-making processes, 
thus  reaffirming  its  commitment  to  promoting  social  dialog  at 
international level.

4.7.3.1 European Works Council (EWC)
The changes that were made in 2014 to the European Works Council 
in  the  framework  of  Schneider  Electric  SA’s  transformation  into  a 
European  Company  significantly  enhanced  the  intensity  and  the 
impact of social dialog at European level. This European channel for 
dialog aims at enabling management to make more efficient decisions 
by giving employee representatives the opportunity to be informed of 
such  decisions  and  to  understand  their  reasons,  as  well  as  to  put 
forward proposals to supplement or improve them.

It  has  also  fostered  the  emergence  of  a  strong  identity,  combining 
different  cultures  and  having  the  common  aim  of  working  towards 
social and economic progress within the companies in the Group at 
European  level.  The  European  Works  Council  covers  all  European 
Economic  Area  countries  (hence  all  EU  member  states)  and 
Switzerland, for a total of 43,000 employees.

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Moreover, in respect of the spirit of European participation, signed in 
2014, and agreed by a large majority of negotiators, a new European 
Works Council has been set out with extended powers and resources, 
and the participation of European employee representatives at board 
of  directors’  level  has  been  introduced.  It  replaced  the  previous 
European Works Council.

In 2017, Schneider Electric and Industrial Europe signed an innovative 
Europe-wide agreement, the European agreement on the anticipation 
and  development  of  competencies  and  employment  with  respect  to 
the Schneider business strategy. This agreement is a great opportunity 
to  create  a  governance  for  jobs  and  skills  at  the  Company  by 
anticipating  impact  and  evolutions  in  business  in  line  with  current 
market trends and the Company’s ambition. It sets clear objectives for 
boosting employees’ employability, and for enriching the workforce by 
diversity and digital generation recruitment and reinforces constructive 
social dialog at European and local level within the Company.

In  2019,  the  European  Works  Council  met  five  times,  including  four 
Core Council Meetings and one plenary session. During this plenary 
session we renewed 30% of seats and re-elected the core members 
and EWC secretary. This allowed active social dialog at European level 
throughout the year, as well as in-depth discussion on key topics. The 
June  plenary  session  hosted  presentations  and  discussions  on  the 
Company’s  strategy  with  Executive  Committee  members  including 
Schneider Electric’s CEO. 

4.7.3.2 Group Works Council, France
Schneider  Electric’s  French  Group  Works  Council  is  a  forum  for 
economic,  financial  and  social  dialog  between  senior  management 
and the representatives of employees from all French subsidiaries.

Several  negotiations  were  launched  during  2019  at  the  level  of  the 
Group in France, training, apprenticeship and some tools to manage 
the evolution of headcount and skills. 

Due  to  the  evolution  of  the  law,  Schneider  has  negotiated  a  new 
agreement about the functioning of the Group Work Council.

Schneider launched some new training for some trade union members 
(15 people – 18 days). In case of success, they will obtain a certificate 
(social dialog, economic and business skills, etc).

In  order  to  better  understand  the  Schneider  Electric  and  its 
perspectives,  the  Group  Works  Council  also  visited  NEWLOG 
(distribution center) and Beaumont-le-Roger (factory).

4.7.3.3 Social dialog in the United States
In the US and more generally in North America, regular communication 
takes place with both union and non-union employees on key business 
topics and trends affecting their jobs. Company officials meet with key 
international  union  leaders  on  an  ongoing  basis,  and  formally  on  an 
annual basis, to advise and discuss competitive issues impacting the 
Company’s  business,  and  to  ensure  alignment  with  the  Company’s 
business strategies/challenges. Local Company officials also meet with 
location  union  representatives  regarding  information  targeted  to  local 
issues as related to safety and operational strategies.

4.7.3.4 Social dialog in Mexico
In Mexico, Schneider Electric leaders conduct regular communication 
with  employees  on  topics  related  to  their  jobs:  this  communication 
takes place in different ways, including large communication meetings 
and small group conversations. There is also continuous communication 
with  the  union  leaders  and  delegates  of  four  national  unions  which 
represent unionized employees. Schneider Electric them informed of 
internal and external issues impacting the Company’s results, listens 
to their concerns and looks for alignment with the Company strategy 
and  challenges.  Schneider  and  the  unions  review  the  collective 
contract every year.

In  2018,  Schneider  Electric  Mexico  was  certified  by  CEMEFI  as  a 
Socially Responsible Company. The mission of CEMEFI is to foster and 
enhance the culture of philanthropy and social responsibility in Mexico 
and  strengthen  the  organized  and  active  participation  of  society  in 
solving community problems. Different topics are evaluated during the 
certification process, including active labor relations points. In addition 
to  this,  each  unit/plant  leads  proactively  its  own  social  actions,  for 
example in 2018 the Plant on Tlaxcala state got the Gilberto Rincon 
Gallardo Inclusive Company Distinction from Federal Labor Authority, 
for applying a labor inclusion policy for people in vulnerable situations.

4.7.3.5 Social dialog in China
Schneider  Electric  has  over  30  legal  entities  and  over  100  sites  in 
China,  most  of  which  have  set  up  unions.  Unions  offer  input  in  the 
review of local policies relating to employee remuneration and taking 
lead  in  renewing  collective  contracts  and  organization  changes  in 
2019. Unions play a key role in leading employee events and activities 
including the set-up of Employee Caring Center in all branch offices, 
annual family day, bringing kids to work, etc. 2019 saw the initiation of 
Monday  Energy  Station  which  creates  an  opportunity  for  team 
gathering every Monday, further bonding team members and positively 
contributing to the overall well-being environment. Other achievements 
include  the  upgrade  of  the  mother  and  baby  rooms  nationwide, 
providing  staff  books,  running  machines;  promoting  well-being 
courses,  including  energy  management  and  traditional  Chinese 
medicine health care courses. The Labor Union has organised more 
than 800 activities nationwide with a participation of more than 7,000 
people.

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4. Committed to and on behalf of employees

4.7.3.6 Social dialog in India
Schneider Electric India has a strong social dialog culture with both 
unionized and non-unionized employees. In 2019, Schneider Electric 
India  maintained  cordial  industrial  relations  throughout  its  plants  
and establishments. 

Industrial harmony has been achieved through a time-tested collective 
bargaining process involving unions or through worker representative 
committees.  In  some  of  the  plants  where  there  are  no  recognized 
unions, this bargaining process is conducted with elected employees 
on committees such as Welfare (Works Committee), Health & Safety, 
Canteen, Sports and Transport ,etc., including a special committee for 
women employees and a prevention of sexual harassment committee 
(fully compliant with the prevention of sexual harassment governance 
as per local laws), duly represented by employees and external women 
with specialist knowledge of the subject and with legal backgrounds. 
These committees provide a platform for employees to represent their 
concerns, collective grievances and workplace-related issues to the 
management.  All  employee  engagement  programs  are  run  through 
these committees with the active participation of every employee.

The  process  of  social  dialog  also  includes  monthly  employee 
communication at plants level, as well as through Quarterly Town Hall 
communication on Company performance, strategy and challenges. 
This year, Schneider Electric India has signed a long-term agreement 
in one of its entities.

4.7.3.7 Social dialog in Turkey
2019  has  been  a  fruitful  and  productive  year  for  Schneider  Electric 
Turkey  where  new  policies  were  introduced  as  well  as  an  employee 
support program to the benefit of employees. 

The deployment of the Global Family Leave Policy has been completed. 
The policy is now in place and being actively used by all employees in 
the plants including blue collar employees. This implementation has 
received very good feedback from the employees and from the union. 
It has been recognized as a very good and progressive implementation, 
quite ahead of many employers in Turkey. 

Schneider  Electric  Turkey  has  also  completed  the  launch  of  the 
Employee  Assistance  Program  (AVITA)  with  the  full  coverage  of  the 
country. This is a 24/7 consultancy and information service provided 
by experts in every field that the employee and/or their family might 
feel the need to research or seek for help. Finally, Schneider Electric 
Turkey has launched its Business Policy Against Domestic Violence. 
This  policy  provides  support  and  help  to  any  Schneider  Electric 
employee  to  overcome  the  after-effects  of  physical,  economic  or 
psychological domestic violence.

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5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

In this section:

5.0  Context, goals, key targets and results 

177

5.3  The Schneider Electric Foundation  

5.1  25 years of commitment to youth, skills development,  

5.4  Territorial positioning and local impact on economic  

and reducing the energy gap 

5.2  Access to Energy program 

and social development 

178

179

185

190

Context and goals
Schneider Electric has always played an active role in the economic 
development  of  the  communities  in  which  it  has  a  presence,  in 
particularly on two topics: access to energy and energy poverty. 

Recent data show the majority of EU countries have ‘moderately high’ 
to ‘extreme’ levels of energy poverty among low-income households.

Notable progress has been made on energy access in recent years, 
with  the  number  of  people  living  without  electricity  dropping  to  840 
million in 2017 from 1 billion in 2016(1). Decentralized renewable energy 
sector  has  emerged  as  a  significant  employer  in  emerging  markets 
with the creation of more than 450,000 thousand jobs(2) by 2023.

2

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Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Development

19.  Turnover of our Access to Energy program
20.  Underprivileged people trained in energy management
21.  Volunteering days thanks to our VolunteerIn global platform

2019  

progress

2020  
target

1.56 (cid:83)

x4
246,268 (cid:83) 400,000
15,000

11,421 (cid:83)

(cid:83) 2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting point value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 179-182 for indicator 19, 
183-185 for indicator 20, and 188-189 for indicator 21).

2025

Schneider Electric has also defined objectives for 2025: 

•  Train 1 million underprivileged people;
•  Support 10,000 entrepreneurs; 
•  Train 10,000 trainers; 
•  Help 50 million people gain access to energy thanks to the Group’s solutions.

2030 

Help 80 million people gain access to energy thanks to the Group’s solutions.

(1)  Source: Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, produced by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the 

United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).

(2)  Source: Powering Jobs Census 2019: The Energy Access Workforce – Power for All in partnership with the Schneider Electric Foundation.

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5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

5.1 25 years of commitment to youth, skills 
development, and reducing the energy gap

For 25 years, Schneider Electric has led many initiatives to reinforce its impact as a responsible and social company. 

Creation of the 
Schneider Electric 
Foundation

Launch of the Access to 
Energy program

Creation of 
Schneider 
Initiative 
Entrepreneurs 
(SIE)

Launch of 100 
opportunities 
– 100 jobs NGO

Creation of the Schneider 
Electric Teachers (SET) 
NGO

Launch of the Energy 
Poverty program

Renaming SET 
to Schneider 
Electric 
VolunteerIn 
NGO

1994

1998

2004

2009

2012

2013

2019

Schneider Electric considers access to energy and digital as fundamental human rights. The Group wants all people on the planet to have access 
to modern energy – reliable, safe, efficient and sustainable – to access a better life through health, green agriculture, economic and community 
development, women’s empowerment, education, and support in emergency situations, while fighting climate change. The Access to Energy & 
Energy  Poverty  program  encompasses  initiatives  of  the  above  timeline  to  serve  three  main  objectives:  deliver  access  to  electricity,  provide 
solutions for reliable power and productive uses, and fight energy poverty.

Overview of the Access to Energy & Energy Poverty program

Products and solutions

Investments

Training & entrepreneurship

For the design and deployment of 
adequate electrical distribution offers

Investment funds for innovative 
energy entrepreneurship locally

Train disadvantaged people and 
sustain entrepreneurship in the 
energy field

Access to Energy & Energy Poverty program

Delivering access to electricity 
in Africa

Solutions for reliable power and 
productive uses in APAC

Fighting energy poverty in 
Europe and the US

And productive uses of energy,  
in remote or underserved areas

In remote or underserved areas

Unlocking solutions and social 
innovations to support families in need

Health  Agriculture  Community  Women  Education  Emergency

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2

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5.2 Access to Energy program

Schneider Electric launched its Access to Energy program in 2009, with 
a unique approach combining three dimensions that enrich each other:

•  A training and entrepreneurship program aimed at developing 
skills in the electricity trades and supporting entrepreneurs in this 
area, in particular women, as a necessary condition for sustainable 
and inclusive local development.

•  A social and inclusive business, with products and solutions for 
rural electrification (collective and individual, such as solar lanterns, 
solar home systems including Pay As You Go feature, solar water 
pumping systems, microgrids including plug and play containerized 
solutions, etc.), creating local jobs in distribution, energy services, 
agriculture, etc., and promoting in particular women’s empowerment.
Investment funds for impact on energy access to further support 
local economies.

• 

To  date,  Schneider  Electric  has  provided  energy  access  solutions  
to more than 27 million people, invested in 20 companies, trained more 
than  246,000  underprivileged  people  and  supported  more  than  800 
entrepreneurs. It targets enabling 80 million people access to electricity 
by 2030, and by 2025 1 million people trained, 10,000 trainers trained, 
10,000 entrepreneurs supported.

5.2.2 Impact investments
In  July  2009,  Schneider  Electric  created  a  social  impact  investment 
structure  in  the  form  of  a  variable-capital  SAS  (simplified  joint-stock 
company), Schneider Electric Energy Access (SEEA), with a minimum 
capital of EUR 3 million. 

As at December 31, 2019, the following amounts were managed by SEEA:

•  EUR 3,000,000 in capital invested by Schneider Electric;
•  EUR  3,200,000  invested  by  Schneider  Energie  Sicav  Solidaire 
(including  EUR  500,000  in  capital),  a  mutual  fund  managing  the 
employee  savings  scheme  for  Schneider  Electric  employees  in 
France; and

•  EUR 200,000 in capital invested by Phitrust Partenaires.

Created with the support of Crédit Coopératif, the fund’s mission is to 
support the development of entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide that 
will help the poorest populations obtain access to energy. It will invest 
in specific projects:

•  Helping  jobless  individuals  create  businesses  in  the  electricity 

sector;

5.2.1 Organization
5.2.1.1 Management
The  program  is  managed  by  the  Sustainability  department;  the 
program’s  management  team  is  divided  into  equivalent  numbers  in 
France and India:

•  Developing businesses that fight against fuel poverty in Europe by 

promoting energy efficiency and offering efficient housing;

•  Developing  businesses  that  provide  access  to  energy  in  rural  or 

suburban areas in emerging countries; and

•  Supporting the deployment of innovative energy access solutions 

that use renewable energies for disadvantaged people.

The SEEA fund brings together different stakeholders by encouraging 
Schneider  Electric’s  employees  and  business  partners  around  the 
world to play an active role in this commitment. At the end of August 
2019, 5,806 Group employees in France showed their interest in the 
Access to Energy program by investing EUR 29.4 million.

The aim of the SEEA fund is to maximise social impact while protecting 
the  assets  under  management.  Accordingly,  it  has  adopted  strict 
management rules, such as:

•  Always invest in partnerships with recognized players;
•  Never take a majority stake; and
•  Always  provide  efficient  company  support  (help  develop  a 
business plan, technical advice, etc.) to deliver the optimum social 
impact while minimizing risk.

•  An Access to Energy program strategy and performance manager;
•  Two  business  development  directors  in  charge  of  marketing  of 
Access to Energy solutions, one for the Asia Pacific zone and one 
for the Africa, Middle East and South America zone. One of them  
is  also  supervising  the  emergency,  post-conflict  and  refugee 
account manager;

•  An offer creation director;
•  An  impact  investment  director,  who  manages  or  supervises  the 
Schneider Electric Energy Access (SEEA) social welfare fund and 
the Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEA-Asia) fund;

•  A training & entrepreneurship director; and
•  Access to Energy correspondents in key countries (India, Myanmar, 
Indonesia,  Senegal,  Ivory  Coast,  DRC,  Cameroon,  Madagascar, 
Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, etc.). Their involvement may be 
part-time or full-time. They contribute their knowledge of the local 
context  (organization  of  civil  society,  local  authorities,  the  private 
sector,  etc.)  and  guarantee  that  the  project  is  aligned  with  local 
needs.  Their  presence  is  of  crucial  importance  for  the  long-term 
oversight of projects in which Schneider Electric is involved.

5.2.1.2 Rollout
To achieve its goals, the Access to Energy program operates through 
its  local  presence  in  the  countries  concerned  by  energy  access 
issues.  With  rare  exceptions,  all  projects  initiated  benefit  from 
monitoring by employees of Schneider Electric entities operating in the 
countries  concerned.  These  employees  constitute  a  network  of  key 
contact  people  for  the  design,  management  and  monitoring  of 
electrification projects.

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SunFunder  is  an  innovative  financing  company  specializing  in 
companies seeking to increase energy access in sub-Saharan Africa 
and emerging countries. It has a range of unique and diverse funding 
offers. It has recognized expertise in monitoring and selecting projects 
based on a rigorous selection process and measurement of the social 
impact through an online platform.

5.2.2.3 Companies that exited the portfolio
Fenix  International,  a  company  that  designs  and  distributes  solar 
systems in Uganda, enables users to develop a cell phone charging 
business. This company has established distribution agreements with 
mobile  operators  and  has  developed  a  prepayment  offering.  This 
company was acquired by ENGIE Africa.

Simpa  Networks,  a  company  based  in  Bangalore  (India)  whose 
business is to make individual solar systems available to underprivileged 
people through a specifically developed prepayment system. Simpa 
relies on a network of partners such as Selco to distribute the systems. 
This company was acquired by ENGIE India.

5.2.2.4 Energy Access Venture funds
Schneider Electric initiated and supports the Energy Access Ventures 
(EAV),  which  manages  EUR  75  million  to  be  invested  in  companies 
transforming  communities  across  Africa  and  stimulating  economic 
development  through  energy  access  solutions.  This  fund  is  jointly 
backed  by  Schneider  Electric,  CDC  group,  on  behalf  of  the  UK 
department  for  International  Development  (DFID)),  the  European 
Investment Bank, FMO (Dutch development Bank), FISEA-PROPARCO, 
OFID and AFD-FFEM. To date, EAV has invested in 13 companies.

5.2.2.5 Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia fund
In  December  2019,  Schneider  Electric,  together  with  Norfund,  EDFI 
ElectriFI and Amundi, launched, a third impact fund named Schneider 
Electric Energy Access Asia. This investment vehicle is targeting the 
350 million people in South and South East Asia with limited access to 
energy.  The  operating  team  will  be  based  in  Singapore  close  to 
communities  who  are  in  need  of  access  to  safe  and  sustainable 
electricity. A total of EUR 20.9 million will be dedicated to investing in 
start-ups  that  work  towards  increasing  quality  of  life  and  boosting 
economic  development  in  Asia,  thanks  to  access  to  clean  and 
sustainable energy.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

5.2.2.1 Investments in France
DORéMI  is  a  social  enterprise  that  aims  to  tackle  energy  poverty  in 
France. DORéMI performs single step complete energy renovation of 
houses – less expensive and more efficient. As part of their solution, 
DORéMI  trains  craftsmen  in  complete  renovation  and  encourages 
them  to  work  in  groups.  To  date,  DORéMI  carried  out  more  than  a 
hundred energy efficient renovations.

Envie Sud Est is a social integration company, which is a member of 
the ENVIE network. Its main activity is the collection and treatment of 
Waste  Electrical  and  Electronic  Equipment  (WEEE).  Studies  are 
currently under way into partnerships with this company.

IncubEthic  SAS  is  an  approved  social  enterprise,  which  mainly 
provides energy efficiency advice services.

La Foncière Chênelet is a Chênelet Group employment opportunity 
company  formed  to  fight  against  fuel  poverty  by  creating  energy-
efficient  social  housing.  Moreover,  construction  sites  bring  together 
employment opportunity companies and conventional firms to promote 
rehiring of the unemployed.

La Foncière du Possible is a real estate company initiated by "Les 
toits de l’Espoir", member of Emmaüs le Relais. It aims at renovating 
unhealthy  houses  to  create  energy-efficient  social  housing.  The 
renovated  houses  are  lent  to  people  facing  energy  poverty  to  favor 
social inclusion.

LVD Énergie (formerly Solasyst) is a company of the “La Varappe” 
employment  opportunity  group  based  in  Aubagne,  France.  This 
company  has  developed  a  range  of  efficient  and  environmentally 
friendly  buildings  on  the  basis  of  recycled  shipping  containers.  An 
initial project of housing units for people entering the workforce was 
exhibited in Versailles (France) at the Solar Decathlon event. Following 
this  exhibition,  the  housing  units  for  people  leaving  the  streets  were 
installed  in  Lyon  by  Habitat  et  Humanisme,  other  projects  were 
implemented for the Salvation Army or ADOMA.

SIDI (International Cooperation for Development and Investment) is an 
investment  fund  that  assigns  priority  to  the  impact  on  development 
rather  than  return.  The  fund  is  an  important  partner  of  SEEA  and  is 
particularly active in the microfinance sector.

SOLIHA BLI is a real estate company created in partnership between 
SOLIHA associations in the Loire region, aiming at developing efficient 
housing offers for people affected by energy poverty, in order to favor 
social inclusion and to dynamize smaller cities.

5.2.2.2 International investments
Amped  Innovation,  a  company  that  designs  optimized  solar  home 
systems  and  DC  energy  efficient  appliances  to  meet  the  needs  of 
distributors and users. Particular attention is paid to the optimization of 
costs and the flexibility of the equipment. This company is starting to 
generate revenue and carried out a capital increase in 2018.

OKRA,  a  company  developing  microgrids  by 
interconnecting 
individual  solar  systems.  This  solution  optimizes  the  use  of  solar 
systems  and  spreads  in  time  required  investments  for  the  grid 
development. This company deploys its first pilots in Cambodia and 
the Philippines.

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5.2.3 Products and solutions
Schneider Electric develops products and solutions to meet a range of 
both individual and community needs across the energy chain, from 
portable lamps and solar home systems to decentralized small power 
plants,  water  pumping  systems  and  street  lighting.  These  offerings 
also make it possible to maintain a sustainable economic and social 
activity and to include and involve local communities in projects.

Access to Energy: products, solutions, training 

5.2.3.1 Electricity for community
In 2013, Schneider Electric launched Mobiya TS120S, a portable solar 
light-emitting diode (LED) lamp that is both robust and affordable and 
offers up to 48 hours of lighting without recharging, as well as offering 
a charging solution for cell phones. In 2019, Schneider Electric extends 
the  Mobiya  range  with  Mobiya  Lite  and  Mobiya  Front,  to  offer  new 
possibilities for individual lighting.

Portable solutions

Domestic 
electrification

Collective 
electrification

Training

Mobiya
Mobiya Original,  
Mobiya Lite 
Solar powered portable 
LED lamp with mobile 
charger

Mobiya Front
Head Lamp

Homaya 
Homaya Family 
Solar Home system 
including a solar panel 
and lamps

Homaya PAYG 
Including Pay As You Go

Homaya Hybrid
AC and DC, Solar and 
Grid Home System

Didactical benches;
Course contents;
Training of electricians, 
installers, 
facility managers, 
entrepreneurs, 
trainers.

Villaya
Villaya Microgrid
Solar microgrid to
power off-grid sites

Villaya Community,
Villaya Emergency
Customized, packaged, 
containerized

Villaya Water 
Solar Water Pumping 
System

Villaya Lighting 
Solar Street Lighting

Villaya Recharge 
Entrepreneur USB 
charging station

Including: EcoStruxure for 
Energy Access – remote 
Monitoring of Microgrids 

In 2018, the Solar Home Systems (SHS) range grew with the launch of 
Homaya Hybrid, designed to enable access to quality, affordable and 
especially uninterrupted power. 

In  2019,  Schneider  Electric  launched  a  pay-as-you-go  solar  home 
system that is fully compatible with all mobile payment platforms and 
does not require a mobile network connection: Homaya PAYG. Energy 
providers can lease these systems to households. The system allows 
households to gain the control over their energy bill, only paying for the 
energy they consume. Users buy energy credit and in return receive a 
code to activate their system via a keypad on the front of the device. 
The product is fully customizable and can be adapted to different solar 
panels or battery capacity.

Villaya  Microgrids  are  solar-powered  micro-grids  configured  to  meet 
collective  needs,  both  domestic  and  entrepreneurial,  in  remote  sites. 
They are either 100% solar or hybrid, with no power limitation. In 2018, a 
new offering was launched with containerized solutions to facilitate the 
deployment and implementation of micro-grids in the most remote areas.

In  April  2018,  Schneider  Electric  unveiled  EcoStruxure™  for  Energy 
Access, an affordable, flexible and open platform that uses analytics 
to  improve  the  profitability  and  efficiency  of  electricity  micro-grids. 
Based  on  Villaya,  EcoStruxure™  for  Energy  Access  combines  the 
software tools EcoStruxure™ Energy Access Advisor and EcoStruxure™ 
Energy Access Expert. This solution is used for real-time monitoring 
and analytics of site performance and household consumption, while 
proposing ways to improve operational efficiency and also to ensure 
the  deployment  and  development  of  pico-grids,  their  scale-up  with 
relevant offerings, as well as the customization of business models to 
fit the amount of energy available.

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5.2.3.4 Electricity for education
For Schneider Electric, professionals must be supported by training in 
energy management from educational institutions through to vocational 
and continuing education worldwide. In partnership with the Access to 
Energy  Training  &  Entrepreneurship  teams  (see  next  section),  an 
affordable range of Access to Energy education teaching models and 
teaching  tools  has  been  developed  to  meet  the  needs  of  training 
organizations, particularly in emerging countries. The training offering 
covers the management of high and low voltage electrical distribution, 
building management, global energy management and process and 
machine management.

SSI#19: x4 turnover of our Access to 
Energy program

In India, the project with the HCL Foundation is one of the 
largest groups of rural micro-grids in Asia-Pacific, which 
supplies electricity to more than 6,000 families (30,000 
people), in homes and for street lighting, micro-enterprises, 
schools covering more than 10,000 students, and several 
clinics. The micro-grids are connected to the Schneider 
Electric EcoStruxure for Energy Access platform, a remote, 
cloud-based, real-time monitoring and control solution, used 
to manage the load and the income generated by micro-
enterprises. 

Turnover vs 2017

x1.56

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

5.2.3.2 Electricity for emergency 
Whether  due  to  the  geopolitical  context,  natural  disasters  or  climate 
change,  emergency  situations  continue  to  rise  in  an  increasingly 
uncertain world. With more than 68 million forcibly displaced people in 
2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
has  seen  an  unprecedented  number  of  people  uprooted  by  war, 
violence or persecution worldwide. According to the NGO Oxfam, an 
estimated 23.5 million were forced to leave their homes in 2016 due to 
extreme  natural  disasters.  Since  2016,  Schneider  Electric  has 
committed to offering energy access solutions in emergency situations 
and has been working closely with UNHCR to find solutions that are 
suited  to  the  specific  needs  of  refugees  and  displaced  persons.  In 
January 2018, Schneider and the UNHCR signed a memorandum of 
agreement to seal their commitment to provide refugees and displaced 
persons with sustainable and reliable access to clean energy. In 2019, 
Mobiya  lamps  were  distributed  to  more  than  100,000  families  in  the 
framework  of  this  agreement.  Schneider  has  provided  camps  of 
Jordan, Uganda, Kenya, Chad, Bangladesh, and soon Zimbabwe with 
modern  energy  systems  and  services.  Such  systems  and  services 
range from Mobiya lamps to microgrids – including with connection to 
EcoStruxureTM  for  Energy  Access  –  energy  dispensers,  solar  street 
lights, and training in electricity trades.

To  provide  access  to  energy  solutions  to  persons  in  emergency 
situations  (refugees,  victims  of  natural  disasters),  Schneider  has 
launched Villaya Emergency, a collective solar electrification solution 
that is easily deployed thanks to a system that combines the Group’s 
most appropriate solutions with the expertise of innovative start-ups.

The system devised produces a minimum electrical power of 10 kWh 
– enough to provide electricity to a village, a health center or individual 
or collective spaces in refugee camps – thanks to a system of solar 
panels that are easy to deploy and move. The solution is installed in a 
standard container to facilitate multiple trips to any part of the world 
within the shortest possible time. 

5.2.3.3 Electricity for women 
In  developing  countries,  women  are  the  primary  beneficiaries  of 
access to electricity in their homes, relieving them of long and painful 
domestic  activities.  Access  to  electricity,  especially  with  mini-grids, 
can  significantly  increase  women’s  empowerment,  particularly  in 
female-dominated,  labor-intensive  agricultural  and  food-processing 
activities.

• 

• 

• 

In  the  Ivory  Coast,  Donvagne  village,  Schneider  Electric  has 
equipped  the  women  cooperative  with  a  25kW  solar  mini-grid 
powering a mill, kneaders, and refrigerators. Cooperative members 
and entrepreneurs from the village have been trained by IECD.
In  India,  “Energy  for  livelihoods”  initiative  is  transforming  lives  of 
women farmers through innovative Villaya Agri-business solution. 
The  project  promotes  sustainable 
like 
agriculture,  agri-enterprises,  food  processing,  livestock  rearing, 
handicraft and other micro enterprises, implemented by mobilising 
women under SHG groups (Self-Help Groups). 
In  Nigeria,  Schneider  partners  with  Solar  Sister  NGO,  whose 
network of women entrepreneurs distributes Mobiya solar lanterns. 
These  women  entrepreneurs  sell  the  lamps  to  vulnerable  and 
underprivileged women.

livelihood  activities 

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5.2.4 Training & entrepreneurship 
The  key  challenge  of  training  in  the  energy  sector  is  to  provide 
disadvantaged  people  with  the  knowledge  and  skills  to  be  able  to 
carry out a trade in a safe and responsible way, providing them and 
their  families  with  the  means  for  satisfactory  subsistence.  It  will  also 
give  them  the  ability,  should  they  wish,  to  sell  and  maintain  energy 
access  offerings  and  to  create  their  own  small  business  in  time. 
Furthermore,  they  are  a  vital  and  indispensable  element  for  all 
responsible and sustainable rural electrification policies.

The  strategy  of  Schneider  Electric  for  training  disadvantaged 
populations in the energy sector includes three key priorities:

•  Basic training over a few months, which is free and accessible to 
many  people  and  adapted  as  much  as  possible  to  the  local 
situation. These training courses lead to the issuing of a certificate 
of competence by Schneider;

•  Single or multi-year trainings leading to qualifications, in partnership 
local  Ministries  of  Education,  or  even  under  bilateral 

with 
agreements; and

•  The training of instructors to support the effective and quality rollout 

of training down the line.

Building on the results of its trainings, the Access to Energy Training & 
Entrepreneurship program decided to go further by supporting social 
and  informal  entrepreneurs  in  the  energy  sector.  Job  markets  in 
emerging and developing economies are strongly influenced by the 
importance of the informal sector, sub-activity or multi-activity in order 
to accumulate sources of income. Training in the specific skills needed 
by the entrepreneur, start-up support, support and financing are key to 
creating sustainable activities. In particular, Schneider tries to support 
women’s  entrepreneurship  in  the  energy  sector,  integrate  them  at 
every step of the energy access value chain and find the right partners 
to create a supportive ecosystem.

With the support of the Schneider Electric Foundation, these actions 
are  always  implemented  in  partnership  with  local  players  and/or 
national or international non-profit organizations (NGOs, governments, 
etc.). They systematically work with Schneider’s local subsidiary. The 
actions may be accompanied by funding for investments in materials 
and missions of the volunteers of VolunteerIn, which, if the need arises, 
enables the transfer of expertise.

In  Mali,  Senegal  and  Niger,  within 

5.2.4.1 Examples of actions supporting women
As  part  of  the  EU  project  Women’s  Entrepreneurship  in  Renewable 
Energy. 
the  “Women’s 
Entrepreneurship  in  Renewable  Energy”  EU  project,  Schneider 
Electric will provide technical training in solar energy and support for 
entrepreneurship  to  4,650  women  entrepreneurs  in  partnership  with 
Plan International and Care.

the 

Ivory  Coast,  Schneider 

In 
in  
solar  and  electrical  trades,  including  60%  women,  and  supports 
entrepreneurs,  in  partnership  with  International  Rescue  Committee 
and Mastercard Foundation.

trains  1,250  young  people 

In  Ghana,  Schneider  and  its  Foundation  provide  vocational  training 
including  80%  women  in  training  centers  that  offer  a  creche  and 
flexible  hours  to  fit  with  women  and  young  mothers’  personal 
constraints, in partnership with Village Exchange Ghana.

5.2.4.2 Examples of actions towards Entrepreneurs
In 2018, Schneider Electric and Initiative France launched a program 
to  support  entrepreneurship  in  energy  businesses  in  Burkina  Faso. 
They  will  provide  support  to  nearly  80  informal  entrepreneurs  in  the 
energy  sector  between  now  and  2021.  The  program  will  include  a 
training  course  to  acquire  the  technical  skills  of  the  profession, 
financing solutions with the granting of interest-free honor loans, and 
the setting of a business creation financing system. Initiative France 
will draw on the 4 Initiative platforms in Burkina Faso to contribute to 
the financing and support of entrepreneurial creation or development 
projects in the country. Schneider and the partner training centers in 
Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso will provide technical training for 
entrepreneurs.  The  Schneider  Foundation  will  finance  interest-free 
honor loans and support to entrepreneurs. As the honor loans are paid 
back, other entrepreneurs will take their place. In addition, a mentorship 
program may also be set up to support entrepreneurs in their strategic 
thinking.

5.2.4.3 Case study: The Franco-Argentinian Center of Excellence
In July 2019, the French Ministry of National Education, the Argentinian 
Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MECCyT), the 
French Ministry of National Education and Youth, Minister of National 
Education  and  Youth,  France  Education  International,  Schneider 
Electric and the Schneider Electric Foundation signed an agreement 
to create The Franco-Argentinian Center of Excellence for training in 
renewable energy and energy efficiency skills and trades in Buenos 
Aires.  The  Center  of  Excellence  will  be  equipped  with  the  latest 
technical facilities for the professional training of trainers in the field of 
renewable energy and energy efficiency. A network of eight peripheral 
centers across Argentinian using the Center of Excellence for technical 
training in Buenos Aires as a model will be also created. The MECCyT 
plans to train 500 trainers in three years at the Buenos Aires Center of 
Excellence and 800 students per academic year.

Since starting the program in 2009, 246,268 people have been trained 
in more than 45 countries, giving hope for a decent standard of living 
for the young people being supported.

SSI#20: 400,000 underprivileged 
people trained in energy management

In Ivory Coast, Schneider Electric has joined forces with the 
International Rescue Committee (IRC) to train 1,250 young 
people in solar and electrical trades who have failed at 
school or in their jobs, including 60% women, and to support 
750 young people towards entrepreneurship. Two new 
centers will be supported in 2020.

People trained worldwide since 2009

246,268

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

People trained

246,268

Trainers trained

4,680

Entrepreneurs

833

1m 2025 target

10k 2025 target

10k 2025 target

Total number of people trained and number of people trained in 2019

43,696

people trained 
in 2019: 17,266

13,537

people trained 
in 2019: 5,247

122,419

people trained 
in 2019: 21,119

5.2.4.5 Impact assessment of training partners
In 2019 the Schneider Electric Foundation launched a global initiative 
to assess social impact for training actions in the energy sector. With 
its partner KiMSO, the Group built a guidebook intending to support its 
local partners in assessing, in a standardized way, the social impact of 
their training activities. KiMSO is a social impact assessment consulting 
firm  who  helps  charities,  NGOs  and  Foundations  to  understand, 
measure and value their impact on key stakeholders.

The  project  covers  both  social  impact  assessment  and  results  
chain analysis. 

6,095

people trained 
in 2019: 306

46,474

people trained 
in 2019: 2,253

14,047

people trained 
in 2019: 3,654

5.2.4.4 Impact on people trained and on social  
and economic development
In  October  2019,  Schneider  Electric  launched  Tomorrow  Rising,  
a docu-series on four trainees building tomorrow’s energy world each 
in  their  own  way.  Tomorrow  Rising  counts  five  episodes,  which 
intertwines the lives of these four young people: 

•  Yéyé  is  the  narrator  and  her  ambition  is  to  become  a  respected 
engineer. The documentary follows her from the beginning of her 
training in Lagos, Nigeria, to her diploma. She narrates the stories 
of her counterparts from around the world.

•  Pierre,  in  Senegal,  has  been  trained  to  be  a  teacher  and  is  now 

fighting to improve the future of youth in his country. 

•  For Vitor, in Brazil, Schneider’s training has been a genuine lifeline 

helping him build a career in electricity.

•  Lastly, in India, Gurdeep, an ambitious young entrepreneur installs 
solar panels and employs young people, like him, benefitting from 
Schneider Electric training. 

A virtual-reality version of the reportage is also available to offer a full 
immersion into the daily lives of the four students and to feel the impact 
of these trainings.

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Social impact: consists of the direct or indirect, intended or unintended, 
effects of an organization’s actions on its stakeholders (i.e. beneficiaries, 
users, volunteers, partners, etc.), and on society in general.

Social  impact  assessment  refers  to  the  process  of  monitoring, 
analyzing  and  managing  those  social  consequences,  which  can  be 
both  positive  and  negative.  This  is  an  evaluative  process  aiming  at 
answering the following key question: what changes thanks to us?

A results chain establishes causal relationships from the resources 
used to conduct a program to the long-term effects following the end 
of  the  program.  It  sets  out  a  logical  and  plausible  outline  of  how  a 
sequence  of  inputs  and  outputs  interacts  with  individuals’  behavior 
and conditions to generate outcomes.

5.2.4.6 Outlook
The large-scale expansion of the training projects initiated in 2013 will 
continue, with the objective of training 1 million people, providing support 
to 10,000 entrepreneurs and training 10,000 instructors by 2025.

To achieve this ambition, in 2018 the Group contacted Power for All to 
create and circulate an appeal in favor of vocational training as well as 
a global campaign to promote decentralized renewable energy. The 
two players, joined by UN Women, the International Labor Organization, 
AMDA,  CLASP,  IRENA,  launched  the  Powering  Jobs  campaign  in 
September  2018,  aimed  at  making  skills  and  training  a  core  focus, 
rather than a marginal one, of national and international energy access 
development policies. The players of the coalition are convinced that a 
higher level of commitment by donors, governments and the private 
sector is needed to create the millions of jobs that the development of 
decentralized renewable energy solutions could generate.

Through its Foundation, Schneider Electric is co-financing the Powering 
Jobs campaign alongside, notably, the Rockefeller Foundation.

In 2019, Power for All publishes the Job Census report.

5.3 The Schneider Electric Foundation

Schneider  Electric  philanthropic  activities  are  deployed  in  close 
coherence and in support of the Company’s sustainability avenues:

•  Considering access to energy as a fundamental right; 
• 

Investing  in  education  and  more  specifically  in  youth  vocational 
training and professional integration.

Philanthropy at Schneider is not just about providing funds, equipment 
or  working  hours,  but  also  about  co-creating  innovative  solutions  to 
face  society’s  challenges.  Schneider  believes  that  support  and 
alliance are the cornerstone of strong and successful engagement. In 
mature  economies,  millions  of  people  have  difficulties  to  pay  their 
energy and/or to benefit from the right comfort they deserve in their 
homes. In emerging countries, 840 million people have no access to 
energy(3).  Schneider’s  philanthropic  action  is  driven  by  these  two 
challenges  and  contributes  directly  to  the  achievement  of  the 
sustainable development goals (SDGs) more specifically SDGs 1, 4, 7, 
8, 10, 11, 13 and 17.

In  a  world  where  social  and  environmental  challenges  are  more 
widespread  and  more  urgent  than  ever,  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation,  under  the  aegis  of  the  Fondation  de  France,  supports 
innovative  and  forward-looking  initiatives  to  give  as  many  people  
as  possible  the  energy  they  need  to  succeed.  It  is  this  pioneering  
spirit  that  the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  is  seeking  to  advance. 
The role of the Foundation is a catalyst for technological, social and 
entrepreneurial innovation helping to close the energy gap and striving 
for a more equitable energy transition around the world. 

Ever optimistic, the Schneider Electric Foundation’s aim is to help build 
a  fairer,  lower-carbon  society  to  give  future  generations  the  keys  to 
transform the world.

What does the Foundation do?
•  Education: Ambitious vocational training programs in the electricity 
sector  for  underprivileged  communities,  providing  access  to 
energy in emerging countries. 

•  Social  innovation:  Impactful  projects  supporting  low-income 

families, combating household energy poverty in Europe. 

•  Awareness: Digitally driven, future-thinking and inclusive initiatives 
led  by  youth,  raising  awareness  about  the  challenges  of  climate 
change.

How does the Foundation do it?
•  Meaningful  actions:  Local  communities  of  volunteers  to  ensure 

that the initiatives take shape in over 80 countries. 

•  Cooperation:  Partnerships  with  businesses,  associations, 
collectives,  and  state  authorities  to  develop  initiatives  and  create 
synergies. 

•  Advocacy:  Initiatives  driving  impactful  change  to  help  close 

energy gaps.

In  2019,  there  were  more  than  100  projects,  50,106  young  people 
receiving support and 5,730 days of volunteering.

With  an  annual  budget  of  EUR  4  million,  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation  contributes  to  the  partnerships  by  giving  more  than  
EUR  15.5  million  in  support  from  Schneider  Electric’s  entities; 
employees  are  also  involved  in  these  partnerships.  In  total,  almost 
EUR 20 million has been invested to help local communities.

(3)  in Tracking SDG7 report, 2019.

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5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

2019 Schneider Electric Foundation Highlights

Training and 
Entrepreneurship 
Schneider Electric and the 
Senegalese program for 
youth entrepreneurship 
(PSEJ) join forces to create  
a training platform to boost 
skills in energy related jobs 

Energy Poverty
Launching of the third call  
for projects in 5 countries 
(Bulgaria, Czech Republic, 
Hungary, Poland, Romania)

Training and 
Entrepreneurship 
Schneider Electric 
presents Tomorrow 
Rising, a docuseries on 
how vocational training 
can change lives 
around the world

Energy poverty 
Closing session with  
14 social entrepreneurs 
selected and specific 
meeting at the  
European Commission

Training and 
Entrepreneurship
Schneider Electric 
supports vocational 
training in Argentina 
by creating a Center 
of Excellence

Training and 
Entrepreneurship
Publication of the  
Job Census Report  
in collaboration with 
Power For All

Volunteering 
activities
+50 countries 
participating to 
Giving Tuesday
Launching of the 
SDGs awareness  
tool kit

2020

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

5.3.1 Organization
5.3.1.1 A legal connection with the Fondation de France
The  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  was  created  in  1998  under  the 
aegis of the Fondation de France.

The  Fondation  de  France  is  a  non-profit  organization  that,  since  its 
creation in 1969, has been the bridge between donors, founders, and 
field  structures  in  order  to  support  projects  in  a  range  of  general-
interest  areas.  The  Fondation  de  France  supports  almost  10,000 
projects annually with the donations it receives. In addition, it supports 
other  foundations  (888  in  2019),  whose  operations  are  governed 
separately from the Fondation de France but that are legally part of it. 
It is responsible for ensuring that their actions comply with its by-laws 
and  the  legal  framework  of  the  sponsorship.  The  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation  has  an  Executive  Committee  that  determines  the  major 
focus areas of its actions and the projects it supports. The committee 
then  informs  the  Fondation  de  France  of  its  decisions,  and  the 
Fondation de France verifies the projects’ compliance and implements 
them  (by  approving  and  signing  all  agreements  with  partners,  by 
paying funds to beneficiaries after checking documents that prove the 
proper  functioning  of  their  organizations  and  their  eligibility  for  the 
sponsorship,  by  checking  communication  tools  of  the  Schneider 
Electric Foundation, etc.).

5.3.1.2 The executive committee
The Schneider Electric Foundation is made up of members of Schneider 
Electric, employee representatives and other qualified individuals.

The  composition  of  the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation’s  executive 
committee has been renewed in 2019 as followed:

•  Chairman: Jean-Pascal Tricoire;
•  Members:  Monique  Barbut  (external  expert),  Agnès  Bouffard 
(employee  representative,  Schneider  Electric),  Bénédicte  Faivre-
(Schneider 
(external  expert),  Christel  Heydemann 
Tavignot 
Electric),  Yoann  Kassi-Vivier  (external  expert),  David  Lechat 
(employee  representative,  Schneider  Electric),  Pierre-François 
Mourier  (external  expert),  Philippe  Pelletier  (external  expert),  
Luc Rémont (Schneider Electric),

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Its missions are the following:

•  Define the strategic directions of the Foundation;
•  Validate the activity report and financial report;
•  Decide on the allocation of budgets by program;
•  Validate commitments exceeding EUR 200,000.

One to two executive committee meetings are organized each year.

5.3.1.3 Zone/cluster foundation committee
The  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  governance  has  been  reinforced 
with the creation of the zone/cluster foundation committee. This new 
body was validated in June 2019 and put in place with its first meeting 
held in September 2019.

This committee gathers the zone/cluster President and aims to:

•  Share a quarterly activity report;
•  Validate the commitments/Partners to join;
•  Specify  the  respective  contribution  levels  (financial  donations,  

in kind, skills); and
•  Follow up on projects.

This committee will meet three times a year.

5.3.1.4 An operational team and a selection committee
The  members  of  the  operational  team  are:  Gilles  Vermot  Desroches, 
General  Delegate;  Patricia  Benchenna,  Director  of  Programs;  Brigitte 
Antoine, Employee Engagement and Morgane Lasserre, Administrative 
Assistant.  The  selection  committee  is  made  up  of  three  members:  the 
Foundation’s General Delegate, the Foundation’s Program Director and 
the Director of the Access to Energy Training & Entrepreneurship Program.

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5.3.1.5 The international network of Foundation delegates
The Schneider Electric Foundation strongly focuses on the involvement 
of Company employees in all the actions it implements. It carries out its 
work  through  a  network  of  130  employee  volunteers,  known  as 
delegates. These volunteers, covering 80 countries, have a mission to 
identify  local  partnerships  in  the  areas  of  vocational  training  in  the 
energy 
fuel  poverty,  and 
sustainability awareness; to present them to employees in their units 
and then to the Foundation; and to monitor projects after their launch. 
Each  project  proposed  is  subject  to  a  review  process  based  on 
administrative and financial data by the Schneider Electric Foundation 
and by the Fondation de France before funds are released.

trades,  entrepreneurship, 

tackling 

The  Foundation’s  network  structure  is  an  original  and  very  powerful 
means  for  engaging  local,  human  and  lasting  sponsorship.  It  also 
reinforces the energy of the people involved. For each site, the choice 
of delegates is made based on precious volunteering experience and 
advocacy  potential.  The  nomination  is  formalized  with  a  letter  of 
engagement signed by the site manager and the Foundation, and the 
term lasts for two years.

The  delegates  also  organize  local  events  adapted  to  the  country’s 
culture,  to  contribute  to  a  better  workplace  and  inform  them  of  the 
Foundation’s activities on their site.

They  also  manage  a  digital  platform  that  groups  together  all  the 
missions  proposed  by  the  Foundation  locally  and  internationally: 
VolunteerIn. Developed in eight languages, it can be accessed from 
anywhere in the world and enables employees to apply for volunteer 
assignments  for  the  benefit  of  the  Foundation’s  partners  and  their 
beneficiaries,  around  the  topics  of  vocational  training  in  the  energy 
trades,  support  for  families  in  energy  poverty,  awareness  raising  of 
sustainability issues and social entrepreneurship.

5.3.2 Programs
5.3.2.1 Vocational training in energy trades and entrepreneurship
Since 2009, the Foundation has been supporting the Access to Energy 
program  to  improve  energy  access  in  new  economies  through  the 
development of vocational training in energy management trades for 
the most disadvantaged.

To  facilitate  the  integration  and  professional  training  of  these  young 
adults,  the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  continuously  encourages 
and supports structures that accompany young people and help them 
enter the workforce. This includes associations and electrical profession 
or  educational  institutions.  This  training  and  integration  program 
captures 51% of the funding allocated by the Foundation. All of these 
actions  are  monitored  and  measured  on  a  quarterly  basis  within  the 
scope of the Schneider Sustainability Impact through indicators.

Since  2009,  246,268  underprivileged  people  have  been  trained  in 
energy management professions in more than 45 countries. The goal 
is to train 400,000 people by 2020 and 1 million by 2025.

5.3.2.2 Tackling energy poverty
In 2015, the Schneider Electric Foundation stepped up its commitment 
to contribute to the fight against energy poverty in mature economies 
by  supporting  the  implementation  of  information  and  awareness 
campaigns  and  supporting  actions  targeting  households  facing  this 
type of poverty:

•  Multiparty programs that make it possible to better understand the 
phenomenon  of  energy  poverty,  to  bring  about  solutions,  and  to 
connect players;

•  Projects to support families affected by energy poverty; and
•  Projects  that  seek  to  develop  social  innovations  and  social 

entrepreneurship.

Finally,  the  delegates  coordinate  the  organization  of  the  Schneider 
Electric  Foundation’s  campaigns  for  international  mobilization.  This 
showcases local initiatives to a global audience. They also engage in 
campaigns organized following natural disasters.

One of the objectives of this program is also to identify projects that 
could benefit from the investment of Schneider Electric energy access. 
One investment has already been made in Doremi. Another one will be 
closed in 2020.

Each  year,  around  35,000  employees  in  50  countries  take  part  in  
these campaigns.

5.3.2.3 Spotlight on the European partnership with Ashoka
Ashoka and the Schneider Electric Foundation are convinced that the 
best way to contribute to the fight against energy poverty is to invest 
and to involve social entrepreneurs who propose innovative solutions 
that contribute to changing the system.

Under  a  partnership  launched  in  2015,  Ashoka  and  the  Schneider 
Electric  Foundation,  under  the  aegis  of  the  Fondation  de  France, 
launched  a  third  call  for  projects  related  to  the  Social  innovation  to 
tackle energy poverty program. While continuing to support innovators 
selected in 2015 and in 2017, the 2019 program has been expanded to 
new European countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, 
and  Romania,  …  Out  of  60  applications,  14  projects  were  given 
support  in  various  areas  through  over  300  hours  of  mentoring,  and 
benefited  from  inspirational  meetings  within  a  European  network  of 
peers  and  increased  visibility  throughout  the  program.  Schneider 
Electric’s employees have also contributed their skills to the projects 
through the Schneider Electric VolunteerIn NGO.

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5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

Up  to  now,  the  program  has  supported  around  40  projects  from  13 
different European countries across three editions. After three editions, 
the Foundation and Ashoka decided it was time to evaluate the impact 
of  the  program  and  entrusted  KiMSO,  a  research  and  consulting 
agency specialised in social impact evaluation, to carry out this task.

The study had three objectives:

1.  Give an overview of the general perception of the program;
2.  Highlight the added value of the program for social entrepreneurs; 

and
Identify optimization paths for the future. 

3. 

Who was interviewed?

•  Extended interviews with 15 social entrepreneurs;
•  Extended interviews with five experts working on energy poverty;
•  Online questionnaire answered by 21 social entrepreneurs; and
•  Short interviews with seven Foundation delegates.

Social entrepreneurs report having a positive experience during the 
program,  particularly  highlighting  the  range  of  skills  they  developed 
the  process.  The  entrepreneurs  also  made  some 
during 
recommendations for the future, notably on the stage/type of project, 
and  what  happens  after  the  program.  Social  entrepreneurs  also 
expressed  their  need  to  have  more  formal  interactions  with  other 
participants, more information about energy poverty, and introductions 
to key contacts, notably investors.

Experts found the program relevant for identifying projects, building 
up various skills, and networking. The experts were also focused on 
how to have a larger collective impact through more collaboration and 
find  ways  to  replicate  some  projects  in  other  European  countries. 
Foundation delegates felt that energy poverty is a major social issue 
for Schneider Electric and its employees. The program is in line with 
the Company’s vision for society and its contribution to it. Foundation 
delegates  also  highlighted  the  lack  of  visibility  of  the  program, 
suggested some changes to the overall management, and expressed 
the desire to have more support for the program overall.

5.3.3 Raising awareness about sustainability
Energy and climate change are at the heart of the issues facing our 
planet.  By  supporting  innovative  projects,  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation  voluntarily  helps  raise  awareness  among  different 
stakeholders  participating  in  the  challenges  of  climate  change.  The 
Company invests in emblematic and international programs by making 
its  knowledge,  notably  in  energy  systems  management,  available 
through donations in resources and/or knowledge. Through its projects 
and  the  commitment  of  its  employees,  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation wants to emphasize:

•  The desire to contribute and provide solutions;
•  The ability to build together, to break down barriers; and
•  Setting an example for employees, but also for the wider community.

As a partner of the first zero emission polar scientific research station 
and the Low Tech Lab, the Schneider Electric Foundation is monitoring 
progress and serving as a liaison between the corporate sector and 
civil  society.  In  this  way,  it  is  making  a  full  contribution  to  Schneider 
Electric’s sustainability commitment.

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5.3.3.1 Spotlight on Solar Impulse
Solutions  already  exist  for  accelerating  the  necessary  ecological 
transition, but to find and implement them remains a challenge. The 
Schneider  Electric  Foundation,  under  the  aegis  of  the  Fondation  de 
France,  has  entered  a  four-year  partnership  with  the  Solar  Impulse 
Foundation,  which  is  selecting  1,000  solutions  that  protect  the 
environment in a profitable way and awarding them the Solar Impulse 
Efficient  Solution  label.  This  label  promotes  solutions,  assessed  by 
independent  experts,  that  combine  technical  innovation,  profitability 
and  environmental  protection,  demonstrating  that  solutions  to  fight 
climate  change  do  exist  and  should  not  be  regarded  as  expensive 
fixes but tremendous opportunities for clean growth. 

Through this partnership, Schneider Electric is helping accelerate the 
ecological transition and promote viable solutions to help achieve at 
least  five  of  the  17  United  Nations  Sustainable  Development  Goals, 
and in particular: 

•  Clean, accessible water for all; 
•  Affordable and clean energy; 
• 
Industry, innovation and infrastructure; 
•  Sustainable cities and communities; and
•  Responsible consumption and production. 

The aim of the Solar Impulse Foundation is to select and endorse 1,000 
solutions that contribute to achieving at least one of these five goals 
and  meet  the  following  criteria:  technical  feasibility,  environmental 
benefits  and  profitability.  Bertrand  Piccard,  Chairman  of  the  Solar 
Impulse  Foundation,  will  then  promote  this  portfolio  of  solutions  to 
corporate and political leaders worldwide. At end 2019, 335 solutions 
have  already  received  the  Solar  Impulse  Efficient  Solution  label, 
including biodegradable packaging made from milk protein, a solar-
powered water purification plant, an enzyme-based plastic recycling 
technology and a zero-waste construction process.

5.3.4 Schneider Electric VolunteerIn NGO
Since the Schneider Electric Foundation was created in 1998, it has 
placed Group employee involvement at the heart of its work. Whether 
they  are  Foundation  delegates  or  employee  volunteers,  they  are  the 
link  between  the  Company,  the  Foundation  and  the  supported 
organizations.  In  2012,  the  Schneider  Electric  Teachers  NGO  was 
created to organize volunteering missions benefiting the Foundation’s 
partners. Schneider Electric and its Foundation wish to go even further 
to support the voluntary participation of Schneider employees.

In 2019, the decision was made to enlarge the vocation of the NGO 
Schneider  Electric  Teachers.  The  new  name  for  this  organization  is 
now  Schneider  Electric  VolunteerIn.  This  organization  is  Schneider 
Electric’s  employee  engagement  program,  coordinated  by  the 
Schneider  Electric  Foundation.  Wherever  the  Company  is  based, 
Schneider  Electric  VolunteerIn  empowers  people  to  be  actors  and 
ambassadors  of  societal  commitments  in  the  fields  of  education, 
access to energy, and more. In line with the Schneider Electric value 
proposition,  this  program  inspires  and  spreads  employees’  energy 
and  will  across  its  projects.  Through  a  flexible  and  comprehensive 
approach, from training or supporting to influencing, VolunteerIn fulfils 
aspirations and commitments to give back to the communities and civil 
society.

Schneider and its Foundation offer an ambitious global engagement 
strategy in order to better support its partners. The Company, through 
this initiative, carries out advocacy actions to promote its development 
worldwide.

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SSI#21: 15,000 Volunteering days 
thanks to our VolunteerIn global 
platform

More than 40 countries participated in the second edition of 
Giving Tuesday, and several initiatives were highlighted by 
and proposed to Schneider Electric employees all over the 
world. The Foundation delegates played a key role this year, 
boosting the connection rate on the VolunteerIn platform by 
25%, resulting in 7,100 inscriptions by the end of December 
2019. The countries with the most missions proposed by the 
employees on the VolunteerIn platform were Brazil, Mexico, 
the US and France. 

Volunteering days since 2018

11,421

5.3.4.1 Governance
The Schneider Electric VolunteerIn association lodged its by-laws with 
the prefecture in France in February 2012. Its board is composed of 
Schneider  Electric  leaders  and  members  of  the  Sustainability 
department involved in the Access to Energy program. The members 
are: Olivier Blum (President, Chief Human Resources Officer), Michel 
Crochon (Vice-President), François Milioni (Secretary, head of Training 
Program), Christophe Poline (Treasurer, head of SEEA Social Welfare 
representing 
Investment  Fund),  Emir  Boumediene 
volunteers),  Gilles  Vermot  Desroches  (member,  Chief  Sustainability 
Officer). The board met three times in 2019. 

(member, 

5.3.4.2 Operations and players
This  is  a  shared  contribution  between  the  Foundation,  Schneider 
Electric entities and employees for the benefit of non-profit structures 
that are partners of the Foundation:

•  Employees volunteer their time and make their skills available;
•  Partners look for skills to support their activities, specify their needs 

and support volunteers in carrying out their mission;

•  The  Schneider  VolunteerIn  association  as  well  as  the  Foundation 
delegates  coordinate,  connect  and  organize  the  process  and 
cover costs related to carrying out missions; and

•  The Schneider Electric entities host the volunteers when the mission 

takes place outside their country of residence.

For  more  information  consult  http://www.se.com/ww/en/about-us/
sustainability/foundation/  and  https://volunteerin.schneider-electric.
com

5.3.5 Initiatives in North America
The Schneider Electric North America Foundation develops programs 
that  support  employees’  strong  commitment  to  their  community.  To 
achieve this, the Foundation offers the programs below:

•  Matching  Gift  provides  a  dollar  match  on  employee  donations  to 

the non-profit of their choice;

•  Dollars for Does provides financial grants to organizations where 

our employees volunteer their time;

•  Grants provide financial and product donations to sponsor events, 

capital projects and employee missions;

•  New Hire Program provides new employees with a gift to donate to 
a non-profit of their choice as a welcome to our organization; and

•  Schneider Scholarships are available for children of employees.

In 2019, the North America Foundation contributed over USD 6.5 million 
in cash and product to various charitable organizations.

5.3.6 Initiatives in India
Schneider  Electric  India  is  committed  to  promoting  development 
among  underprivileged  people  through  various  projects.  In  2008 
Schneider Electric India created a Foundation to carry out all corporate 
social  responsibility  activities  in  the  country.  The  Schneider  Electric 
India Foundation devotes itself to the following areas as a priority.

5.3.6.1 Electrician training program
During 2019 the Schneider Electric India Foundation (SEIF) provided 
vocational training in the field of electricity to 21,119 unemployed youth 
from  financially  disadvantaged  backgrounds.  Women  represented 
1,315 candidates trained as electricians. In order to improve the quality 
of  vocational  training,  144  trainers  were  engaged  in  the  program. 
Toolkits were given to 500 trainees. 

5.3.6.2 Energy for impact
In  2019,  the  Schneider  Electric  India  Foundation  had  an  impact  on 
9,937  families  in  remote  rural  villages  and  slums  through  various 
energy  interventions.  Through  the  slum  lighting  program,  SEIF 
provided Solar Lighting Systems to 622 families living in huts in slum 
areas of Bangalore. These systems are equipped to provide lighting 
and mobile charging. 

5.3.6.3 Conserve My Planet Program 2019
The program was deployed in 55 schools across five cities in India. 
Amongst the participants were 6,534 students and 110 teachers, who 
were trained as ‘Green Ambassadors’ to save energy and conserve 
the environment. 

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5. Schneider Electric, an eco-citizen company

5.3.6.4 Jagriti Yatra 2019
In 2019, the Schneider Electric Foundation and the Schneider Electric 
India Foundation participated in Jagriti Yatra. Jagriti Yatra is a program 
that  consists  of  a  15-day  train  journey  to  inspire  the  youth  of  the 
country,  especially  from  smaller  towns  and  villages,  to  become 
entrepreneurs. The 15-day long train journey that takes its participants, 
called Yatris (meaning passengers in Hindi), 8,000 kilometers across 
the length and breadth of India, providing them with the opportunity to 
interact with people who have created iconic institutions and/or have 
engineered social changes. 

Schneider  Electric’s  partnership  with  Jagriti  Yatra  was  a  step  to 
encourage the entrepreneurial spirit at grassroots level for our Access 
to Energy program, which is the manifestation of Schneider Electric’s 
vision  of  everyone  having  access  to  reliable,  safe,  efficient,  and 
sustainable energy. Through the Entrepreneur Development Program, 
Schneider  Electric  aims  to  provide  that  critical  hand  holding  that  a 
budding  energy  entrepreneur  requires  in  the  initial  phase  of  his/her 
entrepreneurial journey. The Group believes that the collaboration with 
Jagriti  Yatra  and  the  complete  entrepreneurial  ecosystem  through 
Jagriti Yatra, will result in the development of innovative and sustainable 
solutions in the field of Access to Energy and help millions of people 
across the world to meet this formidable challenge.

5.4 Territorial positioning and local impact on economic 
and social development

Wherever it operates, Schneider Electric makes a strong commitment 
to community partners and civil society through positioning itself in a 
way that is indispensable for a global enterprise that wants to keep in 
touch  with  the  labor  markets  of  its  industrial  locations.  Numerous 
projects underway and on the drawing board demonstrate Schneider 
Electric’s  desire  to  be  engaged,  notably  in  the  area  of  employment, 
and to contribute fully to local economic development.

Since  2008,  SEI  teams  have  showcased  and  rewarded  the  six  most 
creative projects for company creation or takeover by employees of the 
Group through the Vivez l’Aventure competition. This competition and 
the prize-giving bring together many managers from the Group as well 
as political and economic figures. This event is an opportunity to reaffirm 
the important role this scheme plays in the Group’s values and strategy.

5.4.2 Economic development of territories
The SIE teams manage many actions to contribute to local economic 
development, for example:

•  Specific  missions  within  the  fabric  of  the  local  SMEs  (small  and 
medium  enterprises)  carried  out  by  Schneider  Electric  senior 
experts or missions in the framework of skills-based sponsorship 
(Alizé system);

•  Pass  Compétences,  which  allows  experienced  managers  to  take 
long-term  assignments  with  SMEs.  These  experts  invest  in 
structuring and strategic development projects for SMEs;

•  Support for organizations dedicated to the creation of activities and 

companies (Réseau Entreprendre, France Initiative, etc.); and

•  A club of companies that brings together the main French industrials 
(CIADEL) to support actions in favor of the local economy by their 
combined means and shared experiences.

Other  organizations  such  as  ADIE  (Association  for  the  Right  to 
Economic Initiative) are also financially supported.

5.4.3 Giving support to associations and NGOs
SIE supports employees who want a career path external to the Group 
within the framework of a skills-based sponsorship system called Pass 
Associations.  This  system  enables  employees  to  work  on  defining 
projects  with  partner  associations  or  NGOs  for  one  or  two  years.  
It  encompasses  all  types  of  professions,  and  there  are  some  30 
effective assignments each year.

These specific systems are valued and taken into account in human 
resources processes and management in France.

5.4.1 Business creation and takeover support  
in France
For  more  than  25  years  now,  Schneider  Electric  in  France  has 
supported  employee  projects  to  create  businesses  or  business 
takeovers through Schneider Initiatives Entrepreneurs (SIE), through a 
dedicated  structure  (Pass  Créations)  demonstrating  the  Group’s 
commitment  to its local labor markets: promoting actions to support 
local  economic  development,  proposing  and  supporting  volunteer 
employees  in  reliable  career  paths  that  are  external  to  the  Group.  It 
comes resolutely within the development of a spirit of entrepreneurship.

SIE provides support for Schneider Electric employees at all stages of 
business  creation,  as  well  as  afterwards,  with  a  follow-up  period  of 
three years. Sustainability rates at three years remain above 85%.

SIE’s dedicated team of seasoned managers and young work/study 
participants is responsible for reviewing the financial, legal, technical 
and commercial aspects of business creation or company purchase 
projects to ensure they are viable and sustainable.

More than 2,000 project owners have been supported, and 1,330 of 
them  have  resulted  in  the  creation  or  takeover  of  a  business:  these 
include  electricians,  bakers,  consultants,  graphic  designers,  asset 
managers,  florists,  etc.,  creating  more  than  3,600  jobs.  Specific 
support  is  offered  for  energy-related  projects.  These  accounted  for 
almost 20% of all supported projects in 2019.

The SIE structure is represented directly or indirectly in local business 
networks  and  enhances  the  quality  of  services  offered  through 
partnerships with associations such as Réseaux Entreprendre, France 
Initiative and other local structures.

Thanks  to  SIE’s  expertise  in  entrepreneurship,  it  is  regularly  called 
upon to develop training courses in this field. SIE is highly active in the 
promotion  of  spin-offs  (business  creation  and  takeover  support  for 
employees), in particular through the DIESE association made up of 
other major groups.

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5.4.4 Revitalization of local employment pools  
in France
The pilot SIE structure was used to implement the revitalization actions 
put  in  place  during  the  industrial  development  of  certain  local  labor 
markets.  The  involvement  of  teams  in  local  economic  networks 
optimizes  the  allocation  of  resources  where  they  are  most  needed 
under these agreements.

5.4.5 Social interogation of disadvantaged young 
adults in France
Diversity of backgrounds, cultures, profiles and experience is always 
a source of wealth, sharing, new ideas and innovation. In priority urban 
areas,  there  is  a  huge  amount  of  talent  that  is  eager  to  grow. 
Recognizing this, Schneider Electric believes that companies have a 
role to play. It is their duty to act, particularly in the heart of the markets 
in which they operate.

Convinced  of  the  need  to  better  support  young  people  entering  the 
workforce,  Schneider  Electric  is  involved  in  different  ways:  training, 
work/study  programs 
from  disadvantaged 
for  young  adults 
backgrounds  entering  the  workforce,  partnerships  with  schools  and 
associations, financial support for young students, and participation in 
technical or general training courses. Such is the scope of the initiatives 
implemented  by  the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation.  These  actions 
complement the partnerships established within the framework of the 
Schneider Electric Foundation.

The General Interest Association “100 opportunities – 100 jobs” created 
by Schneider Electric supports young adults from 18 to 30 years of age 
who  have  few  qualifications  or  diplomas  and  are  likely  to  encounter 
discrimination. They come primarily from certain disadvantaged areas 
from  the  Priority  Neighbourhoods  of  the  City  policy  (QPV)  and  are 
ready to embark on a path of professional integration.

The objective is to facilitate access to long-term employment thanks to 
a  personalized  course  of  qualification  with  the  help  of  a  number  of 
associated companies managed by one or two pilot companies.

This  joint  management  with  a  player  on  the  employment  scene,  most 
often the youth employment center, Mission Locale, results in a very rich 
public and private partnership that is of great benefit to the young people.

Government support and in particular the support of its decentralized 
services guarantees the success of this initiative.

The  goal  is  to  attain  a  positive  outcome  of  60%,  with  participants 
obtaining a fixed-term or temporary contract of more than six months, 
a  permanent  contract  or  a  skills-qualification  or  diploma  training,  of 
which more than 50% are work/study programs.

The “100 opportunities – 100 jobs” system was implemented for the first 
time  in  Chalon-sur-Saône  in  2005,  and  by  the  end  of  2019  more  than 
7,100 young people had been involved with 67% of positive exits, fixed-
term contracts or interim longer than six months, permanent, or qualifying 
or diploma training of which more than 50% through an internship.

In 2019 a first deployment in rural area (Montmorillon 86) and in prison 
(Vivonne 86) was born.

Schneider  Electric  works  to  help  inhabitants  of  the  disadvantaged 
neighborhoods  identified  in  the  City  Policy  (QPV)  and  is  naturally  in 
line with the paQte (Pact with Neighborhoods for all Companies) with 
respect to the four pillars of Raise Awareness/Train/Recruit and Buy.

For example, it has implemented specific actions to take in 540 junior 
secondary students who have to carry out a one-week placement, in 
partnership  with  the  association  Tous  en  Stages;  to  take  apprentice 
students  with  more  than  150  apprentices;  to  challenge  service 
providers  by  including  integration  clauses  in  contracts  and  to 
encourage  suppliers  to  become  committed  to  an  approach  of 
vocational integration of persons who are outside the job circuit. With 
the  help  of  employment  agencies,  Schneider  Electric  industrial 
establishments  in  France  have  therefore  put  in  place  temporary 
occupational  integration  contracts  (CIPI)  and  interim  open-ended 
employment  contracts  (CDI-I),  which  accompany  the  unemployed 
towards  long-term  employment  and  encourage  temporary  work  that 
integrates people.

Finally, Schneider Electric has partnered with many other structures or 
associations:  École  de  la  deuxième  chance,  les  Entreprises  pour  la 
Cité, FACE, Télémaque, Fondation de la 2ème Chance, EPA, La Cravate 
Solidaire, la Varappe, etc.

5.4.6 Ecole Schneider Electric
In 1929, Schneider Electric founded its own school – Paul-Louis Merlin 
– in Grenoble, to face the difficulty of recruiting skilled labour in the 
energy  industry  and  help  young  people  in  precarious  situations  to 
access promising jobs. Today, it still focuses on vocational training in 
Schneider  Electric  areas  of  expertise,  with  innovative  training 
approaches  and  close  tie-in  with  actual  industry  practices.  The 
students leave with qualifications enabling them to continue in higher 
education or take employment in innovation-rich energy-sector fields 
such as renewable energies, home automation and smart buildings as 
well as energy management.

In 2019, to reinforce the link with the Group, the school changed its 
name to École Schneider Electric and a new vocational training has 
been added in the frame of the creation of its CFA.

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6. Methodology and audit of indicators

6. Methodology and audit of indicators

In this section:

6.1  Methodology elements on the published indicators 

192

6.3  Independent third party’s report on the consolidated  

non-financial statement presented in the management report 

199

6.2  Concordance of indicators with the French  
Non-Financial Performance Declaration 

197

6.1 Methodology elements on the published indicators

In  the  absence  of  any  recognized  and  meaningful  benchmark  for 
companies  involved  in  manufacturing  and  assembling  electronic 
components,  Schneider  Electric  has  drawn  up  a  frame  of  reference 
with  reporting  methods  for  Schneider  Sustainability  Impact’s  (SSI) 
indicators and for Human Resources, safety and environmental data.

This frame of reference includes the scope, collection and consolidation 
procedures  and  definitions  of  this  information.  As  it  is  engaged  in  a 
process  of  constant  improvement,  Schneider  Electric  is  gradually 
supplementing this work to adapt its frame of reference for sustainable 
development  indicators  to  changes  in  the  Group.  This  document  is 
updated every year.

In keeping with its commitment to continuous improvement, Schneider 
Electric asked Ernst & Young to conduct a review in order to obtain a 
“limited” level of assurance for certain Human Resources, safety and 
environmental  data  indicators,  and  all  of  the  key  performance 
indicators  from  the  SSI  (see  Independent  verifier’s  report  on  pages 
199-200). The audit work builds on that conducted since 2006.

6.1.1 Human Resources, safety and  
environment indicators
The  Human  Resources,  safety  and  environmental  data  comes  from 
several  dedicated  reporting  tools,  primarily:  Human  Resources 
Analytics  for  the  Human  Resources  data  and  GlobES  (Global 
Environment  and  Safety)  for  the  safety  and  environment  data.  Its 
consolidation  is  placed  respectively  under  the  Global  Human 
Resources and the Global Supply Chain functions. Energy is managed 
with  the  Group’s  own  solutions,  Resource  Advisor.  Data  reliability 
checks are conducted at the time of consolidation (review of variations, 
inter-site comparison, etc.).

The safety data of the sites are included in the Group metrics after one 
complete calendar year following their creation or acquisition. A site 
joining the Group in year n will be included in the metrics on January 1, 
n+2,  except  in  exceptional  circumstances  when  an  agreement 
stipulates that the safety data will not be included for two years.

Breakdown of workforce data (by gender, category, age and seniority), 
sites declaring employee representation and the number of collective 
agreements cover 92% of the total workforce. Performance interviews 
have taken place with 98% of the eligible workforce. Training programs 
cover 99% of the workforce (MyLearningLink).

This data is consolidated over all fully integrated companies within the 
scope  of  financial  consolidation,  including  joint  ventures  over  which 
the Group exercises exclusive control.

Units that belong to Group companies which are fully consolidated are 
included in reporting on a 100% basis. Companies accounted for by 
the equity method are not included in the reporting.

The  scope  of  environmental  reporting  is  that  of  ISO  14001-certified 
sites, and certain non-certified sites on a voluntary basis and without 
interruption in time. All production and logistics sites with 50 or more 
FTE employees must obtain ISO 14001 certification before the end of 
the third full calendar year of operation or membership of the Group. 
Administrative, R&D and sales sites with 500 FTE employees or more 
also  have  to  obtain  ISO  14001  certification.  Other  sites  may  seek 
certification and/or report on a voluntary basis. A difference can be 
thus recorded with respect to the scope of financial consolidation.

6.1.2 Indicators from the Schneider  
Sustainability Impact
SSI#1 80% renewable electricity
This indicator measures the share of renewable electricity in Schneider 
Electric  electricity  supply,  on  the  scope  of  environmental  reporting 
(industrial  sites  >50  employees  and  tertiary  sites  >500  employees 
certified  ISO  14001).  Five  different  types  of  renewable  sourcing  are 
taken  into  account:  renewable  electricity  produced  onsite  and 
consumed onsite, renewable electricity produced onsite and sold to a 
third  party,  renewable  power  purchase  agreements  (PPAs),  green 
tariffs  and  renewable  certificates  (depending  on  the  country,  REC, 
iREC, GO, etc.).

Electricity purchased with no specific renewable electricity claim is not 
taken into account, even if the electricity mix of the supplier includes a 
share of renewable power.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#2 10% CO2 savings in transportation
This  indicator  includes  emissions  from  the  transport  of  goods 
purchased  by  Schneider  Electric,  covering  75%  of  the  Group’s  total 
transport costs.

The  measurement  of  CO2  equivalents  combines  the  impact  of  the 
following greenhouse gases: CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, SF6, PFCs, NOx 
and water vapor.

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Two  methods,  developed  in  partnership  with  a  specialized  firm,  are 
used by carriers to measure CO2 equivalent emissions: energy-based 
method  (calculation  based  on  fuel  combustion  –  preferred  method) 
and activity-based method (calculation based on the mileage and the 
quantity of transported goods – accepted method).

SSI#4 25% increase in turnover for our Energy  
& Sustainability Services
Energy  and  Sustainability  Services  (ESS)  is  a  global  Division  of 
Schneider Electric and has its own node in the Group reporting system 
(see Active Energy Management section pages 109 to 110).

Current year data are corrected based on carbon intensity of previous 
year, so that gains in carbon efficiency take into account changes in 
business  activity.  2018  is  the  first  year  of  the  2018-2020  triennial 
strategic plan.

Every  year  all  Group  entities  perform  a  restatement  of  their  outside 
Group  Sales  in  order  to  neutralize  all  the  changes  of  perimeters 
(internal and external). Thanks to this exercise, the year on year growth 
of the sales is at constant perimeter and is also at constant rate.

The target by the end of the program is to reduce our CO2 emissions 
by 10% in 2020 compared to 2017 baseline.

The measurement is taken directly from the Group reporting system. 

Calculation  methodology  and  reporting  in  the  SSI  of  the  transport  
CO2 KPI:

• 
• 
• 

In 2018: 2018 reduction vs 2017
In 2019: 2019 reduction vs 2017
In 2020: 2020 reduction vs 2017 

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#3 120 million metric tons CO2 saved on our customers’ end 
thanks to our EcoStruxure offers
This indicator measures CO2 savings delivered by Schneider Electric 
offers  to  customers.  CO2  savings  are  calculated  for  sales  of  the 
reporting  year  and  cumulated  over  the  offers’  lifetime.  Emissions  are 
calculated  as  the  difference  between  emissions  with  Schneider 
Electric’s offer and emissions in the reference situation.

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  has  been  increased  in  2019,  former 
target  was  100  million  metric  tons  CO2  saved  due  to  the  extension  
of the methodology to new offers.

The  methodology  distinguishes  “saved”  and  “avoided”  emissions: 
saved  CO2  emissions  correspond  to  brownfield  sales  that  enable 
reduction of global CO2 emissions compared to previous years, and 
avoided CO2 emissions correspond to greenfield sales that enable a 
limitation  of  the  increase  of  global  emissions.  Brownfield  sales 
correspond to the situation where the offer sold replaces or upgrades 
an existing system, leading to a change of GHG emissions of installed 
infrastructure  versus  the  previous  year.  For  “saved”  emissions,  the 
“brownfield reference situation” is defined as the situation before the 
new solution is sold and installed at the customer’s site. Only “saved” 
CO2  emissions  are  published  in  this  indicator  but  both  “saved”  and 
“avoided” emissions can be calculated with the methodology.

The calculation of CO2 impact of offers over their lifetime is based on 
sales  data  per  product  range.  Market  data  and  expert  assumptions 
are  used  to  determine  the  use-case  scenario  of  offers  and  the 
associated  CO2  impact.  This  methodology  is  associated  to  typical 
uncertainties  of  CO2  corporate  accounting  methodologies,  and 
conservative assumptions are preferred.

More  methodological  details  can  be  found  in  https://go.schneider-
electric.com/WW_201905_Sustainability-As-Good-Business_MF-LP.
html?source=Advertising-Online&sDetail=Sustainability-As-Good-
Business_WW& that has been made public in 2019.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#5 75% of sales under our new Green Premium program
A product is declared Green Premium™ when it meets all the following 
conditions:

• 
• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

It complies with the European RoHS Directive;
It has information available concerning the presence of Substances 
of  Very  High  Concern  (SVHC)  under  the  European  REACH 
regulation and refers to the two most recent lists;
It does not contain any REACH SVHCs past the sunset date;
It  has  a  Life  Cycle  Analysis  (ISO  14044)  with  an  Environmental 
Disclosure available for customers (ISO 14025 Type III or ISO 14021 
Type II) providing a material assessment, a recyclability rate and 
the calculation of environmental impacts including the consumption 
of raw materials and energy, the carbon footprint and damage to 
the ozone layer;
It  has  a  guide  that  identifies  and  locates  the  sub-assemblies  or 
components that require a particular recycling process, referred to 
as the circularity profile; and
It  complies  with  a  minimum  of  two  performance  claims  or  one 
external label, as listed in the Green Premium Playbook.

The indicator measures the share of sales made with a Green Premium™ 
offer from sales figures for 2018.

The Green Premium™ eligible scope for 2018-2020 covers all Schneider 
Electric businesses: Energy Management, Industrial Automation and 
Services, except Video Products, Residential and Thermal Control and 
Low Voltage Equipment.

The Green Premium program was expanded in early 2018 to include 
additional  environmental  performance  claims,  the  deployment  is 
phased for 2018-2020, starting with product offers only.

The  total  eligible  turnover  for  2019,  obtained  from  our  product  sales 
consolidated  at  Product  Reference,  has  been  extended  in  2019  to 
include Services & Software. It amounts to EUR 17.86 billion. 

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#6 200 sites labeled Towards Zero Waste to Landfill
A site achieves Towards Zero Waste to Landfill, if it recovers, by weight 
of its annual waste production, more than 99% of its metal waste and 
more  than  97%  of  its  non-metallic  waste,  as  well  as  100%  proper 
handling  and  treatment  of  hazardous  waste.  Proper  handling  and 
treatment of hazardous waste means that hazardous waste shall be 
handled as per Schneider Electric’s requirements and local regulations, 
whichever is the most restrictive.

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6. Methodology and audit of indicators

Waste is considered as recovered if it is sent to a waste provider for 
recycling  or  disposal  in  any  manner  except  landfill  and  incineration 
without  energy  recovery.  Waste  composting  and  energy  recovery 
systems qualify as recovered.

This indicator relates to all sites included in the environment reporting 
perimeter.  In  2019,  the  calculation  of  this  indicator  changed  since 
2018. The amounts of reduced/avoided waste declared by sites are 
now  considered  in  the  calculation  of  the  waste  recovery  ratios. 
Reduced waste is a new indicator which was optionally reported by 
sites in GlobES in 2019.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.
SSI#7 100% cardboard and pallets for transport packing from 
recycled or certified sources
The  objective  is  that,  from  2018  to  2020,  cardboard  and  pallets 
purchased  by  Schneider  Electric  for  transportation,  progressively 
increase to being 100% from recycled materials or certified sources.

The scope includes tier-one strategic suppliers until 2020 with a direct 
purchase  of  cardboard  and  pallets  in  the  Schneider  Electric 
procurement  system.  Geographically,  all  regions  under  the  global 
supply chain will be covered.

Every  reporting  period,  the  spend  on  cardboard  and  pallets  is 
extracted from the system and each element is classified as recycled, 
certified  or  none.  Verification  is  done  for  recycled  and  certified 
declarations on the definitions already provided as well as certificates 
and  other  documentary  evidence  from  suppliers.  The  list  of  eligible 
certificates/documents  is  continually  updated  to  make  it  exhaustive 
and to cover countries’ specificities.

A global campaign is being run in all global supply chain regions to 
progressively  move  the  spend  to  recycled  or  certified  sources  with 
sponsorship from top management.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#8 120,000 metric tons of avoided primary resource 
consumption through ECOFIT™, recycling and take-back 
programs
This  indicator  quantifies  all  industrial  activities  that  contribute  to  the 
Circular  Economy  model,  such  as  repair,  reuse,  refurbish  and 
recycling, thus avoiding waste, material and energy consumption, CO2 
emissions and/or water depletion.

SSI#9 70% scored in our Employee Engagement Index
During 
the  OneVoice  satisfaction  surveys,  Schneider  Electric 
employees  are  asked  a  series  of  questions;  six  of  them  are  used  to 
generate the Employee Engagement Index (EEI). The EEI is a standard 
international index.

Employees  have  been  surveyed  once  a  year  since  2018,  to  free  up 
HRBPs and Managers’ energy and gain more time to deep dive into 
the results and build specific action plans. All employees are surveyed; 
Open-Ended  Contracts  and  Fixed-Term  Contracts  with  an  active 
status in our HR system (excluding trainees and interim employees). 
Employees are surveyed via email, for those who have a professional 
mailbox, or via kiosks installed in the plants (or via an IT room), for other 
employees. The survey is administered by an external party.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#10 0.88 medical incident per million hours worked
The  Medical  Incident  Rate  (MIR)  is  the  number  of  work  incidents 
requiring  medical  treatment  per  million  hours  worked  (i.e.  average 
hours  of  500  employees  working  for  one  calendar  year),  including 
injuries  and  occupational  illnesses.  Incidents  may  or  may  not  have 
resulted in a day off.

All  incidents  reported  on  Schneider  Electric  sites  are  counted 
(including therefore incidents affecting Schneider Electric employees 
and  other  employees  working  under  the  supervision  of  Schneider 
Electric, i.e. temporary workers). All Schneider Electric sites are taken 
into account. Medical incidents do not include: visits to a physician or 
other  licensed  healthcare  professional  solely  for  observation  or 
counseling; the conduct of diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays and 
blood  tests,  including  the  administration  of  prescription  medications 
used solely for diagnostic purposes (e.g. eye drops to dilate pupils); or 
first aid.

The focus of the Medical Incident Rate (MIR) is on the identification 
and evaluation of workplace hazards. The resulting corrective actions 
assist  in  the  elimination  of  recurring  incidents  and  the  prevention  of 
injury. The Group has used the MIR as a key performance indicator on 
a global basis since 2010.

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was 1 medical incident per million hours worked).

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

The scope includes worldwide activities across all businesses (Energy 
Management, Industry, Services) and relevant product families (LV/MV 
Equipment, Transformers, UPS-es, Inverters, protection relays, PLCs 
etc), with offers like ECOFIT™, take-back programs and recycling.

SSI#11 90% of employees have access to a comprehensive 
well-being at work program
This indicator measures the number of employees having access to 
our combined commitment for a well-being at work program.

The  indicator  is  calculated  as  the  sum  of  primary  resources 
consumption avoided by each activity, with calculation method varying 
per  activity. When  available, exact  weights are reported. Otherwise, 
average weight for each category of device is used for calculations.

Each  activity  reports  quarterly,  half-yearly  or  annually,  depending 
upon  the  activity.  The  verification  is  done  based  on  ERP/logistics 
systems extracts, sales datasheets or third-party certificates.

The  first  pillar  of  the  program  is  the  access  to  medical  coverage. 
Schneider Electric ensures that it provides its employees with access 
to a standard level of healthcare coverage, irrespective of level, and 
provides access to healthcare coverage for their eligible dependents. 
Access  to  cover  is  defined  by  local  regulations  and  employment 
agreements,  i.e.  collective  and/or  labor  agreements.  Cost  of  the 
standard level of healthcare cover may be borne by the Company and/
or the employee.

The ambition for this indicator was increased in 2019, former target was 
100,000 metric tons of avoided primary resources consumption.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

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The  second  pillar  is  the  awareness  and  training  piece.  Empowering 
Schneider Electric’s employees to manage their unique life and work 
by making the most of their energy through learning and practice. At 
Schneider  Electric  there  is  a  holistic  approach  to  Well-Being  which 
comprises  of:  Physical,  Emotional,  Mental,  and  Social  well-being. 
Employees  have  access  to  trainings  provided  by  the  Global  Well-
Being team, and/or local training that has been reviewed and approved 
by Global Well-Being.

The indicator covers all countries where Schneider has active Open 
End Contract employees under Schneider compensation and benefit 
frameworks,  including  DVC  and  NDVC.  Also  including  China  Fixed 
Term Contract active Schneider employees. 

SSI#15 95% of employees are working in a country with 
commitment and processes in place to achieve gender  
pay equity
This  indicator  measures  the  percentage  of  employees  who  work  in 
countries  where  there  is  an  operating  gender  pay  equity  plan,  i.e. 
measurement  of  pay  equity  and,  if  pay  gaps,  corrective  actions  
in place.

Schneider  Electric  uses  a  common  global  standard  methodology  to 
identify gender pay gaps within comparable groups of employees and 
uses  a  country  driven  approach  to  address  gaps  with  appropriate 
corrective actions.

Third  party  contractors,  joint  venture  and  recent  acquisition  are 
excluded. 

All permanent employees globally and fixed-term contracts in China 
are  included.  Supplementary  workers,  other  fixed-term  contracts, 
trainees and apprentices are excluded.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#12 100% of employees are working in countries that have 
fully deployed our Family Leave Policy
This  indicator  measures  the  percentage  of  employees  who  work  in 
countries that have fully deployed our Family Leave Policy.

Under  the  Family  Leave  Policy,  countries  must  meet  the  global 
minimum standards of the policy, which includes fully paid leave for 
primary parental leave (12 weeks) for both natural birth and adoption, 
secondary  parental  leave  (2  weeks)  for  natural  birth  and  adoption, 
care  leave  for  immediate  family  members  that  require  elder  care  or 
care for a serious health condition (1 week) and bereavement leave  
(1 week).

All permanent employees globally and fixed-term contracts in China 
are included. Interim workers, other fixed-term contracts, trainees, and 
apprentices are excluded.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young. 

SSI#13 100% of workers received at least 15 hours of learning, 
and 30% of workers’ learning hours are done digitally
Schneider  Electric  workers  –  shop  floor  employees  in  plants  and 
distribution centers – need to get connected to digital tools and digital 
training  resources  in  order  to  develop  themselves,  grow  in  the 
Company and develop their career. Eligible worker scope represents 
97% of Schneider total workers population (interim staff and interns as 
well as people joining after January 31 of the year are excluded).

For this, the ambition is that each worker will do a minimum of 15 hours 
learning  each  year,  and  also,  30%  of  all  workers’  learning  hours  
will  be  done  digitally,  using  resources  provided  to  all  in  the  digital 
learning corners that Schneider Electric is setting in all its plants and 
distribution center.

SSI#16 5.5 pts/100 increase in average score of ISO 26000 
assessment for our strategic suppliers
The  objective  is  to  motivate  strategic  Group  suppliers  to  roll  out  
and monitor improvement plans conforming to ISO 26000 guidelines. 
An assessment of stategic suppliers is carried out by a third party. The 
assessments are monitored during business reviews with Schneider 
Electric  buyers,  with  a  view  to  continuous  improvement  according  
to the guidelines of ISO 26000.

The Group has set to engage all its strategic suppliers in a process of 
continuous  improvement  on  this  pillar.  At  the  end  of  2019,  strategic 
suppliers represent c. 60% of Schneider Electric’s purchases volume. 
Strategic  suppliers  who  have  passed  the  third-party  evaluation 
process  cover  more  than  70%  of  total  strategic  purchasing  volume. 
Sustainable development has become one of the seven pillars used to 
measure  supplier  performance  since  2011,  allowing  the  highest-
performing suppliers to become strategic suppliers.

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was a 5 pts/100 increase).

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#17 350 suppliers under Human Rights and Environment 
vigilance received specific on-site assessment
This  indicator  measures  the  number  of  on-site  audits  performed, 
regarding  Environment,  Health  &  Safety,  Labor  (human  rights)  and 
Management  System  pillars.  The  targeted  suppliers  are  defined 
leveraging a third party methodology and the audit referential is from 
recognized  best  industry  practices  RBA  alliance  (Responsible 
Business Alliance, previously EICC).

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was 300 on-site assessments).

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was 12 hours learning).

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

The indicator is the average of the completion of the two ambitions. 

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#14 90% of white collars have individual development plans
All  white-collar  employees  are  required  to  participate  in  an  annual 
development discussion with their manager that is linked to the annual 
performance review. This should result in the updating or creating of 
an  individual  development  plan.  During  2019,  79%  of  white  collar 
employees created or updated an individual development plan with at 
least one specific development goal. 

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

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6. Methodology and audit of indicators

SSI#18 100% of sales, procurement, and finance employees 
trained every year on anti-corruption
An anti-corruption e-learning was launched in April 2018. It lasts 25 
minutes,  is  available  in  several  languages  (including  French  and 
English)  and  covers  all  aspects  of  the  anti-corruption  compliance 
program of the Group. 

In  May  2019,  Schneider  Electric  launched  a  new  campaign  and 
extended  the  obligation  to  all  employees  with  corresponding  job 
codes potentially at risk of corruption, doubling their number compared 
to  2018.  All  concerned  colleagues  will  have  to  take  this  training 
annually.

The training has been developed by the Compliance Team which is 
responsible for modifying it every year to keep it up to date. The HR 
Learning Team validates the media and ensures the deployment and 
monitoring via MyLearningLink.

In partnership with local and international NGOs and local authorities, 
the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  and  the  Company’s  local  entities 
provide  direct  and  indirect  contributions  to  professional  training 
centers. The objective is to help them improve the level of vocational 
training courses with diploma or certification in energy management. 
The  minimum  duration  of  these  courses  is  three  months  (or  totaling  
100 hours).

Contributions may be (cumulative possible):

• 

funding of electrical and didactic equipments, donation of request 
equipment, first generation, for practical work;

•  knowledge transfer through trainer training, and support for future 

entrepreneur training.

As  a  technical  partner,  Schneider  Electric  does  not  pay  operating 
expenses.

To  ensure  that  the  messages  delivered  during  the  training  are  well 
understood, systematic quiz knowledge is checked. A minimum grade 
is required to complete the training.

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was 350,000 people trained).

This  training  must  be  done  every  year  and  within  90  days  of  being 
assigned.  As  such,  a  new  version  of  the  training  is  assigned.  In 
addition,  all  new  sales,  procurement  and  finance  employees  must 
complete this training upon their arrival and within 90 days of being 
assigned.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#19 x4 turnover of our Access to Energy program
This indicator tracks the growth rate of the Access to Energy program’s 
annual turnover, based on the actual 2017 turnover.

It  covers  the  sales  in  Africa  and  The  Middle  East,  Asia  and  South 
America  of  all  products  and  solutions  which  contribute  to  providing 
access to modern energy for populations living in rural and peri-urban 
areas:  individual  lighting,  individual  and  collective  electrification, 
energy services and training equipment and training contracts. Sales 
are aggregated every quarter based on invoicing data from operational 
entities.

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

SSI#20 400,000 underprivileged people trained in energy 
management
The  deployment  of  professional 
in  energy 
management  dedicated  to  underprivileged  people  enable  these 
people to acquire skills to pursue a career that offers them, as well as 
their families, the means for a decent standard of living. These courses 
are  defined  according  to  a  local  reference  and  justifiable  by  the 
partner.

training  programs 

This indicator is audited annually by Ernst & Young.

SSI#21 15,000 volunteering days thanks to our VolunteerIn 
global platform
Schneider  Electric  employees’  volunteering  activities  mainly  take 
place in vocational training organizations in the energy field (vocational 
and technical training, schools, universities, etc.), NGOs committed to 
tackling  fuel  poverty  and  companies  supported  by  the  Schneider 
Electric Access to Energy Fund and more globally in all organizations 
referenced  by  the  Schneider  Electric  Foundation  delegates  in  
their  countries.  They  principally  benefit  children/young  adults  or 
underprivileged families and are organized depending on the personal 
or professional skills of the volunteers and the needs identified by the 
supported organizations (specialized or non-specialized needs).

To give employees a better overview of possible commitments and to 
support  the  development  of  its  actions,  the  Schneider  Electric 
Foundation  has  set  up  a  new  digital  tool  called  VolunteerIn.  This 
multilingual platform enables Group employees to apply for volunteer 
missions among the Foundation’s partners.

One day of volunteering is counted when a staff member dedicates 
five  hours  of  their  time  to  one  of  these  partner  organizations.  The 
indicator  also  includes  the  training  missions  organized  abroad  for  a 
period of five days minimum.

The  ambition  for  this  indicator  was  increased  in  2019  (former  target 
was 12,000 volunteering days).

This indicator was audited by Ernst & Young.

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6.2 Concordance of indicators with the French  
Non-Financial Performance Declaration themes

The table below indicates the page numbers of the report in which the various indicators are mentioned.

General disclosure

Business model
Description of the key non-financial risks
Description of policies in place to prevent, identify and mitigate the key non-financial risks,  
as well as their results and key performance indicators

1 Social information

a) Employment
Total workforce and breakdown of employees by gender, age and region
Hiring and layoffs
Remuneration and its development

b) Organization of work
Organization of working time
Absenteeism

c) Social relations
Organization of social dialog – particularly information and personnel consultation and negotiation procedures
List of collective agreements

d) Health and safety
Health and safety conditions in the workplace
List of agreements signed with unions or employee representatives regarding health and safety in the 
workplace
Work accidents, particularly their frequency and their severity
… as well as Occupational illnesses

e) Training
Training policies implemented
Total number of training hours

f) Equality of in the workforce
Measures taken towards gender equality
Measures taken towards employment and involvement of persons with disabilities
Anti-discrimination policy

g) Promotion and respect of the provisions of the International Labor Organization’s fundamental  
agreements relating to:
•  respect of the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining;
•  eradication of discrimination in employment and profession;
•  eradication of forced or obligatory labor;
•  effective abolition of child labor.

Pages

10-11
88-93

88-93

Pages

205-206
206-208
171-173; 352

209
208-209

174-176; 209
174-176; 209

153-155; 208-209

209
208-209
208-209

160-163
209

164-170
164-170
164-170

112-114; 174-176
112-114; 164-170
112-114
112-114

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6. Methodology and audit of indicators

2 Environmental information

a) General environmental policy
Organization of the Company to take into account environmental questions and, when necessary, 
environmental evaluation  
or certification approaches
Employee training and information actions regarding environmental protection
Environmental risk and pollution prevention means
Amount of provisions and cover for environmental risks except if this is likely to cause serious harm to the  
Company in a pending litigation

b) Pollution
Measures for prevention, reduction or repair of emissions in the air, water and ground with serious 
environmental effects
Consideration of any form of pollution specific to an activity, particularly noise and light pollution

c) Circular economy
Waste prevention and management
Measures for prevention, recycling, reuse, other forms of recovery and removal of waste
Actions to combat food waste and food insecurity, to respect animal welfare and responsible, fair and 
sustainable food
Sustainable use of resources
Water consumption and supply according to local constraints
Raw material consumption and measures taken to improve the efficiency of their use
Energy consumption and measures taken to improve energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies
Land use

d) Climate change
Significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions generated as a result of the Company’s activities, particularly 
through the use of the goods and services it produces
Measures taken to adapt to the consequences of climate change
Reduction targets set voluntarily in the medium and long term to reduce GHG emissions and means 
implemented for this purpose

e) Biodiversity protection
Measures taken to preserve or develop biodiversity

3 Information relating to societal commitments in sustainable development

a) Territorial, economic and social impact of the Company’s activities
Regarding employment and regional development
On neighboring or local populations

b)  Relations with the persons or organizations involved in the Company’s activities, particularly 
involvement organizations, teaching establishments, environmental defense organizations, 
consumer associations and neighboring populations

Conditions of dialog with these persons or organizations
Partnership or sponsorship actions

c) Subcontracting and suppliers
Consideration within the Company’s purchasing policy of social and environmental issues
Consideration within relations with subcontractors and suppliers of their social and environmental responsibility

d) Loyalty of practices
Anti-corruption actions taken
Measures taken towards consumer health and safety
Actions taken against tax evasion

e) Other actions taken related to human rights, within the scope of this third indicator

Pages

129-131; 137-142
112; 131
138-139

68; 345

142
142

145
143-146

Not material
143-146
142; 202
147-150; 351
137-141; 202-203 
Not material

132-136; 202-203
132-142

132-136

100; 112; 130

178-191
178-191

174-176
183-191

121-127
121-127

118-119
147-150
120

113-114

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6.3 Independent third party’s report on the 
consolidated non-financial statement presented  
in the management report

Year ended on 31 12 2019

This is a free translation into English of the original report issued in the 
French  language  and  it  is  provided  solely  for  the  convenience  of 
English speaking users. This report should be read in conjunction with, 
and  construed  in  accordance  with,  French  law  and  professional 
standards applicable in France.

To the General Assembly,

In our quality as an independent verifier, accredited by the COFRAC 
under the number n° 3-1681 (scope of accreditation available on the 
website www.cofrac.fr), and as a member of the network of one of the 
statutory auditors of your company (hereafter “entity”), we present our 
report on the consolidated non-financial statement established for the 
year ended on the 31st of December 2019 (hereafter referred to as the 
“Statement”),  included  in  the  management  report  pursuant  to  the 
requirements of articles L. 225 102-1, R. 225-105 and R. 225-105-1 of 
the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce).

The entity’s responsibility
The  Board  of  Directors  is  responsible  for  preparing  the  Statement, 
including a presentation of the business model, a description of the 
principal non-financial risks, a presentation of the policies implemented 
considering those risks and the outcomes of said policies, including 
key performance indicators. 

The  Statement  has  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  entity’s 
procedures (hereinafter the “Guidelines”), the main elements of which 
are  presented  in  the  Statement  and  available  on  request  from  the 
entity’s head office.

Independence and quality control
Our independence is defined by the requirements of article L. 822-11-
3  of  the  French  Commercial  Code  and  the  French  Code  of  Ethics 
(Code  de  déontologie)  of  our  profession.  In  addition,  we  have 
implemented  a  system  of  quality  control  including  documented 
policies and procedures regarding compliance with applicable legal 
and  regulatory  requirements,  the  ethical  requirements  and  French 
professional guidance.

Responsibility of the independent third party
On  the  basis  of  our  work,  our  responsibility  is  to  provide  a  report 
expressing a limited assurance conclusion on:

• 

• 

the compliance of the Statement with the requirements of article R. 
225-105 of the French Commercial Code;
the fairness of the information provided in accordance with article 
R.  225  105  I,  3°  and  II  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  i.e.,  the 
outcomes, including key performance indicators, and the measures 
implemented  considering  the  principal  risks  (hereinafter  the 
“Information”).

However,  it  is  not  our  responsibility  to  comment  on  the  entity’s 
compliance with other applicable legal and regulatory requirements, 
in particular the French duty of care law and anti-corruption and tax 
avoidance legislation nor on the compliance of products and services 
with the applicable regulations.

Nature and scope of the work
The  work  described  below  was  performed  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions of articles A. 225-1 et seq. of the French Commercial Code, 
as  well  as  with  the  professional  guidance  of  the  French  Institute  of 
Statutory  Auditors  (“CNCC”)  applicable  to  such  engagements  and 
with ISAE 3000199(1).

•  we  obtained  an  understanding  of  all  the  consolidated  entities’ 
activities and the description of the principal risks associated; 
•  we  assessed  the  suitability  of  the  criteria  of  the  Guidelines  with 
respect to their relevance, completeness, reliability, neutrality and 
understandability, with due consideration of industry best practices, 
where appropriate; 

•  we verified that the Statement includes each category of social and 
environmental information set out in article L. 225 102 1 III as well as 
information  regarding  compliance  with  human  rights  and  anti 
corruption and tax avoidance legislation;

•  we  verified  that  the  Statement  provides  the  information  required 
under article R. 225-105 II of the French Commercial Code, where 
relevant  with  respect  to  the  principal  risks,  and  includes,  where 
applicable,  an  explanation  for  the  absence  of  the  information 
required under article L. 225-102-1 III, paragraph 2 of the French 
Commercial Code; 

•  we verified that the Statement presents the business model and a 
description of principal risks associated with all the consolidated 
entities’ activities, including where relevant and proportionate, the 
risks associated with their business relationships, their products or 
services,  as  well  as  their  policies,  measures  and  the  outcomes 
thereof,  including  key  performance  indicators  associated  to  the 
principal risks;

•  we referred to documentary sources and conducted interviews to 
 – assess the process used to identify and confirm the principal 
risks as well as the consistency of the outcomes, including the 
key performance indicators used, with respect to the principal 
risks and the policies presented, and 

 – corroborate 

information 

the  qualitative 

(measures  and 
outcomes)  that  we  considered  to  be  the  most  important 
presented  in  Appendix  1;  concerning  certain  risks  (exemple  : 
anti corruption), our work was carried out on the consolidating 
entity,  for  the  others  risks,  our  work  was  carried  out  on  the 
consolidating entity and on a selection of entities : the production 
sites  Gagret  LTI  1  (India),  Luminous  Inverter-Baddi  (India), 
Universal Enclosures Capellades (Spain), SAREL (France), SEF 
Beaumont  le  Roger  (France),  Montbonnot  (France)  and  the 
Schneider Electric regional headquarters in India and Spain for 
HR and safety information;

•  we verified that the Statement covers the scope of consolidation, 
i.e. all the consolidated entities in accordance with article L. 233-16 
of the French Commercial;

•  we  obtained  an  understanding  of  internal  control  and  risk 
management procedures the entity has put in place and assessed 
the  data  collection  process  to  ensure  the  completeness  and 
fairness of the Information;

(1)  ISAE 3000 – Assurance engagements other than audits or reviews of historical financial information.

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• 

the  key  performance 

for 
indicators  and  other  quantitative  
outcomes that we considered to be the most important presented 
in Appendix 1 , we implemented:
 – analytical procedures to verify the proper consolidation of the 
data  collected  and  the  consistency  of  any  changes  in  those 
data;

 – concerning  the  21  indicators  of  the  Schneider  Sustainability 
Impact  (SSI),  tests  of  details,  using  sampling  techniques,  in 
order  to  verify  the  proper  application  of  the  definitions  and 
procedures  and  reconcile  the  data  with  the  supporting 
documents. Depending on the indicators, the selected sample 
ranges between 10 % and 100 % of the consolidated data;
 – concerning the other environmental and social indicators, tests 
of  details,  using  sampling  techniques,  in  order  to  verify  the 
proper  application  of  the  definitions  and  procedures  and 
reconcile  the  data  with  the  supporting  documents.  This  work 
was carried out on a selection of contributing entities and covers 
between 7.4% and 15.7% of the consolidated data relating to the 
key  performance  indicators  and  outcomes  selected  for  these 
tests (15.7% of the headcount, 7.4% of the energy consumption);
•  we assessed the overall consistency of the Statement based on our 

knowledge of all the consolidated entities.

Conclusion
Based on the procedures performed, nothing has come to our attention 
that causes us to believe that the consolidated non-financial statement 
is  not  presented  in  accordance  with  the  applicable  regulatory 
requirements and that the Information, taken as a whole, is not presented 
fairly in accordance with the Guidelines, in all material respects.

Comments
Without  modifying  our  conclusion  and  in  accordance  with  article  A. 
225-3  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  we  have  the  following 
comments:

Outcomes of the policies, including key performance indicators:
•  Sites have different understandings of the calculation methodology 
for the indicator “Total employees” (environmental indicator), which 
affects  significantly  the  homogeneity  of  the  information  reported, 
but  does  not  affect  the  year  on  year  evolutions  observed.  The 
following  indicators  are  affected:  “Total  waste  produced  per 
employee”,  “Water  consumption  per  employee”,  “VOC  per 
employee”,  “Energy  consumption  per  employee”,  “CO2  linked  to 
energy consumption per employee”.

We  believe  that  the  work  carried  out,  based  on  our  professional 
judgement,  is  sufficient  to  provide  a  basis  for  our  limited  assurance 
conclusion;  a  higher  level  of  assurance  would  have  required  us  to 
carry out more extensive procedures.

Paris-La Défense, March 10, 2020  
French original signed by:  
Independent third party
EY & Associés

Means and resources
Our verification work mobilized the skills of five people and took place 
between  October  2019  and  February  2020  on  a  total  duration  of 
intervention of about fourteen weeks.

We conducted several interviews with the persons responsible for the 
preparation of the Statement.

Eric Mugnier
Partner, Sustainable Development

Jean-François Bélorgey
Partner

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7. Indicators

7. Indicators

7.1 Environmental indicators

The indicators below have a Group scope. They illustrate our industrial 
and logistics sites’ environmental consumption, emissions and waste 
in addition to certain major tertiary sites. The scope of environmental 
reporting is that of ISO 14001 certified sites, and certain non-certified 
sites  on  a  voluntary  basis  and  without  interruption  in  time.  All  of  the 
industrial and logistics sites with more than 50 people and the major 
tertiary sites with more than 500 people must be ISO 14001 certified 
within  two  years  of  their  acquisition  or  creation.  A  difference  can, 
therefore, be noted with respect to the scope of financial consolidation. 
The  perimeter  for  environmental  data  publications  is  100%  of  the 
Group's energy consumption, 100% of CO2e emissions (Scope 1 and 
2), and more than 90% regarding water consumption, waste generation 
and VOC emissions.

Schneider Electric provides readers with two pieces of information so 
that environmental performance can be compared from one year to  
the next:

• 
• 

the publication of indicators on a constant basis;
the publication of indicators per employee to correct the changes 
in  activities  of  the  sites.  The  sites’  workforce  includes  Schneider 
(fixed-term,  permanent  and  work/study 
Electric  employees 
participants), temporary staff and on-site subcontractors.

Comments  on  the  indicators  are  included  in  the  corresponding 
chapters.

7.1.1 Key performance indicators from the Schneider Sustainability Impact

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Climate

Circular economy

Renewable electricity

1. 
2.  CO2 efficiency in transportation
3.  Million metric tons CO2 saved on our customers’ end thanks  

to EcoStruxure offers

4. 

5. 
6. 
7. 

Increase in turnover for our EcoStruxure Energy and  
Sustainability Services

Sales under our new Green Premium™ program
Sites labeled Towards Zero Waste To Landfill
Cardboard and pallets for transport packing from recycled or 
certified sources

2019  

progress

50%  (cid:83)
4.1% (cid:83)
89 (cid:83)

2020  
target

80% 

10% 
120

23.8%  (cid:83)

25%

55.2% (cid:83)
193 (cid:83)
96% (cid:83)

75% 
200
100%

8.   Metric tons of avoided primary resource consumption through 

97,439 (cid:83) 120,000

ECOFIT™, recycling, and take-back programs

(cid:83) 2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 140-141 for indicator 1,  
141-142 for indicator 2, 135-136 for indicator 3, 109-110 for indicator 4, 147-149 for indicator 5, and 143-145 for indicators 6, 7 and 8).

7.1.2 ISO 14001 certification of sites

Indicators

Number of ISO 14001 certified sites
Industrial and logistics sites
Tertiary sites
New sites certified this year

Certified sites that have closed or consolidated this year

2019

241
220
21
2

14

2018

253
230
23
0

10

2017

263
238
25
3

10

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7. Indicators

7.1.3 Group site consumption, emissions and waste

GRI

Indicators

Number of participating sites

Total employees(1)

306-2

306-2

306-2

Non-hazardous waste produced (in t)

Non-hazardous waste recovered (in t)

Share of non-hazardous waste recovered

of which metal waste recovered

306-2

Hazardous waste produced (in t)

Hazardous waste channeled according to 
Schneider Electric expectations (in t)

Total waste produced per employee (in t/p)

Current scope

Constant scope

2019

268

114,967 (cid:83) 

143,149 (cid:83) 

136,316 (cid:83) 

95% (cid:83)

99.97% (cid:83)

9,022 (cid:83) 

8,727 (cid:83) 

1.3 

2018

269

118,460

145,391

137,500

94%

99.90%

9,549

9,239

1.3

2017

282

117,042

150,377

141,333

94%

99.60%

10,383

9,745

1.4

2019

261 

107,603 

136,039 

129,546 

95%

99.97%

8,614 

8,319 

1.3 

2018

261

112,777

140,289

134,544

96%

99.96%

8,520

8,222

1.3

306-2

306-2

303-1

303-1

303-1

303-1

305-7

305-7

305-7

Total waste produced/Turnover (t/EUR)

0.0000056 

0.0000060 

0.0000065 

0.0000053 

0.0000058 

Water withdrawn for consumption (m3)

2,554,428 (cid:83) 

2,700,619

2,671,587

2,427,225 

2,600,565

of which public water (m3)

of which ground water (m3)

of which surface water (m3)

of which other sources (m3)

Water consumption/employee (m3/p)

2,021,168 (cid:83) 

2,163,276

2,163,212

1,921,292 

2,074,557

501,163 (cid:83) 

490,563

461,780

476,048 

481,282

17,074 (cid:83) 

15,023 (cid:83) 

22.2 

17,993

28,842

22.8

18,750

31,150

22.8

17,074 

12,811 

22.6 

17,993

26,733

23.1

Water consumption/Turnover (m3/EUR)

0.000094

0.000105

0.000108

0.000089 

0.000101

Water withdrawn for cooling restituted w/o impact 
(m3)

880,276 (cid:83) 

1,376,335

1,460,663

880,276 

1,376,335

VOC emissions (kg) (estimates)

653,502 (cid:83) 

664,352

708,295

650,403 

645,860

VOC/employee (kg/p) (estimates)

5.7

5.6

6.1

6.0 

5.7

VOC/Turnover (kg/EUR) (estimates)

0.000024

0.000026 

0.000029 

0.000024 

0.000025 

302-1, 302-4 Energy consumption (MWh)

1,192,508 (cid:83) 

1,258,081

1,264,640

1,158,001 

1,249,736

Grid Electricity (MWh)

Renewable electricity (MWh)**

District heating (MWh)

Fuel oil (MWh)

Gas (MWh)

Coal (MWh)

Other renewable energy (MWh)

302-1, 302-4 Energy consumption per employee (MWh)

406,200 (cid:83) 

402,363 (cid:83) 

75,253 (cid:83) 

8,595 (cid:83) 

584,721

257,356

84,263

9,672

837,028

16,895

78,269

8,451

386,132 

402,363 

75,253 

8,595 

581,035

257,356

84,263

9,661

298,319 (cid:83) 

320,153

323,941

283,880 

315,506

0 (cid:83)

1,778 (cid:83) 

10.4 (cid:83)

0

1,916

10.6

0

56

10.8

0

1,778 

10.8 

0

1,916

11.1

302-1, 302-4 Energy consumption/Turnover (MWh/EUR)

0.000044 

0.000049 

0.000051 

0.000043 

0.000049 

305-1, 305-2, 
305-5

305-2

305-2

305-2

305-1

305-1

305-1

305-1

305-1

CO2 emissions linked to energy consumption 
(in tCO2e)(2)
Grid Electricity (tCO2e, indirect emission, 
market-based)

Renewable Electricity (tCO2e, indirect emission, 
market-based)

District heating (tCO2e, indirect emission)
Fuel oil (tCO2e, direct emission)
Gas (tCO2e, direct emission)
Coal (tCO2e, direct emission)
Other renewable energy (tCO2e, direct emission)
Vehicle fleet (direct emission,in tCO2e)

237,419 (cid:83) 

370,993

501,241

225,265 

368,498

134,122 (cid:83) 

258,975

392,713

124,929 

257,073

795 (cid:83) 

35,020 (cid:83) 

5,748 (cid:83) 

61,733 (cid:83) 

0 (cid:83)

0 (cid:83)

219

39,541

6,626

65,631

0

0

0

36,125

5,605

66,798

0

0

795 

35,020 

5,748 

58,773 

0

0

219

39,541

6,454

65,211

0

0

91,169 (cid:83) 

94,287 

91,035 

91,169 

94,287 

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305-1

305-1

305-2

305-2

Indicators

SF6 emissions (direct emissions, in tCO2e)(3)
SF6 leakage rate

Target SF6 leakage rate

Summary of CO2e emissions of reporting 
perimeter

Total scope 1 CO2 emissions (direct energy 
consumption, SF6 emissions and vehicle fleet in 
tCO2e) of reporting perimeter
Total scope 2 CO2 emissions (indirect energy 
consumption in tCO2e) of reporting perimeter 
(market- based)

Total scope 2 CO2 emissions (indirect energy 
consumption in tCO2e) of reporting perimeter 
(location-based)(4)

305-1, 305-2 A Total scopes 1 and 2 CO2 emissions (in tCO2e) 
of reporting perimeter, market-based

Estimated energy consumption and CO2e 
emissions out of reporting perimeter

302-1
302-4

Energy consumption for sites out of reporting 
perimeter (MWh)

305-1, 305-5 B Total scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions (energy 
consumption in tCO2e) of sites out of reporting 
perimeter (market-based)(4)

Summary of CO2e emissions extended to the 
full perimeter

305-1, 305-2 A+B Total scopes 1 and 2 CO2 emissions 

305-5

305-5

(energy, vehicle fleet and SF6 emissions in 
tCO2e, market-based) of full perimeter
Total scopes 1 and 2/Turnover (tCO2e/EUR)
Total scopes 1 and 2 / Employee (tCO2e/
employee, incl. supplementary personnel)

Current scope

Constant scope

2019

12,684 (cid:83) 

0.24%

0.25%

2018

12,132

0.26%

0.25%

2017

12,688

0.29%

0.25%

2019

12,684 

0.24%

0.25%

2018

12,132

0.26%

0.25%

171,335 (cid:83) 

178,676

176,126

168,375 

178,085

169,937 (cid:83) 

298,736

428,838

160,744 

297,581

373,323 (cid:83) 

392,873

423,301

364,130 

362,194

341,272 (cid:83) 

477,412

604,964

329,119 

475,666

250,333 

282,750

UP

95,104 (cid:83) 

92,141

93,198

436,376 (cid:83) 

569,553 

698,162 

0.000016 

0.000022 

0.000028 

3.8 

4.8 

6.0 

UP 

UP 

UP 

UP 

UP 

UP

–

–

–

–

(cid:83)  2019 audited indicators. UP = Unpublished.
*  Constant scope emissions are not corrected for activity level.
**  Renewable electricity reported here includes renewable electricity purchased through Power Purchasing Agreements, renewable electricity produced on-site and 

electricity covered by Energy Attributes Certificates (EAC). The EAC account for 67% of total renewable electricity reported.

(1)  For the indicator “Total employees” and the resulting ratios, some sites calculate full-time equivalents and others report headcounts at the end of each month. Since this 

situation has been considered recurrent for several years, the evolution of these indicators is considered representative.

(2)  The CO2 emissions linked to energy consumption are considered estimates, because the indirect emissions are calculated on the conversion factors per country. Scope 1 
and 2 CO2 emissions from energy consumption are quantified using energy reporting data, in MWh of energy per energy source. Scope 2 emissions are quantified with 
the market-based methodology and the location-based methodology, following GHG Protocol scope 2 guidance. Location-based scope 2 electricity emissions on energy 
reporting perimeter are equal to 338,303 tCO2e (audited value). Total scope 1 and 2 (location-based) CO2 emissions (energy, vehicles, and SF6 emissions in tCO2e) on full 
perimeter are equal to 641,254 tCO2e (audited value).
Electricity emissions calculated with market-based and location-based methodologies should not be added. Market-based electricity emissions are calculated using 
residual electricity emissions factors (source AIB, 2017) for European countries, and average country emission factors for other countries (IEA, 2017). 2017 CO2 emissions 
from electricity were recalculated in 2018 following this methodology. 

(3)  14 sites in 2019; 16 sites in 2017, 2018.
(4)  CO2 emissions for sites not included in the energy reporting perimeter are estimated based on site surface in real estate databases and average CO2 intensity of sites per 
region from our energy reporting. Overall coverage of emissions due to energy consumption is 100%, based on site surface occupied by Schneider Electric worldwide. 
Using location-based methodology, total scope 2 emissions are equal to 461,419 tCO2e.

In addition, biogenic CO2 emissions are due to the consumption of renewable electricity from biomass, and are not reported in scope 2 emissions following GHG protocol 
guidance. These emissions are of 19,525 tCO2b in 2019.

CO2 emissions in transportation (scope 3)

GRI

305-3

Indicator

2019

2018

2017

CO2e emissions on transportation paid by the Group (in tCO2 equivalent)

628,665 (cid:83)

681,776

658,404

(cid:83)  2019 audited indicators.
Calculation based on an estimated coverage of 75% (2017 and 2018) and 72% (2019) extrapolated to 100%.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

7. Indicators

7.2 Social indicators

The indicators below have a Group scope.

The safety data of the sites are included in the Group metrics after one complete calendar year following their creation or acquisition. A site joining 
the Group in year n will be included in the metrics on January 1 n+2, except in exceptional circumstances when an agreement stipulates that the 
safety data will not be included for two years.

HR data cover 99% of the workforce from integrated companies (excluding AVEVA). The precisions on the variations of scope are contributed at 
the end of the tables below and indicated by footnotes.

The calculation methodology of the absenteeism rate varying from one country to another, in this domain Schneider Electric communicates at 
Group level the number of lost days and the number of hours worked (safety data).

The comments on the indicators are given in the corresponding chapters and indicated in the tables below.

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Health & equity

9. 

 Scored in our Employee Engagement Index

10.  Medical incidents per million hours worked 
11.  

 Employees have access to a comprehensive well-being at  
work program 

12.  

13. 

14. 
15.

 Employees are working in countries that have fully deployed  
our Family Leave Policy
 Workers received at least 15 hours of learning, and 30% of 
workers’ learning hours are done digitally 
 White-collar workers have individual development plans
 Employees are working in a country with commitment and 
processes in place to achieve gender pay equity

2019  

progress

2020  
target

64%  (cid:83)
0.79 (cid:83)
47%  (cid:83)

70%

0.88
90%

99%  (cid:83)

100%

62%  (cid:83)

100%

79%  (cid:83)
99%  (cid:83)

90%
95%

(cid:83)  2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192 to 196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 157-158 for indicator 9, 
154-155 for indicator 10, 156 for indicator 11, 166 for indicator 12, 160-161 for indicator 13, 157 for indicator 14, 171 for indicator 15).

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Indicators

Average workforce including supplementary personnel

Blue collar (DVC)

White collar (non-DVC)

Share of DVC (Direct Variable Cost)

Share of non-DVC

Average supplementary workforce**

2019

2018

146,406 (cid:83) 

152,058

77,392 (cid:83) 

69,014 (cid:83) 

52.9%

47.1%

13,246 (cid:83) 

80,703

71,355

53.1%

46.9%

13,409

2017

153,124

80,895

72,229

52.8%

47.2%

13,630

Spot workforce at year-end excluding supplementary personnel(1)

135,307 (cid:83) 

137,534

142,013

7.2.2 Workforce

GRI

102-8

102-8

102-8

102-8

102-8

102-8

401-1

401-1

102-8

Open-ended contract

Fixed-term contract

Share of temporary personnel (fixed-term contracts and supplementary 
personnel)(2)

Spot workforce at year-end excluding supplementary personnel (FTE)(3)

Organization of working time(4)

Full-time

Part-time

Hires(5)

Departures(5)

Layoffs

Resignations

Other (retirement, end of contract, etc.)

Voluntary turnover

Breakdown of workforce by region(2)

Asia-Pacific

Western Europe

North America

Rest of the world

Breakdown of workforce by country (the most significant countries)(2)

102-8

France

United States

China

India

Mexico

Russia

Spain

Brazil

Germany

Australia

Indonesia

United Kingdom

Annual change in workforce by country (the most significant countries)(2)

102-8

France

United States

China

India

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12.7%

21.6%

134,291

98%

2%

25,131 (cid:83)

23,381 (cid:83)

8,190 (cid:83)

10,600 (cid:83)

4,591 (cid:83)

8.0% (cid:83)

35%

26%

20%

19%

11%

13%

10%

10%

7%

6%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

3%

-2%

-4%

-2%

0%

87.2%

12.8%

20.6%

136,624

98%

2%

23,228

24,036

7,680

11,595

4,761

8.4%

32%

27%

22%

20%

11%

13%

10%

10%

7%

6%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

3%

-7%

-3%

0%

-3%

87.3%

12.7%

20.8%

141,503

98%

2%

20,861

24,871

6,664

11,526

6,681

8.2%

31%

27%

22%

20%

12%

13%

10%

10%

7%

6%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

3%

-3%

1%

-2%

0%

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

7. Indicators

GRI

Indicators

Mexico

Russia

Spain

Germany

Brazil

Australia

Indonesia

United Kingdom

Breakdown of workforce by gender(2)(4)

102-8

Men

Women

Breakdown of workforce by gender and by category(2)

102-8

White collar

Men

Women

Blue collar

Men

Women

Breakdown of workforce by age(2)

14/24 years

25/34 years

35/44 years

45/54 years

55/64 years

> 64 years

Breakdown of workforce by seniority(2)

< 5 years

5/14 years

15/24 years

25/34 years

> 34 years

102-8

102-8

Breakdown of workforce by function(2)

102-8

Marketing

Sales

Services and projects

Support

Technical

Industrial

Hires(5)

GRI

401-1

Indicators

Breakdown by type of contract

Permanent contract

Fixed-term contract

401-1

Breakdown by category

White collar

Blue collar

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2019

1%

-5%

2%

-1%

-6%

-5%

-7%

-2%

67% (cid:83)

33% (cid:83)

51%

67%

33%

49%

68%

32%

7%

27%

31%

21%

13%

1%

46%

33%

13%

6%

2%

4%

13%

19%

30%

6%

28%

2018

-4%

-10%

1%

-3%

-7%

-10%

0%

-1%

68%

32%

51%

68%

32%

49%

68%

32%

7%

28%

31%

21%

12%

1%

44%

36%

12%

6%

2%

3%

12%

19%

28%

6%

32%

2017

12%

-7%

1%

4%

-12%

-9%

7%

1%

68%

32%

51%

68%

32%

49%

68%

32%

7%

29%

30%

21%

12%

1%

44%

35%

12%

6%

3%

3%

12%

18%

26%

6%

35%

2019

2018

2017

70%

30%

37%

63%

63%

37%

39%

61%

60%

40%

35%

65%

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2019

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Men

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14/24 years

25/34 years

35/44 years

45/54 years

55/64 years

> 64 years

401-1

Breakdown by region

Asia-Pacific

Western Europe

North America

Rest of the world

Layoffs(5)

GRI

401-1

Indicators

Breakdown by type of contract

Open-ended contract

Fixed-term contract

401-1

Breakdown by category

White collar

Blue collar

401-1

Breakdown by Region

Asia-Pacific

Western Europe

North America

Rest of the world

Resignations(5)

GRI

401-1

Indicators

Breakdown by seniority

< 1 year

1/4 years

5/14 years

15/24 years

25/34 years

> 34 years

Departures(5)

GRI

401-1

Indicators

Breakdown by gender

Men

Women

60%

40%

39%

37%

16%

6%

2%

0%

44%

12%

29%

15%

62%

38%

35%

39%

17%

7%

2%

0%

35%

16%

33%

16%

58%

42%

34%

37%

17%

8%

3%

1%

38%

16%

28%

18%

2019

2018

2017

79%

21%

33%

67%

30%

8%

44%

18%

80%

20%

35%

65%

23%

10%

42%

24%

80%

20%

40%

60%

28%

14%

34%

24%

2019

2018

2017

40%

34%

17%

5%

2%

2%

39%

37%

20%

3%

1%

0%

41%

35%

20%

3%

1%

0%

2019

2018

2017

62%

38%

61%

39%

62%

38%

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

7. Indicators

GRI

401-1

Indicators

Breakdown by age

14/24 years

25/34 years

35/44 years

45/54 years

55/64 years

> 64 years

401-1

Breakdown by region

Asia-Pacific

Western Europe

North America

Rest of the world

Average supplementary workforce

GRI

102-8

Indicators

Breakdown by category

White collar

Blue collar

102-8

Breakdown by region

Asia-Pacific

Western Europe

North America

Rest of the world

7.2.3 Health and safety of employees and subcontractors

GRI

403-2

Indicators

Number of medical incidents(6)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Number of lost-time accident(6)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Number of fatal accidents

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Medical Incident Rate(7)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Lost-Time Injury Rate (LTIR)(7)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Lost-Time Day Rate (LTDR)(7)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

403-2

Number of lost days

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

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2019

2018

2017

26%

32%

21%

11%

8%

2%

34%

15%

35%

16%

26%

33%

20%

10%

9%

2%

33%

16%

34%

18%

23%

33%

22%

11%

9%

2%

32%

17%

30%

21%

2019

2018

2017

11%

89%

64%

16%

7%

13%

2019

233 (cid:83) 

193 (cid:83) 

40 (cid:83) 

116 (cid:83) 

94 (cid:83) 

22 (cid:83) 

1

1

0

0.79 (cid:83) 

0.77 (cid:83) 

0.91 (cid:83) 

0.39 (cid:83) 

0.38 (cid:83) 

0.50 (cid:83) 

16.69 (cid:83) 

17.69 (cid:83) 

10.96 (cid:83) 

4,909 (cid:83) 

4,427 (cid:83) 

482 (cid:83) 

7%

93%

62%

18%

8%

11%

2018

277

225

52

136

105

31

1

1

0

0.94

0.90

1.10

0.46

0.42

0.66

13.69

14.39

9.54

4,025

3,579

446

15%

85%

64%

17%

9%

10%

2017

330

274

56

178

147

31

1

1

0

1.15

1.11

1.38

0.62

0.6

0.76

20.67

22.63

8.86

5,907

5,547

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Indicators

Number of hours worked

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of which temporary workers

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Occupational Illness Frequency Rate (OIFR)

of which Schneider Electric employees

of which temporary workers

7.2.4 Dialog and social relations

GRI

102-41

403-1

102-41

102-41

Indicators

Employees represented by(8)

Unions

Works Council

Health and Safety Committee

Number of collective agreements(8)

Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements

7.2.5 Talent development and training

GRI

404-1

404-1

Indicators

Number of training hours(9)

Average hours of training per person(9)

White collar

Blue collar

Average hours of training per person(9)

Men

Women

404-1

Breakdown of hours by category(2)

White collar

Blue collar

404-2

Employees taking one day training (7 hours or more)

Breakdown by country

France

United States

China

India

Mexico

Spain

Brazil

Germany

Australia

Indonesia

United Kingdom

Russia

Breakdown of hours by training type(2)

Health, safety and environment

Technical

Languages

IT

2019

2018

2017

294,202,028 (cid:83) 294,001,927

285,796,584

250,235,482 (cid:83) 248,633,265

245,147,419

43,966,546 (cid:83) 

45,368,662

40,649,165

0.014 (cid:83)

0.016 (cid:83)

0.000 (cid:83)

0.020

0.024

0.000

0.042

0.049

0.000

2019

2018

2017

64%

68%

86%

81

70%

67%

68%

86%

138

75%

66%

60%

89%

114

83%

2019

2018

2017

3,117,348 (cid:83)

3,283,492

3,402,700

25.0

27.1

22.9

25.6

23.7

54%

46%

81%

71%

78%

86%

84%

87%

83%

92%

80%

78%

76%

69%

93%

22%

5%

5%

8%

27.5

30.5

24.1

28.3

25.6

58%

42%

86%

76%

82%

89%

97%

93%

88%

90%

86%

81%

80%

80%

95%

20%

5%

1%

10%

29

25.2

32.4

30

28

59%

41%

92%

87%

89%

96%

98%

95%

92%

88%

91%

84%

91%

86%

95%

4%

13%

2%

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

7. Indicators

GRI

Indicators

Products, Solutions and Services

Management and Leadership

Personal Development

Functional

Mandatory/ Compliance

Total Learning & Development spend (million EUR)(10)

Learning & Development cost per employee (EUR)

Breakdown of costs by category(2)

White collar

Blue collar

Breakdown of costs by category(2)

Products, Solutions and Services

Personal Development

Health, safety and environment

Management and Leadership

Functional

Technical

IT

Languages

404-3

404-3

Mandatory/ Compliance

Employees having had a performance review(11)

Breakdown by category

White collar

Blue collar

404-3

Breakdown by gender

Men

Women

2019

13%

6%

8%

27%

6%

52.3

387

68%

32%

28%

5%

9%

18%

12%

4%

11%

13%

0%

98%

76%

24%

72%

28%

2018

24%

5%

16%

14%

3%

UP

UP

72%

28%

21%

19%

15%

14%

11%

6%

3%

3%

0%

96%

76%

24%

73%

27%

2017

11%

7%

3%

UP

UP

UP

UP

62%

38%

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

97%

75%

26%

74%

26%

(cid:83)  2019 audited indicators. UP = Unpublished.
(1)  Schneider Electric fixed-term contract and open-ended contract personnel.
(2)  Based on spot workforce at year-end.
(3)  Based on Full Time Equivalents (FTE) numbers of Schneider Electric fixed-term contract and open-ended contract personnel.
(4)  The data relates to 87% of the Group’s workforce at 12/31/2018 (TalentLink).
(5)  Acquisitions/disposals and supplementary staff are not taken into account in the calculation.
(6)  Includes business travel, excludes home/workplace travel.
(7)  LTIR = Number of incidents with lost days x 1,000,000/number of hours worked. International standard indicator comparable to the accident frequency rate. LTDR = 

Number of lost days x 1,000,000/number of hours worked. International standard indicator comparable to the accident severity rate (the latter, however, is calculated per 
thousand hours worked). MIR = Number of accidents requiring medical treatment x 1,000,000/number of hours worked. Occupational Illness Frequency Rate (OIFR) is 
based on 1million hours worked (The number of Occupational illness X 1,000,000 Hours / Total Hours Worked). Note that the Medical Incident Rate (MIR) consists of both 
medical incidents + Occupational Illnesses and is based on 1million hours worked.

(8)  The data relates to 90% of the Group’s workforce at the end of December 2018 (annual survey).
(9)  The data covers 99% of the Group’s workforce (MyLearningLink).
(10) Includes Learning and development teams, travel and expenses as well as vendors costs – Sources: Schneider Electric TalentLink Employee data and Procurement 

tracking system – Excludes training sold to customers

(11) The data relates to the eligible workforce for Performance interview at 12/31/2018 (TalentLink).

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7.3 Societal indicators

Indicators  are  published  on  the  basis  of  declarative  information  submitted  by  Foundation  delegates.  It  covers  80%  of  Schneider  Electric 
employees and highlights the importance of Company and employee participation in the Foundation’s approach to involvement towards local 
communities. With EUR20 million in 2019, the amount of budget for the Foundation’s actions includes the Foundation’s intervention budget, the 
amount of the donations from entities, employees and partners, and the amount of donations in kind.

Breakdown of the Foundation’s financial commitments

FOUNDATION’S INTERVENTION BUDGET

Breakdown by program (in %)

Training and entrepreneurship

Energy poverty

Raising awareness about sustainable development

Employees’ volunteering/skills-based sponsorship

Breakdown by region (in %)

Africa & Middle East

America

Asia & Pacific

Europe

Cross countries

Breakdown of contributions from employees and Schneider Electric entities to the Foundation’s actions

TOTAL FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (IN EUROS)

From employees

From the Schneider Electric entity

From partners

Breakdown of total contributions (employees, Schneider Electric entities and Schneider Electric Foundation) to the  
Foundation’s actions

BREAKDOWN BY REGION (IN %)

Africa & Middle East

America

Asia & Pacific

Europe

DONATIONS IN PRODUCTS OR SERVICES FOR A PARTNER/PROJECT OF THE FOUNDATION (IN EUROS)

Number of employees involved in the Foundation’s actions

Total budget for the Foundation’s actions

2019

4,000,000

51%

28%

17%

4%

31%

6%

11%

44%

8%

2019

7,715,663

827,682

6,659,701

228,280

2019

11%

38%

21%

30%

8,062,248

35,000

FOUNDATION BUDGET, FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS IN KIND (IN EUROS)

19,777,911

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

7. Indicators

Key targets and results 

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020

Megatrends and SDGs

2018-2020 programs

Development

19.  Turnover of our Access to Energy program

20.  Underprivileged people trained in energy management
21.  Volunteering days thanks to our VolunteerIn global platform

2019  

progress

2020  
target

1.56 (cid:83)

x4
246,268 (cid:83) 400,000
15,000

11,421 (cid:83)

(cid:83)  2019 audited indicators.
The 2017 performance serves as a starting value for the Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020.
Please refer to pages 192-196 for the methodological presentation of indicators and the following pages for the analysis of the results (pages 179-182 for indicator 19, 183-185 
for indicator 20, and 188-189 for indicator 21).

For more information:
•  http://www.schneider-electric.com/ww/en/ (> About us > Sustainability)
•  https://volunteerin.schneider-electric.com/en/

To contact us:
Email: global-sustainability@schneider-electric.com
Mail: Schneider Electric

Sustainable Development Department – 35, rue Joseph Monier, CS 30323 – 92506 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France

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In this section

1.  Trends in Schneider Electric’s core markets 

1.1  Construction 

1.2  Industry and machine manufacturers 

1.3  Data Center and Networks 

1.4  l & Gas & Petrochemicals 

1.5  Electricity Companies 

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2.  Comments on the consolidated financial statements 

218

2.1  Review of business and consolidated statement of income 

2.2  Changes in foreign exchange rate 

2.3  Revenue 

2.4  Changes in revenue by reporting segment 

2.5  Gross margin 

2.6  Support Function costs: Research and development  
and selling, general and administrative expenses 

2.7  Other operating income and expenses 

2.8  Restructuring costs 

2.9  EBITA and Adjusted EBITA 

2.10 Adjusted EBITA by reporting segment 

2.11 Operating income (EBIT) 

2.12 Net financial income/loss 

2.13 Tax 

2.14 Share of profit/(losses) of associates 

2.15 Non-controlling interests 

2.16 Profit for the period (to owners of the parent) 

2.17 Earnings per share 

2.18 Consolidated Cash-flow 

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3.  Review of the parent company financial statements 

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4.  Outlook 

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Business  
review
review

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BUSINESS REVIEW

1. Trends in Schneider Electric’s core markets

1. Trends in Schneider Electric’s core markets

1.1 Construction 
In Europe, the residential market grew in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Central Europe. Emerging economies saw growth, while 
Sweden and Finland saw declines amid declining housing prices and oversupply. In the non-residential market, growth remained positive across 
all regions, except for the United Kingdom. Uncertainties over the Brexit dragged down industrial, office, and commercial sectors, while austerity 
measures hit public health and education sectors.

In the United States, residential market gradually improved during the second half of 2019. Growth was amplified by the roll out of regulations 
related to the adoption of dual-function circuit breakers. Non-residential construction slowed down, due to a decline in the retail segment.

In China, the construction market continued to grow at a solid pace. In the residential market, property market sentiment improvement, Hukou 
relaxation (system of population registration), and increased availability of mortgages underpinned the expansion. Non-residential market growth 
was led by office buildings.

In Australia, residential market slowed down following several years of strong growth. Tighter credit conditions and falling property prices curbed 
activity. 

In India, residential market growth was moderated in high and medium-end segments in major cities. Non-residential market continued its strong 
expansion, driven by urbanization and tax cut stimulus. 

1.2 Industry and machine manufacturers
The industry market slowed down in 2019, mainly driven by US-China trade tensions. A business climate deterioration, amid elevated uncertainties, 
increasing tariffs and global trade slow down, led companies to delay some investments. However, easing trade tensions during the last quarter 
reduced recession risks and provided traction for a market stabilization. 

In the US, the slow down in 2019 was aggravated by fading contribution from tax stimuli. 

In China, weaker export growth, impacted by tariffs, amid an uncertain trade environment, dragged down corporate profits and firms’ confidence. 
However, the market improved in Q4, amid resumption of trade talks and further fiscal easing. 

The European market was also impacted by uncertainties over Brexit.

In East Asia and Japan, markets slow down was driven by lower demand from China, a weaker business climate, and cyclical downturn in the 
semiconductor industry.

1.3 Data Center and Networks
The Data Center market continued its strong expansion in 2019, boosting demand for Secure Power and Medium Voltage/Low Voltage systems 
technologies. Enterprises continued their digital transformation journey and leveraged a hybrid environment for their computing load. The result 
is  a  shift  of  their  computing  load  to  off-premise  facilities,  while  modernizing  their  own  on-premise  data  centers  for  select  core  applications. 
Enterprises continued to leverage leased space in collocation, where they host their own IT equipment, or to Internet Giants, where they are 
renting platforms, infrastructure and services. Adding to this shift, the growth of social media and e-commerce has generated even more demand 
within  the  off-premise  market.  Companies  continue  to  maintain  hybrid  environments  on  both  installations  on  existing  sites,  and  off-premise 
markets, through collocation services suppliers.

Over the course of their digital transformation, enterprises are developing a new customer experience or process applications that are increasingly 
bandwidth  intensive.  Video,  social  media,  augmented  reality  and  the  increasing  adoption  of  the  Internet  of  Things  are  driving  the  need  for 
computing and storage at the edge of the network. These applications are not limited to traditional IT environments. There is a growing opportunity 
within  Commercial  and  Industrial  markets  as  Industrial  IoT  continues  to  gain  momentum.  Schneider  Electric  is  the  leader  in  distributed  IT 
environments and with its modular systems, coupled with its EcoStruxure IT software, is in a strong position to capture this next wave of Edge 
Computing.

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1.4 Oil & Gas & Petrochemicals
This year has shown continuity with regards to 2018 in many aspects. The Brent oil barrel price has experienced ups and downs, oscillating 
between  USD55  and  USD75  over  the  year.  These  price  levels  were  enough  to  ensure  profitability  for  most  projects,  thanks  to  a  recurrent 
improvement  in  operations  and  project  design  and  execution  by  all  players  across  the  value  chain.  Schneider  Electric  contributes  to  these 
improvements with the newly launched EcoStruxure Power & Process architecture for Oil & Gas.

The OPEC group together with Russia have maintained their curtailment measures on crude oil pricing which has keep oil prices largely stable.  
The Strait of Hormuz and general Iran tensions have so far not generated major price upsurge. These two elements have somewhat compensated 
the global and Chinese GDP slow downs and its historic impact on oil prices.

The general feeling of confidence in the industry was reflected in rig count growth, significant LNG projects and FPSO launches, sustained 
investment in Petrochemicals projects, as well as in the record levels reached by Saudi Aramco’s partial IPO in 2019.

We nevertheless could witness a major evolution in 2020. The whole industry now realizes that it is confronted to a potential slow down in its 
growth and a likely plateau and decline that may happen in 10 to 20 years. Developing more sustainable operations in the Oil & Gas industry is 
now key to its social and financial license to operate. Schneider Electric is in a unique position to help the industry move forward in energy 
efficiency and on the path to the electrical future of Oil & Gas.

1.5 Electricity Companies
The power industry is at the heart of the battle for greenhouse gas reduction. Global electricity generation has grown by 4% in 2019, led by China, 
with 68% of new capacity in renewables.

To  tackle  the  challenges  brought  about  by  the  new  energy  landscape,  transmission  and  distribution  grid  operators  are  investing  in  digital 
technologies to improve their operations, experimenting with artificial intelligence for grid balancing, enabling and accelerating the integration of 
all decarbonization solutions, such as DER, storage, and electric vehicles. 

China will focus on digitalization of grid operations and services in the coming years, whereas in the USA investments are mostly directed toward 
improving grid reliability. In Europe, high rates of distributed energy resources will lead to investment in new infrastructures to reinforce grid 
capacity  and  to  develop  systems  to  manage  a  more  dynamic  grid.  Decreasing  electricity  losses  will  also  drive  further  investment  in  grid 
infrastructure and better network management mainly in India, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. 

Along  with  deploying  grid  digitalization  technologies  to  cope  with  their  challenges,  utilities  are  facing  increasing  cyber  threats.  Many  major 
utilities around the world have deployed processes to manage cyber risks, but will need to adapt them to new regulations to come and face the 
challenges of their legacy installation base. As cheaper batteries, government incentives, and support policies are driving electric car sales, its 
adoption is expected to rise in the mid-2020s. Some geographies are expected to move faster due to charging infrastructure investments.

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BUSINESS REVIEW

2. Comments on the consolidated financial statements

2. Comments on the consolidated financial statements

2.1 Review of business and consolidated statement of income
Acquisitions & disposals of the period

Acquisitions
No significant acquisition occurred during 2019.

Disposals
On March 25, 2019, the Group announced having entered exclusive negotiations with Transom Capital Group regarding the sale of its Pelco 
business. On May 24, 2019, the sale of Pelco, which previously reported within the Energy Management segment, was finalized.

On December 5, 2019, the Group announced having signed an agreement with Vinci Energies regarding the sale of Converse Energy Projects 
GmbH, which reported within the Energy Management segment. On December 30, 2019, the sale was finalized.

Follow-up on acquisitions and divestments occurred in 2018 with significant effect in 2019

Acquisitions

AVEVA
On February 28, 2018, the Group finalized a transaction with AVEVA Group PLC to combine AVEVA and Schneider Electric Software business, 
and create a global leader in engineering and industrial software. Following the issue of ordinary shares in the capital of AVEVA to Schneider 
Electric, the Group owns 60 % of the enlarged AVEVA Group, on a fully diluted basis. AVEVA is fully consolidated in the Industrial Automation 
business since March 1, 2018. The consideration paid amounted EUR 1,994 million, of which EUR 577 million paid in cash (net of acquired cash).

As of June 30, 2019, the Group has finalized the purchase price allocation and recognized intangible assets for an amount of EUR 482 million 
(trademark, patents and customer relationship), and an amount of goodwill of EUR 1,434 million.

The impact on non-controlling interests reflects 40 % of the AVEVA total consideration combined with the carrying value of the Schneider Electric 
Software business evaluated at the time of the acquisition of INVENSYS Group by Schneider Electric.

IGE+XAO
On January 25, 2018, after the successful public tender offer for the shares of IGE+XAO, the Group announced that it had taken the control of the 
company.

IGE+XAO, is fully consolidated in the Energy Management business since February 1, 2018. The consideration paid amounts EUR 86 million (net 
of acquired cash).

As of June 30, 2019, the Group has finalized the purchase price allocation and recognized intangible assets for an amount of EUR 49 million 
(trademarks, technologies and customer relationships) and an amount of goodwill of EUR 100 million.

As of December 31, 2019 the Group owns 67.89 % of the share capital of IGE+XAO.

Disposals
No significant disposals occurred during 2018.

Application of IFRS 5 – Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations
On April 20, 2017, the Group announced the disposal of its “Solar” activity, and started implementing the necessary measures and procedures 
to  formalize  this  transaction.  The  initial  plan  has  been  reoriented,  part  of  the  business  being  sold  or  restructured,  and  part  of  it  still  being 
considered as discontinued operations. This activity used to be reported within the Energy Management business segment of Schneider Electric. 
Solar activity net loss of EUR 3 million has been reclassified to discontinued operations in the Group consolidated financial statements.

On October 24, 2019, the Group agreed to establish a Joint Venture with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), to further strengthen the 
long-term outlook for the Group’s Electroshield Samara business, which is currently consolidated under the Energy Management segment and 
generated revenues of EUR 168 million in 2019. The related assets and liabilities have been reclassified at fair value in the lines “Assets and 
liabilities held for sale” in the balance sheet.

2.2 Changes in foreign exchange rate
Fluctuations in the Euro exchange rate had a positive impact over the year, increasing the consolidated revenue by EUR 495 million and the 
adjusted EBITA by EUR 35 million, due mainly to the positive effect of the US Dollar compared to the Euro.

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2.3 Revenue
Consolidated revenue totaled EUR 27,158 million for the period ended December 31, 2019, up 5.6% on a current structure and currency basis, 
compared with last year.

Organic growth was positive for 4.2%, acquisitions and disposals accounted for (0.6)% and the currency effect for 2.0% due mainly to the positive 
effect of the US dollar compared to the Euro.

2.4 Changes in revenue by reporting segment
Energy Management generated revenues of EUR 20,847 million, equivalent to 77% of the consolidated total revenue. This represents an increase 
of 6.8% on a reported basis, and an increase of 5.2% on a like-for-like basis, with growth across all regions. Residential & small building offers 
sustained  mid-single  digit  for  the  year.  EcoStruxure  architecture  for  Commercial  &  Industrial  Buildings  continued  to  deliver  growth.  Energy 
Management systems saw good growth across end-markets, notably in Data Center, both in large and small installations. The Group experienced 
a mixed picture in Industry & Infrastructure, where OEM softness has limited pull-through of Energy Management, while Infrastructure remains 
positively oriented. The recent ASCO and IGE+XAO acquisitions showed strong growth. Services posted a high-single digit growth.

Industrial Automation generated revenues of EUR 6,311 million, equivalent to 23% of the consolidated total revenue. This represents an increase 
of 1.8% on a reported basis, and an increase of 0.8% on a like-for-like basis. There was resilient growth across the industrial automation coming 
from the Group’s balanced portfolio across the cycle. Process & hybrid offers (c. 50% of Industrial Automation revenue) grew mid-single digit, 
with strong growth in orders. Offers for discrete industries (c. 50% of Industrial Automation revenue) showed a slowdown in most regions due to 
market softness. U.S. Panels activity was sold during the second quarter of the year. The Group made good progress on developing joint value 
proposition with AVEVA, with good trends in industrial software. Services showed double-digit growth.

2.5 Gross margin
Gross margin was up 5.5% organically with a Gross margin rate improving by +50bps organically to 39.5% in 2019 mainly driven by net price and 
productivity.

2.6 Support Function costs: Research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses
Research and development expenses, net of capitalized development costs and excluding research and development costs booked in costs of 
sales, increased by 10.1%, from EUR 597 million for 2018 to EUR 657 million for year 2019. As a percentage of revenues, the net cost of research 
and development is increasing slightly to 2.4% of revenues for 2019 (2.3% for 2018).

Total research and development expense, including capitalized development costs and development costs reported as cost of sales (see Note 
4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) increased by 5.3% from EUR 1,299 million for 2018 to EUR 1,368 million for 2019. As a percentage of 
revenues, total research and development expenses decreased slightly to 5.0% for 2019 (5.1% for 2018).

In 2019, the net effect of capitalized development costs and amortization of capitalized development costs amounts to EUR 60 million on the 
operating income (EUR 61 million in 2018).

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 4.8%, to EUR 5,840 million in 2019 (EUR 5,572 million in 2018). As a percentage of 
revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses decreased slightly to 21.5% for 2019 (21.7% for 2018).

Combined, total support function costs, that is, research and development expenses together with selling, general and administrative costs, 
totaled EUR 6,497 million in 2019, compared to EUR 6,169 million in 2018, an increase of 5.3%. As a result, the support functions costs to sales 
ratio remains stable at 24%.

2.7 Other operating income and expenses
For the year 2019, other operating income and expenses amounted to a net expense of EUR 411 million, mainly due to losses on disposal and 
impairment of assets for EUR 289 million (mostly due to the disposals of Pelco and Converse Energy Projects GmbH as well as the fair value 
adjustment Electroshield Samara business) as well as costs of acquisition of EUR 98 million.

2.8 Restructuring costs
For the period ended December 31, 2019, restructuring costs amounted to EUR 255 million compared to EUR 198 million for 2018, attributed 
mainly to Support Function Cost improvement initiatives.

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BUSINESS REVIEW

2. Comments on the consolidated financial statements

2.9 EBITA and Adjusted EBITA
We  define  EBITA  as  earnings  before  interest,  taxes  and  amortization  of  purchase  accounting  intangibles.  EBITA  comprises  operating  profit 
before amortization and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets and before goodwill impairment. We define adjusted EBITA as 
EBITA before restructuring costs and before other operating income and expenses, which includes acquisition, integration and separation costs.

Adjusted EBITA reached EUR 4,238 million in 2019, compared to EUR 3,874 million for 2018, increasing organically by 8.7%. Adjusted EBITA 
margin improved by 70 bps organically to 15.6%.

EBITA stabilized at EUR 3,572 in 2019, from EUR 3,573 million in 2018. As a percentage of revenue, EBITA decreased to 13.2% for 2019 (13.9% 
for the year 2018).

2.10 Adjusted EBITA by reporting segment
The following table sets out EBITA and adjusted EBITA by reporting segment:

Full Year 2019

(in millions of euros)

Backlog
Revenue
Adjusted EBITA*
Adjusted EBITA (%)

Energy
Management

Industrial
Automation

6,399
20,847
3,842
18.4%

1,705
6,311
1,141
18.1%

Central  
functions & 
digital costs

(745)

Total

8,104
27,158
4,238
15.6%

*  Adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). Adjusted EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization 

and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets, before goodwill impairment, other operating income and expenses and restructuring costs.

As of December 31, 2019, the amount of backlog to be executed over one year amounts to EUR 663 million.

Full Year 2018

(in millions of euros)

Backlog
Revenue
Adjusted EBITA*
Adjusted EBITA (%)

Energy
Management

Industrial
Automation

5,988
19,520
3,479
17.8%

1,471
6,200
1,118
18.0%

Central  
functions &  
digital costs

(723)

Total

7,459
25,720
3,874
15.1%

*  Adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). Adjusted EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization 

and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets, before goodwill impairment, other operating income and expenses and restructuring costs.

As of December 31, 2018, the amount of backlog to be executed over one year amounted to EUR 350 million.

Energy Management generated an adjusted EBITA, for the year 2019, of EUR 3,842 million, equivalent to 18.4% of revenue, up circa +80 bps 
organic (up +60 bps reported) thanks to strong growth in volume, improved pricing and continued productivity gains.

Industrial Automation generated an adjusted EBITA of EUR 1,141 million, equivalent to 18.1% of revenue, up circa +30 bps organic, (and +10 bps 
reported), thanks to positive pricing and a continued focus on costs at a time where positive topline growth is moderated by the high base of 
comparison from 2018, and with a softening market environment for discrete automation.

Central functions & Digital costs in 2019 amounted to EUR 745 million, slightly reducing its shares of Group revenue to 2.7% (2.8% of Group 
revenue in 2018). Approximately 50% of these costs are transversal investments supporting the development of the two reporting segments, 
including I.T, Digital Infrastructure and Marketing. A further c. 20% of these costs are due to Performance Shares. The remaining c.30% of costs 
represent the underlying corporate costs of around 0.8% of Group revenue, which have been stable in the recent years.

2.11 Operating income (EBIT)
Operating  income  or  EBIT  (Earnings  Before  Interest  and  Taxes),  is  stable,  with  a  slight  variation  of  0.1%,  from  EUR  3,396  million  in  2018  to  
3,399 million in 2019 and is following EBITA trend.

2.12 Net financial income/loss
Net financial loss amounted to EUR 261 million in 2019, compared to EUR 310 million for 2018.

This decrease is explained both by the decrease of cost of net financial debt to EUR 129 million in 2019, compared to EUR 182 million in 2018, 
partially compensated by the impact of the first application of IFRS 16 – Leases for EUR 39 million in 2019.

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2.13 Tax
The effective tax rate was 22.0% for 2019, compared to 22.5% for 2018. The corresponding income tax expense decreased from EUR 693 million 
for 2018 to EUR 690 million for 2019.

2.14 Share of profit/(losses) of associates
The share of associates was a EUR 78-million profit in 2019, compared to a EUR 61-million profit for the year 2018.

2.15 Non-controlling interests
Minority  interests  in  net  income  for  the  year  2019,  totaled  EUR  110  million,  compared  to  EUR  97  million  for  year  2018.  AVEVA  was  the  main 
contributor in 2019.

2.16 Profit for the period (to owners of the parent)
Profit for the period attributable to the equity holders of our parent company amounted to EUR 2,413 million for the year 2019, compared to 
EUR 2,334 million profit for year 2018.

2.17 Earnings per share
Earnings per share amounted to EUR 4.38 per share for the year 2019 compared to EUR 4.21 per share for the year 2018.

2.18 Consolidated Cash-flow
Cash flow from operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities reached EUR 4,012 million for the year 2019 (including 
EUR 274 million due to the first application of IFRS 16 – Leases), increasing compared to EUR 3,405 million for the year 2018. It represents 14.8% 
of revenues for the year 2019 (13.2% of revenues from 2018).

Change in working capital requirement generated EUR 270 million in cash in 2019, compared with a consumption of EUR 533 million in 2018.

In all, net cash provided by operating activities increased from EUR 2,872 million in 2018 to EUR 4,282 million in 2019.

Cash flow from investing Activities
Net capital expenditure, which included capitalized development projects, increased, at EUR 806 million for 2019, compared to EUR 770 million 
for 2018, and representing 3% of sales in 2019, stable compared to 2018.

Free cash-flow (cash provided by operating activities net of net capital expenditure) amounted to EUR 3,476 million in 2019 versus EUR 2,102 million 
in 2018.

Cash conversion rate (free cash-flow over net income attributable to the equity holders of the parent company on continuing operations) was 
144% in 2019 versus 90% in 2018.

The acquisitions net of disposals represented a cash out of EUR 79 million (net of acquired cash) for the year 2019, compared with EUR 730 million 
for 2018. Those amounts correspond mainly to the acquisitions and disposals described in Note 2.1 et Note 2.2.

Cash flow from financing Activities
Net cash flow from financing activities amounted to EUR 2,125 million in 2019, compared to EUR 1,757 million in 2018, mainly due to changes in 
net debt.

The net decrease in other financial debts amounted to EUR 1,078 million in 2019, compared with a net increase of EUR 220 million in 2018.  
The 2019 decrease is mainly due to the reimbursement of commercial papers of EUR 610 million as well as the impact from the first application 
of IFRS 16 – Leases of EUR 274 million in 2019.

The amount of dividends paid by Schneider Electric in 2019 was EUR 1,296 million, compared to EUR 1,223 million in 2018.

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BUSINESS REVIEW

3. Review of the parent company financial statements

3. Review of the parent company  
financial statements

Schneider Electric SE posted an operating loss of EUR 15 million in 2019, compared to EUR 16 million the previous year.

Interest expense net of interest income amounted to EUR 62 million versus EUR 75 million the previous year.

Current loss amounted to EUR 15 million in 2019, compared to an income of EUR 4,390 million in 2018.

The net income stood at EUR 57 million in 2019, compared to EUR 4,458 million in 2018, mainly due to dividends of EUR 4.5 billion received from 
Schneider Electric Industries SAS in 2018.

Equity before appropriation of net profit amounted to EUR 9,007 million as of December 31, 2019 versus EUR 10,078 million at the previous year-
end, after taking into account the 2019 profit, dividend payments of EUR 1,296 million and share issues of EUR 168 million.

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4. Outlook

4. Outlook

In its main markets, the Group currently expects the following trends:

• 

In North America, the Group anticipates that markets will continue to be positive in 2020, though the first half of the year would be impacted 
by the high base of comparison for Energy Management and the impact of certain large projects. In Industrial Automation, the Group expects 
pressure on discrete to remain in the first half, though a rebound could be expected in the second half of the year. Mexico is expected to 
continue to remain challenged in the near term. 

•  China continues to remain a growth with dynamism in many end-markets and segments including construction, infrastructure, transportation, 
data centers and healthcare. The OEM demand could strengthen in the second half of the year. The Group is assessing the impact of the 
Coronavirus to the business. There will be an impact in the first quarter of 2020 due to factory closures in January and February. At this point, 
this impact has been estimated at c. EUR 300 million mainly in China and the Group assumes it will be almost entirely compensated in 2020, 
largely in the second half of the year. 

•  For the rest of Asia Pacific, the Group expects India and South East Asian countries to continue to be growth markets. 
•  The Group expects Western Europe to grow at a moderate pace with a higher weight in the second half of the year. 
•  The Group expects the performance in Rest of the world to be contrasted based on country. 

In the current macro environment and incorporating the current view on the impact of coronavirus, the Group expects positive growth in aggregate 
in 2020 as it continues to deploy its strategic priorities in key markets.

In 2020, the Group therefore sets its targets as follows:

•  Revenue growth of +1% to +3% organic; 
•  Adjusted EBITA margin between +16.0% and to +16.3% (excluding FX and impact of acquisitions). 

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In this section

1.  The board of directors 

226

7.  Compensation Report 

1.1  Composition of the board of directors (as of December 31, 2019) 

226

7.1  Overview 

1.2  Proposal to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting  

on the composition of the board of directors 

238

7.2  General report on the compensation granted or paid  
out during 2019 financial year (ex-post compensation) 

7.3  2019 Corporate officers’ individual compensation  

in relation to the 2019 financial year 

7.4  Compensation policy for the 2020 financial year 

7.5  Compensation of Group Senior Management  

(excluding corporate officers) 

7.6  Transactions in Schneider Electric shares in 2019  

8.  Regulated agreements and commitments 

8.1  Review of the Regulated Agreements and  

Commitments entered into by Schneider Electric SE 

8.2  Procedure for assessing agreements relating to ordinary business 

operations concluded under normal conditions 

9.  Participation of shareholders  
in Shareholders’ Meeting 

10.  Table summarizing outstanding delegations  

relating to share capital increases granted  
by Shareholders’Meeting 

11.  Publication of information of Article L.225-37-5  

of the French Commercial Code 

2.  Organizational and operating procedures 

of the board of directors 

2.1  Governance structure 

2.2  Missions and powers of the board of directors 

2.3 

Internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors 

239

239

240

240

2.4 

Information and training of the board of directors and its members 

241

2.5  Self-assessment of the board of directors 

3.  Board activities 

3.1  Corporate governance 

3.2  Strategy and investment 

3.3  Activities and results 

3.4  Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 

4.  Board committees (composition, 

operating procedures and activities) 

4.1  Audit and risks committee 

4.2  Governance and remunerations committee 

4.3  Human Resources and CSR committee 

4.4 

Investment committee 

4.5  Digital committee 

5.  Senior management 

6.  Declarations concerning the situation of the 
members of the administrative, supervisory  
or management bodies 

6.1  Service contracts 

6.2  Absence of conviction or incrimination of corporate officers 

6.3  Family ties 

6.4  Conflicts of interest 

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Corporate  
governance report

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

This corporate governance report has been approved by the board of directors at its meeting of February 19, 2020.

Corporate governance code
The Company applies all the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance guidelines. The guidelines are available online at www.medef.com.

1. The board of directors

1.1 Composition of the board of directors (as of December 31, 2019)
The board of directors shall have at least three and up to eighteen members, all of whom must be natural persons elected by the shareholders at 
the Shareholders’ Meeting. However, in case of death or resignation of a member, the board may co-opt a new member. This appointment is then 
subject to ratification at the next Shareholders’ Meeting.

Throughout their term, pursuant to the internal regulations, each director must hold at least 1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares.

Directors are appointed for four-year terms (renewable). However, from the age of 70, directors are re-elected or appointed for a period of two 
years. No more than one-third of the directors may be 70 years old or over.

As of December 31, 2019, the board of directors counted 12 directors.

Overview of the composition of the board of directors 

Personal information

Experience

Position within the board

Participation in board committees

Number of 
directorships 
in listed 

Age

Gender Nationality

companies* Independence

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Director

First 
appointment**

Seniority on 
the board**

Term 
end

Audit 
and risks 
committee

Governance 
and 
remunerations 
committee

Human 
Resources 
and CSR 
committee

Investment 
committee

Digital 
committee

Jean-Pascal 
Tricoire

56

M

Vice-chairman independent lead director

Léo Apotheker

66

M

Director

Cécile Cabanis

Fred Kindle

Willy Kissling

Linda Knoll

Fleur Pellerin

Anders 
Runevad

Gregory 
Spierkel

Lip-Bu Tan

48

60

75

59

46

59

62

60

F

M

M

F

F

M

M

M

–

1

2

2

–

1

2

1

2

2

Director representing employee shareholders

Xiaoyun Ma

56

F

Director representing employees

Patrick Montier

63

M

–

2013

6

2021

2008

11

2020

2016

2016

2001

2014

2018

2018

2015

2019

2017

2017

3

3

2020

2020

18

2020

5

1

1

4

–

2

2

2022

2022

2022

2023

2023

2021

2021

  Chairperson of the committee 

  Member of the committee 

 Independent

*  To the exclusion of Schneider Electric SE directorship.
**  As a director or member of the supervisory board (if any, the period of presence at the board as a non-voting member is not taken into account).

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Léo APOTHEKER

Average age of directors

59

Cécile CABANIS

Fred KINDLE

Willy KISSLING

Linda KNOLL

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Fleur PELLERIN

Anders RUNEVAD

Xiaoyun MA

Patrick MONTIER

Independent directors**

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Gregory SPIERKEL

Lip-Bu TAN

*  Director representing employees excluded.
***  Director representing employee shareholders and director representing employees excluded.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

List of directorships and other functions of directors as of December 31, 2019

Experience and qualifications

Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Léo Apotheker*
Vice-Chairman independent lead director

Age: 56 years
Nationality: French
Business address: Schneider Electric 35, rue Joseph Monier, 
92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France
629,030 (1) Schneider Electric SE shares

Age: 66 years
Nationality: French/German
Business address: Flat A, 15 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9DD, 
England
3,093 Schneider Electric SE shares

After  graduating  from  ESEO  Angers  and  obtaining  a  MBA 
from  EM  Lyon,  Jean-Pascal  Tricoire  spent  his  early  career 
with Alcatel, Schlumberger and Saint-Gobain and joined the 
Schneider Electric Group (Merlin Gerin) in 1986. From 1988 
to 1999 he occupied operational functions within Schneider 
Electric  abroad,  in  Italy  (five  years),  China  (five  years)  and 
South Africa (1 year). He held corporate positions from 1999 
to 2001: Director in charge of Strategic Global Accounts and 
the “Schneider 2000 +” strategic plan. From January 2002 to 
the  end  of  2003,  he  was  Executive  Vice-President  of 
Schneider Electric’s International Division. In October 2003, 
he was appointed Deputy CEO, before becoming Chairman 
of the management board of Schneider Electric SA on May 3, 
2006.  On  April  25,  2013,  following  the  change  in  mode  of 
governance  of  the  Company,  he  was  appointed  Chairman 
and CEO then re-elected on April 25, 2017.

Léo  Apotheker  began  his  career  in  1978  in  management 
control  after  graduating  with  a  degree  in  international 
relations  and  economics  from  the  Hebrew  University  in 
Jerusalem.  He 
then  held  management  and  executive 
responsibilities  in  several  firms  specializing  in  information 
systems  including  SAP  France  &  Belgium,  where  he  was 
Chairman and CEO between 1988 and 1991. Mr. Apotheker 
was  founding  Chairman  and  CEO  of  ECsoft.  In  1995,  he 
returned  to  SAP  as  Chairman  of  SAP  France.  After  various 
appointments within SAP as regional director, in 2002 he was 
appointed  as  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  and 
Chairman of Customer Solutions & Operations, then in 2007 
as Chairman CSO and Deputy CEO of SAP AG and in 2008 
CEO of SAP AG. In 2010, he became CEO and Chairman of 
Hewlett-Packard,  a  position  he  held  until  the  fall  of  2011. 
Voting member of the Schneider Electric SA, now Schneider 
Electric SE, board since 2008, Léo Apotheker was appointed 
Vice-Chairman independent lead director in May 2014.

Term of office

First appointed: 2013/Term ends: 2021

First appointed: 2008/Term ends: 2020

Current directorships

Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric SE, Chairman and 
director  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric 
Industries  SAS,  Director  of  Delixi  Electric  Ltd,  Director  of 
Schneider Electric USA, Inc., Director and Chairman of the 
board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric  Asia  Pacific  Ltd, 
Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric 
Holdings Inc.

Vice-Chairman  independent  lead  director  of  Schneider 
Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Other directorships or functions:
Vice-chairman of the France-China Committee,

Other directorships or functions at listed companies:
Director of NICE-Systems Ltd (Israel).

Other directorships or functions:
Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Unit  4  NV  (the 
Netherlands),  Chairman  of  Syncron 
International  AB 
(Sweden),  Director  of  P2  Energy  Solutions  (USA),  Taulia 
(USA), MercuryGate (USA).

Previous directorships and functions held in the past  
five years:
Chairman  of  the  Supervisory  board  of  Signavio  GmbH 
(Germany) (2019), Director (2019) and Chairman of the board 
of  KMD  A.S.  (Denmark),  Manager  of  “Efficiency  Capital” 
fund, Member of the supervisory board of Steria.

Chairperson  of 
committee and member of the Digital committee.

the  Governance  and 

remunerations 

Director of the board of the United Nations Global Compact 
(USA),  Co-founder and  director of the Alliance for Societas 
Europaea  Promotion  (Belgium),  Member  of  the  board  of 
Trustees of Northeastern University (USA).

Previous directorships

Committee memberships

Honorary Chairman: Mr. Didier Pineau-Valencienne

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
(1)  Held directly or through the FCPE.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

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Experience and qualifications

Ms. Cécile Cabanis*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Mr. Fred Kindle*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Age: 48 years
Nationality: French
Business address: Danone, 17 boulevard Haussmann,  
75009 Paris, France
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Age: 60 years
Nationality: Swiss
Business address: Vaistligasse 1 9490 Vaduz,  
Liechtenstein
40,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Engineer graduated from Agro Paris Grignon, Cécile Cabanis 
began  her  career  in  1995  at  L’Oréal  in  South  Africa,  where 
she worked as logistics manager and head of management 
control,  then  in  France  as  an  internal  auditor.  In  2000,  she 
joined Orange as Assistant Director in the group’s Mergers-
Acquisitions  division.  Cécile  Cabanis  came  to  Danone  in 
2004  as  Corporate  Financial  Officer, 
then  Head  of 
Development.  In  2010,  she  was  appointed  Chief  Financial 
Officer of the Fresh Dairy Products Division. Since February 
2015, she has been Danone’s Chief Financial Officer and a 
member  of  the  Executive  Committee.  In  2017,  she  became 
the Head of Information Systems and Technologies and has 
been  in  charge  of  Cycles,  Procurement  and  Sustainable 
Resources  Development  at  Danone.  Since  2018,  she  has 
been a member of the board of directors of Danone SA and 
the Chairperson of the board of directors of Livelihoods Fund 
SICAV SIF, a fund created to accelerate its partners’ actions 
in favor of the climate and the most vulnerable people.

Fred  Kindle  graduated  from  the  Swiss  Federal  Institute  of 
Technology  (ETH)  in  Zurich  and  holds  an  MBA  from 
Northwestern  University,  Evanston,  USA.  He  began  his 
career in the Marketing Department of Hilti AG in Liechtenstein 
from  1984  to  1986.  From  1988  to  1992,  he  worked  as  a 
consultant at McKinsey & Company in New York and Zurich. 
He  then  joined  Sulzer  AG  in  Switzerland,  where  he  held 
various  management  positions.  In  1999,  he  was  appointed 
Chief Executive Officer of Sulzer Industries and in 2001, he 
became CEO of Sulzer AG.

After  joining  ABB  Ltd  in  2004,  Fred  Kindle  was  appointed 
Chief Executive Officer of the ABB group, a position which he 
held  until  2008.  He  then  became  a  partner  at  Clayton, 
Dubilier & Rice LLP, a private equity fund based in London 
and  New  York.  He  is  now  an  independent  consultant  and 
director at several companies.

Term of office

First appointed: 2016/Term ends: 2020

First appointed: 2016/Term ends: 2020

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Other directorships or functions at listed companies: 
Director, Chief financial officer, IS/IT, Cycles and Purchases 
and  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  Danone  SA 
(France), Vice-chairperson, member of the supervisory board, 
Chairperson of the nominations and remunerations board and 
member of the audit committee of Mediawan (France).

Other directorships or functions at listed companies:
Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  VZ  Holding  AG 
(Switzerland) and Chairman of the Compensation Committee, 
Director of Stadler Rail AG (Switzerland) and Chairperson of 
the Strategy committee.

Previous directorships

Other directorships or functions:
Director of Michel et Augustin SAS (France), Member of the 
supervisory  board  of  Société  Editrice  du  Monde  (France), 
Chairperson  and  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
Livelihoods Fund (SICAV, Luxembourg).

Previous directorships and functions held in the past  
five years:
Non-voting  director  of  Schneider  Electric  SE  (France), 
Director  of  Central  Danone  (Morocco),  Fromagerie  des 
Doukkala  (Morocco),  Danone  Djurdura  (Algeria),  Produits 
Laitiers Frais Iberia (Spain), Danone SA (Spain), Compagnie 
Gervais  Danone  (France),  Dan  Trade  (Russia),  Danone 
Limited  (United  Kingdom),  Danone  Industria  LLC  (Russia), 
JSC  Danone  Russia  (Russia),  Danonewave  (Public  Benefit 
Corporation  –  USA),  Member  of  the  supervisory  board  of 
Danone Sp. z.o.o (Poland), Toeca International Company B.V. 
(the  Netherlands),  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Danone  CIS 
Holdings B.V. (the Netherlands).

Committee memberships

Chairperson of the Audit and risks committee.

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

Previous directorships and functions held in the past  
five years:
Non-voting  director  of  Schneider  Electric  SE,  Director  of 
Exova Plc (United Kingdom) and member of the Appointments 
Committee, Partner of Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC (USA), 
Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  and  Chairman  of  the 
Compensation  Committee  of  Exova  Group  PLC  (United 
Kingdom),  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  BCA 
Marketplace  Plc  (United  Kingdom),  Director  of  Rexel  SA 
(France);  Lead  Director  of  VZ  Holding  Ltd  (Switzerland), 
Member of the Development Committee of the Royal Academy 
of Engineering (London), Vice-Chairman of Zurich Insurance 
Group  Ltd  (Switzerland),  member  of  the  Governance  and 
Appointments Committee and member of the Remuneration 
Committee, Chief Executive Officer of Kinon AG (Switzerland).

Chairperson of the Investment committee and member of the 
Audit  and  risks  committee  and  of  the  Governance  and 
remunerations committee.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

Mr. Willy R. Kissling
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Ms. Linda Knoll*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Experience and qualifications

Age: 75 years 
Nationality: Swiss
Business address: Poststrasse n° 4 BP 8808 Pfaeffikon, 
Switzerland
1,600 Schneider Electric SE shares

in 

the 

following 

Willy  R.  Kissling,  a  Swiss  citizen,  is  a  graduate  from  the 
Universities of Bern (Dr. Rer.pol) and Harvard (P.M.D). He has 
extensive experience and recognized expertise in both CEO 
and  director  positions  in  multinational  companies  based  in 
fields: 
Switzerland,  and  particularly 
construction  and  energy  management 
technologies 
(acquired as CEO of the former Landis&Gyr Ltd), information 
technology and vacuum processing (acquired as Chairman 
of  Oerlikon  Bührle  Ltd,  which  became  OC  Oerlikon  Ltd), 
construction materials (Holcim Ltd. renamed LafargeHolcim 
Ltd.,  Cement,  Forbo  Ltd  Floring,  Rigips  GmbH,  Gypsum), 
packaging (Chairman of SIG Ltd) and logistics (acquired at 
Kühne&Nagel Ltd). Willy R. Kissling has also been a member 
on  various  supervisory  boards  including  those  of  Pratt  & 
Whitney and Booz Allen Hamilton.

He  began  his  career  at  Amiantus  Corporation  and  then 
joined Rigips, a plasterboard manufacturer, in 1978. He was 
appointed  to  the  Rigips  executive  committee  in  1981  and 
subsequently  became  CEO.  From  1987  to  1996,  Mr.  Willy 
Kissling  served  as  CEO  of  Landis&Gyr  Corporation,  a 
provider  of  services,  systems  and  equipment  for  energy 
management,  building  control  and  payment  systems  for 
payphone  operators.  From  1998  to  2005  he  was  executive 
chairman  of  Oerlikon  Bührle  Holding  AG  (renamed  OC 
Oerlikon Corp.).

Age: 59 years
Nationality: American
Business address: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, 1000 Chrysler 
Drive, CIMS # 485-05-97 Auburn Hills, Michigan 48326,  
United States
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Linda Knoll holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business 
Administration  from  Central  Michigan  University.  After  a 
career  in  the  land  systems  division  of  General  Dynamics, 
Ms. Knoll joined CNH Industrial in 1994 (Case Corporation at 
the time). She held various positions there, culminating in her 
appointment to multiple senior management positions.

In  1999,  Ms.  Knoll  became  Vice-President  and  General 
Manager  of  the  Group’s  Crop  Production  Global  Product 
Line. From 2003 to 2005, she was Vice-President for North 
America Agricultural Industrial Operations. She then served 
as Vice- President for Worldwide Agricultural Manufacturing 
until 2007, managing 20 plants in ten countries, before being 
appointed  Executive  Vice-President  for  Development  of 
Agricultural  Products.  From  2007  to  2011,  she  represented 
CNH  as  a  board  member  for  the  National  Association  of 
Manufacturers.  Ms.  Knoll  was  appointed  CHRO  in  CNH 
Industrial  and  Fiat  Chrysler  Automobiles  in  2007  and  2011 
respectively. In January 2019, Ms. Knoll stepped down from 
her CHRO position in CNH Industrial, dedicating her focus to 
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Term of office

First appointed: 2001/Term ends: 2020

First appointed: 2014/Term ends: 2022

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Previous directorships

Other directorships or functions at listed companies: 
Chief  Human  Resources  Officer  and  member  of  the  Group 
Executive  Council  of  Fiat  Chrysler  Automobiles  N.V.  (the 
Netherlands).

Previous directorships and functions held in the past  
five years:
Chief  Human  Resources  Officer  and  member  of  the  Group 
Executive Council of CNH Industrial N.V. (the Netherlands) 
(January 2019).

Committee memberships

Member of the Audit and risks committee, of the Governance 
and remunerations committee and of the Human Resources 
and CSR committee.

Chairperson  of  the  Human  Resources  and  CSR  committee 
and  member  of 
remunerations 
committee.

the  Governance  and 

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

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Ms. Xiaoyun Ma
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Age: 56 years
Nationality: Chinese
Business address: 8F, Schneider Electric Building, No. 6,  
East WangJing Rd. Chaoyang District Beijing 100102, China
11,369(1) Schneider Electric SE shares

Experience and qualifications

Graduated  from  top  Chinese  universities  and  holding  China  Certificate  of  Public  Accountant,  Ms.  Xiaoyun  Ma  started  her 
career as a finance professional at an audit firm (PWC). She joined Schneider Electric in 1997 as the controller of Schneider 
(Beijing) Medium Voltage Co., Ltd. in Beijing China. Since then, she has worked in many different controller and CFO positions, 
covering manufacturing, supply chain and front office, in the China and Asia Pacific zone, while getting an MBA from New York 
City University in 2004. She is currently the CFO for Schneider’s China Operations, in charge of China daily finance operations, 
organization simplification and internal digital transformation. She has also been a director of about 40 Chinese companies 
and Asia Pacific entities within the Group in the past ten years.

Term of office

First appointed: 2017/Term ends: 2021

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Other directorships or functions within Schneider Electric Group:
Chairman of the board of directors of Schneider Electric IT (China) Co., Ltd. (China);

Vice-Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Citic  Schneider  Smart  Building  Technology  (Beijing)  Co.,  Ltd.,  Beijing  BipBop 
Efficiency and Automation Application Technology Center (China);

Director of Full Excel (Hong Kong) Limited (Hong Kong), Schneider Electric (China) Co., Ltd., Tianjin Merlin Gerin Co., Ltd., 
Schneider Shanghai Power Distribution Electrical Apparatus Co., Ltd., Schneider Shanghai Low Voltage Terminal Apparatus 
Co., Ltd., Schneider Shanghai Industrial Control Co., Ltd., Schneider Busway (Guangzhou) Ltd., Schneider (Beijing) Medium 
Voltage Co., Ltd., Schneider (Beijing) Medium and Low Voltage Co., Ltd., Schneider Merlin Gerin Low Voltage (Tianjin) Co., 
Ltd.,  Schneider  Shanghai  Apparatus  Parts  Manufacturing  Co.,  Ltd.,  Schneider  Great  Wall  Engineering  (Beijing)  Co.,  Ltd., 
Schneider Wingoal (Tianjin) Electric Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai ASCO Electric Technology Co., Ltd. (formerly known as 
Schneider Automation Solutions (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.), Schneider (Shaanxi) Baoguang Electric Apparatus Co., Ltd., Clipsal 
Manufacturing (Huizhou) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Schneider Electric Power Automation Co., Ltd., Schneider Switchgear (Suzhou) 
Co., Ltd., Schneider Smart Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin Wingoal Electric Equipment Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Wingoal 
Nirvana (Suzhou) Low Voltage Electric Equipment Co., Ltd.), Schneider South China Smart Technology (Guangdong) Co. Ltd. 
(China); Supervisor of Zircon Investment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (China);

Executive director of Beijing Leader Harvest Energy Efficiency Investment Co., Ltd. (China).

Other directorships or functions outside Schneider Electric Group:
Vice-Chairman of the board of directors of Sunten Electric Equipment Co., Ltd. (China).

Previous directorships and functions held in the past five years:
Chairman of the board of Citect Control Systems (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., RAM Electronic Technology and Control (Wuxi) Co., 
Ltd.,  Beijing  Chino  Harvest  Wind  Power  Technology  Co.,  Ltd.,  Schneider  Electric  Trading  (Wuhan)  Co.,  Ltd.  (China);  
Vice-Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric  (Xiamen)  Switchgear  Co.,  Ltd.,  Schneider  Electric  (Xiamen) 
Switchgear Equipment Co., Ltd. (China); Director of Pelco (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., Schneider (Suzhou) Drives Co.,Ltd., 
Schneider Electric Manufacturing (Chongqing) Co., Ltd., Schneider Electric Manufacturing (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., Shanghai East 
Best  &  Lansheng  Smart  Technology  Co.,  Ltd.,  Tevent  Control  Systems  (China)  Co.,  Ltd.,  Schneider  Automation  &  Control 
Systems (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Ennovation Systems Control Co., Ltd., Schneider (Suzhou) Transformer Co., Ltd., Telvent-BBS 
High & New Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing Leader Harvest Electric Technologies Co., Ltd., Schneider Electric Equipment and 
Engineering (Xi’an) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Foxboro Co., Ltd., Shanghai Invensys Process Systems Co., Ltd. (China).

Previous directorships

Committee memberships

Member of the Human Resources and CSR committee and of the Investment committee.

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
(1)  Held directly or through the FCPE.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

Mr. Patrick Montier
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Ms. Fleur Pellerin*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Age: 63 years 
Nationality: French
Business address: ZAC de la Chantrerie, Route de Gachet,  
BP 80701, 44307 Nantes Cedex 3, France
4,124(1) Schneider Electric SE shares

Age: 46 years 
Nationality: French
Business address: Korelya Capital, 87 rue Réaumur,  
75002 Paris, France
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Experience and qualifications

Graduated from the Institute of Business Administration of the 
University  of  Nantes  (France),  Patrick  Montier  began  his 
career at Schneider Electric in 1978 as a Business Engineer 
of  the  applications  and  systems  department.  In  1986,  he 
joined  France  Country  organization  and  contributed  to  the 
development of business activities in the instrumentation and 
automation  fields  and  in  regional  marketing  as  project 
manager for launching new offers. In 1999, he was appointed 
regional executive of the France Training Institute in charge of 
relations  with 
(universities, 
engineering schools, academies). Since 2010, he has been 
in  charge  of  partnerships  with  organizations  imparting 
vocational  training.  Meanwhile,  in  2003  he  joined  the  trade 
union  Force  Ouvrière  and  became  its  Group  deputy 
coordinator in 2010 until the end of January 2017.

educational 

institutions 

In September 2017, he was designated director representing 
the employees of Schneider Electric SE. Over 2018 and 2019, 
he followed the training conducted jointly by SciencesPo and 
the  French  Institute  of  Directors  (“Institut  Français  des 
Administrateurs”-IFA)  and  he  successfully  obtained  the 
“Director of Companies” certificate.

Ms. Fleur Pellerin graduated from the Ecole Supérieure des 
Sciences  Economiques  et  Commerciale  (ESSEC),  the  Paris 
Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP-Sciences-Po), and the Ecole 
Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

She became a magistrate at the Court of Auditors in the early 
2000s. In addition, she worked for the United Nations as an 
external auditor. In 2007, she joined “Club XXIe Siècle”, a not-
for-profit  association  dedicated  to  diversity  and  equal 
opportunities, and served as its president between 2010 and 
2012. She took over as French Minister for SMEs, Innovation 
and Digital Economy in 2012 where she launched a program 
for the development of French startups referred to as “French 
Tech”. In April 2014 she was appointed Secretary of State for 
Foreign  Trade,  Tourism  Development  and  French  people 
residing  abroad,  a  position  that  she  held  till  August  2014. 
Additionally, Fleur Pellerin is a lecturer at the ENA and was a 
Director of the Public Sénat channel from 2011-2012. In 2016 
she left politics and founded Korelya Capital, an investment 
fund  with  €200  million  in  funding  which  promotes  and 
supports investments in technology start-ups in France and 
in Europe.

Term of office

First appointed: 2017/Term ends: 2021

First appointed: 2018/Term ends: 2022

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Previous directorships

Previous directorships and functions held in the past 
five years:
Regional  Chairman  (Loire)  of  AFDET  association  (French 
Association  for  Technical  Education  Development  a  non-
profit  association  as  per 
the  French  Law  of  1901), 
representative of the Central Works Council at the Board of 
Directors  of  Schneider  Electric  Industries  SAS,  director  of 
CAPRA Prévoyance.

Other directorships or functions at listed companies:
Member  of  the  Supervisory  Board  of  KLM  Royal  Dutch 
Airlines  (the  Netherlands),  director  of  Reworld  Media 
(France).

Other directorships or functions:
Director  and  CEO  of  Korelya  Consulting,  Korelya  Capital, 
Korelya  Fondateurs  (France),  Director  or  Observer  of 
Devialet, Ledger and Naver France (France), Member of the 
Strategic orientations committee of Talan (France); Member 
of 
following 
Associations:  Canneseries,  Institut  Montaigne,  Fonds  de 
dotation du Musée du Louvre and France Digitale (France).

the  board  or  supervisory  committee  of 

Previous directorships and functions held in the past 
five years:
Director Snips (France) (2019).

Committee memberships

Member of the Investment committee.

Member  of  the  Audit  and  risks  committee,  of  the  Human 
Resources and CSR committee and of the Digital committee.

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.
(1)  Held directly or through the FCPE.

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Experience and qualifications

Mr. Anders Runevad*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Mr. Gregory Spierkel*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Age: 60 years 
Nationality: Swedish
Business address: Vestas Wind Systems A/S,  
Hedeager 42,8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Age: 62 years 
Nationality: Canadian
Business address: 325 Weymouth Place, Newport Beach, 
California, United States
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Anders  Runevad  holds  a  Master  of  Science  Degree  in 
Electrical Engineering from the University of Lund (Sweden), 
where he also studied business and economy.

for  Ericsson’s  overall 

He  joined  Ericsson  in  1984  as  a  Design  Engineer  before 
assuming roles in R&D, Product Management, Marketing and 
Sales  in  Sweden  and  abroad  (Singapore  and  the  US).  He 
then  held  various  management  positions  at  Ericsson  in 
different countries (Sweden, Singapore, US, Brazil and UK). 
In  1998  he  was  appointed  President  Ericsson  Singapore. 
From 2000 to 2004 he served as Vice-president Sales and 
Marketing, Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. In 2004 he 
was  appointed  President  of  Ericsson  Brazil,  where  he  was 
responsible 
telecommunications 
infrastructure and service business. From 2007 until 2010 he 
served  as  Executive  Vice-president,  and  director  of  the 
board at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. He then 
became  President  of  Western  &  Central  Europe  at 
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (public company) in 2010. 
In 2013, he left Ericsson to join Vestas Wind Systems A/S as 
Chief Executive Officer and Group President, a position from 
which  he  stepped  down  on  August  1,  2019.  Since  then,  he 
serves as a senior advisor of the current Chairman and CEO 
of Vestas Wind Systems A/S. He also serves as a Director of 
Nilfisk Holding A/S (former division of NKT A/S).

Mr.  Spierkel  holds  a  Bachelor’s  degree  in  Commerce  from 
Carleton  University  (Ottawa)  and  a  Master’s  Degree  in 
Business  Administration  from  Georgetown  University.  He 
also  attended  the  Advanced  Manufacturing  program  at 
INSEAD.

Mr.  Spierkel  began  his  career  working  for  Bell  Canada  in 
sales  and  product  development,  followed  by  a  period  with 
Nortel Inc. in market research. For four years, he served as 
Managing Director of Mitel Telecom with responsibilities over 
Europe  and  Asia.  He  then  spent  five  years  at  Mitel  Corp. 
where he served as President of North America and President 
of  Global  Sales  and  Marketing.  In  August  1997,  he  joined 
Ingram  Micro  as  a  Senior  Vice-President  Asia-Pacific.  In 
June  1999,  he  was  appointed  as  Executive  Vice-president 
and President of Ingram Micro Europe. He was promoted to 
President  of  the  Ingram  Micro  Inc.  group  in  2004,  before 
assuming the role of CEO of Ingram Micro Inc. in 2005. He 
retained this position, and his seat on the board of directors, 
until his departure in 2012. Since 2012, Mr. Spierkel has been 
providing advisory and consulting services to private equity 
firms with investments in the information technology sector.

Term of office

First appointed: 2018/Term ends: 2022

First appointed: 2015/Term ends: 2023

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Other directorships or functions at listed companies: 
Director of Nilfisk Holding A/S (Denmark).

Other directorships or functions:
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  MHI  Vestas  Offshore  Wind 
(Denmark).

Previous directorships

Previous directorships and functions held in the past 
five years:
President & CEO of Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Denmark) 
(August  2019),  Positions  of  trust  (2019):  Member  of  the 
General  Council  of  the  Confederation  of  Danish  Industry; 
Member  of 
the 
Confederation  of  Danish  Industry,  Director  of  NKT  A/S 
(Denmark) (2018).

Industrial  Policy  Committee  of 

the 

Other directorships or functions at listed companies:
Director of MGM Resorts International (USA), Chairman of 
the  Audit  Committee  and  member  of  the  Governance 
Committee; Director of PACCAR Inc. (USA), Chairman of the 
the  Audit 
Compensation  Committee  and  member  of 
Committee.

Other directorships or functions:
Member of McLaren Advisory Group (McLaren Technology 
Group)  (United  Kingdom),  Advisor  at  cybersecurity  firm 
Cylance (USA).

Previous directorships and functions held in the past 
five years:
Non-voting director of Schneider Electric SE.

Committee memberships

Member of the Human Resources and CSR committee and of 
the Investment committee.

Chairperson  of  the  Digital  committee  and  member  of  the 
Governance  and  remunerations  committee  and  of  the 
Investment committee.

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

Experience and qualifications

Mr. Lip-Bu Tan*
Director of Schneider Electric SE

Age: 60 years 
Nationality: American
Business address: One California Street, Suite 1750,  
San Francisco, CA 94111, United States
1,000 Schneider Electric SE shares

Lip-Bu Tan holds a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering 
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MBA from 
the  San  Francisco  University  and  a  Bachelor  of  Science 
degree from the Nanyang University of Singapore.

Mr.  Tan  is  currently  CEO  and  board  member  of  Cadence 
Design Systems, Inc., position that he has been holding since 
2009 and 2004 respectively. He also serves as Chairperson 
of Walden International, a venture capital firm he founded in 
1987.  Prior  to  founding  Walden,  he  was  Vice-president  of 
Chappell  &  Co.  and  held  management  positions  at  EDS 
Nuclear  and  ECHO  Energy.  He  has  been  an  independent 
member of the board of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. since 
November 2015.

Term of office

Co-optation as non-voting member: October 2018 

First appointed: 2019/Term ends: 2023

Current directorships

Director of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external 
appointments

Other directorships or functions at listed companies:
CEO and board member of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. 
(USA), board member of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (USA).

Other directorships or functions:
Board  member  of  Advanced  Micro-Fabrication  Equipment 
Inc (Shanghai), CNEX Labs, Inc. (USA), Fungible, Inc. (USA), 
Innovium, Inc. (USA), Komprise (USA), RF Pixels, Inc.(USA), 
LightBits  Labs  (Israel),  Movandi  Corporation  (USA),  NuVia, 
Inc.  (USA),  Oryx  Vision  (Israel),  Prosimo,  Inc.  (USA), 
Proteantecs  (Israel),  Rosetal  System  Information  Ltd.  (dba 
Localize)  (Israel),  Vayyar  Imaging  (Israel),  HiDeep,  Inc. 
(South Korea), Silicon Mitus, Inc. (South Korea), SambaNova 
Systems, Inc. (USA), board of The Electronic System Design 
Alliance (ESD Alliance), Member of the board of trustees and 
the School of Engineering Dean’s Council at Carnegie Mellon 
University  (CMU),  Global  Advisory  board  Member  of  METI 
Japan,  Member  of  the  board  of  Global  Semiconductor 
Alliance  (GSA),  Member  of  The  Business  Council  and 
Committee 100.

Previous directorships and functions held in the past 
five years:
Board  member  of  Habana  Labs  Ltd.  (Israel),  Tagore 
Technology,  Inc.  (USA),  WekaIO,  LTD  (Israel),  Aquantia 
Corporation 
Semiconductor 
(USA) 
(June 
Manufacturing 
(China),  SINA 
International  Corporation 
Corporation (China), Quantenna Communications, Inc. (USA) 
and Ambarella Inc. (USA), non-voting member of the Board 
of Schneider Electric SE (France) (April 2019).

2019), 

Previous directorships

Committee memberships

Member  of  the  Investment  committee  and  of  the  Digital 
committee.

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
*  An independent director within the meaning of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

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Independent directors
Each  year,  as  provided  under  the  AFEP-MEDEF  corporate  governance  Code,  the  board  of  directors,  on  the  report  of  the  Governance  and 
remunerations committee, dedicates one of the points on its agenda to the qualification of its members as independent with regard to the criteria 
for independence set out in Article 9.5 of the Code and presented in the table below.

Criterion 1: Employee or corporate officer within the previous five years
Not to be and not to have been within the previous five years:

•  an employee or executive corporate officer of the Company;
•  an employee, executive corporate officer or director of a company consolidated with the Company;
•  an employee, executive corporate officer or director of the Company’s parent company or a company consolidated with this parent company.

Criterion 2: Cross-directorships
Not to be an executive corporate officer of a company in which the Company holds a directorship, directly or indirectly, or in which an 
employee appointed as such or an executive corporate officer of the Company (currently in office or having held such office within the last 
five years) holds a directorship.

Criterion 3: Significant business relationships
Not to be a customer, supplier, commercial banker, investment banker or consultant:

that is significant to the Company or its group;

• 
•  or for which the Company or its group represents a significant portion of its activity.

The assessment of the significance or otherwise of the relationship with the Company or its group must be debated by the board and the 
quantitative and qualitative criteria that led to this evaluation (continuity, economic dependence, exclusivity, etc.) must be explicitly stated 
in the annual report.

Criterion 4: Family ties
Not to be related by close family ties to a corporate officer.

Criterion 5: Auditor
Not to have been an auditor of the Company within the previous five years.

Criterion 6: Period of office exceeding 12 years
Not  to  have  been  a  director  of  the  Company  for  more  than  12  years.  Loss  of  the  status  of  independent  director  occurs  on  the  date  
of the 12th anniversary.

Criterion 7: Status of non-executive corporate officer
A non-executive corporate officer cannot be considered independent if he or she receives variable compensation in cash or in the form 
of securities or any compensation linked to the performance of the Company or group.

Criterion 8: Status of the major shareholder
Directors  representing  major  shareholders  of  the  Company  or  its  parent  company  may  be  considered  independent,  provided  these 
shareholders do not take part in the control of the Company. Nevertheless, beyond a 10% threshold in capital or voting rights, the board, 
upon a report from the Governance and remunerations committee, should systematically review the qualification as independent in light 
of the Company’s shareholding structure and the existence of a potential conflict of interest.

With regard specifically to independence in terms of business relations, the board of directors noted that, due to:

(i)  the nature of Schneider Electric activities and those of the companies in which members of the board of directors are employed or serve as 

directors;

(ii) the amounts, either unitary or global, of operations performed or that may be performed between Schneider Electric and these companies 

that are agreed at arm’s length and that are by no means likely to be referred to the board of directors;

the existing business relations between Schneider Electric and these companies in which the members of the board of directors are employed 
or serve as officers are not likely to prejudice their independence, indeed, when such operations exist, they are agreed at arm’s length and their 
amounts, representing less than 0.1% of the consolidated turnover of each group, are without a doubt insignificant for each party, in particular 
with regard to respective size of the groups concerned.

The directors have no business relations with Schneider Electric other than those approved under the regime of the regulated agreements, if any.

As of December 31, 2019, there are twelve directors, eight of whom are independent according to the definition prescribed by the AFEP-MEDEF 
corporate governance Code. These are Mr. Léo Apotheker, Ms. Cécile Cabanis, Mr. Fred Kindle, Ms. Linda Knoll, Ms. Fleur Pellerin, Mr. Anders 
Runevad, Mr. Gregory Spierkel and Mr. Lip-Bu Tan.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, as Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Xiaoyun Ma, as employee shareholder representative, Mr. Patrick Montier as employee 
representative, and Mr. Willy Kissling, who has served on the board for over 12 years, are not considered to be independent directors under the 
AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

The AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code recommends that, in non-controlled companies, the board comprised at least 50% independent 
directors. Directors representing employee shareholders and directors representing employees are not computed in calculating this percentage. 
The proportion of independent directors of the Company, excluding Xiaoyun Ma, who represents employee shareholders, and Patrick Montier, 
who represents employees, is therefore 80%.

The  following  table  shows  the  status  of  each  director  with  regard  to  the  criteria  for  independence  set  out  in  Article  9.5  of  the  AFEP-MEDEF 
corporate governance Code.

Jean-
Pascal 
Tricoire

Léo 
Apotheker

Cécile 
Cabanis

Fred 
Kindle

Willy 
Kissling

Linda 
Knoll

Xiaoyun 
Ma

Patrick 
Montier

Fleur 
Pellerin

Anders 
Runevad

Gregory 
Spierkel

Lip-Bu 
Tan

Criteria(1)

Criterion 1: 
Employee or corporate 
officer within the past 
five years

Criterion 2: 
Cross-directorships

Criterion 3: 
Significant business 
relationships

Criterion 4: 
Family ties

Criterion 5: 
Auditor

Criterion 6: 
Period of office 
exceeding 12 years

Criterion 7: 
Status of non-executive 
corporate officer

Criterion 8: 
Status of the 
major shareholder

Conclusion

(1)  In this table, 

 signifies that a criterion for independence is satisfied and 

 signifies that a criterion for independence is not satisfied.

Diversity policy within the board of directors
The board of directors pays due attention to its composition and that of its committees. It relies on the works of the Governance and remunerations 
committee which reviews regularly and proposes as often as required the relevant changes to the composition of board of directors and its 
committees depending on the Group’s strategy.

In that respect, in conformity with its internal regulations, the board of directors ensures through its proposals and its decisions that:

• 

• 
• 
• 

• 

its composition reflects the international nature of the Group’s activities and of its shareholders by having a significant number of members  
of non-French nationality;
it protects the independence of the board through the competence, availability and courage of its members;
it encourages open and unrestricted speech;
it  pursues  its  objective  of  diversifying  the  board  of  directors  in  compliance  with  the  legal  principle  of  attaining  balanced  representation 
between men and women on the board;
it  appoints  persons  with  the  expertise  required  for  developing  and  implementing  the  Group  strategy  while  considering  the  objectives  
of diversity based on criteria such as age, professional skills and experiences;

•  employee shareholders and employees shall continue to be represented on the board in compliance with the provisions set forth in Articles 

• 

11.3 and 11.4 of the Articles of Association; and
it  preserves  the  continuity  of  the  board  by  changing  some  of  its  members  at  regular  intervals,  if  necessary  by  anticipating  the  expiry  
of members’ terms of office.

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Out of 12 directors and excluding the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer:

9

8

5

have financial or 
accounting skills

have industrial 
expertise

have digital skills

5

4

have a deep 
knowledge of the 
US market

have a deep 
knowledge of the 
Asian market

3

are former or  
current CEOs of 
listed companies in 
energy sector

Ms. Xiaoyun Ma represents the employee shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 225-23 of the French Commercial Code. 
She was elected at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting upon the recommendation of the supervisory boards of the FCPEs.

Mr. Patrick Montier represents the employees in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 225-27-1 of the French Commercial Code. He was 
appointed by the most representative trade union organization in France in pursuance of Article 11.4 of the Articles of Association.

As of December 31, 2019:

Directors’ nationality

67%

of non-French 
origin or 
nationality

 Non-French origin  
or nationality (8)

  French (4)

Board representation by gender 
(director representing employees 
excluded as per AFEP-MEDEF 
corporate governance Code)*

Directors’ age

Board tenure
(Chairman and CEO excluded)

36%

are women

  Men (8)
  Women (4)

* 

In addition, out of 5 committees, 2 
are chaired by a woman: the Audit 
and risks committee (Ms. Cécile 
Cabanis) and the Human 
Resources and CSR committee 
(Ms. Linda Knoll).

Following Ms. Carolina Dybeck 
Happe’s resignation on November 
25, 2019, the ratio fell down to 36% 
and would be brought back to 42% 
within the 6-month deadline, at the 
close of the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting of April 23, 2020, should 
Ms. Jill Lee be elected.

  55 years old or less (2)
  56 to 65 years old (8)
  > 65 years old (2%)

  1–five years (8)
  5–12 years (2)
  > than 12 years (1)
  < or equal to 1 year (1)

The  last  self-assessment  of  the  board  of  directors  conducted  in  September-October  2019,  highlighted,  concerning  its  composition,  that 
Ms. Xuezheng Ma’s demise deprived the board of valuable skills and, as a consequence, it was required to diversify the digital expertise within 
the board and to rebuild its knowledge of Asian markets. The latter need is addressed by Ms. Jill Lee’s candidacy, presented on page 238, 
appointed by the board of directors of December 11, 2019 as a non-voting member starting from January 1, 2020. It also enables the board to 
reach again the balanced gender representation brought down to less than the legal requirement after Ms. Carolina Dybeck Happe’s resignation.

Schneider Electric is deeply committed towards diversity in general and gender diversity in particular. Schneider Electric focuses on taking proactive 
measures to encourage a balanced representation of men and women at the leadership level: the portion of women at the Executive committee had 
been increased on January 1, 2019 to 27%. For the leadership pool comprising of the Top 1,000 leaders, the female representation slightly increased 
(22.1%), while among NDVC (senior management), representing as much as 65,181 employees, the female representation reaches 33%.

At its meeting of December 11, 2019, the board of directors reviewed senior management’s ambitions regarding the balanced representation of 
men and women at the leadership level and noted that the objective in 2020 was set to at least 30% of women at the Executive committee and 
35% among NDVC (senior management). To achieve these objectives and further improve gender diversity, the Group aims at attracting female 
talents by offering a training leadership program and dedicated mentoring, implementing an equal treatment policy and a tailored family leave 
policy. A focus is made on the identification of talents internally as soon as possible: hence, among the talent having competencies as VP, SVP 
or EVP, 36% are women.

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4Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder Information 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

1. The board of directors

1.2 Proposal to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on the composition of the board of directors
Four directors’ terms are expiring following the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020, namely those of Mr. Léo Apotheker, Ms. Cécile 
Cabanis, Mr. Fred Kindle and Mr. Willy Kissling.

The board of directors unanimously decided to propose at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020:

• 
• 

• 

the renewals of Ms. Cécile Cabanis and Mr. Fred Kindle for a four-year term;
the renewals of Mr. Léo Apotheker and Mr. Willy Kissling for respectively a three and two-year term due to the statutory provisions relating to 
the age of the directors;
the appointment of Ms. Jill Lee for a four-year term.

In that respect, should the Shareholders’ Meeting approve these proposals, Ms. Jill Lee, who joined Schneider Electric SE’s board of directors as 
a non-voting member on January 1, 2020, will be appointed for a four-year term. She will qualify as an independent director with regard to all the 
criteria set by Article 9.5 of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code. Ms. Jill Lee, 56 years old, a Singaporean citizen, has been serving as 
the Group Chief Financial Officer of Sulzer Ltd., since April 2018. Ms. Lee began her career in finance in 1986 at AT&T and Tyco Electronics in 
Singapore. She pursued her career within Siemens and then ABB, mainly in China and Europe. In addition to strong financial skills, Ms. Lee brings 
to the board her thorough knowledge of Schneider Electric’s activities and an expert understanding of the Asian markets. Ms. Lee is an advisory 
board member of Nanyang Business School (Nanyang Technological University) in Singapore and a member of the supervisory board of the 
Dutch leading lighting company Signify Ltd. (formerly Philips Lighting).

The renewed board would comprise:

•  13 members;
•  73% of independent directors (excluding consideration of the director representing employee shareholders and the director representing the 

employees, in accordance with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code);

•  a percentage of women which will rise to 42% (director representing employees excluded as per the provisions of the French Commercial 

Code) should Ms. Jill Lee be appointed; and

•  a strong proportion of directors of non-French origin (69%) reflecting the international nature of the Group.

Directors

13

Independent directors

Women directors(1)

Employee directors

8

(73%)*

42%

2

Average age of directors

59

Board members spread across all geographies

Board expertise**

  North America (3)
  Europe (5)
  France (3)
  Asia (2)

  accounting/financial skills (10)

industrial expertise (9)

  digital expertise (5)
  deep knowledge of NAM market (5)
  deep knowledge of Asian market (5)

Besides, out of 6 former or current  
CEOs of listed companies, 3 are  
from the energy sector and 3 from  
the digital industry.

*  To the exclusion of the director representing the employee shareholders and the director representing the employees.
**  Excluding CEO.
(1)  To the exclusion of the employees’ representative.

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2. Organizational and operating procedures of the board of directors

2. Organizational and operating procedures  
of the board of directors

2.1 Governance structure
The Company is a European company with a board of directors. The functions of the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer are carried out by 
Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, who was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on April 25, 2013 and renewed on April 25, 2017.

The performance by Mr. Tricoire of the duties of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer seems particularly appropriate to the board of directors 
taking into account:

• 
• 

the composition of the board, which comprises 80% independent directors within the meaning of the AFEP/ MEDEF corporate governance Code;
the  economic  environment,  which  requires  responsiveness  through  strong  leadership  and  clarity  in  designating  the  person  in  charge  of 
leading  the  Group.  This  clarification  given  by  the  use  of  the  title  of  Chairman  (Président)  is  particularly  necessary  vis-à-vis  employees, 
customers and partners, in France and abroad;

•  mechanisms provided for by the Articles of Association and internal regulations to ensure accurate information and effective mode of operation 
of the board of directors, in particular the appointment of a Vice-Chairman independent lead director and a Deputy Chief Executive Officer, 
the principle of proposing an executive session at each meeting of the board chaired by the Vice-Chairman independent lead director, and 
the creation of five board committees;
the requirement for the board to deliberate each year on the unification of the functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

• 

The board assessment performed in 2018 which had confirmed the findings of the one conducted in 2017 with the assistance of an external 
consultant,  had  highlighted  that  the  combination  was  unanimously  considered  as  the  best  mode  of  management  considering  the  specific 
situation of Schneider Electric, the profile of Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire and the governance mechanisms put in place to safeguard the balance of 
power between the board and the management. 

On April 25, 2019, given the leadership needs of the Group and the very high level of transparency maintained by Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, 
confirmed once again by the self-assessment of 2019, the board of directors decided the continuation of the combination of the functions of 
Chairman and CEO, in accordance with Article 1 of its internal regulations which provides that when the board decides to unify the functions of 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, the board shall deliberate each year thereafter on this decision.

Powers and responsibilities of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director
Article 1 of the internal regulations of the board of directors defines the duties and missions of the Vice-Chairman independent lead 
director who is mandatorily appointed when the board decides to unify the functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. As such, 
the Vice-Chairman:

• 

is informed of major events in the life of the Group within the framework of regular contacts and monthly meetings with the Chairman, 
as well as through contacts that he/she can have with managers of Schneider Electric and possible visits to the Group’s sites he/she 
can undertake. In addition, he/she can attend all meetings of committees of which he/she is not a member;

•  can answer shareholders’ questions or meet them on governance issues when it is considered that he/she is the most appropriate 

spokesperson;

•  sets the agenda for board meetings with the Chairman;
•  chairs the Governance and remunerations committee which, starting from the evaluation of the functioning of the board and that of the 
CEO, proposes each year to the board to the continuation or separation of the unified functions of Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer and, as needed, makes proposals for a successor in one or both functions;

•  chairs the “executive sessions”, i.e. meetings of the board of directors not in the presence of any executive member, namely the CEO 

and the Deputy CEO;

•  reports to the Chairman on the results of the “executive sessions”;
• 
• 
•  reports on his/her activities during the annual shareholders’ meeting.

leads the annual evaluations of the board of directors;
informs the Chairman and CEO and the board of any conflicts of interest which could be identified or which may be reported to him/her;

The charter for the Vice-Chairman independent lead director is found on page 432. As every year, Mr. Léo Apotheker, Vice-Chairman 
independent lead director, reported on the missions he carried out in 2019 in line with his functions (pages 422-423).

At the close of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020, Mr. Léo Apotheker will no longer qualify as an independent director 
due to his long years of service on the board under AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code and, as a consequence, will no longer 
serve as Vice-chairman independent lead director. At its meeting of February 19, 2020, the board of directors designated Mr. Fred Kindle, 
whose biography is provided on page 229 to become Vice-chairman independent lead director of Schneider Electric SE. In application 
of Article 10 of the internal regulations which prescribe that the Governance and remunerations committee shall be presided by the Vice-
chairman lead director, Mr. Fred Kindle shall chair this committee of which Mr. Léo Apotheker shall remain a member.

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2. Organizational and operating procedures of the board of directors

2.2 Missions and powers of the board of directors
The  board  of  directors  shall  determine  the  strategic  orientation  of  the  Company’s  business  in  accordance  with  its  social  interest  and  while 
considering its social and environmental aspects, and oversee implementation thereof. It shall examine any and all matters related to the efficient 
operation of the business and make decisions about any and all issues concerning the Company, within the limits of the corporate purpose, 
except for those matters which, by law, can only be decided on by the shareholders in a Shareholders’ Meeting.

Specific powers are vested in the board of directors under French law and the Company’s Articles of Association. These include the power to:

•  determine the method of exercising the senior management of the Company;
•  appoint executive corporate officers and also remove them from office (Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officers); subject 
to shareholders’ control, set their compensation and the benefits granted to them as well as the compensation policy applicable to the non-
executive directors;

•  co-opt directors whenever necessary;
•  call Annual Shareholders’ Meetings and, where applicable, of bondholders, based on the agenda it sets;
•  approve the corporate and consolidated financial statements;
•  draw up business reviews and reports for Annual Shareholders’ Meetings;
•  draw up management planning documents and the corresponding reports;
•  approve the corporate governance report as provided for in Article L.225-37 of the French Commercial Code;
•  decide on the use of authorizations granted at Shareholders’ Meetings, more particularly for increasing Company capital, buying back the 

Company’s own shares, carrying out employee shareholding transactions and cancelling shares;

•  authorize the issue of bonds;
•  decide on the allocation of options or free/performance shares within the limits of authorizations given at Annual Shareholders’ Meetings;
•  authorize regulated agreements (agreements covered by Article L.225-38 et seq. of the French Commercial Code);
• 

implement a process to regularly assess that the rules used to qualify a related party transaction as regulated agreement or not, are relevant 
and effective;

•  authorize the issue of sureties, endorsements and guarantees; and
•  decide on the dates for the payment of dividends and any possible interim dividends.

The board of directors may appoint between one and three non-voting members and decide to create board committees. It draws up internal 
regulations.  It  determines  the  allocation  of  the  directors’  remuneration  within  the  total  maximum  amount  as  was  determined  by  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting.

2.3 Internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors
On April 25, 2013, the board of directors adopted its own internal regulations. These were later modified on December 11, 2019 to reflect the 
regulatory  changes  which  took  place  in  2019  (PACTE  Law,  Bill  on  corporate  officers’  compensation,  European  regulation  on  the  “Universal 
Registration Document” replacing the “Registration Document” or “Annual report”).

These  internal  regulations  include  the  rules  of  procedure  of  the  board  committees  (the  Audit  and  risks  committee,  the  Governance  and 
remunerations committee, the Human Resources and CSR committee, the Investment committee and the Digital committee), and the directors’ 
charter  as  recommended  by  the  AFEP-MEDEF  corporate  governance  Code.  The  regulations  are  reproduced  on  pages  424  to  432  of  this 
Universal Registration Document and published on the Company’s website, www.se.com. They comprise 14 articles:

Article 1 deals with the method of exercising Senior Management and the Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of the board of directors. 
It provides that the board shall deliberate each year on the decision to unify the functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and also 
defines the duties and missions of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director as set out on page 239 of this Universal Registration Document.

Article 2 defines the role and powers of the board of directors. It states that the board of directors shall determine Company business policies 
in accordance with its social interest and while considering its social and environmental aspects, and ensure that they are implemented. To 
enable the board to perform its missions, the Chairman or the committees must inform the board of any significant event affecting the Company’s 
efficient operation. In addition, any acquisitions or disposals of assets amounting to more than EUR250 million, as well as any strategic partnership 
agreements, must be submitted to the board for approval. In addition, the board of directors must conduct an annual review of its composition, 
organization and operation.

Article 3 establishes the principles which the board of directors intends to follow to ensure its renewal. These include assuring international 
representation by maintaining a significant number of non-French directors, maintaining independence through the skills, availability and commitment 
of its members, applying the principle of balanced representation of women and men on the board, enabling representation of employee shareholders 
and employees on the board, and ensuring continuity through the reappointment of a certain proportion of the members at regular intervals.

Article 4 organizes meetings of the board of directors. In addition to the legal rules on the convocation of the board, the modes of participation 
of the directors, the minutes, etc., this Article provides for a minimum of six meetings per year, the presence of the Chief Financial Officer at board 
meetings as well as the presence of the relevant operational managers for the major issues presented for review by the board.

Article 5 specifies how information is handled by the board of directors. In particular, it provides that the Chairman and CEO shall meet with 
each director individually once a year.

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Article  6  defines  the  status  of  the  directors.  This  is  in  compliance  with  the  director’s  charter  contained  in  the  AFEP-MEDEF  corporate 
governance guidelines.

The charter provides that directors:

•  represent all shareholders and act in the corporate interest;
•  must resign from the board when they have not participated in at least half the board meetings;
•  are bound by an overall obligation of confidentiality;
•  have a permanent duty to ensure that their personal situation shall not give rise to a conflict of interest with the Company; the member of the 
board of directors having a conflict of interest, even a potential one, shall not take part in the discussions nor in the vote on the corresponding 
decision and shall leave the meeting of the board of directors when the decision is debated;

•  may not hold more than four other directorships in listed companies outside the Group;
•  hold at least 1,000 shares of Company stock;
•  are  bound  by  the  compliance  Code  governing  stock-market  transactions,  which  provides  strict  rules  concerning  their  transactions  on 

Schneider Electric SE shares (see below); and

•  attend the shareholders’ meeting.

Article  7  provides  that  non-voting  members  who  attend  board  meetings  in  an  advisory  capacity  are  subject  to  the  same  code  of  ethics 
as directors.

Articles 8 to 13 apply to committees. The content of these Articles is provided in the section on committees below.

Article 14 defines the scope of the internal regulations of the board of directors.

2.4 Information and training of the board of directors and its members
To ensure that the board of directors is well informed at all times, Schneider Electric SE applies the following rules: members of the board have 
access, via a secure dedicated platform, in principle ten days before every board meeting, to the agenda for the meeting and to the draft minutes 
of the last meeting and, four to five days before, to the board’s file. The documentation includes a quarterly activities report, presentations on 
items scheduled on the agenda or notes and, as appropriate, draft social and consolidated financial information. A supplementary file may also 
be provided at the meeting.

Executive Committee members are invited, depending on the subject, to present the major issues within their areas of responsibility. Statutory 
Auditors attend the portion of the board’s meetings at which the statutory and interim financial statements are reviewed.

Between each meeting of the board of directors, aside from meetings that they may have with the Chairman and CEO, directors receive continuous 
information through periodic information letters, drafted exclusively for their attention, which keep them informed of developments in the Group, 
the competitive environment and developments in investor consensus and feedback. They also receive a weekly press review, all of the Company’s 
press releases, relevant financial analysts’ reports and other documents.

Board members also have the opportunity to meet informally with key members of Senior Management between board meetings.

Board of director dinners are also organized in order to offer more opportunities to interact with investors, customers, experts, etc. These dinners 
are  meant  to  provide  the  board  members  with  external  views  on  the  Group,  to  increase  their  understanding  of  the  changes  in  its  business 
environment and to gain more insight on the needs and motivations of all stakeholders.

On-boarding program of new directors
The  action  plan  adopted  by  the  board  of  directors  following  its  external  assessment  conducted  in  2017  provided  for  the  formalization  of  a 
complete on-boarding program for any new director. This on-boarding program was enriched in April 2019 to help the new director get a deep 
understanding of the business, the challenges and priorities of Schneider Electric as well as its governance and values.

As such, new directors are offered a training and information program on the Group’s strategy and businesses designed around a common core 
which comprises of:

•  a set of documents including, in particular, the last registration document and integrated report, the Company’s Articles of Association, the 
internal regulations of the board of directors, the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code, the compliance Code governing stock-market 
transactions (see below), the minutes of the board’s and committees’ meetings for the period starting from the appointment back to the full 
year before, directors’ and officers’ liability master policy and the last three periodic information letters;
the “One Organization” summary relating to the Group organization;

• 
•  working  meetings  with  the  Executive  Vice-Presidents  Strategy,  Energy  Management,  Industrial  Automation  and  North  America 

Operations;

•  a work session with the secretary of the committee(s) he/she will join;
•  concerning  governance  and  values:  work  session  with  the  Vice-chairman  lead  independent  director;  the  Secretary  of  the  board  of 

• 

directors, as well as with the persons in charge of Compliance and Ethics and Sustainable Development;
to know more about Schneider Electric’s shareholding structure and shareholders’ expectations, an interview with the Senior Vice-President 
Investors Relations;

•  a training on the use of the secure dedicated platform on which all the board’s files are filed and kept;
• 
•  as the case may be, visits to sites which are particularly illustrative of Schneider Electric’s activities.

the designation of a mentor for any new director to facilitate his/her integration;

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2. Organizational and operating procedures of the board of directors

In addition, the director representing employees, Mr. Patrick Montier, benefits from a training program compliant with legal requirements and 
approved by the board of directors. In this respect, Mr. Patrick Montier attended the “Certificate Director of companies” (“Certificat Administrateur 
de sociétés”) of Sciences Po/IFA.

In pursuance of new French regulations coming from Law n°2019-486 of May 22, 2019 relating to companies’ growth and transformation, known 
as PACTE Law, the director representing the employee shareholders, Ms. Xiaoyun Ma, was offered a tailored training session to address her 
needs.

Compliance Code governing stock-market transactions
Schneider  Electric  has  adopted  a  compliance  Code  governing  stock-market  transactions  for  members  of  the  board  of  directors  and  Group 
employees designed to prevent insider trading. Under these provisions, both directors and relevant employees are barred from trading in the 
Company shares and shares in companies for which they have information that has not yet been made public. In addition, they may not trade in 
Schneider Electric SE shares during the 31 days preceding the day following publication of the annual and interim financial statements, nor during 
the 16 days preceding the day following publication of a quarterly update, nor may they engage in any type of speculative trading involving 
Schneider  Electric  SE  shares  (including  margin  trading,  purchasing  and  selling  shares  in  a  period  of  less  than  four  months).  In  addition,  in 
accordance with the AFEP/ MEDEF corporate governance Code, corporate officers also undertake not to enter into hedges of shares resulting 
from exercise of options and of performance shares they are required to hold (see page 401). These restrictions supplement the prohibition 
against hedging unvested stock options and performance shares during their vesting period.

The  compliance  Code  governing  stock-market  transactions  was  revised  when  the  European  “Market  Abuse  Regulation”  No.  2014/596  of  
April 16, 2014 entered into force, and subsequently updated in December 2018. The Regulation obliges companies to draw up insider lists, and 
market operators to put in place mechanisms aimed at preventing and detecting suspicious transactions, enabling them to report to the Autorité 
des Marchés Financiers those that seem to them to constitute insider dealing.

2.5 Self-assessment of the board of directors
Pursuant to its internal regulations, Schneider Electric SE’s Board of directors annually reviews its composition, organization and operations, as 
well as those of its committees. This yearly assessment is carried out through a written questionnaire sent to Board members or an interview with 
the Board member. The evaluation is conducted under the leadership of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director by the secretary of the 
board of directors.

In addition, as per the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code, the board of directors shall undertake at least once every three years a formal 
self-assessment, which may be conducted with the assistance of an external consultant.

The last formal self-assessment was conducted in 2017 with the support of an independent consultancy firm consisting in thorough individual 
interviews  with  each  director  on  the  basis  of  a  detailed  questionnaire  covering  governance  in  all  its  dimensions.  The  conclusion  of  the 
self- assessment was a unanimous very positive opinion on the composition and the mode of operation of the board of directors and its committees. 
The directors highlighted the robustness of governance thanks to a management that is “open and transparent”, a Vice-chairman independent 
lead director committed in its liaison role between the Chairman and the directors, and a board of directors that is dedicated and efficient, the 
combination ensuring a very satisfactory balance of powers. This formal assessment suggested other improvements and was duly followed by 
the approval, by the board of directors, of an Action Plan followed by the corresponding changes of its internal regulations and the composition 
of its committees.

In 2018, the internal assessment, carried out in the form of an anonymous online survey, had confirmed the positive conclusions of the 2017 
in- depth assessment and, in a continuous way of improvement, lead to the adoption by the board of directors, upon recommendations by the 
Governance and remunerations committee, on October 24, 2018 of a new Action Plan. This Action Plan prescribed in particular to engage in 
further discussion on succession planning of top management, to devote an item to risks analysis and governance under the leadership of the 
Audit and risks committee, to dedicate time to industry trends and key battles, to resume rotating regional reviews and to arrange for factory visits, 
on an on-going basis. The adoption of this Action Plan was followed by the required changes in the internal regulations on December 12, 2018 
and the inclusion in the board and committees’ agenda of all the above-mentioned topics, including the visit of the Vaudreuil factory in July 2019.

In 2019, the internal assessment was carried out again in the form of an anonymous online survey. The board members’ opinion on the composition, 
the  organisation  and  functioning  of  the  board  has  further  improved  vs.  2018,  with  85%  of  the  board  members  believing  that  the  functioning 
improved since last assessment and none complaining that it deteriorated. The board members highlighted the Chairman and CEO’s leadership, 
his openness and transparency as well as the efficiency of the tandem Chairman & CEO – Vice-Chairman lead independent director which is 
found to fit perfectly the Company’s needs. The great quality of the Strategy Session as well as the robustness of the on-boarding program 
dedicated to the new members were also praised.

For  the  first  time,  the  process  included  a  360°  individual  assessment  of  each  member  in  his/her  individual  capacity,  with  feedback  made 
individually by the Vice-chairman lead independent director. No specific concern was raised. 

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In  an  on-going  improvement  approach,  the  board  of  directors,  upon  recommendations  by  the  Governance  and  remunerations  committee, 
adopted the following Action Plan on October 23, 2019:

Action Plan 2019

Board composition

Future  new  board  members  should  preferably  have  strong 
Asia and digital skills

On-boarding program

Follow-up on its completion as soon as possible after joining

For the next individual assessment, specify that newly elected 
members are evaluated as “new members”

Leadership

Pursue the work on leadership succession planning

Logistics

Endeavor  to  set  the  board  agenda  in  a  manner  compatible 
with full-time occupations

In 2020, a formal self-assessment will be performed with the assistance of an independent and external expert.

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3. Board activities

3. Board activities

The  board  of  directors  devoted  most  of  its  activities  to  the  Company’s  corporate  governance,  strategy  and  its  implementation,  reviewing 
operations and the annual and interim financial statements, which it approved, and preparing the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

Attendance
The board held seven meetings in 2019. The meetings lasted seven 
hours  on  average  with  an  average  participation  rate  of  directors  
of almost:

Directors' average participation rate

93%

Seven directors have an attendance rate of 100% and none have an attendance rate less than 75% as shown in the chart hereafter summarizing 
the directors’ individual attendance at board meetings:

Director

Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire – Chairman
Mr. Léo Apotheker – Vice-Chairman independent lead director
Ms. Cécile Cabanis(1)
Mr. Fred Kindle
Mr. Willy Kissling
Ms. Linda Knoll
Ms. Xiaoyun Ma
Mr. Patrick Montier
Ms. Fleur Pellerin
Mr. Anders Runevad
Mr. Gregory Spierkel
Mr. Lip-Bu Tan

Attendance rate

100%
86%
86%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
86%
86%
100%
75%

(1)  In 2019, Ms. Cécile Cabanis was barred from attending the board of directors and the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 due to the Annual Shareholders’ 

Meeting of Danone of which she is the Chief financial officer, IS/IT, Cycles and Purchases.

Ms. Betsy Atkins and Mr. Antoine Gosset-Grainville’s terms of office expired on April 25, 2019.

During their first year in office, new directors may face legitimate difficulties being available to attend the board meetings given that the schedule 
of board meetings was set before them joining the board.

All absences were legitimate and excused.

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3.1 Corporate governance
The board of directors, depending on the subject, upon the report of the Governance and remunerations committee, the Human Resources and 
CSR committee or the Audit and risks committee:

•  discussed the composition of its membership and that of its committees and the principle of balanced representation of men and women;

 – To this end, it pursued its efforts aiming at reinforcing the geographical diversity of its members, adding strong skills in the field of strategic 
challenges such as digital and at strengthening the deep knowledge of the Group’s key markets and proposed to the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting to vote in favor of Ms. Carolina Dybeck Happe, Ms. Xuezheng Ma and Mr. Lip-Bu Tan as directors as well as in favor of the renewal 
of Mr. Greg Spierkel’s term as a director.

 – The board of directors also deliberated on the composition of its committees. In this respect, it appointed on April 25, 2019, Ms. Carolina 
Dybeck Happe and Ms. Xuezheng Ma as members of the Audit and risks committee, Mr. Anders Runevad as a member of the Human 
Resources and CSR committee and Ms. Xuezheng Ma as a member of the Digital committee.

 – Additionally, the board of directors acknowledged Ms. Xuezheng Ma’s demise and Ms. Carolina Dybeck Happe’s resignation and appointed 
on December 11, 2019 as a non-voting member starting from January 1, 2020, Ms. Jill Lee who joined the Audit and risks committee.

•  discussed whether to maintain the unification of the functions of Chairman and CEO (see above page 239);
•  examined the succession plan for corporate officers at two of its “executive sessions”;
•  deliberated, at its meeting of October 23, 2019, on its self-assessment and approved an action plan;
•  discussed and reviewed the principles and criteria relating to the compensation of the corporate officers and approved the compensation and 

benefits of all types that may be or have been granted;

•  was informed of the meetings with major shareholders conducted by the Vice-Chairman independent lead director on governance topics;
• 

took note, upon the report of the Governance and remunerations committee, of the results of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, analyzed the 
dissenting minority grounds and implemented relevant corrective actions (see page 261);

•  was informed of the review of changes in the compensation of members of the Executive Committee;
•  was informed of the works done by the Human Resources and CSR committee on the succession plan for members of the Executive Committee;
•  decided on the implementation of the 2019 long-term incentive plan. It accordingly reviewed the performance conditions (see pages 269-

270), drew up a list of beneficiaries (which includes corporate officers) and set the terms of individual awards;

•  checked and recorded the calculation of the level of achievement of performance conditions applicable to Performance Share plans n°28, 29, 

29bis, 30, 31 and 31bis;

•  decided on capital increases reserved for employees (see page 399);
•  approved the corporate governance report as provided for in Article L.225-37 of the French Commercial Code;
•  approved the management report as provided for in Article L.225-100 of the French Commercial Code;
•  examined the regulated agreements and commitments;
• 

implemented  a  process  to  regularly  assess  that  the  rules  used  to  qualify  a  related  party  transaction  as  regulated  agreement  or  not,  are 
relevant and effective;

•  was informed on legal and regulatory updates (PACTE law, Bill on corporate officers’ compensation).

In  application  of  the  provisions  of  Article  1.C.3  of  the  internal  regulations,  the  Vice-Chairman  convenes  executive  sessions  of  the  board  of 
directors (without the corporate officers) at the end of each board meeting.

In 2019, the board of directors held three “executive sessions”, vs. four in 2018, during which the members of the board of directors discussed 
the strategic options, the potential impact of the new legal requirements on governance and reviewed the possible options in matter of succession 
for executive corporate officers depending on the mode of exercise of general management.

In addition, when the board debated and determined the compensation of the Chairman and CEO and the Deputy CEO, the interested parties 
were not present, as prescribed by Article 10.2 of the Internal Regulations, unless solicited to provide information on specific issues.

Succession planning
The succession planning of the corporate officers and top management is examined thoroughly by the board every year. 

The succession planning is the result of a two-stage process that is followed at the end of each year:

• 

• 

the Human Resources and CSR committee reviews by name the list of talents who could be considered for potential succession to the top 
management, studies the profiles of the new-comers and the assessment of every individual’s performance, ascertains the quality and the 
diversity of the selected pool and reports to the board thereon;
the Chairman and CEO presents to the Governance and remunerations committee the various internal options to address immediate, short 
term and long term needs, both for him and for the Deputy CEO, with their respective pros and cons; the matter is then brought forward for 
discussion at the next executive session (held without the presence of the corporate officers). In 2019, it has been reviewed in the course of 
the year at another executive session.

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3. Board activities

3.2 Strategy and investment
The board of directors conducted a thorough review of the Group strategy, as every year, as part of a meeting of several days named “Strategy 
Session” specifically dedicated to the topic.

During this Strategy Session held in Hong Kong in August 2019, the board of directors focused on an in-depth strategy review of China and 
South-East operations, performances, ambitions and opportunities by business and had the opportunity of direct interactions with the teams in 
charge. Members of the board of directors were also able to interact individually and for a long time with each Executive Committee member and 
a certain number of Business managers, functional and operational managers representing all activities and geographies of the Group.

Concerning the recurring activity of the Investment committee, the board of directors heard reports from the Investment committee on ongoing 
external  growth  operations  (acquisition  of  Larsen  &  Toubro’s  Electrical  &  Automation  business  approved  by  the  Competition  Commission  of 
India),  divestment  (disposal  of  Pelco)  and  the  review  of  the  portfolio.  It  was  informed  about  moves  and  changes  concerning  competitors  of 
Schneider Electric.

3.3 Activities and results
The board was informed of the Group’s 2019 objectives.

It read the quarterly business reports prepared by the senior management. At each meeting, the board was also informed of the business situation.

On February 13, 2019, the board of directors reviewed and approved the 2018 financial statements based on the Audit and risks committee’s 
report and the report by the statutory auditors, who were present at the meeting. The board decided to propose to the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting that the dividend be set at EUR2.35 per share. Similarly, on July 24, 2019, it reviewed and approved the financial statements for the first 
half of 2019.

The board of directors heard a detailed presentation on the drawing-up and the findings of risk mapping and the Audit and risks committee’s 
report on the works of the Group’s internal audit and internal control teams. The Audit and risks committee also reported to the board on its other 
duties, which were also a topic for discussion, in relation to specific risk management monitoring (coverage of risks by insurance, supplier risks).

It reviewed the conclusions reached by the Audit and risks committee on its analysis carried out particularly in relation to:

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

the presentation of the new Group “Code of Conduct” (“Our Principles of Responsibilities”);
the  evolution  of  the  Group  “Compliance  System”,  the  review  of  the  summary  report  on  frauds,  the  Group  “GDPR”  program  deployment 
progress, the presentation of the “Export Control” policies and procedures;
the ongoing administrative and/or judicial proceedings in France; 
the “Business Continuity and Crisis Management” policies and procedures; 
the Initiatives related to the Commercial policies transformation.

The board of directors also monitored the implementation of the share buyback and reviewed the debt situation.

3.4 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
The  board  approved  the  agenda  and  draft  resolutions  of  the  2019  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting,  and  its  report  to  the  shareholders  at  the 
meeting. It took note of the proxy-advisors’ reports. It was informed of the positions expressed by the shareholders met during the preparation of 
the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

A large majority of directors was present at the meeting (9/13) being specified that the terms of two of absent directors came to an end at this 
meeting which was held the same day as Danone’s general meeting, preventing Ms. Cécile Cabanis from attending Schneider Electric SE’s 
Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. It approved all resolutions supported by the management, including those relating to the composition of the board 
of directors, the compensation of the corporate officers and the renewal of financial authorizations.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

4. Board committees (composition,  
operating procedures and activities)

In its internal regulations, the board defined the functions, missions and resources of its five study committees: the Audit and risks committee, the 
Governance and remunerations committee, the Human Resources and CSR committee, the Investment committee and the Digital committee.

Committee members are appointed by the board of directors on the proposal of the Governance and remunerations committee. Committees may 
open their meetings to the other board members.

The  Vice-Chairman  independent  lead  director  may  attend  any  meetings  of  committees  of  which  he  is  not  a  member.  The  committees  may 
commission research from external consultants after having consulted with the Chairman of the board of directors. They may invite anybody they 
wish to meetings, as necessary. Secretaries of the board committees organize and prepare the work of the committees. They draft the minutes 
for the meetings of the committees which, after their approval, are sent to all members of the board of directors. The secretaries of the committees 
are members of Group management teams and specialists in the subject matters of each committee.

4.1 Audit and risks committee
The members, operating procedures and responsibilities of the Audit and risks committee are compliant with the recommendations included in 
the Audit committee final report as updated by the AMF in July 2010.

Composition as of December 31, 2019
The internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors stipulate that the Audit and risks committee must have at least three members. 
Two-thirds of the members must be independent and at least one must have in-depth knowledge of accounting standards combined with hands-
on experience in applying current accounting standards and producing financial statements.

Chairperson

Cécile Cabanis

Member

Member

Member

Fred Kindle

Willy Kissling

Fleur Pellerin

Independent director – Chief financial officer, 
IS/IT, Cycles and Purchases at Danone

Independent director

Director

Independent director

75% of independent directors

Mr. Antoine Gosset-Grainville’s term of office expired on April 25, 2019. Ms. Xuezheng Ma’s and Ms. Carolina Dybeck Happe’s terms of office, 
appointed as members of the Audit and risks committee on April 25, 2019, expired respectively on September 2, 2019 and November 25, 2019.

As demonstrated by their career records, summarized on page 229 et seq. the Audit and risks committee members all have recognized expertise 
in finance, economics and accounting. In addition to their in-depth financial and accounting knowledge, Ms. Cécile Cabanis also brings her 
extensive perfect knowledge of the challenges of a major French group in the CAC 40, Mr. Fred Kindle an in-depth knowledge of the market and 
sectors in which Schneider Electric operates, Mr. Kissling his knowledge of the building industry and Schneider Electric and Ms. Pellerin her 
economic and financial skills in the field of technologies.

Operating procedures
The committee meets at the initiative of its Chairman or at the request of the Chairman and CEO. At least five meetings are held during the year. 
The committee may invite any person it wishes to hear to its meetings. The statutory auditors attend meetings at which financial statements are 
reviewed and, depending on the agenda, all or some of the other meetings. It may also require the CEO to provide any documents it deems to be 
useful. It may also commission studies from external consultants.

The Deputy CEO in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs is the spokesperson for the Audit and risks committee. 

The director of Internal Audit is the secretary of the Audit and risks committee.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

Responsibilities
A cornerstone of the Group’s internal control system, the Audit and risks committee is responsible for preparing the work of the board of directors, 
making recommendations to the board and issuing opinions on financial, extra-financial, accounting and risk management issues. Accordingly, 
its missions are as follows:

Item

Detail of missions

for 

Preparation 
the  annual  and 
interim  financial  statements  to  be 
approved by the board

Issues related to statutory auditors

•  To  check  the  appropriateness  and  consistency  of  the  accounting  methods  used  for  drawing  up 
consolidated and corporate accounts, as well as to check that significant operations on Group level 
have been dealt with appropriately and that rules relating to the scope of consolidation have been 
complied with

•  To  analyze  the  scope  of  consolidation,  risks  and  off-balance  sheet  commitments  as  well  as  the 

financial position and the cash position

•  To examine the process for drawing up financial and extra-financial information
•  To review the draft annual report, which is also the Universal Registration Document, and to take note 
of information relating to internal control and risk management processes put in place by the Company 
in connection with accounting, financial and extra-financial information drawing-up and processing 
and, if any, any comments by the AMF in this regard, as well as of the reports on the interim financial 
statements and other main financial documents

•  To make recommendations concerning the appointment or reappointment of the statutory auditors
•  To handle follow-up on legal control of annual and consolidated accounts made by statutory auditors, 

notably by examining the external audit plan and results of controls made by statutory auditors

•  To verify the auditors’ independence, in particular by reviewing fees paid by the Group to their firm 
and network and by giving prior approval for assignments that are not strictly included in the scope of 
the statutory audit

Following-up  on  the  efficiency  of 
internal control and risk management 
systems

•  To examine the organization and resources used for internal audit, as well as its annual work program; 

to receive a quarterly summary report on the findings of the audits carried out

•  To  review  operational  risks  mapping  and  its  year-on-year  evolution;  to  ensure  procedures  are 

implemented to prevent and reduce them

•  To review risk mitigation and coverage optimization
•  To review the rollout of the Group’s internal control system and to acknowledge the outcome of entities’ 
self-assessment regarding internal control; to ensure that procedures are implemented to identify and 
handle anomalies

•  To ascertain the existence of Group compliance policies notably concerning competition, anti-bribery, 
ethics and data protection and the measures implemented to ensure that these policies are circulated 
and applied

•  To  report  to  the  board  on  the  implementation  of  Schneider  Electric  SE’s  Charter  on  related  party 
transactions  and  on  the  relevance  of  the  criteria  to  qualify  related  party  transactions  as  regulated 
agreements or not

•  To  examine  all  financial,  accounting  and  extra-financial  questions  and  questions  related  to  risk 
management, including those of a social and environmental nature, submitted to it by the board of 
directors

•  To  present  its  findings  and  recommendations  to  the  board.  The  Chairman  of  the  Audit  and  risks 
committee keeps the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman independent lead director promptly informed 
of any difficulties encountered

Reports to the board of directors

Activities in 2019

Number of meetings*

Average meeting duration

Average attendance rate

5

3hrs

95%

* 

Including the joint meeting with the Digital committee relating to cybersecurity risk review.

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Individual attendance rates at the Audit and risks committee’s meetings were as follows:

Director

Ms. Cécile Cabanis – Chairperson
Mr. Fred Kindle
Mr. Willy Kissling 
Ms. Fleur Pellerin 

Attendance rate

100%
100%
100%
80%

Each meeting was fully or partially attended by the Deputy CEO in charge of Finance, members of the Finance Department, the head of Internal 
Audit as well as the statutory auditors. Operational Management also reported to the Committee. In line with the provisions of the AFEP-MEDEF 
corporate governance Code, the Chairman and CEO does not attend the committee’s meetings.

The topics discussed by the committee were as follows:

Financial statement and 
financial disclosures

•  Review of the annual and interim financial statements and of the reports on the financial statements
•  Review of goodwill, the Group’s tax position, provisions and pension obligations or similar obligations
•  Review of investor relations’ documents concerning the annual and interim financial statements
•  Review of the Group’s scope of consolidation
•  Review of pension commitments

Internal audit, internal control 
and risk management

•  Review of the risk mapping
•  Review of the 2020 Internal Audit schedule
•  Review  of  the  main  internal  audits  performed  on  compliance  related  topics  and  internal  audits 

performed between September and December 2018, during Q2 and Q3 2019

•  Review of risks covered by insurance
•  Presentation of the new Group “Code of Conduct” (“Our Principles of Responsibilities”)
•  Update on the evolution of the Group “Compliance System” 
•  Review of the summary report on frauds
•  Status report on the Group “GDPR” program deployment progress
•  Status report on the ongoing administrative and judicial proceedings in France
•  Update on “Business Continuity and Crisis Management” policies and procedures
•  Presentation of the “Export Control” policies and procedures
•  Cybersecurity risk review (jointly with the Digital committee)
•  Review of the management report

Statutory Auditors

•  Review of the fees paid to the statutory auditors and to their networks
•  Review of the external audit plan
•  Appointment/renewal of the statutory auditors

Corporate governance

•  Recommended dividend for 2019
•  Review of the financial authorizations and proposition for their renewal by the Annual Shareholders’ 

Meeting of April 25, 2019

The committee reported on its work in 2019 to the board’s meetings of February 13, July 24, August 26-29 and December 11, 2019.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

4.2 Governance and remunerations committee
Composition as of December 31, 2019
The board of directors’ internal regulations and procedures provide that the Governance and remunerations committee must have at least three 
members. It is chaired by the Vice-Chairman independent lead director.

Chairperson

Member

Member

Member

Member

Léo Apotheker

Fred Kindle

Willy Kissling

Linda Knoll

Greg Spierkel

Vice-Chairman independent lead director

Independent director

Director

Independent director

Independent director

80% of independent directors

Operating procedures
The committee is chaired by the Vice-Chairman independent lead director. The committee meets at the initiative of its Chairman or at the request 
of the Chairman and CEO. The agenda is drawn up by the Chairman, after consulting with the Chairman and CEO. The committee shall meet at 
least three times a year.

The committee may seek advice from any person it feels will help it with its work. 

The secretary of the board of directors is the secretary of the committee.

Responsibilities

Item

Appointments

Compensation of corporate 
officers

Missions aiming at reassuring 
both shareholders and the 
market that the board of 
directors carries out its  
duties with all necessary 
independence and 
objectivity

Activities in 2019

Detail of missions

•  To formulate proposals to the board of directors in view of any appointment made:

(i)  within the board of directors as:
 – director or non-voting member,
 – Chairman of the board of directors, Vice-Chairman or Vice-Chairman independent lead director,
 – Chairperson or committee member;
(ii) at  the  Company’s  Senior  Management;  particularly,  to  advise  the  board  on  proposals  for  the 

appointment of any Deputy Chief Executive Officer

•  To formulate proposals to the board of directors on the compensation policy of executive corporate 
officers (Chairman of the board of directors and/or CEO, and Deputy CEOs) and of the board members
•  To make recommendations to the board of directors concerning the determination of the components 
of the compensation due to executive corporate officers in accordance with the compensation policy 
approved  by  the  shareholders  and  based  on  the  contribution  of  the  concerned  persons  to  the 
performance of the Group

•  To organize for yearly assessments to be made of the board of directors
•  To make proposals to the board of directors on:

 – determining  and  reviewing  directors’  independence  criteria  and  directors’  qualifications  with 

regard to these criteria

 – missions carried out by the committees of the board of directors
 – the evolution of the organization and mode of operation of the board of directors
 – the application by the Company of national and international corporate governance practices
 – the total amount of board members’ remuneration proposed to the Annual Shareholders’ Meetings 

together with its allocation rules

 – the compensation of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director

Number of meetings*

Average meeting duration

Average attendance rate

6

2.5hrs

100%

* 

Including the joint meeting with the Human Resources and CSR committee relating to the 2020 compensation structure for corporate officers and members of the 
Executive committee, pay equity ratio and 2020 long-term incentive plan of the corporate officers.

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Individual attendance rates at the Governance and remunerations committee’s meetings were as follows:

Director

Mr. Léo Apotheker – Chairperson
Mr. Fred Kindle
Mr. Willy Kissling
Ms. Linda Knoll
Mr. Gregory Spierkel

The topics discussed by the committee were as follows:

Attendance rate

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Proposals to the board of directors

Reports to the board of directors

Self-assessment of the board  
of directors

Shareholder engagement

•  Composition of the board of directors and its committees
•  Status of the members of the board with regard to independence criteria
•  Mode of exercising the functions of Chairman and CEO
•  Compensation of corporate officers (amount and structure of 2019 compensation, 2019 objectives 
and level of achievement of 2018 objectives) and allocation to them of performance shares as part of 
the long-term incentive plan

•  Definition of the criteria for short term (STIP) and long term (LTIP) compensation of corporate officers 

(jointly with the Human Resources and CSR committee)

•  Presentation of “Say on Pay” 2018 and the principles and criteria proposed for 2019 to the Annual 

Shareholders’ Meeting
•  Directors’ remuneration
•  Training program of the director representing the employees for 2020
•  Amendment of the internal regulations of the board of directors

•  Review of the succession plan for the corporate officers
•  Draft corporate governance report of the board of directors
•  Review of the assessment process relating to the qualification of the related-party agreements

•  Leading  of  the  self-assessment  of  the  board  of  directors  conducted  internally  on  the  basis  of  an 

anonymous online questionnaire
Identification of improvement areas and definition of an action plan to be approved by the board

• 

•  Reporting  on  the  Vice-Chairman  independent  lead  director’s  meetings  with  governance  analysts 
within the main shareholders: 11 physical or phone meetings were held, covering about 30% of the 
voting rights. These meetings reflect the importance given by the Company to dialogue and the direct 
commitment  of  directors  towards  shareholders  (see  the  report  of  the  Vice-Chairman  independent 
lead director pages 422-423).

The committee reported on its work at the board’s meetings of February 13, April 25, July 24, October 23 and December 11, 2019.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

4.3 Human Resources and CSR committee
Composition as of December 31, 2019
The internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors stipulate that the Human Resources and CSR committee must have at least 
three members.

Chairperson

Member

Member

Member

Linda Knoll

Willy Kissling

Xiaoyun Ma

Fleur Pellerin

Member since April 25, 2019

Anders Runevad

Independent director

Director

Employee director

Independent director

Independent director

75% of independent directors*

*  Employee director excluded as prescribed by the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

Operating procedures
The committee meets at the initiative of its Chairman or at the request of the Chairman and CEO. The agenda is drawn up by the Chairman, after 
consulting with the Chairman and CEO. The committee shall meet at least three times a year.

The committee may seek advice from any person it feels will help it with its work.

The Group Human Resources Director, Mr. Olivier Blum is the secretary of the committee.

Responsibilities

Item

Detail of missions

Employee  shareholding  schemes 
and share allocation plans

•  To  formulate  proposals  to  the  board  of  directors  on  the  implementation  of  employee  shareholding 
schemes and allocation of free or performance shares, and on the volume of shares granted to all of 
the eligible corporate officers, including executive corporate officers

Compensation of Group managers

•  To formulate projects on proposals made by general management on:

 – compensation for members of the Executive Committee
 – principles and conditions for determining the compensation of Group executives
 – pay-equity ratio

Succession  plan  for  key  Group 
executives

•  To examine succession plans for key Group executives
•  The committee shall be informed of any nomination of members of the Executive Committee  

and of main Group executives

Human Resources and CSR policy

•  To prepare for the board of directors’ deliberations on:

(i)  employee shareholding development
(ii) reviews made by the board on social and financial impacts of major re-organization projects  

and major Human Resources policies

(iii) monitoring management of risks related to Human Resources
(iv) examining the different aspects of the Group’s CSR policy
(v) Diversity and Inclusion Policy, including the policy on the equal treatment of men and women

Activities in 2019

Number of meetings*

Average meeting duration

Average attendance rate

5

1.5hrs

100%

* 

Including the joint meeting with the Governance and remunerations committee relating to the 2020 compensation structure for corporate officers and members of the 
Executive committee, pay equity ratio and 2020 long-term incentive plan of the corporate officers.

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Individual attendance rates at the Human Resources and CSR committee’s meetings were as follows:

Director

Ms. Linda Knoll – Chairperson
Mr. Willy Kissling
Ms. Xiaoyun Ma
Ms. Fleur Pellerin
Mr. Anders Runevad(1)

Attendance rate

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

(1)  Since April 25, 2019, date of appointment to the Human Resources and CSR committee.

The topics discussed by the committee were as follows:

Proposals to the board of directors

•  2019  annual  long-term  incentive  plan  and  implementation  of  specific  performance  share  plans  to 

Reports to the board of directors

support the recruitment and the retention policy

•  Definition of the criteria for short term (STIP) and long term (LTIP) compensation of top managers and 

executive corporate officers (jointly with the Governance and remunerations committee)

•  Launch in 2020 of a new Group employee share issue (WESOP 2020)

•  Review of the compensation, performance and succession plans of Executive committee members
•  2020 long term incentive plan
•  Review of Equal Opportunity, Gender Pay Equity and Diversity & Inclusion policy
• 

In depth review of the CSR strategy and performance and of the Group’s positioning vs. its peers

It reported on its work to the board’s meetings of February 13, July 24, October 23 and December 11, 2019.

4.4 Investment committee
Composition as of December 31, 2019
The internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors provide that the Investment committee must have at least three members.

Chairperson

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Fred Kindle

Xiaoyun Ma

Patrick Montier

Anders Runevad

Greg Spierkel

Lip-Bu Tan

Independent director

Employee director

Employee director

Independent director

Independent director

Independent director

100% of independent directors*

*  Director representing employee shareholders and director representing employees excluded as prescribed by the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code.

Ms. Betsy Atkins’s term of office expired on April 25, 2019.

Operating procedures
The committee meets at the initiative of its Chairman or at the request of the Chairman and CEO. The agenda is drawn up by the Chairman, after 
consulting with the Chairman and CEO. The committee shall meet three times a year, less or more depending on the circumstances.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes and call upon the Strategy Director. 

The Strategy Director, Mr. Leonid Mukhamedov is the secretary of the committee.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

Responsibilities

Item

Detail of missions

Preparation of the board of directors’ 
deliberations on investment policy

The committee:
•  Elaborates recommendations for the board on major capital deployment decisions
•  Advises the management team on capital deployment strategies
•  Launches,  at  the  board’s  request,  or  suggests  research  projects  leading  to  material  investments  

• 

for the Company, typically for capital deployment decisions of EUR250 million or above
Investigates matters of smaller scale, if the strategic significance warrants it or the board/chairman  
of the board specifically requires it

•  Provides recommendations on major merger, alliances and acquisition projects
•  Pays  special  attention  to  reconfiguration  or  consolidation  scenarios  happening  in  the  sectors  

the Company is operating in or likely to operate in

•  Examines portfolio optimizations and divestment projects of financial or strategic significance
•  Supports the management in the elaboration of investment policies linked to the long-term positioning 
of Schneider Electric, such as innovation and R&D strategies or any major organic growth investments
•  Presents to the board social and environmental aspects of the strategic projects submitted to it such 

as M&A projects

Activities in 2019

Number of meetings*

Average meeting duration

Average attendance rate

2

2.25hrs

100%

Individual attendance rates at the Investment committee’s meetings were as follows:

Director

Mr. Fred Kindle – Chairperson
Ms. Xiaoyun Ma
Mr. Patrick Montier
Mr. Anders Runevad
Mr. Gregory Spierkel
Mr. Lip-Bu Tan

Attendance rate

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

The topics discussed by the committee were as follows:

Proposals to the board of directors

•  Follow-up of investment projects and opportunities
•  Competitive landscape
•  Update on industry reconfiguration
•  Portfolio review

It reported on its work to the board’s meetings of April 25 and October 23, 2019 and during the Strategy Session.

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4.5 Digital committee
Composition as of December 31, 2019
The internal regulations and procedures of the board of directors provide that the Digital committee must have at least three members.

Chairperson

Member

Member

Member

Greg Spierkel

Léo Apotheker

Fleur Pellerin

Lip-Bu Tan

Independent director

Vice-Chairman independent lead director

Independent director

Independent director

100% of independent directors

Ms. Betsy Atkins’s term of office expired on April 25, 2019. Ms. Xuezheng Ma’s term of office, appointed as a member of the Digital committee on 
April 25, 2019, expired on September 2, 2019.

Operating procedures
The committee meets at the initiative of its Chairman or at the request of the Chairman and CEO. The agenda is drawn up by the Chairman, after 
consulting with the Chairman and CEO. The committee shall meet at least three times a year, including the joint review of cybersecurity risks with 
the Audit and risks committee.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes.

The Chief Digital Officer or Chief Information Officer, Mr. Hervé Coureil, is the secretary of the committee.

Responsibilities
The purpose of the Digital committee is to assist the board in digital matters in order to guide, support and control the Group in its digitization 
efforts. The Digital committee prepares the board of directors’ deliberations on digital matters.

For this purpose, the Digital committee will review, appraise and follow-up projects and, generally, advise, inter alia on seven areas:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Development and growth of the EcoStruxure digital business

Improvement and transformation of the Group’s digital experience

Improvement of Schneider Electric’s Operational Efficiency through the effective use of Information Technology and digital automation 
capabilities

Assessment of Cyber Risks (jointly with the Audit and risks committee)

Assessment of the contribution of potential M&A operations to the Group’s Digital strategy

Monitoring and analysis of the Digital landscape

Checking that the Company is equipped with the right pool of talents for digital transformation

Activities in 2019

Number of meetings*

Average meeting duration

Average attendance rate

4

2hrs

100%

* 

Including the joint meeting with the Audit and risks committee relating to cybersecurity risk review.

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4. Board committees (composition, operating procedures and activities)

Individual attendance rates at the Digital committee’s meetings were as follows:

Director

Mr. Greg Spierkel – Chairperson
Mr. Léo Apotheker
Ms. Fleur Pellerin
Mr. Lip-Bu Tan

The topics discussed by the committee were as follows:

Proposals to the board of directors

•  Customer Experience
•  2018 Metrics & 2019 Digital Barometer
•  Update on Digital Offerings
•  Mid-Year update on Digital Metrics & Performance
•  Joint review with the Audit and risks committee of the cybersecurity risks
•  Digital sales enablement
•  Deployment of Schneider Electric Exchange

It reported on its work to the board’s meetings of February 13, July 24, August 26-29 and October 23, 2019.

Attendance rate

100%
100%
100%
100%

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5. Senior management

5. Senior management

The Senior Management of Schneider Electric SE consists of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a Deputy Chief Executive Officer. 
The operational organization of the Senior Management of the Group is supported by the Executive committee, which is chaired by the Chairman 
and Chief Executive Officer.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
On April 25, 2017, on the occasion of the reelection of Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire as a director by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the board of 
directors decided to unify the functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, for the reasons explained on page 239 and to appoint Jean-Pascal 
Tricoire as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. As per its internal regulations, the board of directors shall deliberate annually on this choice.

Extent and limitations of the powers of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer represents the Company in its dealings with third parties. He is vested with the broadest authority to 
act in any and all circumstances in the name and on behalf of the Company. He exercises this authority within the limits of the corporate purpose, 
except for those matters that are reserved by law expressly to the Shareholders’ Meetings or the board of directors. In addition, the internal 
regulations of the board of directors provide that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer must submit for approval to the board any acquisition 
transactions or disposal of assets amounting to more than EUR250 million as well as any strategic partnership agreement.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer
On April 25, 2017, upon the proposal of Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, the board of directors appointed Emmanuel Babeau as Deputy CEO in charge 
of Finance and Legal Affairs.

Emmanuel Babeau

Age: 52 years
Nationality: French
Business address: Schneider Electric,  
35, rue Joseph Monier, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France
34,452(1) Schneider Electric SE shares

Experience and qualifications

Emmanuel Babeau graduated from ESCP and began his career at Arthur Andersen in late 1990. In 1993, he 
joined the Pernod Ricard group as an internal auditor. He was appointed head of Internal Audit, Corporate 
Treasury  Center  and  Consolidation  in  1996.  Mr.  Babeau  subsequently  held  several  executive  positions  at 
Pernod Ricard, notably outside France, before becoming Vice-President, Development in 2001, CFO in June 
2003 and Group Deputy Managing Director in charge of Finance in 2006. He joined Schneider Electric in the 
first half of 2009. In 2013, he was appointed Deputy CEO in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs then re-elected 
on April 25, 2017.

Term of office

First appointed: 2013

Current directorship

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Schneider Electric SE.

Current external directorships

Previous directorships

Other directorships or functions within Schneider Electric Group:
Vice-Chairman  and  non-executive  director  of  Aveva  Group  plc.  (United  Kingdom),  Director  of  Schneider 
Electric  Industries  SAS  (France),  AO  Schneider  Electric  (Russia),  Schneider  Electric  USA,  Inc.  (USA), 
Schneider Electric (China) Co. Ltd (China), Samos Acquisition Company Ltd (United Kingdom), Schneider 
Electric  Holdings  Inc.  (USA),  Carros  Sensors  Topco  Ltd.  (formerly  named  Innovista  Sensors  Topco  Ltd) 
(United  Kingdom),  Member  of  the  supervisory  board  of  Schneider  Electric  Energy  Access  (France) 
representing Schneider Electric Industries SAS.

Other directorships or functions outside Schneider Electric Group:
Director and member of the Audit committee of Sanofi (France) and of Sodexo (France), Shareholder and 
manager of SCI GETIJ.

Previous directorships and functions held in the past five years:
Member of the supervisory board of Aster Capital Partners SAS (France), Director of Invenys Ltd. (United 
Kingdom),  Member  of  the  steering  committee  of  Aster  Capital  Partners  SAS  (France),  Member  of  the 
supervisory board of InnoVista Sensors SAS (France).

Note: bold indicates the names of companies whose securities are listed on a regulated market.
(1)  Held directly or through the FCPE.

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6. Declarations concerning the situation of the members of the administrative, supervisory  
or management bodies

6. Declarations concerning the situation of the 
members of the administrative, supervisory or 
management bodies

The members of the board of directors directly hold 0.11% of the share capital and 0.17% of the voting rights as of December 31, 2019.

Mr.  Jean-Pascal  Tricoire  is  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric  Industries  SAS,  Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
Schneider Electric Holdings Inc., director of Schneider Electric USA Inc. and Chairman of the board of directors of Schneider Electric Asia Pacific 
Ltd. He receives compensation from these two companies for the latter two functions.

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau is Vice-Chairman of Aveva Group plc., a position for which he does not receive compensation. 

Ms. Xiaoyun Ma has an employment contract with Schneider Electric (China) Co., Ltd.

Mr. Patrick Montier has an employment contract with Schneider Electric France.

6.1 Service contracts
None of the directors has a service contract with the Company or any of its subsidiaries providing for benefits under such contract.

6.2 Absence of conviction or incrimination of corporate officers
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, in the last five years, none of the directors or corporate officers (Chairman and CEO and Deputy CEO) 
have been:

• 

the subject of any convictions in relation to fraudulent offenses or of any official public incrimination and/or sanctions by statutory regulatory 
authorities;

•  disqualified by a court from acting as a member of the administrative, management or supervisory bodies of an issuer or from acting in the 

management or conduct of the affairs of an issuer;
involved, as a member of an administrative, management or supervisory body or a partner, in a bankruptcy, receivership or liquidation.

• 

6.3 Family ties
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, none of the directors and/or corporate officers of the Company are related through family ties.

6.4 Conflicts of interest
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no arrangements or understandings with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others 
pursuant to which a director or corporate officer has been selected as a member of an administrative, management or supervisory body or a 
member of Senior management of the Company.

To the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no conflicts of interest between the duties of any directors and corporate officers with respect 
to the Company in their capacity as members of those bodies or their private interests and/or other duties.

To the best of the Company’s knowledge, the directors and corporate officers have no restrictions on the disposal of their Company shares aside 
from those stipulated in stock option and performance share plans (see page 401) for corporate officers and a minimum 1,000 shareholding 
requirement for directors.

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7. Compensation Report

In this section:

7.1  Overview 

7.2   General report on the compensation granted or paid out  
during 2019 financial year (ex-post compensation) 

7.3  2019 Corporate officers’ individual compensation  

in relation to the 2019 financial year 

7.4  Compensation policy for the 2020 financial year 

7.5  Compensation of Group Senior Management  

(excluding corporate officers) 

7.6  Transactions in Schneider Electric shares in 2019 

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

7.1 Overview

I am pleased to introduce the 
corporate officers and directors 
compensation report at the end of 
a very successful and busy year 
at Schneider Electric.”

Léo APOTHEKER
Vice Chairman and independent lead director

Dear Shareholder, 

It was a successful year for Schneider Electric, in 2019, the Group has reached record levels in revenues, gross profit, adjusted EBITA and free 
cashflow  and  a  good  growth  across  all  businesses  and  regions.  The  total  shareholder  return  for  2019  was  up  +60%,  demonstrating  strong 
shareholders value delivery. The 2019 results show the Group is well on track in executing its strategic priorities of more products, more services, 
more software and better systems bringing together full digital solutions in energy and automation.

Throughout 2019 the board continued to discuss compensation policy and approach with many of Schneider Electric’s largest shareholders, as 
well as investor representative bodies and will continue this dialogue in 2020. The 2019 policy was applied with no change from what received a 
very large support from the shareholders at the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ meeting and the subsequent engagement with the shareholders 
thereon did not raise any more concerns. However, to take into account the reservations expressed by the shareholders at the 2018 Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting on the post-mandate benefits (formerly voted under the regime of the Regulated Agreements and Commitments) and their 
expectations concerning the new LTIP criteria, the Vice Chairman and independent lead director had a dialogue with 28 investors representing 
~40% of the share capital and reported back to the Governance and remunerations committee and to the board thereon. The board took the 
feedback into account and proposed changes to the compensation policy which are detailed further in this report. 

In 2019, the Governance and remunerations committee met four times to discuss compensation matters, in addition to one joint meeting where 
the Governance and remunerations committee and the Human Resources and CSR committee jointly discussed the definition of the new LTIP 
performance criteria and targets and ascertained the alignment of the chosen approach with the compensation of other executives and employees 
of the Group. Both committees reported their findings and proposals to the board. The proposed changes are described in this compensation 
report. 

This  compensation  report  covers  the  required  regulatory  information  and  provides  further  context  and  insight  into  the  corporate  officers’ 
compensation  policy,  its  alignment  with  the  company’s  strategy,  as  well  as  the  payments  approved  by  the  board  as  a  result  of  the  Group’s 
performance for this year which will be submitted to the shareholders for approval at the Annual General Meeting of 23 April 2020. 

This compensation report contains the information mentioned in the article L.225-37-3 I of the French Commercial Code which will be 
submitted to the shareholders for approval at the 2020 Annual Shareholders Meeting of 23 April 2020 under the 6th resolution. 

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Key policy changes proposed for approval

The board listened carefully to the concerns raised by the shareholders and taking their feedback into 
account, the board proposes the following changes to the corporate officers’ compensation policy:

Targets 

LTIP 

Post mandate benefits

Concerns raised Demonstrate that targets 

are demanding. 

How Schneider 
Electric  
responded

The board intends to 
continue with the 
approach that was 
implemented in 2019, 
where a more stringent 
target setting 
methodology was 
adopted: 100% of award 
can only be earned for 
stretching performance. 

Provide clear definition 
and measurement for 
the new LTIP 
performance criteria 
(adj. EPS and relative 
Sustainability criteria). 

The criteria have been 
clearly defined and 
stretching targets set  
by the board. 

Exclude fixed & 
variable pension 
allowances from 
severance indemnity. 

Clarify the definition of 
the forced departure, 
notably in the case of a 
resignation.

Clarify the principle 
around the right to 
retain unvested shares 
post mandate. 

In the new policy, the 
board decided to 
exclude pension 
payments from 
severance indemnity 
calculation. 

In the new policy, 
resignation may qualify 
as a forced departure 
only if the resignation is 
“requested”. Voluntary 
resignation does not 
qualify as forced 
departure.

Pro-rata rule will apply 
as a principle for all 
present and future 
plans. 

Schneider Electric is a global company competing for talent in a demanding environment. The Company’s ability to attract and retain the high-
caliber executives required to lead this complex business is important for shareholders. In considering changes to the compensation policy, the 
Committee always tries to balance these pressures with shareholders’ expectations.

In  2020,  the  proposed  changes  to  the  compensation  policy  reflect  the  changes  decided  in  2019,  including  the  new  LTIP  structure  and  the 
strengthening of the new target setting approach. 

The board and the Governance and remunerations committee continued to revise the compensation policy for corporate officers in a way to 
ensure that compensation policy be simpler, better align pay and performance and support Schneider Electric’s strategy. 

2020 Annual incentive

•  No changes to performance metrics and weighting %.
•  Stringent targets: The maximum annual incentive will only be earned where high performance is delivered on every performance 

metric.

•  Sustainability based criteria accounting for 20%.
•  No individual performance criteria.

Post-mandate benefits (formerly part of the Regulated Agreements) 

•  Excluded pension payments from severance indemnity calculations. 
•  Reiterated with no exceptions the principle of pro-rata for time of unvested shares in case of forced departure.
•  Resignation may qualify as a forced departure only if it is requested.

2020 Long-term incentive plan 

•  Reduced to 3 criteria with 75% Financial and 25% Sustainability based criteria.
• 

Increased Relative TSR weight from 15% to 35% split into two parts introduced with 17.5 % vs TSR of the bespoke peer group  
and 17.5% vs CAC40 companies.

•  Replaced adjusted EBITA with adjusted EPS (40%).
•  Replaced the former internal sustainability criterion – Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) – with a Schneider Sustainability External 

and Relative Index (SSERI) – 25%.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

Group’s strategic priorities

How the strategy links to the corporate officers’ variable compensation

Annual incentive plan

Organic growth

Delivering strong execution and creating value for customers and shareholders every 
year to contribute to Schneider Electric’s long-term success

Value for customers

Sustainability

Continuous efficiency

Value & returns to 
shareholders

Group organic 
sales growth 
40%

Group adjusted 
EBITA margin 
improvement
30%

Group cash 
conversion  
rate 
10%

Schneider 
Sustainability 
Impact
20%

Long-term incentive plan

Building  an  integrated  and  leading  company  with  strong  sustainability  focus  and 
attractive returns to shareholders

Adjusted Earnings  
Per Share
40%

Relative Total  
Shareholder Return
35%

Relative  
Sustainability Index
25%

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2019 performance highlights
Business performance
Good progress, with strong revenues and organic improvement of the Adjusted EBITA margin, contributing to returns over the medium and long term.

Revenue

Adjusted EBITA

Strong cash conversion

Progress on Schneider 
Sustainability Impact 

EUR27.2bn

+8.7% org.

121%

7.77

Positioning in relation to Company’s performance

CEO compensation vs shareholder value creation – share price and enterprise value growth over 10 years (re-based to 100) 

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144

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€54bn

€76

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

  Total effective comp. after reduction (base salary + actual annual incentive + IFRS value of LTI granted in the year in reference multiplied by actual achievement rate)
  Enterprise value
  SE share price

Note: Total comp. for 2018 and 2019 are presented “at target”.

Deputy CEO compensation vs shareholder value creation – share price and enterprise value growth over 10 years (re-based to 
100)

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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  Total effective comp. after reduction (base salary + actual annual incentive + IFRS value of LTI granted in the year in reference multiplied by actual achievement rate)
  Enterprise value
  SE share price

Note: Total comp. for 2018 and 2019 are presented “at target”.

Summary of the compensation realized during the year 2019

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO (Euros)

Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy CEO (Euros)

8,738,991

4,316,236

1,000,000
Salary

1,717,300
STIP

5,464,838(1) 
LTIP

556,853 
Other

680,000 
Salary

898,280 
STIP

2,368,203(1) 
LTIP

369,753 
Other

(1)  LTIP represents realized value of shares vested in 2019 (the 2017 plan).

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

7.2 General report on the compensation granted or paid out during 2019 financial year (ex-post compensation)
7.2.1 Pillars and principles

The principles and criteria determining the 2019 compensation described in this section received solid and unambiguous shareholder support 
at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on April 25, 2019. They are deemed to constitute the last policy approved by the shareholders in the 
meaning of article L225-37-2 III of the French Commercial Code and govern the entirety of the compensation granted by the Group to the 
corporate officers until the next policy is approved by the shareholders.

Pillar

How It is reflected in the Group 2019 Compensation Policy

Pay-for-performance

Principle 1: Prevalence of variable components: circa 80% for CEO and 75% for Deputy CEO (at target).
A prevalent part of the corporate officer target packages shall be variable; the 2019 target packages 
thus consist of approximately 75% to 80% variable pay components (excl. pension payments).

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer:  
On target pay mix

Deputy Chief Executive Officer:  
On target pay mix

Fixed  
18%

Annual 
incentive 24%

Performance 
shares 58%

Fixed  
25%

Annual 
incentive 25%

Performance 
shares 50%

18%

82%

25%

75%

Principle 2: Performance evaluated via economic and measurable criteria.
Performance is evaluated via criteria that are mainly economic (75% of variable cash compensation and 
80% of multi-year performance shares) and measurable (80% of variable cash compensation and 100% 
of  performance  shares),  which  are  selected  based  on  KPIs  used  in  the  market  communication  and 
drivers  of  the  Group’s  strategy.  All  criteria  have  measurable  targets  approved  by  the  Board  at  the 
beginning of the performance period, ensuring targets are achievable but demanding.

Principle 3: Financial and Sustainability and Transformational objectives fairly balanced and distributed 
between short-term (annual incentive) and medium-term (long-term incentive) components.

2019 Annual Incentive (80% financial)

2019 Long-term Incentive (80% financial and TSR)

•  40% Group Organic Growth
•  30% Adjusted EBITA margin (organic) 

improvement

•  20% Schneider Sustainability Impact
•  10% Group Cash conversion rate

•  40% Adjusted EBITA margin (organic) improvement 
•  25% Cash Conversion
•  15% Relative Total Shareholder Return
•  20% Schneider Sustainability Impact

Alignment with 
shareholders’ 
interests

Principle 4: Significant proportion of the total compensation delivered in shares
Corporate  officers’  target  packages  consist  of  approximately  50%  long-term  share-based  benefits, 
meaning their compensation is subject to the same share price volatility that shareholders experience.

Principle 5: Performance conditions aligned to shareholders’ expectations and Schneider Electric’s 
strategic priorities
Performance  criteria  are  selected  from  financial  indicators  that  are  most  representative  of  Group 
performance and that are closely linked to shareholder value creation. Performance levels required to 
reach targets are set in early 2019 in line with the objectives disclosed to the market simultaneously with 
the results of the previous financial year and are supplemented by factors that enable the Group to offer 
a lasting and satisfactory development outlook for all stakeholders in the Company’s success.

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Pillar

How it is reflected in the Group 2019 Compensation Policy

Competitiveness

Principle 6: To benchmark the corporate officers’ compensation package “at target” 
in the median range of the Company’s peer group.
Schneider Electric competes for talent in a global marketplace. Most of the Group’s key competitors are 
headquartered  outside  France.  To  reflect  this,  the  International  Peer  group  consists  of  24  French, 
European and US companies that are comparable to Schneider Electric in size or industry sector or that 
represent a potential source of recruitment or attrition. Compensation levels for corporate officers are 
reviewed  annually  and  benchmarked  by  reference  to  the  median  of  this  peer  group  to  ensure  they 
remain reasonable and appropriately competitive. This benchmarking is primarily used to establish a 
frame of reference for what competitors are paying to comparable roles, rather than as the main factor 
for making compensation decisions.

The 2019 peer group comprises European and US-based companies:

•  Business competitors (in particular those identified in the Long-Term Incentive Plan as performance 

peers for TSR calculation purposes),

•  Talent competitors for operational and functional jobs, and
•  “Acceptance” peers (i.e. groups of a similar size, business or structure).

Group 1: 
European 
(Capital Goods)

Group 2: 
European 
(Construction)

Group 3: 
European 
(Technology 
Hardware 
& Software)

Group 4: 
European 
(Industrial B2B)

Group 5: 
US 
(Capital Goods)

ABB 
Atlas Copco 
Legrand 
Siemens  
CNH Industrial

ACS 
Lafarge Holcim 
Saint-Gobain 
Vinci

Dassault Systèmes 
Hexagon 
SAP 
TE Connectivity

Airbus Group 
Air Liquide 
Bayer 
Thyssenkrup

Eaton 
Emerson 
Honeywell 
Johnson Controls 
Rockwell Automation

Group 6: 
US 
(Technology 
Hardware 
& Software)

Autodesk 
PTC

Principle 7: To reference the CAC40 third quartile and the Stoxx Europe 50 median.
The board reviews corporate officers’ compensation with reference to the upper quartile of the CAC40 
companies and the median of the Stoxx Europe 50 companies, in line with the Group’s position within 
these panels.

Positioning of 2019 at target compensation of Schneider Electric’s corporate officers relative 
to the market benchmarks

Chairman and CEO compensation relative 
to the market benchmarks

Deputy CEO compensation relative 
to the market benchmarks

CAC40

Company
Peer Group

Stoxx
Europe 50

CAC40

Company
Peer Group

Stoxx
Europe 50

75%

50%

25%

Compa 
Ratio

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3rd
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75%

Median

50%

1st
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25%

Compa 
Ratio

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86

69

89

vs Median vs Median

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3rd
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Median

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Total compensation includes base salary, annual incentive at target, and IFRS value of performance 
shares granted during the year.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

7.2.2. Corporate officers’ compensation in relation to the 2019 financial year
At its meeting of February 19, 2020, after examining the suitability and fairness of the outcome of the 2019 compensation policy for the corporate 
officers and its alignment with the Group’s performance, the board determined the corporate officers’ compensation for 2019 in accordance with 
the principles and criteria prior approved by the shareholders in April 2019 at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. The outcome is detailed and 
commented hereinafter along with the performance results for each component of the compensation.

The following tables summarize the compensation and benefits awarded or paid to Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau for the financial years 2018 and 
2019, presented on a reported basis in accordance with AFEP-MEDEF guidelines as well as on a Realized basis, i.e. where performance metrics 
assessment have ended in the reported financial year:

Jean-Pascal Tricoire  
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
(Euro)

A – CASH COMPENSATION

Base salary
Annual incentive(1)
Compensation in relation to the director’s office
SUBTOTAL (A) (CASH)

B – BENEFITS OF ALL KIND

Valuation of the performance shares
Other benefits(5)
SUBTOTAL (B) BENEFITS OF ALL KIND

C – PENSION CASH BENEFIT

Compensation & Benefits  
awarded for financial year 

Compensation & Benefits  
realized in financial year 

2019

2018

2019

2018

1,000,000
1,717,300
0
2,717,300

1,000,000
1,489,800
0
2,489,800

1,000,000
1,717,300
0
2,717,300

1,000,000
1,489,800
0
2,489,800

3,230,340(3)
36,218
3,266,558

3,281,280(3)
11,772
3,293,052

5,464,838(4)
36,218
5,501,056

3,277,254(4)
11,772
3,289,026

Complementary payment for pension building (fixed)
Complementary payment for pension building (variable)
SUBTOTAL (C) PENSION CASH BENEFIT
D – EXCEPTIONAL COMPENSATION

191,600
329,035
520,635
0

191,600
285,446
477,046
0

191,600
329,035
520,635
0

191,600
285,446
477,046
0

TOTAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS (A)+(B)+(C)+(D)

6,504,493 

6,259,898

8,738,991

6,255,872

Emmanuel Babeau 
Deputy Chief Executive Officer and CFO
(Euro)

A – CASH COMPENSATION

Base salary
Annual incentive(2)
Compensation in relation to the director’s office
SUBTOTAL (A) (CASH)

B – BENEFITS OF ALL KIND

Valuation of the performance shares
Other benefits(5)
SUBTOTAL (B) BENEFITS OF ALL KIND

C – PENSION CASH BENEFIT

Compensation & Benefits  
awarded for financial year 

Compensation & Benefits  
realized in financial year 

2019

2018

2019

2018

680,000
898,280
0
1,578,280

680,000
779,280
0
1,459,280

680,000
898,280
0
1,578,280

680,000
779,280
0
1,459,280

1,399,814(3)
13,944
1,413,758

1,421,888(3)
8,598
1,430,486

2,368,203(4)
13,944
2,382,147

1,420,118(4)
8,598
1,428,716

Complementary payment for pension building (fixed)
Complementary payment for pension building (variable)
SUBTOTAL (C) PENSION CASH BENEFIT
D – EXCEPTIONAL COMPENSATION

153,300
202,509
355,809
0

153,300
175,682
328,982
0

153,300
202,509
355,809
0

153,300
175,682
328,982
0

TOTAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS (A)+(B)+(C)+(D)

3,347,847

3,218,748 

4,316,236

3,216,978

(1)  The Annual Incentive for the financial year 2018 was paid in 2019 after approval by the shareholders at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 25 April 2019 of the 5th resolution 

relating to the compensation paid, due or awarded to Jean-Pascal Tricoire in respect of the 2018 financial year. Hence, the total compensation in cash actually paid in the financial 
year 2019 to Jean-Pascal Tricoire amounts to € 2,966,846 (Base salary 2019 + Annual incentive 2018 + Fixed portion of pension benefit for 2019 + Variable portion of pension 
benefit for 2018). Likewise, in accordance with article L225-100 III of the French Commercial Code, the variable elements in cash awarded to Jean-Pascal Tricoire for the financial 
year 2019 will only be paid in 2020, subject to their prior approval by the shareholders at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020 under the 7th resolution. 

(2)  The Annual Incentive for the financial year 2018 was paid in 2019 after approval by the shareholders at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 25 April 2019 of the 6th resolution 

relating to the compensation paid, due or awarded to Emmanuel Babeau in respect in respect of the 2018 financial year. Hence, the total compensation in cash actually paid in 
the financial year 2019 to Emmanuel Babeau amounts to € 1,788,262 (Base salary 2019 + Annual incentive 2018 + Fixed portion of pension benefit for 2019 + Variable portion of 
pension benefit for 2018). Likewise, in accordance with article L225-100 III of the French Commercial Code, the variable elements in cash awarded to Emmanuel Babeau for the 
financial year 2019 will only be paid in 2020, subject to their prior approval by the shareholders at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020 under the 8th resolution. 
(3)  Value of performance shares granted during financial year – as per AFEP-MEDEF Code methodology, compensation is presented on a reported basis. Benefits of all kind 

for the financial year include performance shares granted during the financial year, the performance period of which has not elapsed. The value of performance shares 
corresponds to the number of shares granted, before reduction on account of performance, multiplied by the share price determined in line with IFRS 2 accounting standards.

(4)  Value of performance shares deemed vested during the financial year – In order to facilitate the analyses, the benefits of all kind are also presented on realized value 
basis, where the value of performance shares corresponds to the actual number of shares (granted in previous years) deemed vested at the end of the financial year, after 
reduction for performance conditions, multiplied by the share price on December 31, 2018 or 2019, as the case may be.

(5)  Other Benefits include company car, employer matching contributions to capital increase for employees and to collective Pension Saving Plan (PERCO) as well as benefits from 

French profit sharing plan. 

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The compensation tables presented herein reflect all the compensation elements received by the corporate officers from Schneider Electric SE 
and the Group companies, for the discharge of their corporate office and operational duties.

Notes to the compensation tables 

Relative proportion of the compensation awarded for the 2019 financial year 

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer – pay mix

Deputy Chief Executive Officer and CFO – pay mix

17%

29%

54%

23%

30%

47%

  Fixed 

 Annual Incentive 

 Performance shares 

  Fixed 

 Annual Incentive 

 Performance shares

2019 Base salary

Purpose
Base  salaries  are  reviewed  annually  and  reflect  the  scale  and 
complexity of the business to be the level of responsibility attached 
to  the  role  and  are  set  reasonably  competitive  with  the  external 
market. Base salary element represents approximately 18% to 25% 
of total target compensation for corporate officers.

For 2019, the board has decided not to award any salary increases 
to the corporate officers.

Corporate Officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman & CEO
Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy CEO

2019 Annual Incentive

Salary increases over the last five years

Jean-Pascal Tricoire

Emmanuel Babeau

5%

0
2019

Nil

2018

0
2017

0
2016

0
2015

Nil

Nil

Nil

0
2019

Nil

2018

0
2017

Nil

2016

0
2015

Nil

12%

10%

FY 2019
(as of January 1, 
2019)

FY 2018
(as of January 1, 
2018)

€1,000,000
€680,000

€1,000,000
€680,000

% Change

0%
0%

Purpose
This  compensation  rewards  achievement  of  the  short-term  financial,  transformational  and  sustainability  (corporate  and  social  responsibility) 
objectives of the Group.

The pay-out opportunity at threshold performance is 0%, with 50% of maximum annual incentive payable for achieving target. Pay-outs between 
threshold and target, and between target and maximum, are determined on a straight-line basis. The maximum Annual Incentive potential for 
corporate officers is 260% of base salary for Chairman and CEO and 200% for the Deputy CEO.

The payment of the variable annual cash incentive is conditional upon approval by shareholders of the compensation granted to the concerned 
corporate officer.

In 2019, the Annual Incentive structure was simplified from 8 performance criteria to 4, with 80% Financial and 20% Sustainability based criteria, 
while removing the portion based on individual assessment by the board (formerly, 10% of the total Annual Incentive at target). As a result, 100% 
of the variable compensation depends on measurable objectives.

The revised structure focuses on what matters to Schneider Electric in delivering value to shareholders. The financial criteria – adj. EBITA margin, 
cash conversion and organic sales growth – closely align pay outcomes for Corporate Officers to Schneider Electric’s financial performance. 
Increased  weight  (%)  of  the  Schneider  Sustainability  Impact  criterion  from  6%  to  20%  further  highlights  the  importance  of  sustainability  on 
Schneider Electric’s business agenda.

The Company does not operate a clawback policy. The board, however, has formalized its approach to finalizing annual incentive outcomes at 
the  end  of  the  performance  period  whereby  it  will  review  the  executives’  performance  against  pre-set  objectives  as  well  as  the  Company’s 
underlying performance, share price performance, and financial communications to ensure that annual incentives are not paid based solely on 
a formulaic outcome. 

The board also ensured that more stringent targets are set for the Annual Incentive with maximum award paid only if a strong performance is 
delivered on each performance metric. 

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7. Compensation Report

2019 performance criteria

Group financial indicators (80%)
Organic Sales growth, %
Adjusted EBITA margin improvement (org.)
Cash Conversion rate, %

Sustainability (6%)
Schneider Sustainability Impact (score)

Total

Performance Range

Weight  

(%)

Threshold
0%

Target  
100%

Maximum
200%

Achievement  

rate (weighted)

40%
30%
10%

20%

100%

1.6%
+0pts
80%

4.6%
+0.5pts
95%

7.6%
+1.0pts
110%

6

7

8

34.7%
42.0%
20.0%

35.4%

132.1%

As a result, the 2019 Annual Incentive pay-out for the corporate officers stands as follows:

Corporate officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

Target Pay-out

Achievement rate

2019 Actual Pay-out

as a % of salary

Amount (€)

as a % of target

as a % of salary

Amount (€)

130%
100%

€ 1,300,000
€ 680,000

132.1%
132.1%

171.7%
132.1%

€ 1,717,300
€ 898,280

In  compliance  with  article  L.225-100  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  payment  of  this  annual  incentive  is  subject  to  approval  by  the 
shareholders of the compensation granted to the corporate officers for the financial year 2019 (cf. 7th and 8th resolutions submitted to the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020).

Overall, 2019 Annual Incentive performance resulted in a total achievement rate of 132.1%, above target, reflecting record levels in revenues, 
adjusted EBITA and free cashflow delivered by Schneider Electric in 2019 and a material beat of ambitious targets. 

Organic Sales growth
The Group delivered an organic sales growth of +4.2%, at a level which stands in the upper range of the initial objective communicated to the 
market of +3% to +5%. However, as a consequence of a more stringent target setting methodology, this good performance results only in 86.7% 
achievement rate on this criterion.

Adjusted EBITA margin improvement
In 2019, Adjusted EBITA margin rate improved by 70 bps organically to reach 15.6%, thanks to a combination of strong top line performance, 
productivity and pricing actions. This performance stands much above the initial objective communicated to the market of an organic margin 
expansion of +20bps to +50bps. As a result, the achievement rate on this criterion is set at 140%. 

Cash conversion
Efforts on cash management delivered outstanding results, notably thanks to strong operating performance supported by favorable working 
capital evolution. For the first time the free cash-flow was significantly above €3bn. Cash conversion was 121% in 2019 on a normalized basis 
(excluding IFRS 16 impact). This represented an achievement rate of 200% on this criterion. 

Schneider Sustainability Impact
The  Schneider  Sustainability  Impact  (SSI),  formerly  known  as  the  Planet  and  Society  Barometer,  is  the  Group’s  three-year  (2018-2020) 
transformation plan which measures the progress towards its ambitious sustainability commitments. Despite the increase in the ambitions for 9 
out of 21 indicators of the SSI in April, the Group reached an excellent result of 7.77/10, exceeding the target set for this criterion. This represented 
an achievement rate of 177% on this criterion.

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Performance Shares (Long-term Incentive Plan)

Purpose
LTIP links the largest part of corporate officers’ compensation with the long-term success of the Group. The actual outcome varies with the 
achievement of performance criteria linked directly to strategic priorities.

Shares granted are subject to a performance period of three years with an additional mandatory one year holding period for 30% of shares 
granted to the corporate officers in consideration for their corporate office with Schneider Electric SE.

For performance at threshold, 0% of the award will vest. For maximum performance, 100% will vest. Vesting will operate on a straight-line basis 
between these points.

2019–2021 Long-term Incentive Plan
Under the 2019 Compensation policy approved by the shareholders, the Chairman and CEO Mr. Tricoire was granted 60,000 shares and the 
Deputy CEO Mr. Babeau was granted 26,000 shares. 

The 2019-2021 LTIP awards were granted under the previous authorisation, given in 2016. However, the board, in reviewing the overall future LTIP 
structure, utilised the flexibility within the existing authorisation to implement the more ambitious approach to performance measurement. 

From 2019 awards, the board introduced a more stringent approach to targets, where 100% of an award can only be earned for stretching 
performance: e.g., for the Adj. EBITA criterion, only 70% of award will be earned for achieving targets aligned with the objectives communicated 
to the market (vs. 100% previously). The board also reviewed the TSR pay-out scale, including the composition of the existing TSR peer group, 
the geographical spread of Schneider Electric’s direct competitors, and the volatility of the overseas stock markets and decided to retain the 
same peer group for 2019 LTIP awards, but introduced a more demanding pay-out scale.

2019 – 2021 LTIP Performance criteria and weightings: 

Adjusted EBITA margin (organic) improvement (40%)
This is defined as the average of the annual rates of achievement of Adjusted EBITA margin objectives for financial years 2019 to 2021 set by the 
board of directors and is in line with the objectives announced to investors at the beginning of the year. For 2019 financial year, the board decided 
that if the adjusted EBITA margin increased organically by (before foreign exchange impact compared with 2018):

•  +0 points, the achievement rate for the year would be 0%
•  +0.42 points, then the achievement rate for the year would be 70%
•  +0.6 points, then the achievement rate for the year would be 100% 

Distribution is linear between these points.

Group Cash conversion rate (25%)
This is defined as the average of the annual rates of Group Cash Conversion, with the target average rate ranging between 80% and 100% 
according to the following scale:

If the average rate is below or equal to 80%, 0% shares would vest 
If the average rate is equal to or higher than 100%, 100% shares would vest 

• 
• 
•  Straight line between these points.

An exceptional performance with an average rate higher than 100% will give right to a complementary allocation of shares for that criterion 
offsetting, up to the same number of shares and within the limit of 50% (corresponding to an average rate of 120% or more), a level of achievement 
below 100% for Adjusted EBITA or TSR. However, the number of shares thus allocated shall not, under any circumstances, cause the original 
number of shares granted under Adjusted EBITA, Cash conversion and Relative TSR criteria to be exceeded.

Relative TSR (15%)
Relative  TSR  criterion  is  set  based  on  Schneider  Electric’s  TSR  ranking  within  the  following  panel  of  companies:  ABB,  Legrand,  Schneider 
Electric, Siemens, Eaton, Emerson, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Yokogawa, according 
to the following scale: 

•  0% of shares would vest for achieving ranks 8 – 12 
•  25% of shares would vest for achieving rank 7 
•  50% of shares would vest for achieving rank 6 
•  75% of shares would vest for achieving rank 5 
•  100% of shares would vest for achieving rank 1 – 4 

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7. Compensation Report

Overcompensation for exceptional TSR performance (above 100%) can offset performance achievement level below 100% for Adjusted EBITA 
or Cash conversion up to a limit of 50% of the number of shares originally subject to this criterion (i.e. 7.5% of the total shares granted). However, 
the number of shares thus allocated shall not, under any circumstances, cause the original number of shares granted under Adjusted EBITA or 
Cash conversion criteria to be exceeded. 

In 2019, the board has also replaced the automatic “3% upwards adjustment” rule when the gap between the Schneider Electric TSR and that of 
the peers is less than 3%, with the Board judgement in case the rankings are closely clustered. 

Schneider Sustainability Impact (20%)
This criterion measures the annual progress (score) for financial years 2019 to 2021. The objective is to progress and improve the score versus 
pre-set objectives every year. For 2019, the following scale applies:

•  0% of shares would vest – if the score is 8 or lower
•  70% of shares would vest if the score is 9 
•  100% of shares would vest – if the score is 10

Distribution is linear between these points.

The target values of each of these objectives are set by the board based on the objectives communicated to the market. The achievement rates 
will be detailed for each criterion in the compensation report to the shareholders once the performance period has finished.

Corporate officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

Number of Shares 
(Plan No. 32)(1)

Number of Shares 
(Plan No. 33)

IFRS value of 
shares granted (2)

% of total capital 
as of December 
2018

18,000
7,800

42,000
18,200

3,230,340 
1,399,814

0.01%
0.004%

(1)  The performance shares granted only to corporate officers are subject to a one-year holding period.
(2)  IFRS value is calculated by multiplying the number of shares granted by IFRS share price which is calculated by external consultants applying IFRS 2 accounting 

standards. For further details refer to the Note 19.4, page 338.

Cap on LTI
The total number of shares granted for each corporate officer represents a cap. Under no circumstances, even in case of overachievement of all 
targets, may the number of shares acquired by the corporate officers exceed the number of shares granted.

Shareholding Requirement
25% for Mr. Tricoire and 15% for Mr. Babeau of the shares vested are subject to a holding requirement until such time as the corporate officer 
ceases duties. Furthermore, in the event of vested shares being sold, Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau are required to reinvest 10% of the sale 
proceeds into Schneider Electric shares (net of taxes and contributions). These requirements are currently suspended as both corporate officers 
hold Schneider Electric shares with a value representing more than 3 times (for Mr. Tricoire) and 2 times (for Mr. Babeau) their base salary.

2017 Long-term Incentive Plan – Realized value in 2019
The performance period for shares granted in 2017 has finished on December 31, 2019 and shares under the plans 28 and 29 are therefore 
deemed vested. Their final acquisition is however still subject to the satisfaction of the presence condition at the delivery date.

At its meeting of February 19, 2020, the board assessed the achievement rate of performance criteria for Plans 28 and 29 granted in 2017 based 
on the Group’s performance over the three-year period 2017 – 2019 and set the final rate of achievement at 99.54%, i.e., a reduction of 0.46% in 
relation to the number of shares originally granted.

Mr. Tricoire and Mr. Babeau have conditionally been granted 18,000 shares and 7,800 shares under Plan no. 28 and 42,000 shares and 18,200 
shares under Plan no. 29 respectively. After applying the reduction for performance not achieved, the resulting outcomes are as follows:

Corporate officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

Vesting date

Number of Shares  

Number of Shares  

(Plan No. 28)(1)

(Plan No. 29)

Number of shares 
deemed vested

No of shares  

lapsed

Value of deemed 
vested shares(2)

18,000
7,800

42,000
18,200

59,725
25,882

275
118

5,464,838
2,368,203

March 24, 2020

March 24, 2020

(1)  Plan 28 – performance shares granted under this plan to corporate officers are subject to one-year holding period following vesting, therefore shares will only become 

unrestricted on March 24, 2021.

(2)  Vested shares are valued at the closing share price of 31 December 2019, i.e. EUR91.50.

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Performance assessment
Shares granted under the 2017 plan were subjected to relative TSR, financial and sustainability performance criteria assessed over three years 
from 2017 to 2019, as follows:

40% 
Adjusted  
EBITA

Average achievement 
rate for 2017, 2018 & 2019
2017  
Actual result: +0.9pts 
Achievement rate: 100%
2018  
Actual result: +0.5pts 
Achievement rate: 100%
2019  
Actual result: +0.7 pts
Achievement rate: 100%
Weighted rate: 40%

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25% 
Cash  
conversion rate

Average achievement 
rate for 2017, 2018 & 2019
2017  
Actual result: 105% 
2018  
Actual result: 90% 
2019  
Actual result: 121%

20% 
Planet & Society 
Barometer

Index between 6 and
8 at year end 2019
2019  
Actual result: 7.77

15% 
Relative  
TSR

Ranking in December
2019  
Actual result: Rank 1st

Weighted rate: 25%

Weighted rate:19.54%

Weighted rate: 15% 

2019 was the final year of performance measurement for the 2017-19 LTIP. 
Schneider Electric ranked second on relative TSR, delivering c. 50% return 
to shareholders over the same three-year period, demonstrating a strong 
value  creation  for  the  shareholders.  Schneider  Electric  delivered  robust 
organic Adjusted EBITA margin improvement year-on-year, beating largely 
initial  targets,  exceeded  cash  conversion  rate  three-year  target,  and 
demonstrated consistent progress on Group’s sustainability targets which 
are  at  the  heart  of  the  Group’s  strategy.  These  strong  results  across  the 
range of performance criteria led to a vesting outcome of 99.54% out of a 
100%. 

2017– 2019 LTIP Performance Criteria Achievement 

0%

Achievement Scale

100%

Adj. EBITA Margin (org.) 
improvement (40%)

Cash Conversion Rate (25%)

Relative TSR (15%)

Schneider Sustainability Impact (20%)

Total achievement rate

40%

25%

15%

19.54%

99.54%

Organic Adjusted EBITA margin improvement (40%) – For each year of 
the plan, the Adjusted EBITA margin improved by more than the 20-50bps 
average range announced as the objective for the three-year period (Investor Day, 27 October 2016), with an average yearly growth of 70 bps 
reflecting the successful execution of the strategy combining top line growth, positive net pricing, better mix, industrial productivity and better 
efficiency to reduce SFCs. Even though targets had set the bar higher than the objectives announced to the market, the strong performance 
resulted in maximum vesting for this criterion. 

Cash conversion (25%) – Efforts on cash management delivered outstanding results consistently over the period. The average of three years of 
cash conversation rate was c. 105%, outperforming the three-year target of ~100% average cash conversion over three years (Investor Day, 
27 October 2016). 2019 was particularly remarkable with a free cash-flow significantly above €3 bn, a 121% cash conversion rate. The achievement 
rate for this criterion was thus set at 100%. 

Relative TSR (15%) – The Group’s performance was acknowledged by the market and reflected in the stock price increase, which, combined 
with a robust dividend distribution policy and consistent share buy-back programme to balance the dilution coming from allocation of performance 
shares and employee shareholding schemes, generated strong returns to shareholders over the period. The Schneider Electric’s TSR was ranked 
1st (after operation of the 3% automatic adjustment rule, with no impact on the global vesting rate) versus the selected peers (ABB, Legrand, 
Siemens, Eaton, Emerson, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Yokogawa). The achievement 
rate for this criterion was set at 100%. 

Planet & Society Barometer / Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) (20%) – The barometer provides, on a scoring scale of 10, an overall 
measure of the Group’s progress on sustainability issues. Over the last three years Schneider Electric demonstrated strong delivery and continuous 
improvement on its suitability programs. The barometer reached a score of 7.77 out of 10 versus the ambitious target of 8.0 set by the board for this 
criterion, which results in an achievement rate of 93.1% for 2019 with overall 19.54% shares vesting out of 20% allocated to this criterion. 

Historical vesting of the corporate officers performance share plans:

2017 Plans
99.54%

2016 Plans
91.46%

2015 Plans
71%

2014 Plans
78%

2013 Plans
100%

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7. Compensation Report

Complementary cash payment for pension building

Since the board’s decision in 2015 to move away from the “Art. 39” defined-benefit pension schemes due to the excessive cost of such “top hat” 
pension plans, the corporate officers have to build their own pension and to this end, are granted a combination of fixed and variable payments 
that are considered “other benefits” to ensure consistency and comparability with other French or international companies. The variable payment 
is aligned with the annual incentive in terms of criteria and pay-out rate. The corporate officers have committed to depositing these additional 
payments, after taxes, into investment vehicles dedicated to the financing of their pensions.

For 2019 Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau are entitled to receive:

Corporate Officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

Fixed Amount 

Variable Amount(1)

€191,600
€153,300

€329,035
€202,509

(1)  Calculated by applying to the fixed compensation above the percentage of target achievement determined for the calculation of the annual variable compensation.

In compliance with applicable law, the payment of the variable amount will be subject to shareholders’ approval. 

Other benefits

Employer Matching Contributions and Profit-Sharing
For the financial year 2019, both corporate officers were eligible for profit-sharing and the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to 
the capital increase reserved for employees.

In  addition,  both  corporate  officers  were  eligible  for  the  employer  matching  contribution  paid  to  subscribers  to  the  collective  pension  fund 
(PERCO) for the retirement of workers in France.

Corporate Officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

Employer 
matching 
contribution to 
capital Increase 
for Employees

€ 1,404
€ 1,404

Employer 
matching 
contributions to 
collective Pension 
Saving Plan 
(PERCO)

Profit-sharing

Total

€ 800
€ 0

€ 7,970
€ 7,970

€ 10,174
€ 9,374

Company Car
The  use  of  a  company  car  in  2019  granted  to  each  of  Messrs.  Tricoire  and  Babeau  represented  an  equivalent  cost  of  EUR26,044  and 
EUR4,569 respectively.

Compensation in relation to director’s office 
Mr. Tricoire waived the attendance fees to which he was entitled in his capacity of Chairman of the board in pursuance of the rules adopted  
by  the  board.  Likewise,  in  accordance  with  the  Group  internal  rules,  Mr.  Babeau  will  not  receive  attendance  fees  for  any  directorship  in  
Group companies.

Health, Life & Disability
Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau are granted benefits under the Schneider Electric SE and Schneider Electric Industries SAS employee benefit plan, 
which offers health, incapacity, disability and death coverage, plus additional coverage for health, incapacity, disability or death available to 
Group Senior Management under French contract as well as Group personal accident insurance policies in case of disability or death resulting 
from an accident. They are also entitled to an annuity for the surviving spouse in the event of death or an annuity with reversion to the surviving 
spouse in the event of disability, provided that these risks occur before the end of their term of office or after the age of 55 in the event of departure 
from the company following redundancy or a disability.

The  benefit  of  this  additional  coverage  and  contingency  compensation  under  individual  Group  accident  insurance  policies  is  subject  to  the 
achievement of either of the following performance conditions: the average net income from the 5 financial years leading up to the event is positive 
or the average free cash flow from the 5 financial years leading up to the event is positive.

Extraordinary payment
One off payments that are not approved by the shareholders are prohibited.

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Termination benefits
The  regulated  agreements  which  governed  corporate  officers’  termination  benefits  in  2019  were  last  approved  at  the  Annual  Shareholders’ 
Meeting of April 24, 2018. As a reminder, we present hereinbelow a summary of their provisions, which have not been enforced during or in 
respect of 2019.

Involuntary Severance Pay
Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau were entitled to involuntary severance pay in case of a forced departure. A case of forced departure could have 
occurred in three different circumstances, namely:

i.  Dismissal, non-renewal or resignation as CEO or Deputy CEO in the 6 months following a material change in Schneider Electric’s shareholder 

structure that could change the membership of the board of directors;

ii.  Dismissal, non-renewal or resignation as CEO or Deputy CEO in the event of a reorientation of the strategy pursued and promoted by him 

until that time, whether or not in connection with a change in shareholder structure as described above; and

iii.  Dismissal, non-renewal or requested resignation as CEO or Deputy CEO when, on average, two-thirds of the Group performance criteria (to 
be distinguished from individual performance objectives) would have been achieved for the last 4 financial years from the day of resignation.

Non-Compete Compensation
In addition, both Corporate Officers were bound by a non-compete agreement in case of resignation from the Group. The one-year agreement 
called for compensation to be paid at 60% of annual fixed and target variable parts, complementary payments included.

In conformity with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code:

•  The entitlement to involuntary severance pay is subject to strict performance conditions, assessed over a period not lesser than two years;
•  Only circumstances of a forced departure, regardless of the form of the departure, could trigger the entitlement to involuntary severance pay;
•  Together with the non-compete indemnity, if any, the involuntary severance pay could not exceed twice the average of the corporate officers’ 

total effective annual compensation (fixed and variable part) in cash;

•  Since  the  approval  of  the  new  regulated  agreements  at  the  shareholders’  general  meeting  of  April  24,  2018,  the  board  shall  determine 

unilaterally whether or not to apply the non-compete clause at the time of the departure of the Corporate Officer.

Retention of Stock Options, Stock Grants and Performance Shares
In  case  of  involuntary  severance  during  their  acquisition  period,  Messrs.  Tricoire  and  Babeau  are  entitled  to  keep  the  benefit  of  the  shares 
attributed to them from the plans granted after February 18, 2018, in proportion of the time of their presence with the Company in any capacity 
during the acquisition or exercise period of such restricted shares or stock options. Their entitlement is subject to the fulfillment of the performance 
conditions determined in the Plan.

In case the corporate officer’s involuntary departure resulted from any material change in Schneider Electric’s shareholding structure or from a 
reorientation of the strategy pursued and promoted by him (both cases as defined in paragraphs i. and ii. in relation to Involuntary Severance 
Pay), the board may decide to grant him the right to keep the benefit of all such restricted shares or stock-options previously granted to him, 
provided however the arithmetic average rate of achievement of the Group performance objectives used to determine the annual incentive in 
cash for the last 3 financial years completed on the date of his departure, amounts to at least two-thirds of the target figure, and that his departure 
is not the result of gross negligence or serious misconduct. The board shall motivate its decision.

Dialogue with shareholders 
“Throughout 2019 the board continued to discuss compensation policy and approach with many of Schneider Electric’s largest shareholders, as 
well as investor representative bodies and will continue this dialogue in 2020. The 2019 policy was applied with no change from what received a 
very large support from the shareholders at the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ meeting and the subsequent engagement with the shareholders 
thereon did not raise any more concerns. However, to take into account the reservations expressed by the shareholders at the 2018 Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting on the post-mandate benefits (formerly voted under the regime of the Regulated Agreements and Commitments) and their 
expectations concerning the new LTIP criteria, the Vice Chairman and independent lead director had a dialogue with 28 investors representing 
~40% of the share capital and reported back to the Governance and remunerations committee and to the board thereon. The board took the 
feedback into account and proposed changes to the compensation policy which are detailed further in this report.” 

86.5%

of the shareholder  
votes cast supported  
2018 compensation  
decisions for the  
Chairman and CEO

89.1%

supported 2018  
compensation  
decisions for the  
Deputy CEO

86.1%

approved the principles  
and criteria governing  
2019 compensation for  
the Chairman and CEO

88.8%

approved the principles  
and criteria governing  
2019 compensation for  
the Deputy CEO

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7. Compensation Report

7.2.3 Non-executive directors’ compensation and interests in relation to the financial year 2019 
At the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the shareholders have approved (the 13th resolution) an increase to the maximum total amount of the 
annual compensation that can be paid to the members of the board from EUR2,000,000 to EUR2,500,000, with no changes to the allocation rules 
versus  2018.  This  increase  was  in  anticipation  of  the  increase  of  the  board  size  and  of  the  number  of  meetings  of  the  committees  from  
2019 onwards – notably due to the creation of the Digital committee in 2018 and the fact that most members of the board participate in more than 
one committee. 

The table below shows the allocation rules of the fixed payments allocated to the non-executive directors and implemented during the 2019 
financial year.

Approach 

Director’s individual compensation

Compensation for travel time 

•  Amounts granted to non-executive 
directors are determined by taking 
account of a director’s responsibilities, 
the expected commitment for the role and 
the competitive market rates among 
international peers.

•  Besides the fixed base amount, directors’ 
compensation mostly depends upon the 
said directors’ attendance to board and 
committee meetings. 

•  The board is responsible for setting the 

amounts due to be paid to non-executive 
directors.

•  The  total  amount  paid  is  subject  to  the 

aggregate limit set by shareholders.

•  Non-executive directors are paid a fixed 

basic amount of EUR25,000 for 
membership of the board with an 
additional amount of EUR7,000 per board 
meeting attended and EUR4,000 per 
committee meeting. 

•  Additional payments are made to non- 

executive directors who hold the position 
of Committee Chair to reflect the 
additional responsibilities and workload: 
 – Audit  committee:  EUR20,000  per 

annum 

 – Human Resources and CSR committee, 
Investment 

Digital  Committee,  and 
Committee: EUR15,000 per annum 
 – Independent lead director, who is also 
the  Chairman  of  the  Governance  and 
remunerations committee: EUR250,000 
per annum 

•  For non-voting members, a fixed payment 
of  EUR20,000  per  annum  is  paid,  unless 
they become non-executive director at the 
next general meeting. In this case, they will 
receive  the  same  fees  for  attending  the 
board  and  committee  meetings  as  non-
executive directors. 

•  All payments are pro-rated for time served 

during the year and are paid in cash.

•  For intercontinental travel (e.g. USA), 
non-executive directors attending the 
meeting physically are paid EUR5,000 
per board session. 

•  For intra-continental travels (e.g. 

Switzerland), non-executive directors 
attending the meeting physically are paid 
EUR3,000 per board session. 

•  Non-executive directors do not receive 
incentive pay or share awards or any 
benefits nor pension arrangements in 
relation to their office (unless they are 
former managers of the Group and were 
a member of a Group pension plan). 

•  Employee directors are separately 

entitled to the compensation granted to 
them for the performance of their duties. 
As an employee, such compensation is 
not affected by their office as a director 
and is not disclosed.

•  The board also provided that Vice-

Chairman lead director could, in the 
performance of his duties to use certain 
resources of the Group’s management.

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Directors’ compensation earned in 2018 and 2019 was as follows, noting that Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of the board, and Xiaoyun Ma who 
represents the employee shareholders, waived the payments of the compensation they were entitled to as members of the board:

Members of the board

2019(1)

2018(2) 

2019(1)

2018(2)

2019(1)

2018(2)

Directors’ compensation (EUR) 

Other compensation & benefits (EUR) 

Total (EUR)

Mr. LÉO APOTHEKER
Ms. BETSY ATKINS
Ms. CÉCILE CABANIS
Ms. CAROLINA DYBECK HAPPE
Mr. XAVIER FONTANET(3)
Mr. ANTOINE GOSSET-GRAINVILLE
Mr. FRED KINDLE
Mr. WILLY KISSLING
Ms. LINDA KNOLL
Ms. CATHY KOPP(4)
Mr. HENRI LACHMANN(5)
Ms. XIAOYUN MA(7)
Ms. XUEZHENG (Mary) MA
Mr. PATRICK MONTIER
Ms. FLEUR PELLERIN
Mr. ANDERS RUNEVAD
Mr. GREGORY SPIERKEL
Mr. LIP-BU TAN
Mr. JEAN-PASCAL TRICOIRE 

379,000
41,877
107,000
57,726
–
32,877
163,000
156,000
152,000
–
–
–
12,767
92,000
125,000
113,000
156,000
106,000
–

398,000
115,000
133,000
–
26,493
113,000
166,356
164,000
164,000
32,808
6,247
–
–
105,000
101,260
88,260
182,356
24,726
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
181,766(6)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

379,000
41,877
107,000
57,726
–
32,877
163,000
156,000
152,000
–
–
–
12,767
92,000
125,000
113,000
156,000
106,000
–

398,000
115,000
133,000
–
26,493
113,000
166,356
164,000
164,000
32,808
188,013
–
–
105,000
101,260
88,260
182,356
24,726
–

(1)  Awarded for the financial year 2019 and paid in 2020. 
(2)  Awarded for the financial year 2018 and paid in 2019. 
(3)  Mr. Xavier Fontanet’s term of office expired as at April 24, 2018.
(4)  Ms. Cathy Kopp’s term of office expired as at April 24, 2018.
(5)  Henri Lachmann’s term of office as a non-voting member expired as at April 24, 2018. 
(6)  As a former manager of the Group, Mr. Lachmann was entitled to a supplementary retirement pension (article 39). This amount was paid by the insurance company and 

pro-rated.

(7)  Xiaoyun Ma waived the payment of the sum of €130,000 she was entitled to.

The total amount awarded to the board members for 2019 was EUR1,824,247 (including the sum of €130,000 waived by Xiaoyun Ma). Excluding 
the special fee paid to the Vice-chairman lead independent director, the amount is composed of 40% fixed compensation and 60% variable. The 
total amount paid in 2019 for 2018 financial year was EUR1,820,506, both below the maximum authorized by the shareholders.

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7. Compensation Report

7.2.4 Employees experience at Schneider Electric
Delivery of the strategy, both short term and long term, depends upon Schneider Electric’s success in attracting and engaging a highly talented 
workforce, and on equipping people with the skills for the future. The Group is committed to fair pay, which is at the forefront of the Group’s and 
executives’ agenda, ensuring that all Schneider Electric employees are appropriately and fairly rewarded for their contribution. The progress is 
monitored via the Schneider Sustainability Impact Indicators. More information can be found in the Sustainability section of this report, pages 151 
and subs.

HeForShe

Living wage

Recognition

Well-being

Engagement

Since 2015, as part  
of its HeForShe 
commitments, the Group 
has implemented a 
systematic process to 
identify gender pay 
gaps within comparable 
groups of employees, 
address pay 
discrepancies across 
genders, and take 
corrective actions at 
global and country 
levels to reduce 
identified gaps.

Schneider Electric 
believes earning a 
decent wage is a basic 
human right and is 
committed to paying 
employees in the lower 
salary ranges at or 
above the living wage to 
meet their family’s basic 
needs. By basic needs, 
the Group considers 
food, housing, 
sanitation, education, 
healthcare plus 
discretionary income  
for a given local 
standard of living.

Schneider Electric is 
committed to creating 
a culture where 
employees receive 
regular feedback and 
coaching from their 
managers and 
colleagues, celebrating 
people who constantly 
demonstrate the 
Company’s Core Values 
and go above and 
beyond – using global 
recognition portal “Step 
Up” and encouraging 
the recognition of small 
and big achievements 
by simply saying  
“Thank you”.

Health and well-being 
are embedded in the 
Schneider Electric 
strategic people 
priorities and contribute 
to its sustainability 
mission. The Company 
has a commitment to 
strive, at a minimum,  
that 90% of Schneider 
Electric’s employees 
have access to a 
comprehensive 
well-being at work 
program. Well-being 
training programs 
offered are detailed in 
the “Well-being in our 
DNA” section of this 
report.

The Group listens to 
employees through a 
number of different 
channels, both formally 
and informally. Two of 
the board members are 
employees of the 
Company, appointed 
through a formal 
designation process;  
the Group runs a 
OneVoice internal 
survey designed to 
measure employee 
satisfaction and 
engagement; the Group 
engages with the local 
work councils on 
compensation matters 
on a regular basis.

Pay Equity Ratio
Equity pay ratio measures the ratio between the level of compensation of the Chairman and CEO and Deputy CEO and CFO and the average and 
median compensation of the employees, as required by Article L.225-37-3 6° and 7° of the French Commercial Code.

Calculation methodology 
The compensation comparisons and pay ratios set out below were calculated based on the fixed and variable compensation paid during the 
fiscal years indicated as well as on the performance shares granted during the same periods, measured at IFRS value at grant. 

Scope 
The legal scope, the issuer, comprises very few employees, therefore, an alternate “relevant scope” was defined to reflect a larger representative 
employee population. It is based on the French holding entity Schneider Electric Société Européenne (SESE) (the issuer) as well as all employees 
in France of the operational company Schneider Electric Industries (SAS). This group of employees is employed on comparable terms to the 
corporate officers and represents more than 4,200 employees in France on a full time equivalent basis (FTE).

The ratios between the compensation paid to the corporate officers, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Emmanuel 
Babeau, Deputy CEO and CFO, and the average and median compensation received by Schneider Electric employees are set out opposite. 

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Evolution of corporate officers’ and employees’ compensation, pay ratios and Group’s performance over five years

FY2015

FY2016

FY2017

FY2018

FY2019

  Revenue
  Adj EBITA

Rebased to 2015

116

102

106

97

100

100

93

96

92

CEO total compensation paid during FY
Deputy CEO total compensation paid during FY

Employees average compensation
% change in employees average compensation

% change in CEO total compensation
% change in Deputy CEO total compensation

CEO pay ratio - average compensation
CEO pay ratio - median compensation 

Deputy CEO pay ratio - average compensation 
Deputy CEO pay ratio - median compensation 

6,024,595
2,844,142

4,760,778
2,283,831

5,789,994
2,804,775

6,184,007
3,041,321

5,754,154
2,871,633

82,791
–

–
–

73
92

34
43

83,829
+1%

-21%
-20%

57
71

27
34

88,551
+6%

+22%
+23%

65
81

32
39

91,127
+3%

+7%
+8%

68
84

33
41

90,369
-1%

-7%
-6%

64
78

32
39

7.3 2019 Corporate officers’ individual compensation in relation to the 2019 financial year

The fixed, variable and exceptional components of the total compensation and benefits paid in or awarded for the financial year 2019 to the 
corporate officers, as detailed below, are submitted to the shareholders for approval at the 2020 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020 
under the 7th and 8th resolutions.

At its meeting of February 19, 2020, after examining the suitability and fairness of the outcome of the 2019 compensation policy for the corporate 
officers and its alignment with the Group’s performance and hearing the report of the Governance and remunerations committee, the board 
determined the corporate officers’ compensation for 2019 in accordance with the principles and criteria approved by the shareholders at the 
2019  annual  shareholders  meeting,  deemed  “last  approved  compensation  policy”,  and  which  the  board  considers  in  force  until  the  next 
compensation policy is approved by the shareholders. 

The tables below summarize the compensation paid during the past financial year and compensation awarded for the past financial year, along 
with a description of how each component was calculated in conformity with the compensation policy in force.

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7. Compensation Report

Mr. Jean Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO: Elements of compensation paid or awarded for the 2019 financial year

Elements of 
compensation  
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past  
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

1) Base salary

EUR1,000,000 

EUR1,000,000 

2)  Annual 

incentive

EUR1,489,800

EUR1,717,300

3)  Multi-annual 

N/A

variable

4)  Exceptional 

N/A

compensation

N/A

N/A

Description 

Gross  annual  fixed  compensation  of  EUR1,000,000  from  January  1,  2019  to 
December 31, 2019.

Board decision of February 13, 2019.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 25, 2019 (7th resolution).

The annual incentive portion amounts to 130% of fixed compensation. The annual 
incentive may vary from 0 to 260% depending on the level of achievement of pre-set 
objectives.

Its structure is unchanged since 2015.

The  annual  incentive  paid  in  2019  was  determined  by  the  board  at  its  meeting  of 
13 February 2019 based on the attainment rate of the objectives set for financial year 
2018 which reached 149% (114.6% on base 100). It was paid after approval by the 
shareholders at their meeting of April 25, 2019 (5th resolution).

At the board meeting held on February 19, 2020, annual incentive for 2019 due to be 
paid  after  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  if  the  latter  approves  it,  were  set  at 
171.7% of the fixed portion, which represents an achievement rate of 132.1% on a 100 
baseline.

This calculation is broken down as follows:
1)  Financial components (80%) based on Group financial indicators, which are 
organic sales growth (40%), adjusted EBITA margin (org.) improvement (30%) 
and cash generation targets (10%),

The achievement rate in connection with these criteria was 96.7%.

2)  Sustainability  component  (20%)  based  on  the  Schneider  Sustainability 

Impact, for which achievement rate was set at 35.4%.

It  was  set  in  conformity  with  the  compensation  policy  approved  at  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 (7th resolution).

Mr. Tricoire did not receive any multi-annual variable compensation. 

Mr. Tricoire did not receive any exceptional compensation. 

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Amounts paid  
during the past  
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

Description 

Elements of 
compensation  
submitted to  
the vote

5)  Pension 
benefits 

Annual 
complementary 
fixed portion

EUR191,600 

EUR191,600

Annual 
complementary 
variable portion

EUR285,446

EUR329,035

Complementary  payments  are  intended  to  take  account  of  the  fact  that,  following  
the decision of the board of directors on February 18, 2015 to remove the benefit  
of the defined-benefit pension scheme (article 39) for corporate executive officers, 
Mr. Tricoire is personally responsible for building up his pension. To determine this 
authorized  complementary  compensation,  the  board  of  directors  sought  the 
recommendation of an independent expert, namely the firm Willis Towers Watson.

The board of directors ensured that the mechanism implemented therefore, was in 
line with shareholders’ interests.
Accordingly, Mr. Tricoire receives annually a complementary component, split into a 
fixed part and a variable part dependent on performance criteria. The variable part 
is aligned in terms of criteria and rate (target rate of 130% of the fixed complementary 
part and variable part varying from 0 to 260%) of the annual incentive (see above).

These complementary payments are intended to enable Mr. Tricoire to build up his 
pension. He undertook to redirect these complementary payments, net of taxes, to 
investment vehicles devoted to financing his additional pension.
The  variable  portion  paid  in  2019  was  determined  by  the  board  at  its  meeting  of 
13 February 2019  and aligned on the attainment rate used for the purpose of the 
calculation  of  the  annual  incentive,  ie.  149%.  It  was  paid  after  approval  by  the 
shareholders at their meeting of April 25, 2019 (5th resolution).

At the meeting held on February 19, 2020 the annual complementary variable portion 
for 2019 due to be paid after the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting if the latter approves 
it,  was  set  by  the  board  of  directors  at  171.7%  of  the  annual  complementary  fixed 
portion, i.e. an achievement rate of 132.1% on a 100 baseline.

The calculation was broken down in the same way as that of the annual incentive 
presented in 2) above in line with the policy approved by the shareholders on 25 April 
2019 (7th resolution).

30% of Mr. Tricoire’s cash compensation described above (items 1) to 5)) is granted 
to him in consideration for his duties as a corporate officer (Chairman and CEO) of 
Schneider Electric SE exclusively. The remainder is granted to him for the discharge 
of his operational duties as Regional President Asia of Schneider Electric Asia Pacific 
and executive director of SE USA Inc.

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7. Compensation Report

Elements of 
compensation  
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past  
financial year 

–

6)  Long-term 
incentive 
(Performance 
shares)

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

EUR970,740  
for 18,000 
performance 
shares according 
to IFRS valuation 

EUR2,259,600  
for 42,000 
performance 
shares according 
to IFRS valuation

Description 

18,000  performance  shares  were  granted  under  plan  no.  32  to  Mr.  Tricoire  in  his 
capacity as Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric SE.

42,000  performance  shares  were  granted  under  plan  no.  33  to  Mr.  Tricoire  in  his 
capacity as Regional President Asia of Schneider Electric Asia Pacific.

100%  of  these  60,000  performance  shares  are  subject  to  performance  criteria 
measured over a period of 3 years:

•  40%  of  the  shares  are  contingent  on  the  level  of  achievement  of  an  adjusted 
EBITA operating margin objective for 2019 to 2021 FY as follows: the Adjusted 
operational  margin  criterion  is  defined  as  the  average  of  the  annual  rates  of 
achievement of Adjusted EBITA margin improvement for the 2019 to 2021 financial 
years,  set  by  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric  SE  in  line  with  the 
objectives usually announced to investors at the beginning of the year. For 2019, 
the board had decided that, if the Adjusted EBITA margin increased by 0 basis 
points  or  decreased  before  foreign  exchange  and  perimeter  impact  vs.  2018, 
then the achievement rate in 2019 would be 0% and if it increased by +60 basis 
points or more before foreign exchange and perimeter impact, the achievement 
rate for this criterion for 2019 would be 100% with a linear distribution between 
any points on the performance scale. 

•  25%  of  the  shares  are  conditional  on  Group  Cash  conversion  rate.  The  target 
average rate ranges between 80% and 100% according to following scale: 0% if 
the average rate is below or equal to 80%, 100% if the average rate is equal to or 
higher than 100% with a linear distribution between any points on the scale. 
•  20% of the shares are contingent on the average of the performance rate of the 
Schneider  Sustainability  Impact  (SSI)  against  predefined  targets  at  the  end  of 
each  of  the  three  years.  SSI  measures  the  Group’s  progress  with  regard  to 
environmental sustainability and social responsibility across various indicators. 
For 2019, the board had decided that if the index at the end of 2019 was equal or 
lower than 6, the achievement rate for 2019 would be 0% and if the index at the 
end of 2019 was equal to 7, the achievement rate would be 70% and if it is equal 
or  superior  to  8,  the  achievement  rate  for  2019  would  be  100%,  with  a  linear 
distribution between all points on the scale. 

•  15% of the shares are conditional on relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) from 
January  1,  2019  to  December  31,  2021:  the  TSR  objective  is  set  based  on 
Schneider Electric’s TSR ranking within the following panel of companies: ABB, 
Legrand,  Siemens,  Eaton,  Emerson,  Honeywell,  Johnson  Controls  Industries, 
Rockwell, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Yokogawa, according to following 
scale: 0% if Schneider Electric TSR is ranked from 12th to 8th place, 25% for 7th 
place, 50% for 6th place, 75% for 5th, 100% for 4th and 150% for 3rd to 1st place. In 
case results are closely clustered, the board may exercise judgment to adjust the 
ranking. 

•  Offsetting  of  financial  criteria:  shares  subject  to  the  achievement  of  a  cash 
conversion  rate  objective  will  have  the  ability  to  offset  non-achievement  of 
Adjusted EBITA or TSR criteria, according to the scale described above, up to a 
limit  of  50%  of  the  number  of  shares  originally  subject  to  this  criterion.  Shares 
subject to the TSR objective will have the ability to offset the non-achievement of 
Adjusted  EBITA  or  rate  of  cash  conversion  criteria  according  to  the  scale 
described  above  up  to  a  limit  of  50%  of  the  shares  originally  subject  to  this 
criterion.  Final  acquisition  of  shares  at  the  end  of  the  three-year  period  will 
nevertheless  be  capped  at  100  million  of  the  shares  originally  subject  to  Adj. 
EBITA margin, Relative TSR and rate of cash conversion criteria.

25%  of  the  shares  vested  are  subject  to  a  holding  requirement  until  such  time  as  
Mr. Tricoire ceases his duties. Furthermore, in the event of vested shares being sold, 
Mr. Tricoire is required to reinvest 10% of the sale price in Schneider Electric shares 
(net of taxes and contributions).

These  obligations  are  suspended  insofar  as  Mr.  Tricoire  holds  Schneider  Electric 
shares with a value representing 3 times his annual fixed compensation.

The percentage of capital represented by Mr. Tricoire’s share allocation is 0.01%.

Date  of  authorization  by  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting:  April  25,  2016,  19th 
resolution and April 25, 2019, 7th resolution.

Date of the award decision by the board of directors: March 26, 2019.

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Elements of 
compensation  
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past  
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

Description 

EUR0

EUR0

Mr. Tricoire has waived his attendance fees.

7)  Compensation 
related to the 
office as a 
director

8)  Other  

benefits 

– 

EUR1,404  

EUR1,404 

EUR800 

EUR800 

This includes the following benefits as authorized by the board on February 13, 
2019:

• 

• 

the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the capital increase 
reserved for employees, in an amount of EUR1,404.
the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the collective saving 
pension fund (Perco) in France, in an amount of EUR800. 

EUR7,970
EUR26,044

EUR7,970 
EUR26,044

•  Mr. Tricoire benefited from profit-sharing. 
•  Mr. Tricoire benefited from a company car. 

Supplementary Life & Disability scheme 
Mr. Tricoire benefits from rights to (i) a life-time annuity to the benefit of his surviving 
spouse in the event of his death before retirement or if he leaves the Company after 
the age of 55 without taking up any other employment. This life-time annuity shall be 
equal  to  60%  of  25%  of  the  average  compensation  paid  (i.e.  including  annual 
complementary payments) over the 3 years preceding the date of his death, less any 
theoretical income that may have been obtained under insurance conditions as a 
result of complementary payments already made (see above) (ii) a disability pension, 
payable to the surviving spouse at a rate of 60%, in cases of disability leading to the 
cessation of any professional activity as from the date of his retirement, equal to 25% 
of the average compensation paid (i.e. including annual complementary payments) 
over the 3 years prior to his disability, minus 1.25% per missing quarter required for 
obtaining  a  full-rate  pension  and  less  the  theoretical  income  that  may  have  been 
obtained  through  insurance  schemes  at  the  time  of  disability  resulting  from  any 
complementary payments already made.

Board decision of February 18, 2015 reiterated on April 25, 2017 and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (4th resolution).

Moreover, in addition to the benefits of the collective welfare scheme applicable to 
Schneider Electric SE and Schneider Electric Industries SAS employees covering 
risks of illness, incapacity, disability and death, Mr. Tricoire also benefits from the 
complementary  cover  granted  to  French  executives  in  the  Group  against  risks  of 
illness,  incapacity,  disability,  death  and  accident.  Welfare  compensation  and 
complementary cover are subject to performance conditions.

Board  decisions  of  2009,  2012  and  June  18-19,  2013  and  2015,  reiterated  on  
April 25, 2017 and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (4th resolution).

Involuntary Severance Pay
Mr.  Tricoire  was  entitled  to  involuntary  termination  benefits  in  case  of  change  of 
control  or  strategy  and  taking  into  account  the  non-compete  compensation 
described below, capped at twice the arithmetical average of his annual fixed and 
variable  compensation  (i.e. 
inclusive  of  compensation  and  complementary 
payments) paid over the last 3 years. (See page 273 of the 2019 URD).

Board decision of June 18-19, 2013 reiterated on April 25, 2017 and February 14, 
2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (4th resolution).

Non-compete compensation
Mr.  Tricoire  was  entitled  to  non-compete  compensation  for  a  period  of  one  year 
capped  at  6/10th  of  his  average  gross  compensation  –  i.e.  including  annual 
complementary  payments  –  fixed  and  target  variable  –  over  the  last  12  months  
of service). (See page 273 of the 2019 URD).

Board decisions of 2009, 2012, and 2013, reiterated and amended on April 25, 2017 
and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (4th resolution).

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9)  Termination 
benefits

EUR0

EUR0

EUR0

EUR0

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

Mr. Emmanuel BABEAU, Deputy CEO: Elements of compensation paid or awarded for 2019 financial year

Elements of 
compensation 
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past 
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

Description 

1) Base salary

EUR680,000 

EUR680,000 

Gross  annual  fixed  compensation  of  EUR680,000  from  January  1,  2019  to  
December 31, 2019.

2)  Annual 

incentive

EUR779,280

EUR898,280

3)  Multi-annual 

N/A

variable

4)  Exceptional 

N/A

compensation

N/A

N/A

Board decision of February 13, 2019.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 25, 2019 (8th resolution).

The annual incentive portion amounts to 100% of fixed compensation. The annual 
incentive may vary from 0 to 200% depending on the level of achievement of pre-set 
objectives.

Its structure is unchanged since 2015.

The  annual  incentive  paid  in  2019  was  determined  by  the  board  at  its  meeting  of 
13 February 2019 based on the attainment rate of the objectives set for financial year 
2018 which reached 114.6%. It was paid after approval by the shareholders at their 
meeting of April 25, 2019 (6th resolution).

At the board meeting held on February 19, 2020, annual incentive for 2019 due to be 
paid  after  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  if  the  latter  approves  it,  were  set  at 
132.1% of the fixed portion, which represents an achievement rate of 132.1% on a  
100 baseline.

This calculation is broken down as follows:
1)  Financial components (80%) based on Group financial indicators, which are 
organic sales growth (40%), adjusted EBITA margin (org.) improvement (30%) 
and cash generation targets (10%),

The achievement rate in connection with these criteria was 96.7%.

2)   Sustainability  component  (20%)  based  on  the  Schneider  Sustainability 

Impact, for which achievement rate was set at 35.4%.

It  was  set  in  conformity  with  the  compensation  policy  approved  at  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting: April 25, 2019 (8th resolution).

Mr. Babeau did not receive any multi-annual variable compensation. 

Mr. Babeau did not receive any exceptional compensation. 

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Amounts paid  
during the past 
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

Description 

Elements of 
compensation 
submitted to  
the vote

5)  Pension 
benefits

EUR153,300 

EUR153,300 

Annual 
complementary 
fixed portion

Annual 
complementary 
variable portion

EUR175,682

EUR202,509

Complementary payments are intended to take account of the fact that, following the 
decision of the board of directors on February 18, 2015 to remove the benefit of the 
defined-benefit  pension  scheme  (article  39)  for  corporate  executive  officers,  
Mr. Babeau is personally responsible for building up his additional pension.

To determine the amount of this authorized complementary compensation, the board 
of  directors  relied  on  the  work  of  an  independent  expert,  namely  the  firm  Willis 
Towers Watson. 

The  board  of  directors  ensured  that  the  mechanism  implemented  was  in  line  with 
shareholders’ interests.

Accordingly, Mr. Babeau receives annually a complementary component, split into a 
fixed part and a variable part dependent on performance criteria. The variable part 
is aligned in terms of criteria and rate (target rate of 100% of the fixed complementary 
part  and  variable  part  varying  from  0  to  200%)  of  the  annual  variable  part  (see 
above).

These complementary payments are intended to enable Mr. Babeau to build up his 
pension. He undertook to redirect these complementary payments, net of taxes, to 
investment vehicles devoted to financing his additional pension.

The  variable  portion  paid  in  2019  was  determined  by  the  board  at  its  meeting  of 
13 February 2019  and aligned on the attainment rate used for the purpose of the 
calculation  of  the  annual  incentive,  ie.  114.6%.  It  was  paid  after  approval  by  the 
shareholders at their meeting of April 25, 2019 (6th resolution).

At the meeting held on February 19, 2020 the annual complementary variable portion 
for 2019 due to be paid after the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting if the latter approves 
it, was set by the board of directors at 132.1% of the annual complementary fixed 
portion, i.e. an achievement rate of 132.1% on a 100 baseline.

The calculation was broken down in the same way as that of the annual incentive 
presented  in  2)  above  in  line  with  the  policy  approved  by  the  shareholders  on 
April 25, 2019 (8th resolution).

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7. Compensation Report

Elements of 
compensation 
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past 
financial year 

–

6)  Long-term 
incentive 
(Performance 
shares)

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

EUR420,654 for 
7,800 performance 
shares according 
to IFRS valuation

EUR979,160 for 
18,200 
performance 
shares according 
to IFRS valuation

Description 

7,800  performance  shares  were  granted  under  plan  no.  32  to  Mr.  Babeau  in  his 
capacity as Deputy CEO of Schneider Electric SE.

18,200  performance  shares  were  granted  under  plan  no.  33  to  Mr.  Babeau  in 
consideration  for  his  specific  technical  and  operational  functions  as  head  of  the 
Group’s Finance & Legal Affairs.

100%  of  these  26,000  performance  shares  are  subject  to  performance  criteria 
measured over a period of 3 years:

•  40%  of  the  shares  are  contingent  on  the  level  of  achievement  of  an  adjusted 
EBITA operating margin objective for 2019 to 2021 FY as follows: the Adjusted 
operational  margin  criterion  is  defined  as  the  average  of  the  annual  rates  of 
achievement of Adjusted EBITA margin improvement for the 2019 to 2021 financial 
years,  set  by  the  board  of  directors  of  Schneider  Electric  SE  in  line  with  the 
objectives usually announced to investors at the beginning of the year. For 2019, 
the board had decided that, if the Adjusted EBITA margin increased by 0 basis 
points or decreased before foreign exchange and scope impact vs. 2018, then 
the achievement rate in 2019 would be 0% and if it increased by +60 basis points 
or more before foreign exchange and perimeter impact, the achievement rate for 
this criterion for 2019 would be 100% with a linear distribution between any points 
on the performance scale. 

•  25%  of  the  shares  are  conditional  on  Group  Cash  conversion  rate.  The  target 
average rate ranges between 80% and 100% according to the following scale: 
0% if the average rate is below or equal to 80%, 100% if the average rate is equal 
to or higher than 100% with a linear distribution between any points on the scale. 
•  20% of the shares are contingent on the average of the performance rate of the 
Schneider  Sustainability  Impact  (SSI)  against  predefined  targets  at  the  end  of 
each  of  the  three  years.  SSI  measures  the  Group’s  progress  with  regard  to 
environmental sustainability and social responsibility across various indicators. 
For 2019, the board had decided that if the index at the end of 2019 was equal or 
lower than 6, the achievement rate for 2019 would be 0% and if the index at the 
end of 2019 was equal to 7, the achievement rate would be 70% and if it is equal 
or  superior  to  8,  the  achievement  rate  for  2019  would  be  100%,  with  a  linear 
distribution between all points on the scale. 

•  15% of the shares are conditional on relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) from 
January  1,  2019  to  December  31,  2021:  the  TSR  objective  is  set  based  on 
Schneider Electric’s TSR ranking within the following panel of companies: ABB, 
Legrand,  Siemens,  Eaton,  Emerson,  Honeywell,  Johnson  Controls  Industries, 
Rockwell, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Yokogawa according to following 
scale: 0% if Schneider Electric TSR is ranked from 12th to 8th place, 25% for 7th 
place, 50% for 6th place, 75% for 5th, 100% for 4th and 150% for 3rd to 1st place. In 
case results are closely clustered, the board may exercise judgment to adjust the 
ranking. 

•  Offsetting  of  financial  criteria:  shares  subject  to  the  achievement  of  a  cash 
conversion rate objective will have the ability to offset non-achievement of Adjusted 
EBITA or TSR criteria, according to the scale described above, up to a limit of 50% 
of the number of shares originally subject to this criterion. Shares subject to the 
TSR objective will have the ability to offset the non-achievement of Adjusted EBITA 
or rate of cash conversion criteria according to the scale described above up to a 
limit  of  50%  of  the  shares  originally  subject  to  this  criterion.  Final  acquisition  of 
shares  at  the  end  of  the  three-year  period  will  nevertheless  be  capped  at  100 
million of the shares originally subject to Adj. EBITA margin, Relative TSR and rate 
of cash conversion criteria.

15%  of  the  shares  vested  are  subject  to  a  holding  requirement  until  such  time  as  
Mr. Babeau ceases his duties. Furthermore, in the event of vested shares being sold, 
Mr. Babeau is required to reinvest 10% of the sale price in Schneider Electric shares 
(net of taxes and contributions).

These  obligations  are  suspended  insofar  as  Mr.  Babeau  holds  Schneider  Electric 
shares  with  a  value  representing 
fixed  compensation.  
The percentage of capital represented by Mr. Babeau’s share allocation is 0.004%.

twice  his  annual 

Date  of  authorization  by  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting:  April  25,  2016,  19th 
resolution, and April 25, 2019, 8th resolution.

Date of the award decision by the board of directors: March 26, 2019.

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Elements of 
compensation 
submitted to  
the vote

Amounts paid  
during the past 
financial year 

Amounts awarded  
for the past financial  
year or accounting 
valuations 

Description 

7)  Attendance 

EUR0

EUR0

fees

8) Other benefits 

Mr. Babeau has waived the attendance fees he would have been entitled to receive 
from directorships held in Group companies.

This includes the following benefits, as authorized by the board on February 13, 2019:

EUR1,404

EUR1,404

EUR800

EUR800

• 

• 

the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the capital increase 
reserved for employees, in an amount of EUR1,404.
the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the Group collective 
saving plan (PEG) in France, in an amount of EUR800.

EUR7,970
EUR4,569

EUR7,970
EUR4,569

•  Mr. Babeau benefited from profit-sharing.
•  Mr. Babeau benefited from a company car.

Supplementary Life & Disability scheme
Mr. Babeau benefits from rights to (i) a life-time annuity to the benefit of his surviving 
spouse in the event of his death before retirement or if he has left the Company after 
the age of 55 without taking up any other employment. This life-time annuity shall be 
equal  to  60%  of  25%  of  the  average  compensation  paid  (i.e.  including  annual 
complementary payments) over the 3 years preceding the date of his death, less any 
theoretical income that may have been obtained under insurance conditions as a 
result of complementary payments already made (see above) ii) a disability pension, 
payable to the surviving spouse, at a rate of 60%, in cases of disability leading to the 
cessation of any professional activity as from the date of his retirement, equal to 25% 
of the average compensation paid i.e. including annual complementary payments) 
over the 3 years prior to his disability, minus 1.25% per missing quarter required for 
obtaining  a  full-rate  pension  and  less  the  theoretical  income  that  may  have  been 
obtained  through  insurance  schemes  at  the  time  of  disability  resulting  from  any 
complementary payments already made.

Board decision of February 18, 2015 reiterated on April 25, 2017 and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (5th resolution).

Moreover, in addition to the benefits of the collective welfare scheme applicable to 
Schneider Electric SE and Schneider Electric Industries SAS employees covering 
risks of illness, incapacity, disability and decease, Mr. Babeau also benefits from the 
complementary  cover  granted  to  French  executives  in  the  Group  against  risks  of 
illness,  incapacity,  disability,  decease  and  accident.  Welfare  compensation  and 
complementary cover are subject to performance conditions.

Board  decisions  of  2009,  2012,  2013  and  2015,  reiterated  on  April  25,  2017  and 
February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (5th resolution).

Involuntary Severance Pay
Mr.  Babeau  was  entitled  to  involuntary  termination  benefits  in  case  of  change  of 
control  or  strategy  and  taking  into  account  the  non-compete  compensation 
described below, amounting to twice the arithmetical average of his annual fixed and 
inclusive  of  compensation  and  complementary 
variable  compensation  (i.e. 
payments) paid over the last 3 years. (See page 273 of the 2019 URD).

Board decision of June 18-19, 2013, and February 18, 2015, reiterated on April 25, 
2017 and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (5th resolution).

Non-compete compensation
Mr.  Babeau  was  entitled  to  non-compete  compensation  for  a  period  of  one  year 
capped  at  6/10th  of  his  average  gross  compensation  –  i.e.  including  annual 
complementary payments – fixed and target variable – over the last 12 months of 
service). (See page 273 of the 2019 URD).

Board decisions of June 18-19, 2013 amended in October 24, 2013 and February 18, 
2015, reiterated and amended on April 25, 2017 and February 14, 2018.

Date of approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: April 24, 2018 (5th resolution).

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benefits

EUR0

EUR0 

EUR0

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

7. Compensation Report

7.4 Compensation policy for the 2020 financial year
7.4.1 Executive Compensation Governance

Schneider Electric follows a rigorous process for determining executive compensation, under the leadership of committed and independent 
directors.

Role of the Governance and remunerations committee 
The general principles and criteria forming part of the compensation policy for corporate officers, their individual assessment and their individual 
compensation  packages  are  prepared  and  reviewed  by  the  Governance  and  remunerations  committee  (the  “Committee”),  which  makes 
proposals to the board of directors for decision. The board also hears the report and recommendations from the Human Resources and CSR 
committee on the incentive structure and performance criteria (annual incentive and performance shares) applied to other members of the Group 
Senior Management (the other members of the Executive Committee, see section 7.5), as well as the other Group’s employees. To help the board 
in the decision process, the Governance and remunerations committee and the Human Resources and CSR committee are authorized to call 
upon external experts for specific topics and benchmarking data and analyses. The committees hold at least one joint meeting every year to 
discuss the compensation structure applicable to corporate officers and other employees of the Group. In 2019, there was one joint meeting 
between the Governance and remunerations committee and the Human Resources and CSR committee to study and discuss the definition of the 
new LTIP performance criteria and targets and to ascertain the alignment of the chosen approach with the compensation of other executives and 
employees of the Group (see page 251).

As part of its preparatory work for its proposals to the board, the Committee:

Defines incentive  
plan criteria

Benchmarks corporate  
officers’ pay

Engages with  
shareholders

Defines incentive plan criteria based 
on Schneider Electric’s executive 
compensation pillars and business 
strategy. Targets are determined at 
the beginning of the year in 
accordance with the goals of the 
Strategic Plan and individual 
performance objectives of each  
corporate officer. 

Based on circumstances and 
priorities, the targets also 
encompass risks raised by the Audit 
and risks committee as well as the 
recommendations of the Human 
Resources and CSR committee.

Benchmarks corporate officers’ pay 
against the median of a peer group 
consisting of 24 French and 
international companies that are 
comparable to Schneider Electric  
in terms of market capitalization, 
revenue, industry, or that represent  
a potential source of recruitment or 
attrition. 

This benchmarking is used as an 
indicator, not as a target, and is done 
ex-post only for reference.

Relies on its Chair and independent 
lead director to directly engage with 
shareholders to ensure their 
perspectives and feedback on 
Schneider Electric’s compensation 
policy are heard and considered in  
decision-making. 

The topic of corporate officers’ 
compensation is usually discussed 
at four board meetings every year. 
Corporate officers do not take part to 
the debates of the board concerning 
their own compensation.

This  process  ensures  consistency  and  alignment  between  the  compensation  policy  applied  to  the  other  executives  and  managers  and  the 
compensation policy applied to corporate officers. They share the same objectives and priorities and their rewards are aligned with Group’s 
performance and shareholder value creation. 

Use of discretion 
In determining executive compensation, the use of discretion is limited, and an appropriate disclosure on the use of discretion will be provided, 
if any, so that shareholders understand the basis for the board’s decisions. This discretion is available to the board to ensure successful execution 
of the policy and to reflect the fact that there are no individual performance objectives in corporate officers’ compensation: 

•  Flexibility to take account of unexpected changes in the industry environment and in compensation practice generally. This allows to respond 

to changes in circumstances, for example in modifying the benchmarking peer groups.

•  Exercise discretion, upwards or downwards, to adjust the formulaic outcome for annual or long-term incentive awards resulting from the strict 
application of the approved policy, where a qualitative assessment of performance is required to ensure that the awarded compensation is 
fair in light of the corporate officers’ actual contribution to the company’s overall performance, its positioning vs. competition and the outcomes 
for shareholders.

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Summary of changes for 2020

The  compensation  policy  is  intended  to  provide  a  clear  link  between  delivery  of  Schneider  Electric’s  strategy  and  corporate  officers’ 
compensation, while reflecting outcomes for shareholders. Set out below is the corporate officers and non-executive directors’ compensation 
policy (the ‘policy’) for 2020. It will be submitted to the shareholders at the 2020 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting (9th to 11th resolutions) and, 
subject to shareholders approval, will remain in force until the next policy is approved by the shareholders.

The Committee has reviewed the existing policy and concluded that the pillars and principles formulated in 2018 continue to provide market 
competitive  pay,  ensuring  a  strong  link  between  pay  and  performance,  strong  alignment  with  shareholders  and  long-term  focus.  Therefore, 
based on the Committee’s analyses and recommendation, the board decided at its meeting of December 13, 2019 to maintain the executive 
compensation pillars, namely, Pay-for-Performance, Alignment with Shareholders’ Interests, and Competitiveness, and the seven principles that 
they translate into.

The  Committee  has  also  reassessed  the  compensation  elements  and  criteria  considering  these  principles  and  the  shareholders’  concerns 
expressed at the 2018 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and during the shareholder engagement process described above. Relying on the work 
and recommendations of the Governance and remunerations committee, the board, at its meeting of February 19, 2020, decided that the overall 
compensation structure of the corporate officers should remain largely the same as in 2019 as it satisfies the objectives of pay-for-performance 
and alignment with shareholders’ interests, subject to a tightening of the post-mandate benefits.

The specific components of Mr. Babeau’s compensation, which are proposed to be granted to him at his departure, are presented separately.

Compensation 
Element

Base salary

Annual 
Incentive

Summary of changes 

Rationale

•  Based  on  the  Committee’s  recommendation,  the  board 
decided  that  the  corporate  officers’  salaries  should 
remain unchanged in 2020:
 – Jean-Pascal Tricoire: EUR1,000,000
 – Emmanuel Babeau: EUR680,000 (prorated for time)

Considering  the  positioning  of  the  corporate  officers’ 
salaries on the relevant markets, the Company performance 
and  also  pay  conditions  for  other  employees,  the  board 
decided  that  there  were  no  special  circumstances  that 
would call for a salary increase in 2020.

•  No  change  to  the  performance  criteria  and  weighting 
since it was simplified in 2019 by reducing the number of 
performance criteria from 8 to 4 with 80% Financial and 
20% Sustainability based criteria.

•  Continue  to  apply  a  more  stringent  approach  to  target 
setting: the maximum annual incentive will only be earned 
where  a  strong  performance  is  delivered  on  each 
performance metric.

•  The Annual Incentive structure focuses on what matters 
to Schneider Electric in delivering value to shareholders. 
It is 100% based on quantitative criteria. 

•  The  financial  criteria  –  adj.  EBITA  margin,  cash 
conversion and organic sales growth – represent 80% 
of the Annual Incentive and closely align pay outcomes 
for corporate officers with Schneider Electric’s financial 
performance.

•  20% is based on Schneider Sustainability Impact and 
reflects  the  importance  of  sustainability  on  Schneider 
Electric’s business agenda.

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7. Compensation Report

Compensation 
Element

Performance 
Shares
(Long-Term
Incentive Plan)

Summary of changes 

Rationale

•  Maintained the same number of shares to be granted to the 
Chairman and CEO Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoise as in 2019, in 
line with the compensation policy; ie. 60,000 shares.

• 

• 

•  The  award  of  shares  represents  the  maximum  potential 
and is subject to more stringent performance conditions. 
This is the fist plan that is subject to the new performance 
criteria, which are predominantly based on external and 
relative performance of Schneider electric versus peers 
on  TSR  and 
indices  on 
Sustainability. 

the  demanding  external 

•  From 2020, as approved by the shareholders at the 2019 
General  Meeting  under  the  new  LTIP  authorization,  the 
LTIP  is  simplified  to  reduce  the  number  of  performance 
criteria  from  4  to  3  and  remove  duplicate  performance 
criteria  between  the  annual  and  long-term  incentives. 
Also, the new plan:
i. 
Introduced an adjusted EPS as performance criterion;
ii.  Modified  TSR  peer  group  to  also  include  CAC40 
companies in addition to the current peer group and to 
introduce a more demanding pay-out scale.

iii.  Introduced  new  relative  and  external  Sustainability 
criteria  which  will  measure  Schneider  Electric’s 
progress  as  regards  sustainability  as  assessed 
externally 
independent,  demanding  and 
public indices.

through 

• 

•  Continue  a  more  stringent  approach  to  target  setting  – 
100%  of  award  can  only  be  earned  for  stretching 
performance: e.g. for the Adj. EBITA, only 70% of award 
will  be  earned  for  achieving  targets  aligned  with  the 
objectives communicated to the market.

In  line  with  the  compensation  philosophy  of  the 
company,  the  board  considers  more  appropriate  to 
maintain in the remuneration policy a cap expressed as 
a  number  of  awards  as  it  wants  to  avoid  the  windfall 
effect that could come with a cap expressed in value. 
However, the number of awards is reviewed annually by 
the board.
In discussing the LTIP awards for the corporate officer, 
the board considered various inputs: 
 – Reviewed the market practice and the competitive 
positioning of the corporate officer among the three 
the 
key  comparator  panels  as  specified 
compensation  principles  and  noted 
the 
chairman  and  CEO’s  on-target  compensation  is 
becoming less competitive versus its US peers;
 – Discussed the outstanding Group’s performance in 
2019,  and  specifically  the  excellent  returns  to 
shareholders  and  increased  enterprise  value  of 
Schneider Electric.

in 
that 

 – Observed that these LTIP awards would be subject, 
for 60% of the total, to stringent relative financial and 
non-financial  performance  criteria  and  for  the 
remaining  40%, 
the  Group’s  performance 
measured in terms of Adj. EPS. 

to 

In the context described above, the board decided that 
the number of shares granted to the Chairman and CEO 
continues  to  be  reasonable  in  terms  of  quantum  and 
market  practice  for  comparable  roles;  it  rewards  for 
excellent  performance  and  supports  the  culture  of 
ownership strongly promoted by Schneider Electric. 

•  Having  heard 

the 

reservations  expressed  by 
shareholders, the board decided to reduce from 30% 
to 25% the weight of the relative sustainability criterion 
measured  through  the  combination  of  four  external 
indices  under  the  new  Group  indicator  called  SSERI 
and reviewed the acquisition scale to ensure that only 
leadership  positions  in  the  most  demanding  and 
relevant indices would allow the vesting of 100% of the 
shares.

Termination 
provisions 

If the new policy is approved by the shareholders at the 2020 
meeting:

•  Severance  indemnity  will  exclude  pension  payments 

from the calculation. 

•  Circumstances  of  the  termination:  Resignation  may 
qualify  as  a  forced  departure  only  if  the  resignation  is 
“requested”.  Voluntary  resignation  does  not  qualify  as 
forced departure.

•  Right to retain unvested shares: Pro-rata rule will apply 

as a principle.

•  The  changes  to  the  LTIP  were  largely  supported  and 
approved  by  the  shareholders  at  the  2019  Annual 
Shareholders’  Meeting  (21st  resolution).  They  will  be 
implemented starting from 2020 LTIP awards. 

•  The board listened to shareholders’ feedback in 2019 
and made the appropriate changes and clarification to 
the  termination  provisions  previously  approved  as 
regulated agreements and commitments. 

•  The detailed operation of the termination provisions is 
described in the Policy section further in this document. 

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How are performance criteria linked to Schneider Electric strategic priorities? 
Variable pay is linked to performance metrics designed to deliver Schneider Electric strategy. At the start of each year, the board reviews the 
measures, targets and weightings to ensure they remain consistent with the annual priorities and Group strategy. For the annual incentive and the 
performance shares, the approach to performance measurement is intended to provide a balance of measures to assess performance focusing 
on execution of the Group’s strategic priorities.

How the strategy links to the corporate officers’ variable compensation

Group’s strategic priorities

Annual incentive plan

Organic growth

Value for customers

Sustainability

Continuous efficiency

Value & returns to shareholders

Delivering strong execution and creating value for customers and shareholders every 
year to contribute to Schneider Electric’s long-term success

Group  
organic  
sales growth
40%

Group adjusted 
EBITA margin 
improvement (org.)
30%

Group cash 
conversion  
rate
10%

Schneider 
Sustainability 
Impact
20%

Long-term incentive plan

Building  an  integrated  and  leading  company  with  strong  sustainability  focus  and 
attractive returns to shareholders

Adjusted Earnings  
per share
40%

Relative total 
shareholder return
35%

Relative  
Sustainability Index
25%

Considerations of wider workforce compensation and shareholders’ views 
The board monitors and reviews the effectiveness of the compensation policy for corporate officers and senior management and has regard to 
its impact and consistency with compensation policies in the wider workforce. During the year the board is provided with information and context 
on pay in the wider workforce and various HR initiatives to enable its decision-making. This includes the approach to gender pay gap and living 
wage programmes rolled out globally, the annual incentive results, the total cost of LTIP awards. Employee shareholders representatives are 
provided with a detailed explanation of the corporate officers’ compensation arrangements and can ask questions on the arrangements and how 
their compensation is aligned with the Company’s performance.

The board is committed to an open and transparent dialogue with Schneider Electric’s shareholders through the Vice-Chairman lead independent 
director. Where appropriate, Schneider Electric actively engages with shareholders and shareholder representative bodies, taking their views 
into  account  when  making  any  decisions  about  the  corporate  officers’  compensation.  The  Vice-Chairman  lead  independent  director  is  also 
available to answer questions at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

2020 Compensation Pillars and Principles

Pay for Performance

Alignment with  
shareholders’ interest

Competitiveness

•  Principle 1: Prevalence of 

variable components: circa 80% 
for CEO and 75% for Deputy CEO  
(at target).

•  Principle 2: Performance is 
evaluated via economic and 
measurable criteria.

•  Principle 3: Financial and 

Sustainability objectives are fairly 
balanced and distributed 
between short-term (annual 
incentive) and medium-term 
(long-term incentive) 
components.

•  Principle 4: Significant 
proportion of the total 
compensation delivered in 
shares.

•  Principle 5: Performance 

conditions support Schneider 
Electric’s strategic priorities and 
are aligned with shareholders’ 
expectations.

•  Principle 6: To benchmark  

Corporate Officers’ 
compensation package  
“at target” in the median range  
of the Company’s updated  
peer group.

•  Principle 7: To reference the 

CAC40 3rd quartile and the Stoxx 
Europe 50 median.

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7. Compensation Report

Base salary

Purpose and Operation 
Base salaries are fixed remuneration, reflecting the scale and complexity 
of the business and the level of responsibility attached to the role of a 
corporate officer.

The  board  reviews  corporate  officers’  salaries  regularly  but  usually 
awards increases only over a substantial period of time, unless there are 
specific circumstances that would warrant a salary increase, for example 
a major change in the corporate officer’s duties. The board ensures that 
corporate officers’ salaries are set reasonably comparing to similar roles 
in the market.

The board has decided there will be no increase in salaries in 2020.

Salary increases over the last five years

Jean-Pascal Tricoire

Emmanuel Babeau

0
2020

0
2019

2018

0
2017

0
2016

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

5%

Nil

Nil

0
2020

0
2019

2018

0
2017

Nil

2016

12%

10%

Corporate officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO
Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy CEO

FY 2020
(January 1, 2020)

FY 2019
(January 1, 2019)

€1,000,000
€680,000

€1,000,000
€680,000

% Change

0%
0%

The base salary paid to Mr. Babeau till his departure, calculated on a prorata temporis basis, would represent €226,667. (see page 297).

Annual Incentive

Purpose and Operation
Annual Incentive provides variable cash compensation which rewards achievement of the short-term financial and sustainability targets of the 
Group.

At the start of the financial year, performance criteria and weightings are determined, and annual financial and sustainability targets are reviewed 
in detail by the Committee and recommended to the board for approval. Outcomes will be determined based on performance against each of 
those targets. The board has the flexibility to review targets during the year to ensure continuous alignment with shareholders’ interests.

The payment of the variable annual cash incentive is conditional upon approval by shareholders of the compensation granted to the corporate 
officers. The Company does not operate a clawback policy.

The pay-out opportunity at threshold performance is 0%, with 50% of maximum annual incentive payable for achieving target. Pay-outs between 
threshold and target, and between target and maximum, are determined on a straight-line basis.

Schneider Electric does not operate a deferral programme.

2020 Annual Incentive opportunity at target and maximum:

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO

Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy CEO

Minimum

At target

Maximum

Minimum

At target

Maximum

0% of salary

130% of salary

260% of salary

0% of salary

100% of salary

200% of salary

Nil

EUR1,300,000

EUR2,600,000

Nil

EUR680,000

EUR1,360,000

For 2020, the board proposes that the measurable financial performance criteria determine 80% and sustainability criteria, 20% of the variable 
cash compensation of Messrs. Tricoire and Babeau as follows:

100% measurable and quantifiable criteria

80% Financial and 20% Sustainability

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For 2020, the board proposes that the measurable financial performance criteria determine 80% and sustainability criteria, 20% of the variable 
cash compensation of Mr. Tricorie as follows:

Performance Criteria

Description and link to strategy

40% Group Organic Sales Growth

Fostering organic growth through deployment of strategic priorities in key markets

30% Adjusted EBITA operating margin improvement

Enabling shareholder value creation through continuous efficiency

20% Schneider Sustainability Impact

Promoting continuous progress towards more sustainability and value for customers

10% Group Cash conversion

Enabling returns to shareholders

For business confidentiality reasons, the level of attainment required at target cannot be disclosed; however, the targets have been set by the 
board at the meeting of February 19, 2020 and will be communicated retrospectively.

Regarding specifically the Deputy CEO Mr. Babeau who leaves his position on April 30th, 2020, the target level set forth for the 2020 financial 
year, and not the maximum, would be deemed reached and applied to the annual incentive set at €680 000 with no change. Mr. Babeau would 
therefore be granted, on a prorata temporis basis until the termination date of his term of office as Deputy CEO, an amount of €226,667 (see page 
297 for details).

Performance Shares (Long Term Incentive Plan)

Purpose and Operation
LTIP links the largest part of corporate officers’ compensation with the 
long-term  performance  of  the  Group  and  the  actual  outcome  varies 
with performance against criteria linked directly to strategic priorities.

Shares granted are subject to a vesting period of three years with an 
additional mandatory one year holding period for 30% of shares which 
are granted under the Plan reserved to the corporate officers.

For  threshold  performance,  0%  of  shares  granted  will  vest,  for 
maximum 100% will vest. Vesting will normally operate on a straight- 
line basis between these points.

LTIP time horizon

Long-term
incentive 
plan

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

1 year 
holding 
period

Shares 
released

Perfomance period

30% of shares 
that vest

Shares 
granted

Performance assessed 
& shares vest (70% released)

In 2018, the board has undertaken a robust review of the performance criteria and target setting approach to ensure LTIP performance criteria 
reflect a holistic assessment of the Group’s performance, continue to reinforce Schneider Electric’s strategy; encourage management to deliver 
steady and sustainable growth and strong alignment with shareholders.

These proposals have been approved by shareholders under the new LTIP resolution at the 2019 Annual Shareholders Meeting on April 25, 2019 
(21st resolution). Therefore, the 2020 LTIP share awards will be granted under the new structure.

In order to align the interests of the Group’s executives to those of the shareholders, in 2020 the board will allocate performance shares to more 
than 2,000 beneficiaries who hold positions as Group executives (Plans No. 36 and 37). For Group Senior Management, 100% of shares allocated 
will be subject to a set of performance criteria with targets set by the board for each performance criteria and measured over 3 years. The total 
number of shares to be granted in 2020 is capped at 2.2 million shares.

The maximum annual award to the Chairman and CEO for 2020 remains the same as in 2019 – 60,000 shares (“policy maximum”). Under no 
circumstances, including in case of overachievement of all targets, the number of shares acquired may exceed the number of shares defined as 
policy maximum.

The volume of the maximum annual award was set in consideration of:

•  The market practice and competitive positioning of the Chairman and CEO’s compensation package;
•  The outstanding group’s performance in 2019, acknowledged by the market;
•  The new structure of performance measurement governing the final acquisition of LTIP awards; 
•  The culture of ownership deeply rooted in Schneider Electric’s DNA.

100% measurable and quantifiable criteria

75% Financial & TSR and 25% Sustainability

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7. Compensation Report

Performance criteria and weightings applicable to the 2020 LTIP:

•  40%, a target improvement of Adj. EPS;
•  35%, a relative TSR performance of Schneider Electric:

 – 17.5% measured vs a bespoke panel of 11 companies: ABB, Legrand, Siemens, Eaton, Emerson, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Rockwell 

Automation, Fuji Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Yokogawa.

 – 17.5% measured vs CAC 40 companies

•  25%, based on Schneider Sustainability External & Relative Index.

Adjusted EPS (40%): The board introduced Adjusted EPS as the key long-term performance metric which promotes the execution of Schneider 
Electric’s strategy to deliver profitable growth, thus reinforcing alignment with shareholders. The criterion is defined as the average of the annual 
rates of achievement of Adjusted EPS improvement targets for the 2020 to 2022 financial years. Adjusted EPS performance is published in the 
external financial communications and its annual variance will be calculated using adjusted EBITA at constant FX from year N-1 to year N. Foreign 
exchange impacts below adjusted EBITA will be taken in full. Significant unforeseen scope impact could be restated from this calculation upon 
decision of The board.

Relative TSR (35%): the weight of this criteria has more than doubled (previously was 15%) to strengthen even further the alignment between the 
shareholders’ interests and compensation of the corporate officers. 

•  For 50% of the shares subject to the TSR criterion (i.e. 17.5% of the total), Schneider Electric TSR will be compared to a bespoke industry panel 
of  11  companies  (ABB,  Legrand,  Siemens,  Eaton,  Emerson,  Honeywell,  Johnson  Controls,  Rockwell  Automation,  Fuji  Electric,  Mitsubishi 
Electric and Yokogawa).

•  For the remaining 50%, Schneider Electric TSR will be compared with the TSR of the companies in CAC40 index to reflect the macro-economic 

and stock-market specific trends which influence the performance of the share and in turn, the return to shareholders.

The TSR vesting scale is now as follows:

•  No vesting at ranks 8 and below in the bespoke peer group: 0% at rank 8 and below, 100% at rank 4, 150% for ranks 1 to 3, linear between 

these points, as was already introduced in 2019 LTIP. 

•  For CAC40 TSR panel, there will be no vesting of shares for performance below the median: 0% below median, 50% at median (rank 20), 100% 

at rank 10, 120% in ranks 1 to 4, linear between these points. 

•  Overcompensation  for  exceptional  performance  will  be  permitted  only  if  Schneider  Electric’s  TSR  is  ranked  within  the  top  quartile  of  the 
bespoke industry panel or within top 10% of the CAC40 companies and may compensate for under-performance under the Adjusted EPS 
criterion up to the same number of shares. 
If the Schneider Electric TSR is closely clustered with that of other companies in the panel, then the board of directors will apply its judgment 
to decide whether Schneider Electric’s TSR shall be deemed to be ranked in the same position as those companies.

• 

Schneider  Sustainability  External  and  Relative  Index  (SSERI)  (25%),  referred  to  herein  as  Relative  Sustainability  Index:  the  long-term 
sustainability performance of the Group is also measured in terms of relative performance, through a combination of external indices which cover 
a range of environmental, social and governance indicators wider than and different from the Schneider Sustainability Impact. Using external 
indices will also ensure that the sustainability priorities governing the assessment of the long-term sustainability performance of the Group are at 
all times those which matter the most to the stakeholders. 

For the 2020-22 plans, the board has selected some of the most challenging external indices (DJSI World, Euronext Vigeo, FTSE4GOOD and 
CDP Climate Change) which are objective, recognized and independent, covering main geographies in line with the Group’s Global footprint and 
which complement each other as they cover different sustainability dimensions. Using external and relative indices for performance assessment 
encourages permanent progress as their content is dynamic and includes new and more relevant topics as they emerge, forcing participants to 
constantly anticipate the most demanding trends in global sustainability. In line with Schneider Electric sustainability strategy, external indices 
stand at the forefront of new academic research of sustainability practices (IPCC 1.5ºC report, TCFD recommendations, UN Global Compact 
SDGs…) and continuously raise the bar to deliver stronger impacts.

DJSI

Euronext Vigeo

FTSE4GOOD

CDP Climate Change

Covers 3 dimensions: economic, 
environmental and social.

Covers environment, community 
involvement, business behaviour, 
human rights, corporate 
governance, human resources.

Covers the complete range of  
E (Environment), S (Social), and 
G (Governance).

Covers climate change, water, 
forests and represents a major 
reference for climate change 
leadership globally.

3,400 companies assessed.

4,000 companies assessed.

4,700 companies assessed.

5,500 companies assessed.

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Criteria

Weight (%) 

Sustainability 
Index

Threshold

Mid-point

Target/Maximum

Pay-out %

Relative Sustainability 
Index (25%)

25% 

0%

50%

100%

DJSIW

Not in World

Included in World

Sector Leader (#1)

25% 

Euronext Vigeo

Out

25%

25% 

FTSE4GOOD

Out

CDP Climate 
Change

≤C score

Included in World 
120 OR Europe 120 
index

Included in World 
120 & Europe 120 
index

Included in 
Developed OR 
Environmental 
Leaders Europe 40 
indexes

Included in 
Developed and 
Environmental 
Leaders Europe 40 
indexes

B score (25% 
payout at B- score)

A score (75% 
payout at A- score)

The target values and performance rates for each of these performance criteria will be detailed in the board’s report to the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting once the performance period has finished.

The maximum annual award to the Chairman and CEO for 2020 remains the same as in 2019, ie. 60,000 shares (“policy maximum”). However, 
the board may decide to award a different number of shares, provided it does not exceed the existing policy maximum. Under no circumstances, 
including in case of overachievement of all targets, may the number of shares acquired exceed the number of shares defined as policy maximum.

Corporate officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO

Number of Shares  

(Plan No. 36)(1)

Number of Shares 
(Plan No. 37)

18,000

42,000

(1)  The performance shares granted only to corporate officers are subject to a one year holding period after expiry of the three-year vesting period.

Mr. Babeau, who leaves the Group on April 30th, 2020 will not be granted any shares in 2020.

Pension Benefits

Purpose and Operation
The corporate officers receive complementary cash payments in lieu of participation in the defined benefit pension scheme (article 39) (“Top 
Hat”), which was discontinued for corporate officers following the decision of the board of directors on February 18, 2015. 

The purpose of the pension cash payments is to provide a competitive retirement benefit in a way that is cost effective to the Company and that 
allows corporate officers to continue building their retirement benefits independently. The cash payments are a combination of fixed and variable 
payments  that  are  considered  “other  benefits”  to  ensure  consistency  and  comparability  with  other  French  or  international  companies.  The 
maximum  annual  Complementary  Pension  Cash  Benefit  for  2020  remains  unchanged  and  is  detailed  in  the  table  below.  Variable  portion  is 
subject  to  the  same  performance  criteria  and  targets  as  the  Annual  Incentive.  The  corporate  officers  have  committed  to  depositing  these 
additional payments, after taxes, into investment vehicles dedicated to the supplementary financing of their pensions.

Corporate Officer

Fixed  

portion

Target  

(% of Fixed)

Minimum

At target

Maximum

Total at Target

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO

€191,600

130%

€0

€249,080

€498,160

€440,680

Variable portion

Mr. Babeau would receive, as complementary cash payments for pension building, the amounts prorated for time lapsed till the termination 
of his office as Deputy CEO, (i) of the fixed portion set at €153.300 on an annual basis with no change and (ii) of the variable portion calculated 
on the fixed portion, ie. €51,100 for the fixed portion and €51,100 for the variable portion (see page 297 for details).

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Other benefits

Schneider  Electric  aims  to  provide  an  appropriate  level  of  benefits  considering  market  practice  and  the  level  of  benefits  provided  for  other 
employees  in  the  Group.  The  benefits  currently  provided  are  described  below,  but  may  also  include,  for  example,  relocation  assistance  if 
required and subject to the board’s decision. 

Employer Matching Contributions and Profit-Sharing
Corporate officers are eligible for profit-sharing and the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the capital increase reserved for 
employees.

Corporate officers are also eligible for the employer matching contribution paid to subscribers to the collective pension fund (PERCO), for the 
retirement of employees in France.

Company Car and Travel Expenses
Travel and business expenses for corporate officers are covered by the Group. The corporate officers may use the cars made available to Group 
Senior Management with or without chauffeur services. In addition, corporate officers are provided with a company car, but are not eligible to be 
reimbursed for other costs.

Health, Life and Disability schemes
Corporate officers are eligible for:

i. 

The collective welfare plan applicable to employees of Schneider Electric SE and Schneider Electric Industries SAS covering the risks of 
illness, incapacity, disability and death;

ii.  Additional coverage of the Group’s French executives for risks of illness, incapacity, disability and death. The main features of this coverage 

are:
1) 

2) 

In case of illness or accident resulting in a temporary stoppage or incapacity (of any category), the corporate officer shall be entitled to 
continue to receive 18 months’ worth of his compensation (fixed and target variable) authorized by the board,
In case of death, the policyholder’s beneficiaries shall be entitled to the compensation (fixed and target variable) authorized by the 
board of directors for the current month, along with a death benefit equal to 6 months of the average compensation authorized by the 
board of directors (monthly average of the fixed and variable compensation paid during the last 12 months of employment);
iii.  The entitlement to a life annuity pension paid to the surviving spouse in the event of death before his retirement, or if he left the company after 
the age of 55 without returning to work, equal to 60% of 25% of the average of compensation paid during the 3 years before the date of death, 
with a deduction made from the theoretical pension payment that may be obtained under insurance conditions from the additional payments 
that will have been made;
In the event of disability causing the corporate officer to completely stop working, the right to pension payments (payable to the surviving 
spouse at a rate of 60%) beginning from his retirement equal to 25% of the average of the total cash compensation paid over the 3 years 
preceding the date of disability minus 1.25% per quarter of absence so as to obtain a full rate of pension and minus the amount of additional 
compensation that may be obtained under insurance conditions at the time the disability occurred;
In the event of an accident, the Group insurance covering the executive’s accident risk, stipulating the payment of a benefit the sum of which 
may be up to 4 times the annual compensation based on the type and circumstances of the accident.

iv. 

v. 

Eligibility for benefits (ii) through (v) above is conditional on the fulfilment of one of the following conditions:

• 
• 

the average of the net income of the last 5 financial years preceding the event is positive;
the average of the free cash flow of the last 5 financial years preceding the event is positive.

Compensation in relation to director’s office 
Mr. Tricoire has waived the attendance fees to which he is entitled in his capacity of Chairman of the board in pursuance of the distribution rules 
adopted by the board. Likewise, in accordance with the Group internal rules, Mr. Babeau will not receive attendance fees from any directorship 
held in Group companies until his departure.

Extraordinary Awards
The Compensation Policy does not include any provisions for extraordinary payments. 

The  board  decided  to  maintain  the  prohibition  of  one-off  payments  that  are  not  provided  for  in  the  compensation  policy  approved  
by the shareholders. 

Recruitment Policy 
On appointment of a new corporate officer, the board expects any new corporate officer to be engaged on terms that are consistent with, and in 
no  case  more  favorable  than,  the  policy  approved  by  the  shareholders  at  the  last  Shareholders’  Meeting,  until  the  next  policy  is  approved. 
However, it is recognized that all circumstances in which corporate officer may be appointed cannot be anticipated. The board will aim to set 
compensation that is appropriate to attract, motivate, retain and reward an individual of the quality required to run the Group successfully, while 
avoiding paying more than is necessary. If the board determines that it is in the best interests of the Company and shareholders to secure the 
services of a particular individual not promoted within the Group, it may require considering the terms of that individual’s existing employment 
and/ or their personal circumstances. 

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The table below summarises the policy on appointment of a new corporate officer.

Base Salary

Salaries are set by the board, taking into consideration a number of factors including the current pay for other
corporate officers, the experience, skill and current pay level of the individual and external market forces. The board 
may choose to set the salary below that of the market or the other corporate officers with the intention of applying staged 
increases as the individual gains experience in the role.

Annual incentive

Annual incentive will be awarded within the parameters of the policy in force.

Pension

Other benefits

Buy-out awards

Relocation

The board would set the pension cash supplementary payments at the appropriate level based on an individual’s 
circumstances.

The board would expect any new corporate officer to participate in the benefit schemes that are open to other senior 
employees (where appropriate referencing the candidate’s home country) but would take into account the individual’s 
existing arrangements, market norms and their status as a corporate officer.

The board may offer compensatory payments or buy-out awards where an individual forfeits outstanding variable pay 
opportunities or contractual rights as a result of their appointment. The specifics of any buy-out awards would be 
dependent on the individual circumstances of recruitment and would be determined on a case-by-case basis. On 
assessing such awards, the board will seek to make awards on a like-for-like basis to ensure that the value awarded 
would be no greater than the value forfeited by the individual. The board may choose to apply performance conditions 
to these awards.

Where an individual is relocating in order to take up the role, the board may approve certain one-off benefits such as 
reasonable relocation expenses, accommodation for a defined period following appointment, assistance with visa 
applications or other immigration issues and ongoing arrangements such as tax equalization, annual flights home and 
a housing allowance.

Internal promotion

Where an existing employee is appointed to the board, he/she will be required to resign from his/her employment 
contract and the board will consider all existing contractual commitments including any outstanding share awards or 
pension entitlements.

In making any decision on the compensation of a new corporate officer, the board would balance shareholder expectations, current best practice 
and the circumstances of any new corporate officer. It would strive not to pay more than is necessary to recruit the right candidate and would give 
full details in the next remuneration report.

Post–mandate benefits (formerly covered under the Regulated Agreements and Commitments)

The  post-mandate  benefits  described  below  shall  not  apply  to  Mr.  Babeau,  Deputy  CEO,  whose  specific  post-mandate  benefits  in 
relation  to  his  departure  on  April  30,  2020,  are  detailed  in  the  next  section.  They  shall  exclusively  apply  to  the  Chairman  and  CEO 
Mr. Tricoire.

The board listened carefully to the concerns raised by the shareholders and taking their feedback into account, the board propose the following 
changes to the corporate officers’ post-mandate benefits: 

•  Complementary payments for pension are proposed to be excluded from the severance indemnity calculation. 
•  A  resignation  may  qualify  as  a  forced  departure  only  if  the  resignation  was  “requested”,  which  may  include  reasons  such  as  change  in 

strategy. Voluntary resignation does not qualify as a forced departure. 

•  Pro-rata rule will now apply as a principle to determine the corporate officer’s right to keep unvested shares after their constraint departure.

The table below presents a summary of the benefits that could be granted to the corporate officers on leaving office depending on the terms of the 
departure. The information provided in this summary is without prejudice to any decisions that may be made by the board. In determining overall 
termination arrangements, the board will ensure that termination benefits shall be granted only in case of forced departure and regardless of the form 
of the departure. In any case, Involuntary Severance Pay will not be paid if the resignation is a consequence of wrongful or gross misconduct.

Voluntary resignation/
Removal from office for 
wrongful or gross 
misconduct

Forced departure(1)

Retirement

Change of 
assignment 
within the 
Group

Involuntary  
Severance Pay(2)

Not applicable

Maximum Amount(3) = twice the arithmetical 
average of the corporate officer’s annual fixed 
and variable cash compensation, to the 
exclusion of complementary pension payments, 
paid over the last 3 years taking into account the 
non-compete compensation, if any, and subject 
to the attainment of performance conditions.

Not applicable

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Voluntary resignation/
Removal from office for 
wrongful or gross 
misconduct

Forced departure(1)

Retirement

Change of 
assignment 
within the 
Group

Non-compete indemnity(4)

If not waived by the board, 60% of annual fixed and target variable 
compensation (excluding pension payments)

Retention of unvested 
share awards(5)

Forfeited in full

Rights retained on pro-rata basis to presence 
within Schneider Electric

Not applicable

Rights retained

Notes:
1)  The termination benefits only become payable if the departure of the corporate officer is forced, including requested resignation, in the following cases;

a.  Dismissal, non renewal or requested resignation of the corporate officer, within the 6 months following a material change in Schneider Electric’s shareholder structure 

that could change the membership of the board of directors;

b.  Dismissal, non renewal or requested resignation of the corporate officer, in the event of a reorientation of the strategy pursued and promoted by the corporate officer 

until that time, whether or not in connection with a change in shareholder structure as described above; and

c.  Dismissal, non renewal or requested resignation of the corporate officer, although, on average, two-thirds of the Group performance criteria have been achieved for 

the last 4 financial years from the day of departure.

2)  Payment of the Involuntary Severance Pay is subject to fulfilment of the following performance conditions based on the average rate of achievement of the Group’s 

performance criteria used in the Annual Incentive for the last 3 financial years preceding the date of the board’s decision:

Group criteria achievement

Severance payment

< 66%

66%-100%

>100%

No payment

75% – 100% of the Maximum Amount, calculated on a straight line basis

100% of the Maximum Amount

3)  The aggregate amount of the Involuntary Severance Pay and the non-compete compensation, if any, shall not exceed the Maximum Amount.
4)  Non-compete: Corporate officers are bound by a non-compete agreement in case of departure. The one-year agreement calls for compensation to be paid at 60% of 

5) 

annual fixed and target variable parts (excluding complementary payments). In line with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance code, the board 
will determine whether to apply the non-compete clause at the time of departure of the corporate officer. 
If the corporate officer leaves the Group in circumstances of a forced departure, he will be entitled to retain unvested performance shares, which would typically vest at 
the end of the relevant vesting period, subject to the applicable performance conditions, and which will be pro-rated for the time the corporate officer remained with the 
Group in any capacity during the vesting period. 

Corporate officers are responsible for building their own pension and are not entitled to any pension benefits in case of departure.

In conformity with the recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance code:

•  The entitlement to involuntary severance pay is subject to strict performance conditions, assessed over a period not lesser than two years;
•  Only circumstances of a forced departure, regardless of the form of the departure, could trigger the entitlement to involuntary severance pay;
•  Together with the non-compete indemnity, if any, the involuntary severance pay could not exceed twice the average of the corporate officer’s 

annual compensation (fixed and variable part, to the exclusion of the pension benefits);

•  The board shall determine unilaterally whether or not to apply the non-compete clause at the time of the departure of the corporate officer;
•  The corporate officer shall not be entitled to Involuntary Severance Pay in case he is entitled to benefit from his/her pension rights.

Corporate officer

Employment  

Contract

Top-Hat 
pension benefits

Payments or 
benefits that may 
be due in the 
event of 
termination of 
assignment

Payments in 
relation to a 
non-compete 
agreement

Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO

NO

NO(1)

YES

YES

(1)  The board of directors of February 18, 2015, decided to put an end to the benefits of the top-hat pension plan for corporate officers.

If the compensation policy for 2020 of the Chairman and CEO Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricorie is approved, those changes would apply immediately and 
supersede  the  terms  of  the  Regulated  Agreements  and  Commitments  in  relation  to  his  status  detailed  in  section  4.8  below  and  previously 
approved (4th resolution approved at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 24 April 2018).

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Departure of the Deputy CEO Mr. Emmanuel Babeau

Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau,  Deputy  CEO  of  Schneider  Electric,  will  be  leaving  the  Group  with  effect  from  30  April  2020,  under  mutually  agreed 
conditions that have been set forth in the Agreement executed on 2 March 2020 in accordance with the procedure of the regulated agreements 
of Article L. 225-38 of the French Commercial Code. 

The board of directors, in its meeting of 28 February 2020, based on the works and recommendation of the Governance and remunerations 
committee, decided to grant him the compensation components listed hereinafter, subject to their approval by the general meeting to be held on 
23 April 2020 under:
• 
•  a specific resolution relating to the approval of the compensation policy applicable in 2020 to Mr. Babeau as part of his departure and the 

the regulated agreements’ procedure (5th resolution); and

components of the compensation thus approved and already known that would be paid to him at his departure (10th resolution).

Base salary for the 2020 financial year
The amount of the annual base salary of the Deputy CEO would remain unchanged for 2020, ie. €680,000 for a full year. The base salary paid to 
Mr. Babeau would be calculated on a prorata temporis basis until the termination date of his term of office as Deputy CEO. He would therefore 
receive €226,667 until 30 April 2020 as base salary.

Annual incentive for the 2020 financial year
The board would like to acknowledge Mr. Babeau’s contribution for the 2020 financial year and the assistance he provided to ensure a smooth 
transition in the best conditions. As a result, the target level (ie. 100% of the fixed compensation) - and not the maximum (ie. 200%) - of the annual 
incentive of €680,000 set forth for the 2020 financial year, would be deemed reached for the Deputy CEO Mr. Babeau and applied on a prorata 
temporis basis until the termination date of his term of office as Deputy CEO. The portion of the annual incentive due to Mr. Babeau for the 2020 
financial year would thus be €226,667. 

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would not be granted any performance share under the 2020 performance share plans. 

Complementary cash payments for pension building
Mr.  Babeau  would  receive,  as  complementary  cash  payment  for  pension  building  for  2020,  the  following  amounts,  calculated  on  a  prorata 
temporis basis until the termination date of his term of office as Deputy CEO:

fixed portion: €51,100 (based on an annual amount of €153,300 euros); and

• 
•  variable portion (at target): €51,100 (based on an annual amount of €153,300 for a variable portion equal to 100% of the fixed portion if the 

target level is deemed reached for the 2020 financial year).

Application of a new non-compete agreement and other restrictive covenants
The board of directors reviewed the contractual conditions currently applicable to the corporate officers as part of their status, amended for the 
last time on 14 February 2018 and approved under the procedure of the regulated agreements and commitments at the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting of 24 April 2018. This status is described in detail page 273 of this Universal Registration Document.

As per this status, the board of directors must decide whether or not the non-compete commitment shall apply. 

The board of directors, after hearing the report of the Governance and remunerations committee and deliberating thereon, felt it necessary to 
further protect the company and Group’s interests after the departure of the Deputy CEO. The board noted in this regard that Mr. Emmanuel 
Babeau had worked within the Group for more than ten years, including seven years in the capacity of Deputy CEO, and has in-depth knowledge 
of the Group’s operations and future strategic development. As Vice Chairman and non-executive director of Aveva Group Plc. since 2018, he 
has also developed cross-disciplinary, strategic and operational skills in the engineering and industrial software sector, a sector which is seen 
as crucial for the current and future development of the Group.

As a result, the current non-compete commitment is deemed insufficient and does not protect the Group’s interests to the full extent and would 
thus be replaced with a new non-compete commitment, the scope of which would extend to positions as employee, executive and non-executive 
officer (and in particular any participation in a governance body) and to any activity providing services or consultancy within or to the companies 
already covered by the initial non-compete agreement as well as companies in the engineering and industrial software sector. The term of the 
new non-compete commitment would extend to 2 years (instead of 12 months under the current commitment). 

Mr. Babeau, whose contribution to the Group’s good performance has been acknowledged by the board of directors, would waive the non-
compete cash compensation equal to 60% of his annual target compensation (including complementary payments) that he would be entitled to 
receive pursuant to the non-compete agreement approved by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 24th, 2018.

This fresh non-compete commitment would be supplemented by the following restrictive covenants resulting from the departure of the corporate 
officer: (i) non-solicitation, (ii) non-disparagement, (iii) confidentiality and (iv) cooperation in the context of legal or administrative proceedings 
involving the company, all binding Mr. Babeau for a period of two years. 

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7. Compensation Report

Subject to compliance with the terms of all these commitments and covenants, Mr. Babeau would be entitled to retain the unvested performance 
shares  granted  to  him  in  2018  and  2019,  in  proportion  to  the  time  of  his  presence  over  the  vesting  period  of  the  performance  share  plans 
concerned and subject to the original performance conditions applicable to those shares and the plan rules.

Right to retain unvested performance shares
The continuous presence condition provided for in the performance share plans would be waived and Mr. Babeau would be entitled to retain the 
52,000 unvested performance shares, which were granted to him in 2018 and 2019, in proportion to the time of his presence over the vesting 
period of the performance share plans concerned, i.e., a maximum of 27,445 performance shares, under the following conditions:

•  18,056 performance shares granted in 2018 under the plans 30 and 31 would be deemed vested on March 26, 2021, subject to the Deputy 

CEO’s compliance with all the commitments and covenants above described until that date; and

•  9,389 performance shares granted in 2019 under the plans 32 and 33 would be deemed vested on March 28, 2022, subject to the Deputy 

CEO’s compliance with all the commitments and covenants above described until that date.

The other conditions provided for in the performance share plans rules, and in particular the performance conditions, would remain applicable.
The final number of performance shares that could be acquired by Mr. Babeau will be known at the end of the respective vesting periods, subject 
to continuous compliance with the commitments and covenants and to the achievement rates of the applicable performance conditions set by 
the board of directors.

Tax and legal support
Mr. Babeau would benefit from legal and tax support until the completion of the study relating to the consequences of him being based in the 
United-Kingdom from July 2014 to July 2018 for the purposes of the integration of Invensys Ltd.. This study is currently carried out by the external 
provider, and will be completed by 31 December 2020 at the latest. The cost of this support is capped at 15,000 euros.

In any event:

•  Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau  will  not  receive  any  Involuntary  Severance  Pay  insofar  as  his  departure  does  not  constitute  a  case  of  constraint 

departure;

•  Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will not be entitled to any post-mandate retirement benefit; 
•  The above-mentioned compensation components would constitute the entirety of the compensation granted to him in connection with the 

termination of all his assignments within the company and any other company of the group, in any respect whatsoever.

While deliberating on the conditions of Mr. Babeau’s departure, the board of directors emphasized the following circumstances:

•  The priority is to protect the Group’s interest by strengthening the post-mandate guarantees and assurances obtained from a departing 
corporate officer who was with the Group for more than ten years and whose scope of expertise extended to companies from the 
technology and engineering sectors;

•  Mr. Emmanuel Babeau contributed to the solid performance of the Group, which translated into an annual average organic growth of 
the  Adjusted  EBITA  margin  of  6.4%  between  2015  and  2019.  Over  the  past  three  years,  the  achievement  rate  of  the  performance 
conditions which determine the corporate officers’ annual incentive reached 133% on average;

•  The right to retain unvested performance shares on a prorata temporis basis is proportionate, in value, to the commitments taken by 

Mr. Babeau and its term is matching the term of these commitments;

• 

•  The equivalent value of the performance shares that Mr. Babeau will be entitled to retain provided he complies with his new commitments 
will depend upon the Group’s performance over the next two years and the successful implementation of the strategic plan to the 
conception of which he has contributed;
In any event, this equivalent value will not exceed the Maximum Amount defined as twice the arithmetic average of the effective cash 
compensation, fixed and variable (excluding the complementary payments for pension building), for the past three years, ie. a cap of 
€2,958,733:
 – IFRS value of the 18,056 shares granted in 2018 and potentially retained: €987,447 
 – IFRS value of the 9,389 shares granted in 2019 and potentially retained: €505,494;

representing a potential total value of €1,492,941 for a commitment of two years, to be compared to (i) the total value of the current 
non-compete indemnity, for a one-year commitment, of €996,960, and to (ii) the equivalent of two years of effective cash compensation 
which represents an amount of €2,958,733 (excluding the complementary payments for pension building).

  At  the  closing  share  price  of  the  day  of  the  decision,  ie.  €90.50,  and  assuming  that  the  performance  conditions  applicable  to  the 
unvested shares will all be fully satisfied, the equivalent value of the shares that Mr. Babeau would be entitled to keep is also below the 
Maximum Amount; 

•  The shares that would eventually be acquired by Mr. Babeau at the vesting date of the two performance share plans would be delivered 
from the existing treasury shares that have already been acquired by the company in the course of the share buy-back programme and 
allocated to the implementation of the performance share plans. The cash impact for the company would therefore be nil.

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7.4.2 Compensation policy table – non-executive directors
The maximum amount that can be paid for non-executive directors is set in accordance with the Articles of Association.

At the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the shareholders have approved under the 13th resolution the maximum total amount of the annual 
compensation that can be paid to the members of the board which since then stands at €2,500,000. It is proposed: 

•  To maintain the cap of annual total compensation payable to the members of the board at EUR2,500,000; and
•  To keep the allocation rules unchanged and as detailed below. 

The table below shows the allocation rules of the fixed payments allocated to the non-executive directors and implemented during the 2020 
financial year.

Approach 

Director’s individual compensation

Compensation for travel time 

•  Amounts granted to the non-executive 

•  Non-executive directors are paid a fixed 

directors are determined taking account 
of a director’s responsibilities, the 
expected commitment for the role and 
the competitive market rates among the 
international peers.

basic amount of EUR25,000 for membership 
of the board with an additional amount of 
EUR7,000 per board meeting attended and 
EUR4,000 per committee meeting. 
•  Additional payments are made to  

•  Besides the fixed base amount, the 

directors’ compensation mostly depends 
upon the said directors’ attendance to 
the board and committee meetings. 
•  The board is responsible for setting the 
amounts due to be paid to each of the 
non-executive directors.

•  The total amount paid is subject to the 

aggregate limit set by the shareholders.

non executive directors who hold the 
position of Committee Chair to reflect the 
additional responsibilities and workload: 
 – Audit committee: EUR20,000 per annum 
 – Human Resources and CSR committee, 

Digital Committee, and Investment 
Committee: EUR15,000 per annum 
 – Independent lead director, who is also 
the Chairman of the Governance and 
remunerations committee: EUR250,000 
per annum 

•  For non-voting members, a fixed payment of 
EUR20,000 per annum is paid, unless they 
become non-executive director at the next 
general meeting. In this case, they will 
receive the same fees for attending the 
board and committee meetings as non-
executive directors.

•  All payments are pro-rated for time served 

during the year and are paid in cash.

•  For intercontinental travel (e.g. USA), 
non-executive directors attending the 
meeting physically are paid EUR5,000 per 
board session. 

•  For intra-continental travels  

(e.g. Switzerland) non-executive directors 
attending the meeting physically are paid 
EUR3,000 per board session. 

•  Non-executive directors do not receive 
incentive pay or share awards or any 
benefits nor pension arrangements in 
relation to their office (unless they are former 
managers of the Group and were a member 
of a Group pension plan). 

•  Employee directors are separately entitled 

to the compensation granted to them for the 
performance of their duties. As an 
employee, such compensation is not 
affected by their office as a director and is 
not disclosed.

•  The board also provided that the  

Vice-Chairman lead director could, in the 
performance of his/her duties use certain 
resources of the Group’s management.

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7. Compensation Report

7.5 Compensation of Group Senior Management (excluding corporate officers)
Scope of Senior Management in 2019
On December 31, 2019, Senior Management included the Chairman and CEO and Deputy CEO and other Executive Committee members. The 
Executive  Committee  is  chaired  by  the  Chairman  and  CEO  (14  members  excluding  the  Chairman  and  CEO).  It  includes,  in  addition  to  the 
Chairman and CEO and Deputy CEO in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs:

•  Executive Vice-Presidents of Corporate Functions: Global Supply Chain, Digital, Strategy, Marketing, Global Human Resources
•  Executive Vice-Presidents of Operations: North America Operations, China Operations, France Operations, Europe Operations, International 

Operations

•  Executive Vice-Presidents of Activities: Industry Automation, Energy Management, Services

From  January  2019,  with  the  appointment  of  Barbara  Frei  to  the  executive  committee,  29%  of  the  group  senior  management  is  composed  
of women (versus 23% in 2018).

Compensation policy
The compensation principles of Group Senior Management (excluding the corporate officers) and their individual analyses are reviewed by the 
Human Resources and CSR committee for information and consultation with the board of directors.

The Human Resources and CSR committee may consult external experts for specific missions and analyses.

The compensation policy of the Group Senior Management follows the principles of competitiveness, pay-for-performance and alignment with 
shareholders’ long-term interests as detailed in the section above for corporate officers, with the following specificities:

•  The competitiveness of their compensation is considered before a relevant panel considering the geography and the scope of responsibilities 

as set out by the consultancy firm Willis Towers Watson;

•  The proportion of variable components within their compensation package is less than for the corporate officers: 75% vs. around 80% for the 

corporate officers.

On target compensation pay mix

27%

  Fixed Part 
  Variable Part

73%

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Compensation paid in 2019
Gross compensation, including benefits in kind, paid by Group companies in 2019 to members of Group Senior Management other than corporate 
officers, amounted to EUR21.9m, including EUR6.1m in variable compensation paid in the 2019 financial year. The objectives for Group results 
for the financial year 2019 were:

Improvement of Group Adj EBITA margin on sales (org.);

•  Group organic sales growth;
• 
•  Group cash conversion rate;
•  Schneider Sustainability Impact.

Long-term incentive plans
Performance shares were granted in 2019 to the Group Senior Management. As of December 31, 2019, as part of the long-term incentive plan, 
Group Senior Management other than corporate officers held:

•  905,802 shares, of which 694,000 are conditional;
•  0 options;
•  45,680 Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs).

Pension benefits
Schneider Electric policy concerning pension benefits states that:

• 

• 

the Group’s Senior Management not subject to the French Social Security System are covered by pension plan arrangements in line with local 
practices in their respective countries;
the Group’s Senior Management subject to the French Social Security system, with the exception of corporate officers, are covered by the 
additional defined-contribution pension (article 83) plans for employees, and/or Group Senior Management. Their defined-benefit pension 
plan (article 39) was cancelled on March 22, 2016.

7.6 Transactions in Schneider Electric shares in 2019
Share Ownership Guidelines
Mr. Tricoire is required to hold Schneider Electric shares with a value representing at least 3 times his base salary. Mr. Babeau is required to hold 
shares  with  a  value  representing  at  least  twice  his  base  salary  till  his  departure.  The  number  of  shares  to  be  retained  is  determined  at  the 
beginning of the calendar year, based on the VWAP average stock price for the past calendar year. The situation of the corporate officers as of 
December 31, 2019 stands as follows:

Officer

Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Emmanuel Babeau

(1)  Average stock price (VWAP) for FY 2018: €69.

Obligation for the FY 2019

In value

€ 3,000,000
€ 1,360,000

In number(1)

43,478
19,710

Number of shares held (as of 
December 31, 2019)

191,933
33,344

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7. Compensation Report

Transactions declared in application of article L.621-18-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code
The following table details Schneider Electric stock transactions conducted by the corporate officers and those closely related to them:

Date

18/02/2019
14/03/2019
26/03/2019
27/03/2019
01/04/2019
02/07/2019
02/07/2019
11/09/2019
27/03/2019
01/04/2019
02/07/2019
28/10/2019
21/02/2019
27/03/2019
21/06/2019
21/06/2019
02/07/2019
18/12/2019
02/07/2019
31/07/2019
31/07/2019
01/11/2019
25/04/2019

Name

Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Tricoire
Babeau
Babeau
Babeau
Babeau
Ma
Ma
Ma
Ma
Ma
Ma
Montier
Montier
Montier
Montier
Tan

Transaction Type

Buy (LTIP – P.20))
Disposal
Pledge – Share
Buy (LTIP – P.22)
Buy (LTIP – P.25)
Buy*
Buy*
disposal
Buy (LTIP – P.22)
Buy (LTIP – P.25)
Buy*
Disposal
Disposal
Buy (LTIP – P.22)
Disposal
Exercise of stock options
Buy*
Disposal
Buy*
Disposal**
Disposal **
Disposal **
Buy

Unit Price

Total transaction 
amount

–

–
–
€60.26

–
–
–
€60.26
€60.26

–
€70.0189 €1,540,415.80
–
–
–
€28,235.97
€9,374.42
€80.1275 €2,389,402.00
–
–
€8,465.89
€85.1028 €1,725,884.78
€139,062.60
€69.5313
–
–
€394,421.20
€79.1216
€166,897.80
€33.48
€60.26
€5,090.87
€91,880.00
€91.88
€60.26 €22,680.5684
€14,515.6374
€81.00
€14,515.64
€82.00
€14,234.22
€87.00
€76,405.00
€76.405

*  Subscription to Schneider Electric’s WESOP. effective as of July 2, 2019 pursuant to orders made irrevocably on or before May 6, 2019.
**  Disposal of shares in Schneider Electric’s FCPE equivalent to respectively 179.2054, 177.02 and 163.6117 Schneider Electric shares at the date of the transactions.

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8. Regulated agreements and commitments

8. Regulated agreements and commitments

8.1 Review of the Regulated Agreements and Commitments entered into by Schneider Electric SE
8.1.1 Agreements and commitments of the 2019 financial year 
None.

8.1.2 Agreements and commitments signed during previous years and approved at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 
Regulated Agreements and Commitments related to the Corporate Officers’ status (Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire and Mr. Emmanuel Babeau)
Pursuant to the provisions of the TEPA Act, at its meetings of April 25, June 18 and 19, 2013, October 24, 2013 and February 18, 2015, the board 
of directors:

•  renewed the status of Jean-Pascal Tricoire as adopted by the supervisory board in 2012 subject to a number of adjustments primarily related 

to new recommendations of the AFEP-MEDEF Code;

•  adopted the status of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau at the level of Schneider Electric SE when he resigned from Schneider Electric Industries SAS;
•  put an end, for the Corporate Officers, to the benefit of the top hat pension schemes (Article 39) implemented in 1995 and 2012, except for life 

and disability coverage (death, invalidity) provided thereunder.

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 6, 2014, pursuant to its 4th, 5th and 6th resolutions, approved the renewal of Mr. Tricoire’s status and the 
adoption of Mr. Babeau’s status. On April 21, 2015, it approved their amendments as regards the withdrawal of the top-hat pension scheme 
(5th and 6th resolutions).

Since these decisions, Mr. Tricoire’s and Mr. Babeau’s status have been strictly aligned.

The board of directors at its meeting of April 25, 2017, held after the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, took note of the renewal of the directorship of 
Mr. Tricoire and subsequently decided to renew the terms of Mr. Tricoire and Mr. Babeau as, respectively, Chairman and CEO, and Deputy CEO, 
and further, to reiterate the elements of the status granted to them, subject to an amendment concerning the right of the board of directors to waive 
unilaterally the non-compete agreement in case of departure of a corporate officer.

The board noted that the continuation of their functions under the same conditions of competitiveness, stability and exclusivity was essential to 
the implementation of the Group development strategy defined by the board and in the interest of the Group.

On February 14, 2018, the board further reviewed the status of the corporate officers and amended the scope of the right granted to them to 
retain, in case of involuntary severance, the free or performance shares or the stock options that would have been granted to them and that would 
have remained unvested or unexercised at the time of departure.

The corporate officers’ right to retain shares and options granted as part of plans issued after February 14, 2018, that would remain unvested or 
unexercised at the time of their involuntary severance, was made proportionate to their time of presence within the Group during the vesting or 
acquisition period of the shares and options concerned. In accordance with the guidelines of the AFEP-MEDEF corporate governance Code, the 
board could however decide, in specific circumstances and via a motivated resolution, that the concerned corporate officer will be entitled to 
keep all shares or options granted, provided pre-set performance conditions are satisfied.

After  these  changes,  the  corporate  officers’  status  was  fully  aligned  with  the  recommendations  of  AMF  and  of  the  AFEP-MEDEF  Corporate 
Governance Guidelines.

The change in the corporate officers’ status was approved by the shareholders at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 24, 2018, under the 
4th and 5th resolutions.

In pursuance of articles L.225-37-2 and R.225-29-1-II of the French Commercial Code, the compensation components, indemnities or benefits 
due or likely to be awarded in relation to the termination of, or a change in, the corporate officer’s assignment, or after such assignment,  
form  part  of  the  compensation  policy  submitted  to  the  approval  of  the  shareholders  at  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  under  the  
9th and 10th resolutions and no longer qualify as regulated agreement and commitments. 

In case the 2020 compensation policy is approved, it shall supersede the Regulated Agreements and Commitments described above. 

In case the 2020 compensation policy is not approved, the Regulated Agreements and Commitments described above shall survive and their 
terms form part of the policy.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

8. Regulated agreements and commitments

8.1.3: Regulated agreements of the 2020 financial year
Schneider Electric executed on 2 March 2020 a new regulated agreement governing the conditions of the departure of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, 
Deputy CEO, whose departure will be effective from 30 April 2020.

The board of directors would like to acknowledge Mr. Babeau’s contribution for the 2020 financial year and the assistance he provided to ensure 
a smooth transition in the best conditions. It also felt it necessary to strengthen Mr. Babeau’s post-mandate commitments in terms of non-compete 
and other restrictive covenants, which Mr. Babeau accepted.

The agreement of 2 March 2020 authorized by the board of directors on 28 February 2020 provides for the following:

•  Base  salary  for  2020  due  on  monthly  instalments  as  per  the  2019  policy  providing  for  an  annual  amount  of  €680,000,  representing  an 

aggregate amount at the date of departure of €226,667;

•  Annual incentive for 2020 to be awarded at the target level, ie. 100% of the base salary, and calculated prorata temporis over the time of 

presence, representing therefore an accrued amount at the date of departure of €226,667;

•  Corresponding complementary payments for pension building to be paid or awarded as per the 2019 policy in the same manner as the base 
salary and the annual incentive, representing therefore till 30 April 2020 €51,100 for the fixed portion (based on an annual amount of €153,300) 
and €51,100 for the variable portion;

•  Non-compete commitment replaced with a fresh one, with a scope extended, notably, to companies from the technology and engineering 

sectors and a term prolonged to two years (vs. 12 months previously);

•  Restrictive  covenants  of  non-solicitation,  non-disparagement,  confidentiality  and  cooperation  in  the  context  of  legal  or  administrative 

proceedings involving the company, for a term of 2 years after the date of departure;

•  Payment of non-compete indemnity at 60% of the total effective target cash compensation waived by Mr. Babeau;
•  By way of derogation, waiver of the presence condition applicable to the unvested performance shares granted to Mr. Babeau in 2018 and 
2019, which gives him the right to retain such unvested performance shares in proportion to his time of presence within the Group over the 
total vesting period of the plans. This corresponds to 18,056 performance shares granted in 2018 and 9,389 performance shares granted in 
2019, which remain subject to the original performance conditions and other terms of the plans;

•  Legal and tax support until the completion of the study relating to the consequences of him being based in the United-Kingdom from July 2014 

to July 2018, the cost of which is capped at 15,000 euros.

The entry into force of this agreement is subject to the condition precedent of the approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020, 
of the 10th resolution relating to the compensation policy and the components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 
2020 financial year or awarded in respect of the said financial year to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mr. Emmanuel Babeau.
If this agreement is approved under the 5th resolution and the condition precedent satisfied, then the terms of this agreement will supersede the 
terms of the former status of Mr. Babeau previously approved under the regulated agreements and commitments on 24 April 2018, and again on 
25 April 2019 as part of the 2019 compensation principles and criteria. 

8.2 : Procedure for assessing agreements relating to ordinary business operations concluded under normal 
conditions
The board of directors, at its meeting of December 11, 2019, established a procedure for regularly assessing whether agreements relating to 
ordinary business operations concluded under normal conditions meet these conditions. Any persons directly or indirectly concerned by any of 
these agreements shall not participate in its assessment.

The procedure is comprised of two phases:

• 

• 

the assessment of the application of Schneider Electric SE’s internal charter for regulated agreements approved by the board of directors on 
February 19, 2020, which results in an annual business report drawn up jointly by the legal department and the secretary of the board. This 
report is made available to the Audit and risks committee for preparing the evaluation report it draws up for the board of directors;
the  assessment  by  the  board  of  directors  of  criteria  for  qualifying  agreements  relating  to  ordinary  business  operations  concluded  under 
normal conditions which deliberates on the basis of the above-mentioned assessment report drawn up by the Audit and risks committee.

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9. Participation of shareholders in Shareholders’ Meeting

9. Participation of shareholders in Shareholders’ 
Meeting

The provisions of the Articles of Association providing for the specific modalities for shareholders to participate in Shareholder’s Meeting are 
described on page 393.

10. Table summarizing outstanding delegations relating 
to share capital increases granted by Shareholders’ 
Meeting

The table summarizing the outstanding delegations granted by the Shareholders’ Meeting in relation to share capital increases, in application of 
Articles L.225-129-1 and L.225-129-2 of the French Commercial Code, and stating the use of these delegations during the past financial year is 
described on page 396.

11. Publication of information of Article L.225-37-5 of 
the French Commercial Code

Items that could have an impact in the event of a public tender offer include:

•  agreements calling for payments to the corporate officers (see page 273) or to employees if they resign or are terminated without real cause 

or if their employment ends due to a public tender offer;

•  certain loans with: conditional provisions of anticipated reimbursement in the event of change of control. Under these provisions, the debt 
holders may request for repayment if a shareholder or shareholders acting together hold more than 50% of the Company’s shares, and for the 
majority of contracts, this event triggers a downgrading of the Company’s rating. As of December 31, 2019, EUR 6.9 billion of the Group’s 
financing and lines of credit had these type of provisions; and

•  statutory restrictions in the Articles of Association on the exercise of voting rights (see page 384) relating to the non-application of the ceiling 

on voting rights when a public tender offer is successfully completed.

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4Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder InformationIn this section

1.  Consolidated statement of income 

2.  Consolidated statement of cash flows 

3.  Consolidated balance sheet 

4.  Consolidated statement of changes in equity 

308

310

311

313

5.  Notes to the consolidated financial statements 

314

6.  Statutory auditors’ report on the  

consolidated financial statements 

362

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Consolidated  
financial statements 

at December 31, 2019

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

1. Consolidated statement of income

1. Consolidated statement of income

(in millions of euros except for earnings per share)

Revenue
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Research and development
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Adjusted EBITA*
Other operating income and expenses
Restructuring costs
EBITA**
Amortization and impairment of purchase accounting intangibles
Operating income
Interest income
Interest expense
Finance costs, net
Other financial income and expense
Net financial income/(loss)
Profit from continuing operations before income tax
Income tax expense
Income of discontinued operations, net of income tax
Share of profit/(loss) of associates

PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD

attributable to owners of the parent
attributable to non controlling interests

Basic earnings (attributable to owners of the parent) per share (in euros per share)
Diluted earnings (attributable to owners of the parent) per share (in euros per share)

Note Full year 2019 Full year 2018

3

4

3
6

5

7

8
1
12

19
19

27,158
(16,423)
10,735
(657)
(5,840)
4,238
(411)
(255)
3,572
(173)
3,399
39
(168)
(129)
(132)
(261)
3,138
(690)
(3)
78

2,523

2,413
110
4.38
4.33

25,720
(15,677)
10,043
(597)
(5,572)
3,874
(103)
(198)
3,573
(177)
3,396
53
(235)
(182)
(128)
(310)
3,086
(693)
(23)
61

2,431

2,334
97
4.21
4.16

*  Adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). Adjusted EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization 

and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets, before goodwill impairment, other operating income and expenses and restructuring costs.

**  EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization and impairment 

of purchase accounting intangible assets and before goodwill impairment.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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Other Comprehensive Income

(in millions of euros)

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income:
Translation adjustment
Cash-flow hedges
Income tax effect of cash flow hedges
Net gains/(losses) on financial assets
Income tax effect of gains/(losses) on financial assets
Actuarial gains/(losses) on defined benefit plans
Income tax effect of actuarial gains/(losses) on defined benefit plans
Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax

of which to be recycled in income statement
of which not to be recycled in income statement

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR

attributable to owners of the parent
attributable to non-controlling interests

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Note Full year 2019 Full year 2018

2,523

2,431

19

19
20
19

333
26
(7)
(4)
–
(408)
82
22
352
(330)

2,545

2,400
145

307
(23)
(6)
(9)
–
285
(61)
493
270
223

2,924

2,793
131

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

2. Consolidated statement of cash flows

2. Consolidated statement of cash flows

(in millions of euros)

Profit for the year
Losses/(gains) from discontinued operations
Share of (profit)/losses of associates
Income and expenses with no effect on cash flow:
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment*
Depreciation of intangible assets other than goodwill
Impairment losses on non-current assets
Increase/(decrease) in provisions
Losses/(gains) on disposals of assets
Difference between tax paid and tax expense
Other non-cash adjustments

Net cash provided by operating activities

Decrease/(increase) in accounts receivables
Decrease/(increase) in inventories and work in process
(Decrease)/increase in accounts payable
Decrease/(increase) in other current assets and liabilities
Change in working capital requirement

TOTAL I – CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Purchases of property, plant and equipment
Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment
Purchases of intangible assets
Net cash used by investment in operating assets

Acquisitions and disposals of businesses, net of cash acquired & disposed
Other long-term investments
Increase in long-term pension assets
Sub-total

TOTAL II – CASH FLOWS FROM/(USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES

Issuance of bonds
Repayment of bonds
Sale/(purchase) of own shares
Increase/(decrease) in other financial debt*
Increase/(decrease) of share capital
Dividends paid to Schneider Electric’s shareholders
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

TOTAL III – CASH FLOWS FROM/(USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES

TOTAL IV – NET FOREIGN EXCHANGE DIFFERENCE

TOTAL V – EFFECT OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN NET CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: I +II +III +IV +V

Net cash and cash equivalents at January 1
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

NET CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, AT DECEMBER 31

Including impact from first application of IFRS 16, as described in Note 1.1.

* 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Note Full year 2019 Full year 2018

2,523
3
(78)

701
474
63
56
206
(2)
66
4,012

22
209
(41)
80
270

2,431
23
(61)

386
474
66
(83)
(3)
90
82
3,405

(51)
(287)
(98)
(97)
(533)

4,282

2,872

(506)
38
(338)
(806)

(79)
59
(90)
(110)

(916)

964
(500)
(266)
(1,078)
168
(1,296)
(117)

(2,125)

(18)

(59)

1,164

2,231
1,164

3,395

(486)
54
(338)
(770)

(730)
(31)
(174)
(935)

(1,705)

740
(749)
(829)
220
164
(1,223)
(80)

(1,757)

61

(7)

(536)

2,767
(536)

2,231

11
10

21

11

10

2

22
22

19

18

18

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3. Consolidated balance sheet

3. Consolidated balance sheet

Assets

(in millions of euros)

NON-CURRENT ASSETS:
Goodwill, net
Intangible assets, net
Property, plant and equipment, net*
Total tangible and intangible assets
Investments in associates and joint ventures
Non-current financial assets
Deferred tax assets

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:
Inventories and work in progress
Trade and other operating receivables
Other receivables and prepaid expenses
Current financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

Assets held for sale & discontinued operations

TOTAL ASSETS

Including impact from first application of IFRS 16, as described in Note 1.1.

* 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements. 

Note Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

9
10
11

12
13
14

15
16
17

18

18,719
4,647
3,680
8,327
533
645
2,004

30,228

2,841
5,953
2,087
19
3,592

14,492

283

45,003

18,373
4,874
2,521
7,395
530
665
2,040

29,003

3,091
5,804
1,910
30
2,361

13,196

60

42,259

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

3. Consolidated balance sheet

Liabilities

(in millions of euros)

EQUITY:
Share capital
Additional paid in capital
Retained earnings**
Translation reserve
Equity attributable to owners of the parent
Non controlling interests

TOTAL EQUITY

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Pensions and other post-employment benefit obligations
Other non-current provisions**
Total non-current provisions
Non-current financial liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Other non-current liabilities*

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Trade and other operating payables
Accrued taxes and payroll costs**
Current provisions**
Other current liabilities*
Current debt

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

Liabilities held for sale & discontinued operations

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Including impact from first application of IFRS 16, as described in Note 1.1.
Including impact from first application of IFRIC 23, as described in Note 1.1.

* 
** 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements. 

Note Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

19

20
21

22
14

21

22

2,328
3,134
16,034
65
21,561
1,579

23,140

1,806
940
2,746
6,405
1,021
883

11,055

4,215
3,147
794
1,428
979

10,563

245

45,003

2,317
2,977
15,721
(233)
20,782
1,482

22,264

1,558
1,253
2,811
5,923
1,147
10

9,891

4,142
2,194
878
1,232
1,574

10,020

84

42,259

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4. Consolidated statement of changes in equity

4. Consolidated statement of changes in equity

(in millions of euros)

(in thousands)

Capital

Number  
of shares  

Additional 
paid-in capital

Treasury 
Shares

Retained 
earnings

Translation 
reserve

DEC. 31, 2017

596,916

2,388

5,147

(2,153)

14,921

(506)

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive 

income

Comprehensive income 

for the year
Capital increase
Exercise of stock option 

plans and performance 
shares
Dividends
Change in treasury shares
Share-based 

compensation expense
AVEVA acquisition impact
Other

–
2,407

1,846

–
10

1

(22,000)

(88)

–
144

9
(1,107)
(1,126)

6

(90)

2,334

186

–

2,520

273

273

(829)

(116)
1,214

131

33

19,797

2,334

459

2,793
154

10
(1,223)
(829)

131
–
(51)

Equity 
attributable  
to owners of  
the parent

Non-
controlling 
interests

Total

145

19,942

97

34

131

(80)

4
1,256
26

1,482

2,431

493

2,924
154

10
(1,303)
(829)

135
1,256
(25)

22,264

(223)

DEC. 31, 2018

579,169

2,317

2,977

(2,982)

18,703

(233)

20,782

IFRIC 23 impact (Note 1.1)

(223)

(223)

JAN. 1, 2019

579,169

2,317

2,977

(2,982)

18,480

(233)

20,559

1,482

22,041

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive 

income

Comprehensive income 

for the year
Capital increase
Exercise of stock option 

plans and performance 
shares
Dividends
Change in treasury shares
Share-based 

compensation expense

Other

–
2,676

224

–
10

1

–
151

6

2,413

(311)

–

2,102

298

298

(266)

(1,296)

148
(152)

2,413

(13)

2,400
161

7
(1,296)
(266)

148
(152)

110

35

145

(117)

6
63

2,523

22

2,545
161

7
(1,413)
(266)

154
(89)

DEC. 31, 2019

582,069

2,328

3,134

(3,248)

19,282

65

21,561

1,579

23,140

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

5. Notes to the consolidated  
financial statements

Note

Note

1  Accounting Policies 

315

15 

Inventories and work in progress 

2  Changes in the scope of consolidation 

3  Segment information 

4  Research and development 

5 

 Impairment losses, depreciation and amortization expenses 

6  Other operating income and expenses 

7  Other financial income and expenses 

8 

Income tax expenses 

9  Goodwill 

10 

Intangible assets 

325

326

328

328

328

328

16  Trade accounts receivable 

17  Other receivables and prepaid expenses 

18  Cash and cash equivalents 

19  Shareholder’s equity 

20  Pensions and other post-employment benefit obligations  

21  Provisions for contingencies and charges 

329

22  Total current and non-current financial liabilities 

330

23  Classification of financial instruments 

331

24  Employees 

11  Property, plant and equipment 

332

25  Related parties transactions 

12 

Investments in associates and joint ventures 

334

26  Commitments and contingent liabilities 

13  Non-current financial assets 

334

27  Subsequent events 

14  Deferred taxes by Nature 

335

28  Statutory Auditors’ fees 

29  Consolidated companies 

335

336

336

337

337

342

345

346

348

352

353

353

354

354

355

Please note

All amounts in millions of euros unless otherwise indicated.

The following notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

The Schneider Electric Group’s consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 were authorized for issue by 
the Board of Directors on February 19, 2020. They will be submitted to shareholders for approval at the Annual General Meeting of April 23, 2020.

The Group’s main businesses are described in Chapter 1 of the Universal Registration Document.

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Note 1: Accounting Policies

1.1 Accounting standards
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in compliance with the international accounting standards (IFRS) as adopted by the 
European Union as of December 31, 2019. The same accounting methods were used as for the consolidated financial statements for the year 
ended  December  31,  2018,  except  for  the  application  of  the  new  standards  IFRS  16  – Leases  and  IFRIC  23  –  Uncertainty  over  Income  Tax 
Treatments as of January 1, 2019.

The following standards and interpretations that were applicable during the period did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial 
statements as of December 31, 2019:

•  amendments to IAS 28 – Long-term Interests in Associates and Joint Ventures; 
•  amendments to IAS 19 – Plan Amendment, Curtailment or Settlement; 
•  amendments to IFRS 9 – Prepayment Features with Negative Compensation; 
•  annual improvements to IFRS Standards 2015-2017 Cycle; 

The Group did not apply the following standards and interpretations for which mandatory application is subsequent to December 31, 2019:

•  standards adopted by the European Union: 

 – amendments to IAS 1 and IAS 8 – Definition of Material; 
 – amendments to IFRS 3 – Definition of a business; 
 – amendments to References to the Conceptual Framework in IFRS Standards 
 – Interest Rate Benchmark Reform (Amendments to IFRS 9, IAS 39 and IFRS 7) 

•  standards not yet adopted by the European Union: 

 – IFRS 17 – Insurance Contracts; 

The Group is currently assessing the potential effect on the Group’s consolidated financial statements of the standards not yet applicable as of 
December 31, 2019. At this stage of analysis, the Group does not expect any material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

First application of IFRS 16 – Leases
The standard IFRS 16 – Leases, adopted by European Union on October 31, 2017, replaces mainly the standards IAS 17 – Leases, and IFRIC  
4 – Determining whether an Arrangement contains a Lease, and is mandatory starting January 1, 2019.

The standard establishes principles for the recognition, valuation, presentation, and disclosure of leases and requires lessees to account for all 
leases on the balance sheet using a single model, in the form of a right-of-use asset, with a lease obligation counterpart.

The Group has adopted IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019, according to the modified retrospective approach. Under this method, the standard is 
applied retrospectively with the cumulative effect of the initial application on the date of application.

Scope of the Group’s contracts
The lease contracts identified within all the Group entities fall under the following categories:

•  real estate: office buildings, factories, and warehouses; 
•  vehicles: cars and trucks; 
• 

forklifts used mainly in factories or storage warehouses. 

The Group has retained the exemption for low-value assets (i.e. assets with a cost lower than USD 5,000). Thus, the defined scope does not 
include small office or IT equipment, mobile phones or other small equipment, which all correspond to low-value equipment. Short-term contracts 
(i.e. less than 12 months without purchase option) are also exempted under the standard. In this case, for example, for occasional vehicle or 
accommodation rentals.

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Effects of the adoption of IFRS 16
Key effects of the application of IFRS 16 on January 1, 2019:

(in millions of euros)

ASSETS:
Property, plant and equipment, net

TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES:
Other non-current liabilities
Other current liabilities

TOTAL LIABILITIES

Jan. 1, 2019

1,242

1,242

988
254

1,242

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

The Group has applied a unique accounting and valuation approach for all leases. The standard provides specific transition requirements and 
practical solutions that have been applied by the Group.

The Group has recognized right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for contracts previously classified as operating leases.

Lease liabilities have been recognized based on the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the country’s marginal 
borrowing rate of the contracting entity at the date of the first application.

Assets related to the right-of-use of operating leases have been recognized based on an amount equal to the lease liability of the contract at 
transition date, adjusted for any prepaid or outstanding rents.

With respect to contracts formerly recorded under a financing lease, the Group did not change the book values of the assets and liabilities 
recorded on the original application date. The requirements of IFRS 16 have been applied to these leases since January 1, 2019. These contracts 
represent a small net book value for the Group (EUR 1 million as of January 1, 2019).

The Group has also applied the following simplification measures, available in the standard:

•  application of IFRS 16 accounting model only to contracts previously identified as leases according to IAS 17 and IFRIC 4; 
•  single discount rate by country for a portfolio of leases with relatively similar characteristics; 
•  exemption for contracts with a residual enforceable term on January 1, 2019, of less than 12 months; 
•  exclusion of initial direct costs from the valuation of the right-of-use asset at the date of the first application; 
• 

inclusion of the evaluation of contracts carried out immediately before January 1, 2019, by applying IAS 37 to determine whether certain 
contracts are in deficit (adjustment of the right-of-use asset if applicable) as an alternative to the depreciation review according to IAS 36. 

Reconciliation between the rental obligation on January 1, 2019, and operating lease commitments presented under IAS 17 as of  
December 31, 2018

(in millions of euros)

Commitments relating to the operating leases as of Dec. 31, 2018
Weighted average marginal loan rate as of Jan. 1, 2019
Discounted obligations on simple lease contracts as of Dec.31, 2018
Minus:
Obligations linked to short-term contracts and low-value assets
Plus:
Renewal options not taken into account as of Dec. 31, 2018

Lease obligations as of Jan. 1, 2019

1,155
3.5%
1,023

9

228

1,242

Accounting principles
The accounting principles below are effective for annual periods beginning on January 1, 2019. IAS 17 still applies for the 2018 comparative period.

Rental obligation:
At the inception date of the lease, the Group recognizes the lease liabilities, measured at the present value of the lease payments to be made 
over  the  term  of  the  lease.  The  present  value  of  payments  is  calculated  mainly  using  the  marginal  borrowing  rate  of  the  contracting  entity’s 
country, at the contract starting date.

Rental payments include fixed payments (net of rental incentives receivable), variable payments based on an index or rate and amounts that 
should be paid under residual value guarantees. Besides, the simplification allowing not to split services components has not been elected by 
the Group. Therefore, only the rents are taken into account in the lease payments.

Lease payments also include, when applicable, the exercise price of a purchase option reasonably certain to be exercised by the Group and the 
payment  of  penalties  for  the  termination  of  a  lease,  if  the  term  of  the  lease  takes  into  account  the  fact  that  the  Group  has  exercised  the 
termination option.

Variable lease payments that are not dependent on an index or rate are recognized as an expense in the period in which the event or condition 
that triggers the payment occurs.

After the start date of the contract, the amount of rental obligations is increased to reflect the increase in interest and reduced for lease payments made.

In addition, the carrying amount of the lease liabilities is revalued in the event of a reassessment or modification in the lease (e.g. change in the 
term of the lease, change in lease payments, application of annual indexation, etc.).

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Right-of-use assets:
The Group accounts for the assets related to the right-of-use on the lease starting date (i.e. the date on which the underlying asset is available). 
Assets are measured at cost, less accumulated amortization and impairment losses, and adjusted for the revaluation of lease liabilities. The cost 
of right-of-use assets includes the amount of lease liabilities, initial direct costs incurred and lease payments made on or before the effective date, 
minus lease inducements received. Unless the Group is reasonably certain that it will become the owner of the leased asset at the end of the 
lease term, the recorded right-of-use assets are depreciated using the linear method over the shortest period of time between estimated life of 
the underlying asset and the duration of the lease. The assets related to the right-of-use are subject to depreciation.

Determining the duration of contracts:
The duration of the Group’s contracts varies according to geographies.

The real estate contracts have variable durations depending on the countries and local regulations. Vehicles and forklifts are generally contracted 
between 3 and 6 years.

In certain geographies, the Group’s real estate contracts offer unilateral options for termination of contracts (particularly in France with contracts 3-6-9).

Thus, in determining the length of time to be used to calculate the rental obligation, the Group determines the enforceable duration of the contract 
(maximum term) and takes into account termination options if it is not reasonably certain that it will extend the contract beyond the option date. 
This estimate is made in collaboration with the Group’s Real Estate Department, which determines the real estate strategy. In the majority of 
cases, the duration chosen is the enforceable duration of the real estate contracts, in particular on the most strategic buildings and factories.

In addition, the Group also holds tacit renewal contracts that are not enforceable (the lessee and the lessor may break the contracts by respecting 
a notice of less than one year). These contracts are exempted under the short-term criteria as they are non-binding beyond the notice period.

Amounts recognized on the balance sheet and 2019 profit and loss statement
The amounts of the assets and liabilities related to the Group’s leases, as well as movements during the period are as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Jan. 1, 2019
Increase
Decrease
Amortization
Reversal of amortization
Interests
Payments
Translation adjustments & others

DEC. 31, 2019

of which other current liabilities
of which other non-current liabilities

Real  

estate

1,103
134
(25)
(233)
2

2

983

Vehicles  

Total  
property,  
plants &  

Lease  

& Forklifts

equipments, net

Obligations

139
53

(61)

1

132

1,242
187
(25)
(294)
2
–
–
3

1,115

1,242
184
(21)

39
(313)
(1)

1,130

258
872

First application of IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments
IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments, has been adopted by the European Union on October 23, 2018, and is applicable from 
January 1, 2019. IFRIC 23 clarifies the application of IAS 12 – Income Taxes regarding recognition and measurement of taxes when there is 
uncertainty over the income tax treatment. IFRIC 23 precise notably that the identification of tax risks must be carried out considering a detection 
risk at 100%, the approach to be used being the one that provides the best predictions of the resolution of the uncertainty.

In application of IFRIC 23, a tax asset or liability is recognized when there is uncertainty over income tax treatments. If the Group considers it 
likely that the tax authorities will not accept its chosen treatment, it recognizes a tax liability, and if it considers it likely that the tax authorities will 
reimburse a tax that has already been paid, it recognizes a tax asset. The tax assets and liabilities relating to these uncertainties are estimated 
on a case-by-case basis and stated at the most likely amount, or the weighted average of the various outcomes considered.

The Group applies IFRIC 23 retrospectively from January 1, 2019. The comparative period was not restated.

The  analysis  carried  out  in  the  light  of  this  clarification,  led  the  Group  to  increase  its  tax  liabilities  by  EUR  223  million,  against  the  opening 
consolidated  reserves.  Besides,  tax  exposures  relating  to  corporate  income  taxes,  which  were  previously  classified  as  “provisions”  in  the 
balance sheet, (within the”Economic risks”), have been reclassified within “Accrued taxes and payroll costs” as of January 1, 2019.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Segment reporting
Until December 2018, Schneider Electric presented four distinct operating segments: Low Voltage, Medium Voltage, Industrial Automation and 
Secure Power.

Low Voltage, Medium Voltage and Secure Power sharing the same objective of managing efficiently and reliably the energy, the Group has 
decided to gather these three businesses into one single reporting segment, Energy Management.

This change reflects the convergence of economic characteristics of the three operating segments on the following criteria, in line with IFRS 8 – 
Operating Segments:

• 
• 
• 
• 

the nature of the products and services; 
the nature of the production processes; 
the type or class of customer for their products and services; 
the methods used to distribute their products and their services. 

Application of IFRS 5 – Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations
On April 20, 2017, the Group announced the disposal of its “Solar” activity, and started implementing the necessary measures and procedures 
to  formalize  this  transaction.  The  initial  plan  has  been  reoriented,  part  of  the  business  being  sold  or  restructured,  and  part  of  it  still  being 
considered as discontinued operations. This activity used to be reported within the Energy Management business segment of Schneider Electric. 
Solar activity net loss of EUR 3 million has been reclassified to discontinued operations in the Group consolidated financial statements.

On October 24, 2019, the Group agreed to establish a Joint Venture with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), to further strengthen the 
long-term outlook for the Group’s Electroshield Samara business, which is currently consolidated under the Energy Management segment and 
generated revenues of EUR 168 million in 2019. The related assets and liabilities have been reclassified at fair value in the lines “assets and 
liabilities held for sale” in the balance sheet.

1.2 Basis of presentation
The financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis, except for derivative instruments and certain financial assets, which are 
measured at fair value. Financial liabilities are measured using the amortized cost model. The book value of hedged assets and liabilities, under 
fair-value hedge, corresponds to their fair value, for the part corresponding to the hedged risk.

1.3 Use of estimates and assumptions
The preparation of financial statements requires Group and subsidiary management to make estimates and assumptions that are reflected in the 
amounts of assets and liabilities reported in the consolidated balance sheet, the revenues and expenses in the statement of income and the 
commitments created during the reporting period. Actual results may differ.

These assumptions mainly concern:

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

the measurement of the recoverable amount of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (Note 1.8 and Note 1.9) and the 
measurement of impairment losses (Note 1.10); 
the measurement of the recoverable amount of non-current financial assets (Note 1.11 and Note 13); 
the realizable value of inventories and work in progress (Note 1.12); 
the recoverable amount of trade and other operating receivables (Note 1.13); 
the valuation of share-based payments (Note 1.19); 
the calculation of provisions or risk contingencies (Note 1.20); 
the measurement of pension and other post-employment benefit obligations (Note 1.18 and Note 20); 
the recoverability of deferred tax assets related to tax loss carryforward (Note 14). 

1.4 Consolidation principles
Subsidiaries, over which the Group exercises exclusive control, either directly or indirectly, are fully consolidated.

Group investments in entities controlled jointly with a limited number of partners, such as joint ventures and companies over which the Group has 
significant influence (“associates”) are accounted for by the equity method. Significant influence is presumed to exist when more than 20% of 
voting rights are held by the Group.

Companies acquired or sold during the year are included in or removed from the consolidated financial statements as of the date when effective 
control is acquired or relinquished.

Intra-group balances and transactions are eliminated.

The list of consolidated main subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates can be found in Note 29.

The reporting date for all companies included in the scope of consolidation is December 31, with the exception of certain immaterial associates 
accounted  for  by  the  equity  method.  For  the  latter  however,  financial  statements  up  to  September  30  of  the  financial  year  have  been  used 
(maximum difference of three months in line with the standards).

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1.5 Business combinations
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method, in accordance with IFRS 3 – Business Combinations. Acquisition costs 
are presented under “Other operating income and expenses” in the statement of income.

All acquired assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities are recognized at their fair value at the acquisition date, the fair value can be adjusted 
during a measurement period that can last for up to 12 months from the date of acquisition.

The excess of the cost of acquisition over the Group’s share in the fair value of assets and liabilities at the date of acquisition is recognized in 
goodwill. Where the cost of acquisition is lower than the fair value of the identified assets and liabilities acquired, the badwill is immediately 
recognized in the statement of income.

Goodwill is not amortized, but tested for impairment at least annually and whenever there is an indication that it may be impaired (see Note 1.10 
below). Any impairment losses are recognized under “Amortization expenses and impairment losses of purchase accounting intangible assets”.

1.6 Translation of the financial statements of foreign subsidiaries
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in euros.

The financial statements of subsidiaries that use another functional currency are translated into euros as follows:

•  assets and liabilities are translated at the official closing rates; 
• 

income statement, backlog and cash flow items are translated at average annual exchange rates. 

Gains or losses on translation are recorded in consolidated equity under “Cumulative translation reserve”.

The Group applies IAS 29 – Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies to the Group’s subsidiaries in hyperinflation countries (Venezuela 
and Argentina). The impacts are not significant for the Group in 2019.

1.7 Foreign currency transactions
Foreign currency transactions are recorded using the exchange rate in effect at the transaction date or at the hedging rate. At the balance sheet 
date, monetary items in foreign currency (e.g. payables, receivables, etc.) are translated into the functional currency of the entity at the closing 
rate or at the hedging rate. Gains or losses on translation of foreign currency transactions are recorded under “Net financial income/(loss)”. 
Foreign currency hedging is described below, in Note 1.22.

However, certain long-term receivables and loans to subsidiaries are considered to be part of a net investment in a foreign operation, as defined 
by  IAS  21  –  The  effects  of  changes  in  foreign  exchange  rates.  As  such,  the  impact  of  exchange  rate  fluctuations  is  recorded  in  equity  and 
recognized in the statement of income when the investment is sold or when the long-term receivable or loan is reimbursed.

1.8 Intangible assets
Intangible assets acquired separately or as part of a business combination
Intangible assets acquired separately are initially recognized in the balance sheet at historical cost. They are subsequently measured using the 
cost model, in accordance with IAS 38 – Intangible Assets.

Intangible assets (mainly trademarks, technologies and customer lists) acquired as part of business combinations are recognized in the balance 
sheet at fair value at the combination date, appraised externally for the most significant assets and internally for the rest, and that represents its 
historical cost in consolidation. The valuations are performed using generally accepted methods, based on future inflows.

Intangible assets are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over their useful life or, alternatively, over the period of legal protection. Amortized 
intangible assets are tested for impairment when there is any indication that their recoverable amount may be less than their carrying amount.

Amortization expenses and impairment losses on intangible assets acquired in a business combination are presented on a separate statement 
of income line item, “Amortization expenses and impairment losses of purchase accounting intangible assets”.

Trademarks
The trademarks fair value is determined using the royalty method at the date of acquisition.

Trademarks acquired as part of a business combination are not amortized when they are considered to have an indefinite life.

The criteria used to determine whether or not such trademarks have indefinite lives and, as the case may be, their lifespan, are as follows:

•  brand awareness; 
•  outlook for the brand in light of the Group’s strategy for integrating the trademark into its existing portfolio. 

Non-amortized trademarks are tested for impairment at least annually and whenever there is an indication they may be impaired. When necessary, 
an impairment loss is recorded.

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5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Internally-generated intangible assets
Research and development costs
Research costs are expensed in the statement of income when incurred. Development costs for new projects are capitalized if, and only if:

• 
• 

• 
• 

the project is clearly identified and the related costs are separately identified and reliably monitored; 
the project’s technical feasibility has been demonstrated and the Group has the intention and financial resources to complete the project and 
to use or sell the resulting products; 
the Group has allocated the necessary technical, financial and other resources to complete the development; 
it is probable that the future economic benefits attributable to the project will flow to the Group. 

Development costs that do not meet these criteria are expensed in the financial year in which they are incurred.

Before the commercial launch, capitalized development projects are tested for impairment at least annually. From the date of the commercial 
launch, capitalized development projects are amortized over the lifespan of the underlying technology, which generally ranges from three to ten 
years. The amortization expenses of such capitalized projects are included in the cost of the related products and classified into “Cost of sales” 
when the products are sold.

As for development-related assets which are in the amortization period, they are tested for impairment in case an impairment risk has been 
identified.

Software implementation
External and internal costs relating to the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications are capitalized when they relate to 
the programming, coding and testing phase. They are amortized over the applications’ useful lives. In accordance with paragraph 98 of IAS 38, 
the SAP bridge application currently being rolled out within the Group is amortized using the production unit method to reflect the pattern in which 
the asset’s future economic benefits are expected to be consumed. Said units of production correspond to the number of users of the rolled-out 
solution divided by the number of target users at the end of the roll-out.

1.9 Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment is primarily comprised of land, buildings and production equipment and is carried at cost, less accumulated 
depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses, in accordance with the recommended treatment in IAS 16 – Property, plant and equipment.

Each component of an item of property, plant and equipment with a useful life that differs from that of the whole item is depreciated separately on 
a straight-line basis. The main useful lives are as follows:

•  buildings: 20 to 40 years;
•  machinery and equipment: 3 to 10 years; 
•  other: 3 to 12 years. 

The useful life of property, plant and equipment used in operating activities, such as production lines, reflects the related products’ estimated life 
cycles.

Useful lives of items of property, plant and equipment are reviewed periodically and may be adjusted prospectively if appropriate. The depreciable 
amount of an asset is determined after deducting its residual value, when the residual value is material.

Depreciation is expensed in the period and included in the production cost of inventory or the cost of internally-generated intangible assets. It is 
recognized in the statement of income under “Cost of sales”, “Research and development costs” or “Selling, general and administrative expenses”, 
as the case may be.

Items of property, plant and equipment are tested for impairment whenever there is an indication they may be impaired. Impairment losses are 
charged to the statement of income under “Other operating income and expenses”.

Since  2019,  property,  plant  and  equipment  also  includes  right-of-use  assets,  in  accordance  with  the  recommended  treatment  in  IFRS  16  – 
Leases, and as described in Note 1.1.

1.10 Impairment of assets
In accordance with IAS 36 – Impairment of Assets, the Group assesses the recoverable amount of its long-lived assets as follows:

• 

for all property, plant and equipment subject to depreciation and intangible assets subject to amortization, the Group carries out a review at 
each balance sheet date to assess whether there is any indication that they may be impaired. Indications of impairment are identified based 
on external or internal information. If such an indication exists, the Group tests the asset for impairment by comparing its carrying amount to 
the higher of fair value minus costs to sell and value in use; 

•  non-amortizable intangible assets and goodwill are tested for impairment at least annually and whenever there is an indication that the assets 

may be impaired. 

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Value in use is determined by discounting future cash flows that will be generated by the tested assets. These future cash flows are based on 
Group management’s economic assumptions and operating forecasts presented in business plans over a period generally not exceeding five 
years, and then extrapolated based on a perpetuity growth rate. The discount rate corresponds to the Group’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital 
(WACC) at the measurement date. The WACC stood at 6.9% at December 31, 2019 (7.0% at December 31, 2018). This rate is based on (i) a 
long-term interest rate of 0.75%, corresponding to the average interest rate for 10-year OAT treasury bonds over the past few years, (ii) the 
average premium applied to financing obtained by the Group in 2019, and is completed by, for CGUs WACC only, (iii) the weighted country risk 
premium for the Group’s businesses in the countries in question.

The perpetuity growth rate is 2.0%, unchanged from the previous financial year.

Impairment tests are performed at the level of the Cash-Generating Unit (CGU) to which the asset belongs. A cash-generating unit is the smallest 
group  of  assets  that  generates  cash  inflows  that  are  largely  independent  of  the  cash  flows  from  other  assets  or  groups  of  assets.  The 
cash-generating units are Low Voltage, Medium Voltage, Industrial Automation and Secure Power. CGUs net assets were allocated to the CGUs 
at the lowest possible level on the basis of the CGU activities to which they belong; the assets belonging to several activities were allocated to 
each CGU (Low Voltage, Medium Voltage and Industrial Automation mainly).

The WACC used to determine the value in use of each CGU was 7.5% for Low Voltage, 7.6% for Industrial Automation, 7.7% for Secure Power, and 
7.8% for Medium Voltage.

Goodwill  is  allocated  when  initially  recognized.  The  CGU  allocation  is  done  on  the  same  basis  as  used  by  Group  management  to  monitor 
operations and assess synergies deriving from acquisitions.

Where the recoverable amount of an asset or CGU is lower than its book value, an impairment loss is recognized for the excess of the book value 
over the recoverable value. The recoverable value is defined as the highest value between the value in use and the fair value less costs to sell. 
Where the tested CGU comprises goodwill, any impairment losses are firstly deducted from goodwill.

1.11 Non-current financial assets
Investments in non-consolidated companies are initially recorded at their cost of acquisition and subsequently measured at fair value. The fair 
value of investments listed in an active market may be determined reliably and corresponds to the listed price at balance sheet date (Level 1 from 
the fair value hierarchy as per IFRS 7).

IFRS 9 standard allows two accounting treatments for equity instruments:

•  change in fair value is recognized through “Other Comprehensive Income” in the comprehensive income statement, and in equity under 

“Other reserves” in the balance sheet, with no subsequent recycling in the income statement even upon sale; 

•  change in fair value, as well as gain or loss in case of sale, are recognized in the income statement. 

The election between those two methods is to be made from inception for each equity investment and is irrevocable.

Venture capital (FCPR)/Mutual funds (SICAV) are recognized at fair value through income statement, in accordance with IFRS 9.

Loans, recorded under “Non-current financial assets”, are carried at amortized cost. In accordance with IFRS 9, a depreciation is booked from 
inception to reflect the expected credit risk losses within 12 months. In case of significant degradation of the credit quality, the initial level of 
depreciation is modified to cover the entire expected losses over the remaining maturity of the loan.

1.12 Inventories and work in progress
Inventories and work in progress are measured at the lower of their initial recognition cost (acquisition cost or production cost generally determined 
by the weighted average price method) or of their estimated net realizable value.

Net  realizable  value  corresponds  to  the  estimated  selling  price  net  of  remaining  expenses  to  complete  and/or  sell  the  products.  Inventory 
impairment losses are recognized in “Cost of sales”. The cost of work in progress, semi-finished and finished products, includes the cost of 
materials and direct labor, subcontracting costs, all production overheads based on normal manufacturing capacity and the portion of research 
and  development  costs  that  are  directly  related  to  the  manufacturing  process  (corresponding  to  the  amortization  of  capitalized  projects  in 
production and product and range of products maintenance costs).

1.13 Trade and other operating receivables
Trade  and  other  operating  receivables  are  depreciated  according  to  the  simplified  IFRS  9  model.  From  inception,  trade  receivables  are 
depreciated to the extent of the expected losses over their remaining maturity.

The credit risk of trade receivables is assessed on a collective basis country by country, as the geographical origin of receivables is considered 
representative of their risk profile. Countries are classified by risk profile using the assessment provided by an external agency. The provision for 
expected credit losses is evaluated using (i) the probabilities of default communicated by a credit agency, (ii) historical default rates, (iii) aging 
balance, (iv) as well as the Group’s assessment of the credit risk considering actual guarantees and credit insurance.

Once it is known with certainty that a doubtful receivable will not be collected, the doubtful account and its related depreciation are written off 
through the income statement.

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5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Accounts receivable are discounted in cases where they are due in over one year and the discounting impact is significant.

1.14 Assets held for sale and liabilities of discontinued operations
Assets held for sale are no longer amortized or depreciated and are recorded separately in the balance sheet under “Assets held for sale” at the 
lower of its amortized cost and net realizable value.

1.15 Deferred taxes
Deferred taxes, related to temporary differences between the tax basis and accounting basis of consolidated assets and liabilities, are recorded 
using the balance sheet liability method, based on tax rates and tax rules enacted before the balance sheet date. The effect of any change in the 
tax rate is recognized in the income statement, apart from changes relating to items initially recognized directly in equity.

Future tax benefits arising from the utilization of tax loss carry forwards (including amounts available for carry forward without time limit) are 
recognized only when they can reasonably be expected to be realized. The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is tested for impairment at 
each balance sheet date and an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be 
available against which the deferred tax asset can be fully or partially offset.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are not discounted and are recorded in the balance sheet under non-current assets and liabilities. Deferred tax 
assets and liabilities related to the same unit and which are expected to reverse in the same period are offset.

1.16 Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents presented in the balance sheet consist of cash, bank accounts, term deposits of three months or less and marketable 
securities traded on organized markets. Marketable securities are short-term, highly-liquid investments that are readily convertible to known 
amounts of cash at maturity. They notably consist of commercial paper, mutual funds and equivalents. Considering their nature and maturities, 
these instruments represent insignificant risk of changes in value and are treated as cash equivalents.

1.17 Schneider Electric SE shares
Schneider Electric SE shares held by the parent company or by fully consolidated companies are measured at acquisition cost and deducted 
from equity.

Gains/(losses) on the sale of own shares are canceled from consolidated reserves, net of tax.

1.18 Pensions and other employee benefit obligations
Depending on local practices and laws, the Group’s subsidiaries participate in pension, termination benefit and other long-term benefit plans. 
Benefits paid under these plans depend on factors such as seniority, compensation levels and payments into mandatory retirement programs.

Defined contribution plans
Payments made under defined contribution plans are recorded in the income statement, in the year of payment, and are in full settlement of the 
Group’s liability. As the Group is not committed beyond these contributions, no provision related to these plans has been booked.

In most countries, the Group participates in mandatory general plans, which are accounted for as defined contribution plans.

Defined Benefit plans
Defined Benefit plans are measured using the projected unit credit method.

Expenses  recognized  in  the  statement  of  income  are  split  between  “Operating  income”  (for  service  costs  rendered  during  the  period)  and  
“Net financial income/(loss)” (for financial costs and expected return on plan assets).

The amount recognized in the balance sheet corresponds to the present value of the obligation, and net of plan assets.

When this is an asset, the recognized asset is limited to the present value of any economic benefit due in the form of plan refunds or reductions 
in future plan contributions.

Changes resulting from periodic adjustments to actuarial assumptions regarding general financial and business conditions or demographics 
(i.e., changes in the discount rate, annual salary increases, return on plan assets, years of service, etc.) as well as experience adjustments are 
immediately recognized in the balance sheet as a separate component of equity in “Other reserves” and in comprehensive income as “Other 
comprehensive income”.

Other commitments
Provisions are funded and expenses recognized to cover the cost of providing health-care benefits for certain Group retirees in Europe and the 
United States. The accounting policies applied to these plans are similar to those used to account for Defined Benefit pension plans.

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The Group also funds provisions for all its subsidiaries to cover seniority-related benefits (primarily long service awards for its French subsidiaries). 
Actuarial gains and losses on these benefit obligations are fully recognized in profit or loss.

1.19 Share-based payments
The Group grants performance shares to senior executives and certain employees.

Pursuant to the application of IFRS 2 – Share-based payments, these plans are measured on the date of grant and an employee benefits expense 
is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, in general three or four years depending on the country in which it is granted.

The Group uses the Cox-Ross-Rubinstein binomial model to measure these plans.

For performance shares and stock options, this expense is offset in the equity. In the case of stock appreciation rights, a liability is recorded 
corresponding to the amount of the benefit granted, re-measured at each balance sheet date.

As part of its commitment to employee share ownership, Schneider Electric gave its employees the opportunity to purchase shares at a discounted 
price (Note 19).

1.20 Provisions and risk contingencies
A provision is recognized when it is probable that the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable 
that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation. 
If the loss or liability is not likely and cannot be reliably estimated, but remains possible, the Group discloses it as a contingent liability. Provisions 
are calculated on a case-by-case or statistical basis, and discounted when the impact from discounting is significant.

Provisions are primarily set aside to cover:

•  economic risks: these provisions relate to probable tax risks arising on positions taken by the Group or its subsidiaries. Each position is 
assessed individually and not offset, and reflects the best estimate of the risk at the end of the reporting period. Where applicable, it includes 
any late-payment interest and fines. In accordance with IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments, provisions covering uncertainties 
over income tax treatment have been reclassified within “Accrued taxes and payroll costs” as of 1st of January 2019; 

•  customer  risks:  provisions  for  customer  risks  mainly  integrate  the  provisions  for  losses  at  completion  for  some  of  long  term  contracts. 

Provisions for expected losses are fully recognized as soon as they are identified; 

•  product risks: these provisions comprise: 

 – statistical provisions for warranties: the Group funds provisions on a statistical basis for the residual cost of Schneider Electric product 
warranties not covered by insurance. The provisions are estimated with consideration of historical claim statistics and the warranty period; 

 – provisions to cover disputes concerning defective products and recalls of clearly identified products; 

•  environmental risks: these provisions are primarily funded to cover clean-up costs. The estimation of the expected future outflows is based 

on reports from independent experts; 

•  restructuring costs: when the Group has prepared a detailed plan for the restructuring and has either announced or started to implement 

the plan before the end of the year. The estimation of the liability include only direct expenditure arising from the restructuring. 

1.21 Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities primarily comprise bonds and short- and long-term bank borrowings. These liabilities are initially recorded at fair value, from 
which any direct transaction costs are deducted. Subsequently, they are measured at amortized cost based on their effective interest rate.

1.22 Financial instruments and derivatives
Risk hedging management is centralized. The Group’s policy is to use derivative financial instruments exclusively to manage and hedge changes 
in exchange rates, interest rates or prices of certain raw materials. The Group uses instruments such as FX forwards, FX options, cross currency 
swaps, interest rate swaps and commodities future, swaps or options, depending on the nature of the exposure to be hedged.

All derivatives are recorded in the balance sheet at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in the statement of income, except when they 
are qualified in a hedging relationship.

Foreign currency hedges
The Group periodically enters into FX derivatives to hedge the currency risk associated with foreign currency transactions. Whenever possible, 
monetary items (except specific financing items) denominated in foreign currency carried in the balance sheet of Group companies are hedged 
by  rebalancing  assets  and  liabilities  per  currency  through  FX  spots  realized  with  Corporate  Treasury  (natural  hedge).  The  FX  risk  is  thus 
aggregated at Group level and hedged with FX derivatives. When FX risk management cannot be centralized, the Group contracts FX forwards 
to hedge operating receivables and payables carried in the balance sheet of Group companies. In both cases, the Group does not apply hedge 
accounting because gains and losses generated on these FX derivatives naturally offset within “Net financial income/(loss)” with gains or losses 
resulting from the translation at end-of-year rates of payables and receivables denominated in foreign currency.

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5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

The  Group  also  hedges  future  cash  flows,  including  recurring  future  transactions  and  planned  acquisitions  or  disposals  of  investments.  In 
accordance with IFRS 9, these are treated as cash flow hedges. These hedging instruments are recognized at fair value in the balance sheet. 
The portion of the gain or loss on the hedging instrument that is determined to be an effective hedge is accumulated in equity, under “Other 
reserves”, and then recognized in the income statement when the hedged item affects profit or loss.

The Group also hedges FX risk financing receivables or payables (including current accounts and loans with subsidiaries) using FX derivatives 
than can be documented either in Cash Flow Hedge or Fair Value Hedge depending on the nature of the derivative.

The Group may also designate FX derivatives or borrowings as hedging instruments of its investments in foreign operations (net investment 
hedge). Changes of value of those hedging instruments are accumulated in equity and recognized in the statement of income symmetrically to 
the hedged items.

The Group documents FX derivative based on the spot rate. The Group adopted the cost of hedging option offered by IFRS 9 to limit volatility in 
the statement of income related to forward points:

•  For FX derivatives hedging a monetary item on the balance sheet: Forward points are amortized in statement of income on a straight-line 

basis. Forward points related to FX derivatives hedging financing transactions are included in “Finance costs, net”; 

•  For FX derivatives hedging future transactions not yet recorded on the balance sheet: Forward points are recorded in the statement of income 

when the hedged transaction impacts the statement of income. 

Interest rate hedges
Interest rate swaps allow the Group to manage its exposure to interest rate risk. The derivative instruments used are financially adjusted to the 
schedules,  rates  and  currencies  of  the  borrowings  they  cover.  They  involve  the  exchange  of  fixed  and  floating-rate  interest  payments.  The 
differential to be paid (or received) is accrued as an adjustment to interest income or expense over the life of the agreement. The Group applies 
hedge accounting as described in IFRS 9 for interest rate swaps. Gains and losses on re-measurement of interest rate swaps at fair value on the 
balance sheet are recognized in equity (for Cash Flow Hedges) or in profit or loss (for Fair Value Hedges).

Borrowings hedged by an interest rate derivative in a fair value hedge are reevaluated at fair value for the portion of risk being hedged, with 
offsetting entry in the statement of income.

Cross-currency  swaps  may  be  presented  both  as  foreign  exchange  hedges  and  interest  rate  hedges  depending  on  the  characteristics  of  
the derivative.

Commodity hedges
The Group also purchases commodity derivatives including forward purchase contracts, swaps and options to hedge price risks on all or part of 
its forecast future purchases. Under IFRS 9, these qualify as cash flow hedges. These instruments are recognized in the balance sheet at fair 
value at the period-end (mark to market). The effective portion of the hedge is recognized separately in equity (under “Other reserves”) and then 
recognized in income (gross margin) when the underlying hedge affects consolidated income. The effect of this hedging is then incorporated in 
the cost price of the products sold.

Shares hedges
Schneider  Electric  shares  are  hedged  in  relation  to  last  Stock  Appreciation  Rights  granted  to  US  employees  before  2012  using  derivatives 
documented in cash flow hedge.

Time value of options documented in a hedging relationship is recorded using the same approach used for forward points. Any ineffectiveness 
arising from a derivative documented in a hedging relationship is recorded in “Net financial income/(loss)”.

Cash flows from financial instruments are recognized in the consolidated statement of cash flows in a manner consistent with the underlying 
transactions.

1.23 Revenue recognition
The Group’s revenues primarily include transactional sales and revenues from services, and system contracts (projects).

Some  contracts  may  include  the  supply  to  the  customer  of  distinct  goods  and  services  (for  instance  contracts  combining  build  followed  by 
operation and maintenance). In such situations, the contract is analyzed and segmented into several components (“performance obligations”), 
each component being accounted for separately, with its own revenue recognition method and margin rate. The selling price is allocated to each 
performance obligation in proportion to the specific selling price of the underlying goods and services. This allocation should reflect the share of 
the price to which Schneider Electric expects to be entitled in exchange for the supply of these goods or services.

Revenue associated with each performance obligation identified within a contract is recognized when the obligation is satisfied, i.e. when the 
control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer.

The following revenue recognition methods can be applied:

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Recognition of revenue at a point of time
Revenue  from  sales  is  recognized  at  a  point  of  time,  when  the  control  of  the  promised  goods  or  services  is  transferred  to  the  customer.  
This method is applicable for all transactional sales and for specific services such as spare parts deliveries, or on-demand services.

Recognition of revenue over time
To demonstrate that the transfer of goods is progressive and recognize revenue over time, the following cumulative criteria are required:

the goods sold have no alternative use, and 

• 
•  enforceable right to payment (corresponding to costs incurred, plus a reasonable profit margin) for the work performed to date exists, in the 

event of early termination for convenience by the customer. 

When these criteria are fulfilled, revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method, based on the percentage of costs incurred 
in relation to total estimated costs of the performance obligation. The cost incurred includes direct and indirect costs relating to the contracts.

Expected losses on contracts are fully recognized as soon as they are identified.

Penalties for late delivery or for the improper execution of a contract are recognized as a deduction from revenue.

This method is applicable for systems contracts (projects) as the constructed assets are highly customized, and thus the Group would incur 
significant economic losses to redirect the built solutions to other customers.

Revenue from the majority of services contracts is recognized over time, as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of 
the services provided. When costs incurred are stable over the contract’s period, revenue is linearized over the contract’s length.

Provisions for the discounts offered to distributors are accrued when the products are sold to the distributor and recognized as a deduction from 
revenue. Certain Group subsidiaries also offer cash discounts to distributors. These discounts and rebates are deducted from sales.

Consolidated revenue is presented net of these discounts and rebates.

Backlog and balance sheet presentation
Backlog (as disclosed in Note 3) corresponds to the amounts of the selling price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied  
(or partially unsatisfied) at closing date.

The cumulated amount of revenue accounted for, less progress payments and accounts receivable (presented on a dedicated line of the balance 
sheet) is determined on a contract-by-contract basis. If this amount is positive, the balance is recognized under “Contract assets” in the balance 
sheet. If it is negative, the balance is recognized under “Contract liabilities” (see Note 16). Reserves for onerous contracts (so-called reserves for 
loss at completion) are excluded from contract assets and liabilities and presented among the “Provisions for customer risks” item.

1.24 Earnings per share
Earnings per share are calculated in accordance with IAS 33 – Earnings Per Share.

Diluted earnings per share are calculated by adjusting profit attributable to equity holders of the parent and the weighted average number of 
shares outstanding for the dilutive effect of the exercise of stock options outstanding at the balance sheet date. The dilutive effect of stock options 
is determined by applying the “treasury stock” method, which consists of taking into account the number of shares that could be purchased, 
based on the average share price for the year, using the proceeds from the exercise of the rights attached to the options.

1.25 Statement of cash flows
The consolidated statement of cash flows has been prepared using the indirect method, which consists of reconciling net profit to net cash 
provided by operations. The opening and closing cash positions include cash and cash equivalents, comprised of marketable securities, net of 
bank overdrafts and facilities.

Note 2: Changes in the scope of consolidation

The list of main consolidated companies can be found in Note 29.

2.1 Scope variations
Acquisitions & disposals of the period

Acquisitions
No significant acquisition occurred during 2019.

Disposals
On March 25, 2019, the Group announced having entered exclusive negotiations with Transom Capital Group regarding the sale of its Pelco 
business. On May 24, 2019, the sale of Pelco, which previously reported within the Energy Management segment, was finalized.

On December 5, 2019, the Group announced having signed an agreement with Vinci Energies regarding the sale of Converse Energy Projects 
GmbH, which reported within the Energy Management segment. On December 30, 2019, the sale was finalized.

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5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Follow-up on acquisitions and divestments occurred in 2018 with significant effect in 2019

Acquisitions
AVEVA
On February 28, 2018, the Group finalized a transaction with AVEVA Group PLC to combine AVEVA and Schneider Electric Software business, 
and create a global leader in engineering and industrial software. Following the issue of ordinary shares in the capital of AVEVA to Schneider 
Electric, the Group owns 60 % of the enlarged AVEVA Group, on a fully diluted basis. AVEVA is fully consolidated in the Industrial Automation 
business since March 1, 2018. The consideration paid amounted EUR 1,994 million, of which EUR 577 million paid in cash (net of acquired cash).

As of June 30, 2019, the Group has finalized the purchase price allocation and recognized intangible assets for an amount of EUR 482 million 
(trademark, patents and customer relationship), and an amount of goodwill of EUR 1,434 million.

The impact on non-controlling interests reflects 40 % of the AVEVA total consideration combined with the carrying value of the Schneider Electric 
Software business evaluated at the time of the acquisition of INVENSYS Group by Schneider Electric.

IGE+XAO
On January 25, 2018, after the successful public tender offer for the shares of IGE+XAO, the Group announced that it had taken the control of  
the company.

IGE+XAO, is fully consolidated in the Energy Management business since February 1, 2018. The consideration paid amounts EUR 86 million  
(net of acquired cash).

As of June 30, 2019, the Group has finalized the purchase price allocation and recognized intangible assets for an amount of EUR 49 million 
(trademarks, technologies and customer relationships) and an amount of goodwill of EUR 100 million.

As of December 31, 2019 the Group owns 67.89 % of the share capital of IGE+XAO.

Disposals
No significant disposals occurred during 2018.

2.2 Impact of changes in the scope of consolidation on the Group cash flow
The effect of acquisitions and divestments during the year is a net cash outflow amounting to EUR 79 million in 2019:

(in millions of euros)

Acquisitions
Disposals

FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS NET OF DISPOSALS

In 2018, the cash outflow from acquisitions is mainly related to AVEVA acquisition.

Note 3: Segment information

The Group is structured into two reporting segments and organized as follow:

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(172)
93

(79)

(751)
21

(730)

Energy Management leverages a complete end-to-end technology offering enabled by EcoStruxure. The Group’s go-to-market is oriented to 
address  customer  needs  across  its  four  end-markets  of  Buildings,  Data  Centers,  Industry  and  Infrastructure,  supported  by  a  worldwide 
partner network.

Industrial Automation includes Industrial Automation and Industrial Control activities, across discrete, process & hybrid industries.

Expenses  concerning  General  Management  that  cannot  be  allocated  to  a  particular  segment  are  presented  under  “Central  functions  &  
digital costs”.

The board of directors has been identified as the main “decision-making body” for allocating resources and evaluating segment performance. 
The data shared with the latter is presented by reporting segments, with a detail by operating segment for Energy Management. Performance 
and decisions on the allocation of resources are assessed by the board of directors notably based on Adjusted EBITA.

Share-based payment is presented under “Central functions & digital costs”.

The board of directors does not review assets and liabilities by reporting segment.

The same accounting principles governing the consolidated financial statements apply to segment data. Details are provided in the Management 
report.

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3.1 Information by reporting segment

Full Year 2019

(in millions of euros)

Backlog
Revenue
Adjusted EBITA*
Adjusted EBITA (%)

Energy
Management

Industrial
Automation

Central functions
& digital costs

6,399
20,847
3,842
18.4%

1,705
6,311
1,141
18.1%

(745)

Total

8,104
27,158
4,238
15.6%

*  Adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). Adjusted EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization 

and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets, before goodwill impairment, other operating income and expenses and restructuring costs.

As of December 31, 2019, the amount of backlog to be executed over one year amounts to EUR 663 million.

Full Year 2018

(in millions of euros)

Backlog
Revenue
Adjusted EBITA*
Adjusted EBITA (%)

Energy
Management

Industrial
Automation

Central functions
& digital costs

5,988
19,520
3,479
17.8%

1,471
6,200
1,118
18.0%

(723)

Total

7,459
25,720
3,874
15.1%

*  Adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of Purchase Accounting Intangibles). Adjusted EBITA corresponds to operating profit before amortization 

and impairment of purchase accounting intangible assets, before goodwill impairment, other operating income and expenses and restructuring costs.

As of December 31, 2018, the amount of backlog to be executed over one year amounts to EUR 350 million.

3.2 Information by region
The geographic regions covered by the Group are:

•  Western Europe, 
•  North America, 
•  Asia-Pacific, 
•  Rest of the World (Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, South America). 

Non-current assets include net goodwill, net intangible assets and net property, plant and equipment.

(in millions of euros)

Revenue by country market
Non-current assets as of Dec. 31, 2019

(in millions of euros)

Revenue by country market
Non-current assets as of Dec. 31, 2018

Western
Europe

7,132
11,584

Western
Europe

6,991
11,121

of which

France Asia-Pacific

1,666
1,870

7,808
4,167

of which

France Asia-Pacific

1,643
1,859

7,338
3,859

of which
China

3,906
970

of which
China

3,666
942

North
America

7,874
9,965

North
America

7,183
9,617

of which
USA

Rest of the
World

6,789
7,316

4,344
1,330

of which
USA

Rest of the
World

6,101
7,602

4,208
1,171

Total

27,158
27,046

Total

25,720
25,768

Moreover, the Group follows the share of new economies in revenue:

(in millions of euros)

Revenue – Mature countries
Revenue – New economies

TOTAL

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

15,901
11,257

27,158

59%
41%

100%

14,987
10,733

25,720

58%
42%

100%

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 4: Research and development

Research and development costs break down as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Research and development costs in costs of sales
Research and development costs in R&D costs*
Capitalized development costs

TOTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COSTS IN THE YEAR **

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(408)
(657)
(303)

(387)
(597)
(315)

(1,368)

(1,299)

Including EUR 54 million of research and development tax credit in full year 2019 and EUR 41 million in full year 2018.

* 
**  Excluding amortization of R&D costs capitalized.

Amortization expenses of capitalized development amounted to EUR 243 million in 2019 and EUR 255 million in 2018.

Note 5: Impairment losses, depreciation and amortization expenses

(in millions of euros)

Depreciation and amortization included in cost of sales
Depreciation and amortization included in selling, general and administrative expenses*
Amortization expenses of purchase accounting intangible assets
Impairment losses of purchase accounting intangible assets

IMPAIRMENT LOSSES, DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION EXPENSES

* 

Including impact from first application of IFRS 16, as described in Note 1.1.

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(521)
(481)
(173)
–

(1,175)

(534)
(155)
(171)
(6)

(866)

Impairment tests performed in 2019 have not led to impairment losses being recognized on the CGUs’ assets. The sensitivity analysis on the test 
hypothesis shows that no impairment losses would be recognized in the following scenarios:

•  a 0.5 point increase of the discount rate; 
•  a 1.0 point decrease in the growth rate; 
•  a 0.5 point decrease in the margin rate.

Note 6: Other operating income and expenses

Other operating income and expenses break down as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Gains/(losses) on assets disposals
Gains/(losses) on business disposals & assets impairment
Costs of acquisitions and integrations
Others

OTHER OPERATING INCOME AND EXPENSES

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(1)
(289)
(98)
(23)

(411)

4
(36)
(69)
(2)

(103)

“Gains/(losses) on business disposals” mostly includes the impacts from the disposals of Pelco and Converse Energy Projects GmbH, as well as 
the fair value adjustment of Electroshield Samara business in 2019 (see Note 1.1).

“Costs of acquisitions and integrations” relates to major acquisitions and disposals in 2019 and 2018.

Note 7: Other financial income and expenses

(in millions of euros)

Exchange gains and losses, net
Financial component of defined benefit plan costs
Dividends received
Fair value adjustment of financial assets
Other financial expenses, net*

OTHER FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSES

* 

Including impact from first application of IFRS 16, as described in Note 1.1.

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Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(49)
(53)
37
11
(78)

(132)

(5)
(61)
1
3
(66)

(128)

Note 8: Income tax expenses

When regulatory requirements are met, Group entities file consolidated tax returns. Schneider Electric SE has chosen this option for the French 
subsidiaries it controls directly or indirectly through Schneider Electric Industries SAS.

8.1 Analysis of income tax expense

(in millions of euros)

Current taxes
Deferred taxes

INCOME TAX (EXPENSE)/BENEFIT

8.2 Tax proof

(in millions of euros)

Profit attributable to owners of the parent
Income tax (expense)/benefit
Non-controlling interests
Share of profit of associates
Income of discontinued operations, net of income tax
Profit before tax
Geographical weighted average Group tax rate
Theoretical income tax expense
Reconciling items :
Tax credits and other tax reductions
Impact of tax losses
Other permanent differences
Income tax (expense)/benefit before impact from tax reforms

EFFECTIVE TAX RATE BEFORE IMPACT FROM TAX REFORMS

Impact from the USA Tax reform

INCOME TAX (EXPENSE)/BENEFIT

EFFECTIVE TAX RATE

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(724)
34

(690)

(635)
(58)

(693)

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

2,413
(690)
(110)
78
(3)
3,138
23.4%
(733)

147
(53)
(51)
(690)

2,334
(693)
(97)
61
(23)
3,086
25.2%
(777)

180
(29)
(42)
(668)

22.0%

21.6%

–

(690)

(25)

(693)

22.0%

22.5%

Theoretical tax expense from continuing operations is reconciled above from the Company’s weighted-average global tax rate (rather than from 
the French domestic statutory tax rate), as the Company’s consolidated income from continuing operations is predominantly generated outside 
of France.

In 2018, the tax reforms in the USA led to an additional negative adjustment of EUR 25 million.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 9: Goodwill

9.1 Main items of goodwill
Group goodwill is broken down by CGUs as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Energy Management:
Low Voltage
Medium Voltage
Secure Power
Industrial Automation

TOTAL GOODWILL

9.2 Movements during the year
The main movements during the year are summarized as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Net goodwill at opening
Acquisitions
Disposals
Reclassifications
Translation adjustment

NET GOODWILL AT END OF PERIOD

Including cumulative impairment

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

11,210
6,040
1,957
3,213
7,509

18,719

11,035
5,999
1,855
3,181
7,338

18,373

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

18,373
64
(33)
(3)
318

18,719

(366)

16,423
1,634
–
53
263

18,373

(366)

Acquisitions
Goodwill generated by acquisitions made during the year totaled EUR 64 millions. Last year, goodwill generated was mainly related to AVEVA 
and IGE+XAO acquisitions.

Impairment tests performed on all the Group’s CGUs have not led to goodwill impairment losses being recognized.

Other changes
Translation adjustments concern principally goodwill in US dollars and UK pound sterling.

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10.1 Change in intangible assets
Gross value

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017

Acquisitions
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

Dec. 31, 2018

Acquisitions
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other 

DEC. 31, 2019

Amortization and impairment

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017

Depreciations
Impairments
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

Trademarks

Software

Development
Projects (R&D)

Acquired
technologies
and customer
relationships

2,877

–
90
–
37

3,004

–
36
–
(450)

2,590

861

18
16
20
(25)

890

22
4
45
(43)

918

2,843

2,251

315
23
–
(58)

1
90
–
500

3,123

2,842

303
19
7
(137)

–
76
–
(227)

3,315

2,691

Trademarks

Software

Development
Projects (R&D)

Acquired
technologies
and customer
relationships

(760)

(762)

(1,662)

(1,370)

–
–
(13)
–
25

(48)
–
(1)
–
20

(255)
(13)
(24)
–
42

(166)
–
(21)
–
(23)

Other

240

4
20
(20)
2

246

13
9
(52)
(14)

202

Other

(183)

(5)
–
(10)
–
(2)

Total

9,072

338
239
–
456

10,105

338
144
–
(871)

9,716

Total

(4,737)

(474)
(13)
(69)
–
62

Dec. 31, 2018

(748)

(791)

(1,912)

(1,580)

(200)

(5,231)

Depreciations
Impairments
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

DEC. 31, 2019

Net value

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017
Dec. 31, 2018

DEC. 31, 2019

–
–
1
–
327

(51)
–
(2)
–
43

(243)
(70)
(12)
–
126

(171)
–
(30)
–
243

(9)
–
(4)
–
14

(474)
(70)
(47)
–
753

(420)

(801)

(2,111)

(1,538)

(199)

(5,069)

Trademarks

Software

Development
Projects (R&D)

2,117
2,256

2,170

99
99

117

1,181
1,211

1,204

Acquired
technologies
and customer
relationships

881
1,262

1,153

Other

57
46

3

Total

4,335
4,874

4,647

In 2019, change in intangible assets is mainly related to the disposal of Pelco.

The amortization expenses and impairment losses of intangible assets other than goodwill restated in statutory cash flow are as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Depreciation expenses of intangibles assets other than goodwill
Impairments losses of intangible assets other than goodwill

TOTAL*

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

474
70

544

474
13

487

* 

Includes depreciation & impairment of intangible assets from purchase price allocation for EUR 173 million for the year 2019 (EUR 177 million in 2018).

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

10.2 Trademarks
At December 31, 2019, the main trademarks recognized were as follows:

(in millions of euros)

APC (Secure Power)
Clipsal (Low Voltage)
Pelco (Low Voltage)
Asco (Low Voltage)
AVEVA (Industrial Automation)
Invensys – Triconex and Foxboro (Industrial Automation)
Digital (Industrial Automation)
Other

TRADEMARKS

Dec. 31,2019 Dec. 31, 2018

1,650
159
–
111
83
49
45
73

2,170

1,619
157
123
110
79
48
43
77

2,256

All the above trademarks are considered to have an indefinite life. In 2019, the Group reviewed the value of the main trademarks in accordance 
with valuation model describe in Note 1.8 – Intangibles assets. Impairment tests carried out on main trademarks in 2019 did not led to additional 
impairments.

The sensibility analysis on the test hypothesis shows that no impairment losses would be recognized in the following scenarios:

•  a 0.5 point increase in the discount rate; 
•  a 1.0 point decrease in growth rate; 
•  a 0.5 point decrease in the royalty rate. 

Note 11: Property, plant and equipment

Changes in property, plant and equipment in 2019 are mainly related to the scope changes mentioned in the Note 2 and include the impacts of 
IFRS 16 – Leases that are detailed in Note 1-Effects of the adoption of IFRS 16.

Gross value

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017

Acquisitions
Disposals
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

Dec. 31, 2018

IFRS 16 first application

Jan. 1, 2019

Acquisitions
Disposals
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

Land

153

–
(5)
–
2
–

150

–

150

–
(2)
1
–
(8)

Buildings

1,846

Machinery and
equipments

4,352

281
(62)
2
(135)
(65)

1,867

1,103

2,970

172
(73)
24
106
(42)

144
(111)
6
128
(10)

4,509

139

4,648

190
(178)
42
121
(65)

Other

1,006

58
(85)
(6)
35
88

1,096

–

1,096

336
(41)
15
(235)
(17)

Total

7,357

483
(263)
2
30
13

7,622

1,242

8,864

698
(294)
82
(8)
(132)

DEC. 31, 2019

141

3,157

4,758

1,154

9,210

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Amortization and impairment

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017

Depreciation and impairment
Reversals
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

Dec. 31, 2018

IFRS 16 first application

Jan. 1, 2019

Depreciation and impairment
Reversals
Translation adjustments
Reclassifications
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

DEC. 31, 2019

Net value

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2017
Dec. 31, 2018

DEC. 31, 2019

Land

(17)

(4)
1
–
–
–

(20)

–

(20)

(1)
1
–
–
2

Buildings

Machinery and
equipments

(906)

(3,396)

(89)
36
(1)
(13)
1

(972)

–

(972)

(324)
36
(11)
(38)
8

(256)
110
(8)
5
11

(3,534)

–

(3,534)

(315)
173
(33)
24
56

Other

(548)

(64)
67
4
(22)
(12)

(575)

–

(575)

(64)
34
(7)
22
8

Total

(4,867)

(413)
214
(5)
(30)
–

(5,101)

–

(5,101)

(704)
244
(51)
8
74

(18)

(1,301)

(3,629)

(582)

(5,530)

Land

136
130

123

Buildings

Machinery and
equipments

940
895

1,856

956
975

1,129

Other

458
521

572

Total

2,490
2,521

3,680

Reclassifications primarily correspond to assets put into use.

The cash impact of purchases of property, plant and equipment in 2019 was as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Increase in property, plant and equipment
Of which non-cash impact related to IFRS 16
Changes in receivables and liabilities on property, plant and equipment

TOTAL

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

(698)
187
5

(506)

(483)
–
(3)

(486)

The depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment restated in the statement of cash flows were as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Impairment of property, plant and equipment

TOTAL

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

701
3

704

386
27

413

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 12: Investments in associates and joint ventures

Investments in associates and joint ventures can be analyzed as follows:

(in millions of euros)

% of interest
Dec. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2019

CLOSING VALUE DEC. 31, 2017

Net Income/(loss)
Dividends distribution
Perimeter changes
Translation impacts & others

CLOSING VALUE DEC. 31, 2018

Net Income/(loss)
Dividends distribution
Perimeter changes
Translation impacts & others

CLOSING VALUE DEC. 31, 2019

Delixi
Sub-Group*

Fuji
Electrics

Sunten
Electric
Equipments

Schneider
Electric
DMS

InnoVista
Sensors

50.0%

50.0%

278

50
(57)
–
(2)

269

65
(15)
–
1

320

36.8%

36.8%

116

16
(4)
–
8

136

9
(6)
–
2

141

25.0%

57.0%

25.0%

100.0%

30.0%

30.0%

48

(1)
(1)
–
(1)

45

1
(7)
–
3

42

44

(7)
–
–
7

44

(2)
–
(43)
1

–

27

3
(28)
–
1

3

3
(5)
–
(1)

–

Delta
Dore
Finance

20.0%

20.0%

19

–
–
–
–

19

1
–
–
–

20

Other

Total

15

–
(1)
–
–

14

1
(5)
(2)
2

10

547

61
(91)
–
13

530

78
(38)
(45)
8

533

* 

In 2019, Delixi Electric Ltd. Expanded its business through two complementary acquisitions (Zhejiang Delixi International Electric Industry Co., Ltd and Delixi Instrument & 
Meter Co., Ltd.)

Note 13: Non-current financial assets

Non-current financial assets, primarily comprising investments, are detailed below:

%
of interest

Acquisitions
disposals

Dec. 31, 2019

Fair value
through
P&L

Fair value
through
Equity

Dec. 31, 2018

FX &
others

Fair value

Fair value

(in millions of euros)

LISTED FINANCIAL ASSETS:
NVC Lighting
PLEJD
Gold Peak Industries Holding Ltd

TOTAL LISTED FINANCIAL ASSETS

UNLISTED FINANCIAL ASSETS:
Foundries
Sensetime & Stalagnate Fund China
FCPR Aster II (part A, B, C and D)
Alpi
FCPR Growth
FCPR SEV1
SICAV SESS
FCPI Energy Access Ventures Fund
Raise Fundation
Easydrive
SICAV Livehoods Fund SIF
Schneider Electric Energy Access
Itris Automation
Others (Unit gross value lower than EUR 3 million)

TOTAL UNLISTED FINANCIAL ASSETS

PENSIONS ASSETS

OTHER

9.2%
15.1%
4.4%

38.3%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
63.1%
30.4%
4.8%
51.0%
15.2%
81.1%
100.0%

–
–
–

–

45
9
1
26
–
(1)
–
3
–
8
1
–
3
–

95

1

12

TOTAL NON-CURRENT FINANCIAL ASSETS

108

–
–
–

–

1
–
8
–
–
9
–
(1)
–
–
–
–
–
(6)

11

8

19

(7)
1
–

(6)

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

(133)

17

(122)

–
–
–

–

(2)
–
–
–
–
(1)
–
1
–
–
(1)
–
–
10

7

14

(46)

(25)

9
7
3

19

86
33
47
26
23
22
11
9
9
8
4
3
3
7

291

251

84

645

16
6
3

25

42
24
38
–
23
15
11
6
9
–
4
3
–
3

178

361

101

665

Changes in fair value for listed financial assets are recorded through “Other comprehensive income” since 2017 (Note 1.11). Gains or losses 
realized upon sale will be maintained in “Other comprehensive income” (no recycling in income statement).

The fair value of investments quoted in an active market corresponds to the stock price on the balance sheet date.

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“Others” include mainly loans to non-consolidated companies, and securities given to third parties.

Note 14: Deferred taxes by Nature

Deferred taxes by type can be analyzed as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Tax loss carryforwards (net)
Provisions for pensions and other post-retirement benefit obligations (net)
Non-deductible provisions and accruals (net)
Differences between tax and accounting depreciation on tangible assets (net)
Differences between tax and accounting amortization on intangible assets (net)
Differences on working capital (net)
Other deferred tax assets/(liabilities) (net)

TOTAL NET DEFERRED TAX ASSETS/(LIABILITIES)

of which total deferred tax assets
of which total deferred tax liabilities

722
347
332
5
(892)
203
266

983

2,004
1,021

721
278
223
(55)
(803)
370
159

893

2,040
1,147

Deferred tax assets recorded in respect of tax losses carried forward at December 31, 2019 essentially concern France (EUR 577 million). These 
deficits can be carried forward indefinitely, and have been activated using the rate of 25.83%, in accordance with the applicable rate in the 
expected consumption horizon of 8 years. Unrecognized deferred tax losses amount EUR 189 million as of December 31, 2019, and are mainly 
related to Spain and Brazil.

Note 15: Inventories and work in progress

Inventories and work in progress changed as follows:

(in millions of euros)

COST:
Raw materials
Production work in progress
Semi-finished and finished products
Finished goods
Solution work in progress

INVENTORIES AND WORK IN PROGRESS AT COST

IMPAIRMENT:
Raw materials
Production work in progress
Semi-finished and finished products
Finished goods
Solution work in progress

IMPAIRMENT LOSS

NET:
Raw materials
Production work in progress
Semi-finished and finished products
Finished goods
Solution work in progress

INVENTORIES AND WORK IN PROGRESS, NET

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

1,205
228
1,127
402
167

3,129

(130)
(4)
(142)
(7)
(5)

(288)

1,075
224
985
395
162

2,841

1,258
275
1,277
414
184

3,408

(148)
(9)
(148)
(7)
(5)

(317)

1,110
266
1,129
407
179

3,091

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 16: Trade accounts receivable

(in millions of euros)

Accounts receivable
Unbilled revenue
Notes receivable
Advances to suppliers
Accounts receivable at cost
Impairment

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

On time
Less than one month past due
One to two months past due
Two to three months past due
Three to four months past due
More than four months past due

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

4,819
1,137
223
233
6,412
(459)

5,953

5,135
391
179
124
58
66

5,114
851
199
119
6,283
(479)

5,804

4,855
461
203
80
79
126

Accounts receivable result from sales to end-customers, who are widely spread both geographically and economically. Consequently, the Group 
believes that there is no significant concentration of credit risk.

In addition, the Group takes out substantial credit insurance and uses other types of guarantees to limit the risk of losses on trade accounts 
receivable.

Changes in provisions for impairment of short and long-term trade accounts receivable were as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Provisions for impairment on January 1
Additions
Utilizations
Reversal of surplus provisions
Translation adjustments
Changes in scope of consolidation and other

PROVISIONS FOR IMPAIRMENT ON DECEMBER 31

Full year 
2019

Full year
2018

(479)
(107)
58
38
(6)
37

(459)

(478)
(74)
42
43
5
(17)

(479)

The contracts assets and liabilities, respectively reported within the “Trade and other operating receivables” and “Trade and other operating 
payables”, are as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Unbilled revenue (contract assets)
Contract liabilities

NET CONTRACT ASSETS

Note 17: Other receivables and prepaid expenses

(in millions of euros)

Other receivables
Other tax receivables
Derivative instruments
Prepaid expenses

OTHER RECEIVABLES AND PREPAID EXPENSES

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

1,137
(1,069)

68

851
(797)

54

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

680
1,097
75
235

2,087

549
992
45
324

1,910

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Note 18: Cash and cash equivalents

(in millions of euros)

Marketable securities
Negotiable debt securities and short-term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Total cash and cash equivalents
Bank overdrafts

NET CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

1,560
193
1,839
3,592
(197)

3,395

527
25
1,809
2,361
(130)

2,231

Non-recourse factorings of trade receivables were realized in 2019 for a total amount of EUR 132 million, compared with EUR 180 million in 2018.

Note 19: Shareholder’s equity

19.1 Capital
Share capital
The company’s share capital at December 31, 2019 amounted to EUR 2,328,274,220 represented by 582,068,555 shares with a par value of 
EUR 4, all fully paid up.

At December 31, 2019, a total of 608,274,947 voting rights were attached to the 582,068,555 shares outstanding. Schneider Electric’s capital 
management strategy is designed to:

•  ensure Group liquidity; 
•  optimize its financial structure; 
•  optimize the weighted average cost of capital. 

The strategy must also ensure the Group has access to different capital markets under the best possible conditions. Factors taken into account 
for decision-making purposes include objectives expressed in terms of earnings per share, ratings or balance sheet stability. Finally, decisions 
may be implemented depending on specific market conditions.

Changes in share capital and cumulative number of shares
Changes in share capital since December 31, 2017 were as follows:

(in number of shares and in euros)

CAPITAL AT DEC. 31, 2017

Cancellation of own shares*
Exercise of stock options
Employee share issue

CAPITAL AT DEC. 31, 2018

Exercise of stock options
Employee share issue

CAPITAL AT DEC. 31, 2019

Cumulative
number of shares

Share capital

596,916,242 2,387,664,968

(22,000,000)
1,845,942
2,406,585

(88,000,000)
7,383,768
9,626,340

579,168,769

2,316,675,076

223,768
2,676,018

895,072
10,704,072

582,068,555 2,328,274,220

*  Cancellation of 22 million treasury shares following the Board of Directors held on February 15, 2018.

The share premium account increased by EUR 157 million following the exercise of options and the increases in capital.

19.2 Earnings per share

(in thousands of shares and in euros per share)

Common shares (Net of treasury shares and own shares)
Performance shares
Stock options

AVERAGE WEIGHTED NUMBER OF SHARES

Earnings per share before tax

EARNINGS PER SHARE

Full Year 2019

Basic

551,067
–
–

551,067

5.69

4.38

Diluted

551,067
6,449
–

557,516

5.63

4.33

Full Year 2018
Basic

Diluted

554,006
–
–

554,006

5.57

4.21

554,006
6,463
118

560,587

5.5

4.16

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

19.3 Dividends paid and proposed
In 2019, the Group paid out the 2018 dividend of EUR 2.35 per share, for a total of EUR 1,296 million.

At the Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020, shareholders will be asked to approve a dividend of EUR 2.55 per share for fiscal year 2019.  
At  December  31,  2019  Schneider-Electric  SE  had  distributable  reserves  in  an  amount  of  EUR  6,379  million  (versus  EUR  3,061  million  at  the 
previous year-end), not including profit for the year.

19.4 Share-based payments
Current stock option and stock grant plans
The Board of Directors of Schneider Electric SE and later the Management Board have set up stock option and performance shares plans for 
senior executives and certain employees of the Group. The main features of these plans were as follows at December 31, 2019:

Option plans

Plan no.

31
33

TOTAL

Date of the Board 
Meeting

01/05/2009
12/21/2009

Type of
Plan*

Starting date of 
exercise period

Expiration
date

S
S

01/05/2013
12/21/2013

01/04/2019
12/20/2019

Price
(in euros)

23.78
34.62

Number of
options initially 
granted

Options cancelled 
because targets 
not met

1,358,000
1,652,686

3,010,686

135,625
13,589

149,214

*  S = Options to subscribe new shares.

Rules governing the stock options plans are as follows:

• 

• 
• 

to  exercise  the  option,  the  grantee  must  generally  be  an  employee  or  corporate  officer  of  the  Group.  Vesting  is  also  conditional  on  the 
achievement of performance criteria; 
the options expire after six years; 
the vesting period is three or four years in the United States and four years in the rest of the world. 

Performance shares plans

Plan no.

Plan 20 ter
Plan 22
Plan 22 bis
Plan 22 ter
Plan 24
Plan 25
Plan 26
Plan 27
Plan 28
Plan 29
Plan 29 bis
Plan 30
Plan 31
Plan 31 bis
Plan 32
Plan 33
Plan 34
Plan 35

TOTAL

Date of the 
Board Meeting

02/18/2015
03/27/2015
10/28/2015
10/28/2015
03/23/2016
03/23/2016
03/23/2016
10/26/2016
03/24/2017
03/24/2017
10/25/2017
03/26/2018
03/26/2018
10/24/2018
03/26/2019
03/26/2019
07/24/2019
10/23/2019

Vesting date

02/18/2019
03/27/2019
10/28/2019
10/28/2019
03/23/2020
03/30/2019
03/23/2020
10/26/2019
03/24/2020
03/24/2020
10/25/2020
03/26/2021
03/26/2022
10/24/2021
03/28/2022
03/28/2022
07/25/2022
10/24/2022

End of lock-up 
period

Number of shares 
initially granted

Grants cancelled 
because 
objectives not met

02/18/2020
03/27/2019
10/28/2019
10/28/2019
03/23/2020
04/01/2021
03/23/2020
10/26/2019
03/24/2021
03/24/2020
10/25/2020
03/26/2021
03/26/2022
10/24/2021
03/28/2023
03/29/2022
07/26/2022
10/25/2022

9,300
2,095,610
32,650
24,570
27,042
744,540
2,291,200
35,700
25,800
2,405,220
32,400
25,800
2,318,140
28,000
25,800
2,313,650
87,110
17,450

–
718,432
15,248
–
–
73,699
530,918
4,568
–
250,350
600
–
123,150
–
–
23,070
790
–

12,530,682

1,740,825

Rules governing the performance shares plans are as follows:

• 

• 
• 

to  receive  the  shares,  the  grantee  must  generally  be  an  employee  or  corporate  officer  of  the  Group.  Vesting  is  also  conditional  on  the 
achievement of performance criteria; 
the vesting period is two to four years; 
the lock-up period is zero to three years. 

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Outstanding options and shares
In respect of subscription vesting conditions for current stock options and performance shares plans, Schneider Electric SE has created 223,768 
shares in 2019. Changes in the number of outstanding number of options and shares in 2019 were as follows:

Change in the number of options

Plan no.

31
33

TOTAL

Number of options
outstanding
at Dec. 31, 2018

Number of options
exercised and/or
created in 2019

Number of options
cancelled or
restated in 2019

Number of options
outstanding
at Dec. 31, 2019

19,566
210,356

229,922

(17,701)
(196,767)

(214,468)

(1,865)
(13,589)

(15,454)

–
–

–

To exercise the options granted under plans 31 and 33, and the SARs (“Stock Appreciation Rights”), the grantee must generally be an employee 
or corporate officer of the Group. In addition, exercise of some options is generally conditional on the achievement of annual objectives based 
on financial indicators.

Plans 31 and 33 were the last remaining stock options plans at the end of 2019. As of January 1, 2020, there is no active stock options plan for 
any employee or corporate officer of the Group.

Change in the number of performance shares

Plan no.

Plan 20 ter
Plan 22
Plan 22 bis
Plan 22 ter
Plan 24
Plan 25
Plan 26
Plan 27
Plan 28
Plan 29
Plan 29 bis
Plan 30
Plan 31
Plan 31 bis
Plan 32
Plan 33
Plan 34
Plan 35

TOTAL

Number of 
performance shares
at Dec. 31, 2018

Number of
shares granted 
or to be granted

Number of shares 
cancelled in 2019

Number of 
performance shares 
at Dec. 31, 2019

9,300
1,408,618
19,797
24,570
27,042
714,140
1,962,900
33,700
25,800
2,259,170
31,800
25,800
2,284,940
28,000
–
–
–
–

8,855,577

(9,300)
(1,377,178)
(17,402)
(24,570)
–
(670,841)
–
(31,132)
–
–
–
–
–
–
25,800
2,313,650
87,110
17,450

313,587

–
(31,440)
(2,395)
–
–
(43,299)
(202,618)
(2,568)
–
(104,300)
–
–
(89,950)
–
–
(23,070)
(790)
–

(500,430)

–
–
–
–
27,042
–
1,760,282
–
25,800
2,154,870
31,800
25,800
2,194,990
28,000
25,800
2,290,580
86,320
17,450

8,668,734

For performance shares to vest, the grantee must be an employee or corporate officer of the Group. In addition, vesting of some performance 
shares is conditional on the achievement of annual objectives based on financial indicators.

Valuation of performance shares
In  accordance  with  the  accounting  policies  described  in  Note  1.19  the  performance  shares  plans  have  been  valued  based  on  an  average 
estimated life of 3 to 5 years using the following assumptions:

•  a pay-out rate of between 3.0% and 3.5%; 
•  a discount rate of between 0% and 1.0%, corresponding to a risk-free rate over the life of the plans (source: Bloomberg). 

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Based on these assumptions, the expense recorded under “Selling, general and administrative expenses” breaks down as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Plan 18 & 18 bis
Plan 20 ter
Plan 22
Plan 22 bis & 22 ter
Plan 24
Plan 25 & 25 bis
Plan 26 & 26 bis
Plan 27
Plan 28
Plan 29 & 29 bis
Plan 30
Plan 31 & 31 bis
Plan 32
Plan 33
Plan 34
Plan 35

TOTAL

Full year 2019

Full year 2018

–
–
3
–
–
2
14
–
1
42
1
43
–
33
–
–

1
–
19
–
–
9
19
1
–
44
–
33
–
–
–
–

139

126

In 2019, the Group also recorded an additional expense of EUR 15 million in relation with AVEVA subgroup’s performance shares plan, bringing 
the total Group expense to EUR 154 million.

Worldwide Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Schneider Electric gives its employees the opportunity to become group shareholders thanks to employee share issues. Employees in countries 
that meet legal and fiscal requirements have been proposed the classic plan.

Under the classic plan, employees may purchase Schneider Electric shares at a 15% discount to the price quoted for the shares on the stock 
market. Employees must then hold their shares for five years, except in certain cases provided for by law. The share-based payment expense 
recorded in accordance with IFRS 2 is measured by reference to the fair value of the discount on the locked-up shares. The lock-up cost is 
determined on the basis of a two-step strategy that involves first selling the locked-up shares on the forward market and then purchasing the 
same number of shares on the spot market (i.e., shares that may be sold at any time) using a bullet loan.

This strategy is designed to reflect the cost the employee would incur during the lock-up period to avoid the risk of carrying the shares subscribed 
under the classic plan. The borrowing cost corresponds to the cost of borrowing for the employees concerned, as they are the sole potential 
buyers in this market. It is based on the average interest rate charged by banks for an ordinary, non-revolving personal loan with a maximum 
maturity of five years granted to a natural person with an average credit rating.

In 2019, Schneider Electric gave its employees the opportunity to purchase shares at a price of EUR 60.26 per share, as part of its commitment 
to employee share ownership, on April 16th, 2019. This represented a 15% discount to the reference price of EUR 70.90 calculated as the average 
opening price quoted for the share during the 20 days preceding the Management Board’s decision to launch the employee share issue.

Altogether,  2.7  million  shares  were  subscribed,  increasing  the  Company’s  capital  by  EUR  161  million  as  of  July  10,  2019.  Due  to  significant 
changes in valuation assumptions, specifically the interest rate available to market participant, the value of the lock-up period is higher than the 
discount cost since 2012. Therefore, the Group did not recognize any cost related to the transaction.

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The tables below summarize the main characteristics of the plans, the amounts subscribed, the valuation assumptions and the plans’ cost for 
2019 and 2018.

(in millions of euros)

Plan characteristics:
Maturity (years)
Reference price (euros)
Subscription price (euros)
Discount
Amount subscribed by employees
Total amount subscribed
Total number of shares subscribed (million of shares)
Valuation assumptions:
Interest rate available to market participant (bullet loan)*
Five-year risk-free interest rate (euro zone)
Annual interest rate (repo)
Value of discount (a)
Value of the lock-up period for market participant (b)

TOTAL EXPENSE FOR THE GROUP (a) – (b)

Sensitivity:
decrease in interest rate for market participant**

Full Year 2019

Full Year 2018

%

Value

%

Value

15.0%

3.1%
0.3%
1.0%
15.0%
26.4%

5
70.9
60.26

161.3
161.3
2.7

28.5
50

–

15.0%

3.4%
0.3%
1.0%
15.0%
26.4%

(0.5)%

5.2

(0.5)%

5
75.86
64.47

155.2
155.2
2.4

27.4
48.1

–

5.1

*  Average interest rate charged on an ordinary, non-revolving personal loan, with a five-year maturity to an individual with an average credit rating. 
**  A decline in the interest rate for market participants reduces the lock-up cost and increases the expense booked by the issuer.

19.5 Schneider Electric SE shares
At December 31, 2019, the Group held 31,046,884 Schneider Electric shares in treasury stock, which have been recorded as a deduction from 
retained earnings.

The Group has repurchased 3.5 million shares for a total amount of EUR 266 million in 2019.

19.6 Income tax recorded in equity
Total income tax recorded in Equity amounts to EUR 247 million as of December 31, 2019 and can be analyzed as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Cash-Flow hedges
Available-for-sale financial assets
Actuarial gains/(losses) on defined benefit plans
Other

TOTAL

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Change in tax

48
(7)
209
(3)

247

55
(7)
127
(1)

174

(7)
–
82
(2)

73

19.7 Non-controlling interests
The main contributor is AVEVA, for which 40% of the shares correspond to non-controlling interests for the Group.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 20: Pensions and other post-employment benefit obligations

The Group has set up various post-employment benefit plans for employees covering pensions, termination benefits, healthcare, life insurance 
and other benefits, as well as long-term benefit plans for active employees.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans
The Group’s main Defined Benefit pension plans are located in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). They respectively represent 
63% (2018: 63%) and 22% (2018: 62%) of the Group’s total Defined Benefit Obligations (DBO) on pensions. The majority of benefit obligations 
under these plans, which represent 93% of the Group’s total commitment at December 31, 2019, are partially or fully funded through payments 
to external funds. These funds are never invested in Group assets.

United Kingdom
The  Group  companies  operate  several  Defined  Benefit  pension  plans  in  the  UK.  The  main  one  is  related  to  the  Invensys  Pension  Scheme. 
Pensions payable to employees depend on average final salary and length of service within the Group. These plans are registered schemes 
under UK tax law and managed by independent Boards of Trustees. They are closed to new entrants, and for most of them, the vested rights were 
frozen as they have been replaced by Defined Contributions plans.

These plans are funded by employer contributions, which are negotiated every three years based on plan valuations carried out by independent 
actuaries, so that the long term financing services are ensured.

In relation to risk management and asset allocation, the Board of Trustees’ aims of each plan are to ensure that it can meet its obligations to the 
plan’s beneficiaries both in the short and long term. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the plan’s long-term investment strategy, defines and 
manages long-term investment strategies to reduce risks, including interest rate risks and longevity risks. A certain proportion of assets hedges 
the liability valuation change resulting from the interest rates evolution. Those assets are primarily invested in fixed income investments, particularly 
intermediate and longer term instruments.

Following the agreement reached with the Trustee of the Invensys Pension Scheme on February 2014, Schneider Electric SE guaranteed all 
obligations of the Invensys subsidiaries which participate in the scheme, up to a maximum amount of GBP 1.75 billion. As of December 31, 2019, 
plan assets exceed the value of obligations subject to this guarantee and thus this guarantee cannot be called.

Schneider UK pension plans contain provisions of pension called Guaranteed Minimum Pension (“GMP”). GMPs were accrued for individuals 
who subscribed to the State Second Pension prior to April 6, 1997. Historically, there was an inequality in the benefits between male and female 
members concerning GMP.

A High Court case concluded on October 26, 2018, confirmed that all UK pension plans must equalize GMPs between men and women. In the 
light  of  these  events  and  new  information,  the  Group  updated  the  related  assumptions,  leading  to  a  net  experience  adjustment  in  “Other 
comprehensive income” of EUR 56 million in 2018.

United States
The United States’ subsidiaries operate several Defined Benefit pension plans. These plans are closed to new entrants, frozen to future accruals 
and have been replaced by Defined Contributions plans. Pensions payable to employees depend on the average final salary and the length of 
service within the Group.

Each year, the Group companies contribute a certain amount to the Defined Benefit pension plans. This amount is determined actuarially and is 
comprised of service costs, administrative expenses and payments toward any existing deficits. Since the plans are closed and frozen, there is 
generally no service cost component.

The companies delegate various responsibilities to Pension Committees. These committees define and manage long-term investment strategies 
to reduce risks, including interest rate risks and longevity risks. A certain proportion of assets hedges the liability valuation change, resulting from 
the interest rates evolution. Those assets are primarily invested in fixed income investments, particularly intermediate and longer term instruments.

In  2018,  Schneider  Electric  purchased  annuities  contracts  to  settle  obligations  in  several  of  its  defined  benefits  pension  plans.  The  annuity 
contracts were purchased from high quality insurance companies in accordance with US regulations for such transactions. In total, DBO for USD 
623 million was removed from the gross pension liability, requiring the use of USD 599 million of pension assets.

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Assumptions
Actuarial  valuations  are  generally  performed  each  year.  The  assumptions  used  vary  according  to  the  economic  conditions  prevailing  in  the 
country concerned, as follows:

Group weighted average rate

Of which United Kingdom
Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018 Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Of which United States

Discount rate
Rate of compensation increases

2.18%
3.16%

3.00%
3.25%

2.06%
3.34%

2.85%
3.53%

3.26%
n.a.

4.33%
n.a.

The discount rate is determined on the basis of the interest rate for investment-grade (AA) corporate bonds or, if a liquid market does not exist, 
government bonds with a maturity that matches the duration of the benefit obligation. In the United States, the average discount rate is determined 
on the basis of a yield curve for AA and AAA investment-grade corporate bonds.

In the Euro zone, the discount rate currently stands at 0.5% for a 10 years duration and 0.75% for a 15 years duration.

20.1 Changes in provisions for pensions and other post-employment benefit obligations
Annual changes in obligations, the market value of plan assets and the corresponding assets and provisions recognized in the financial statements 
can be analyzed as follows:

(in millions of euros)

DEC. 31, 2017

Service cost
Past service cost
Curtailments and settlements
Interest cost
Interest income
Net impact in P&L, (expense)/profit

of which UK
of which US
Benefits paid
Plan participants’ contributions
Employer contributions
Changes in the scope of consolidation
Actuarial gains/(losses) recognized in equity
Translation adjustment
Other changes

DEC 31, 2018

of which UK
of which US
Service cost
Past service cost
Curtailments and settlements
Interest cost
Interest income
Net impact in P&L, (expense)/profit

of which UK
of which US
Benefits paid
Plan participants’ contributions
Employer contributions
Changes in the scope of consolidation
Actuarial gains/(losses) recognized in equity
Translation adjustment
Other changes

DEC. 31, 2019

of which UK
of which US

DBO benefit 
obligations

Plan assets

Asset ceiling

Net Liability

(10,189)

8,686

(41)
6
528
(258)
–
235
(153)
444
593
(5)
–
(99)
611
(57)
–

(8,911)

(5,592)
(1,961)
(50)
10
(1)
(267)
–
(308)
(152)
(84)
532
(5)
–
5
(1,024)
(354)
–

(10,065)

(6,312)
(2,209)

–
–
(508)
–
199
(309)
148
(464)
(534)
5
167
94
(237)
29
–

7,901

6,009
1,384
–
–
–
–
219
219
163
50
(468)
5
80
–
539
357
–

8,633

6,556
1,539

(98)

–
–
–
(2)
–
(2)
(2)
–
–
–
–
–
(89)
2
–

(187)

(187)
–
–
–
–
(5)
–
(5)
(5)
–
–
–
–
–
77
(8)
–

(123)

(123)
–

(1,601)

(41)
6
20
(260)
199
(76)
(7)
(20)
59
–
167
(5)
285
(26)
–

(1,197)

230
(577)
(50)
10
(1)
(272)
219
(94)
6
(34)
64
–
80
5
(408)
(5)
–

(1,555)

121
(670)

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

The total present value of Defined Benefit Obligations breaks down as follows between wholly or partly funded plans and wholly unfunded plans:

(in millions of euros)

Present value of wholly or partly funded benefit obligation
Fair value on plan assets
Effect of assets ceiling
Net position of wholly or partly funded benefit obligation
Present value of wholly or partly unfunded benefit obligation

NET LIABILITY FROM FUNDED AND UNFUNDED PLANS

Balance Sheet impact:

surplus of plans recognized as assets
provisions recognized as liabilities

Changes in gross items recognized in equity were as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Actuarials (gains)/losses on Defined Benefit Obligations arising from demographic assumptions
Actuarials (gains)/losses on Defined Benefit Obligations arising from financial assumptions
Actuarials (gains)/losses on Defined Benefit Obligations from experience effects
Actuarials (gains)/losses on plan assets
Effect of asset ceiling

TOTAL RECOGNIZED IN EQUITY DURING THE PERIOD

of which UK
of which US

Plans asset allocation:

(in millions of euros)

Equity
Bonds
Others

TOTAL

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

(9,350)
8,633
(123)
(840)
(715)

(1,555)

251
(1,806)

(8,261)
7,901
(187)
(547)
(650)

(1,197)

361
(1,558)

Full year 
2019

Full year 
2018

(37)
989
72
(539)
(77)

408

(162)
(70)

(182)
(523)
94
237
89

(285)

172
92

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

11%
74%
15%

100%

11%
80%
9%

100%

20.2 Sensitivity analysis
The effect of a ± 0.5% change in the discount rate on the 2019 Defined Benefit Obligations is as follows:

(in millions of euros)

DBO Impact

Total

+0.5%

(640)

United Kingdom

United States

Rest of the World

-0.5%

709

+0.5%

(420)

-0.5%

472

+0.5%

(123)

-0.5%

132

+0.5%

(98)

-0.5%

104

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Note 21: Provisions for contingencies and charges

(in millions of euros)

DEC. 31, 2017

of which long-term portion
Additions
Utilizations
Reversals of surplus provisions
Translation adjustments
Changes in the scope of 
consolidation and other

DEC. 31, 2018

of which long-term portion
IFRIC 23 reclassification*
Additions
Utilizations
Reversals of surplus provisions
Translation adjustments
Changes in the scope of 
consolidation and other

DEC. 31, 2019

of which long-term portion

Economic
risks

Customer
risks

Products
risks

Environmental
risks

Restructuring

821

615
93
(204)
(10)
4

28

732

499
(448)
51
(40)
(2)
2

(3)

292

155

94

64
13
(23)
(14)
2

1

73

50

13
(14)
(4)
1

7

76

50

445

153
146
(112)
(11)
(3)

2

467

144

199
(120)
(43)
6

(10)

499

139

290

276
12
(26)
(4)
11

17

300

265

10
(18)
(2)
5

(2)

293

256

154

8
87
(104)
(13)
(1)

(1)

122

13

256
(225)
(4)
–

2

151

11

Other
risks

469

315
98
(119)
(10)
11

(12)

437

282

87
(105)
(3)
7

–

423

329

Provisions

2,273

1,431
449
(588)
(62)
24

35

2,131

1,253
(448)
616
(522)
(58)
21

(6)

1,734

940

*  Following IFRIC 23 application described in Note 1, starting January 2019, income tax provisions are now reclassified in accrued taxes.

Provisions are primarily set aside to cover:

•  economic risks: these provisions relate to probable tax risks arising on positions taken by the Group or its subsidiaries. Each position is 
assessed individually and not offset, and reflects the best estimate of the risk at the end of the reporting period. Where applicable, it includes 
any late-payment interest and fines. In accordance with IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments, provisions covering uncertainties 
over income tax treatment have been reclassified within “Accrued taxes” as of 1st of January 2019; 

•  customer  risks:  provisions  for  customer  risks  mainly  integrate  the  provisions  for  losses  at  completion  for  some  of  long  term  contracts. 

Provisions for expected losses are fully recognized as soon as they are identified; 

•  product risks: these provisions comprise 

 – statistical provisions for warranties: the Group funds provisions on a statistical basis for the residual cost of Schneider Electric product 
warranties not covered by insurance. The provisions are estimated with consideration of historical claim statistics and the warranty period; 

 – provisions to cover disputes concerning defective products and recalls of clearly identified products; 

•  environmental risks: these provisions are primarily funded to cover clean-up costs. The estimation of the expected future outflows is based 

on reports from independent experts; 

•  restructuring costs, when the Group has prepared a detailed plan for the restructuring and has either announced or started to implement 

the plan before the end of the year. The estimation of the liability include only direct expenditure arising from the restructuring. 

Reconciliation with cash flow statement – the increase and decrease in provisions retreated at statutory cash flow were as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Increase of provision
Utilization of provision
Reversal of surplus provision
Provision variance including tax provisions but excluding employee benefit obligation
(Tax provision net variance)
Provision variance excluding tax provisions and pension benefit obligation
Employee benefit obligation net variance contribution to plan assets

INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN PROVISIONS IN CASH-FLOW STATEMENT

Full year 
2019

Full year 
2018

616
(522)
(58)
36
–
36
20

56

449
(589)
(61)
(201)
92
(109)
26

(83)

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 22: Total current and non-current financial liabilities

The breakdown of net debt is as follows:

(in millions of euros)

Bonds
Bonds and other borrowings
Employee profit sharing
Short-term portion of convertible and non-convertible bonds
Short-term portion of long-term debt

NON-CURRENT FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

Commercial paper
Accrued interest
Other short-term borrowings
Drawdown of funds from lines of credit
Bank overdrafts
Short-term portion of convertible and non-convertible bonds
Short-term portion of long-term debt

SHORT-TERM DEBT

TOTAL CURRENT AND NON-CURRENT FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (SEE NOTE 18)

NET DEBT

22.1 Breakdown by maturity

(in millions of euros)

2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027 and beyond

TOTAL

22.2 Breakdown by currency

(in millions of euros)

Euro
US Dollar
Brazilian Real
Indian Rupee
Sterling Pound
Russian Rouble
Algerian Dinar
Chilean Peso
Other

TOTAL

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6,888
22
2
(500)
(7)

6,405

–
41
234
–
197
500
7

979

7,384

(3,592)

3,792

6,406
17
3
(500)
(3)

5,923

610
31
300
–
130
500
3

1,574

7,497

(2,361)

5,136

Nominal

Dec. 31, 2019
Interests

Dec. 31, 2018
Nominal

Swaps

–
996
599
710
796
995
1,044
742
1,502

7,384

–
101
86
70
51
42
34
28
16

428

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

1,591
499
599
696
795
792
1,043
741
741

7,497

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

6,239
793
66
45
32
29
20
18
142

7,384

6,563
746
36
48
10
38
28
26
2

7,497

22.3 Bonds

(in millions of euros)

Schneider Electric SE 2019
Schneider Electric SE 2020
Schneider Electric SE 2021
Schneider Electric SE 2022
Schneider Electric SE 2023
Schneider Electric SE 2024
Schneider Electric SE 2025
Schneider Electric SE 2025
Schneider Electric SE 2026
Schneider Electric SE 2027
Schneider Electric SE 2028

TOTAL

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Effective interest rate

Maturity

–
500
599
710
796
995
744
300
742
742
760

500
499
599
696
795
792
743
300
741
741
–

3.500% fixed
3.625% fixed
2.500% fixed
2.950% fixed
1.500% fixed
0.250% fixed
0.875% fixed
1.841% fixed
0.875% fixed
1.375% fixed
1.500% fixed

January 2019
July 2020
September 2021
September 2022
September 2023
September 2024
March 2025
October 2025
December 2026
June 2027
January 2028

6,888

6,406

Schneider Electric SE has issued bonds on different markets:

• 

in the United States, through a private placement offering following SEC 144A rule, for USD 800 million worth of bonds issued in September 2012, 
at a rate of 2.95%, due in September 2022; 

•  as part of its Euro Medium Term Notes (EMTN) program, bonds traded on the Luxembourg stock exchange. Issues that had not yet matured 

as of December 31, 2019 are as follow: 
 – EUR 500 million worth of bonds issued in July 2010, at a rate of 3.625%, maturing in July 2020, 
 – EUR 600 million worth of bonds issued in September 2013, at a rate of 2.5%, maturing in September 2021, 
 – EUR 800 million worth of bonds issued in September 2015 at a rate of 1.50%, maturing in September 2023, 
 – EUR 800 million worth of bonds issued in September 2016, at a rate of 0.25%, maturing in September 2024, 
 – EUR 200 million worth of bonds issued in July 2019, at a rate of 0.25%, maturing in September 2024, 
 – EUR 750 million worth of bonds issued in March 2015, at a rate of 0.875%, maturing in March 2025, 
 – EUR 200 million and EUR 100 million worth of Climate bonds issued successively in October and December 2015, at a rate of 1.841%, 

maturing in October 2025, 

 – EUR 750 million worth of bonds issued in December 2017, at a rate of 0.875%, maturing in December 2026, 
 – EUR 750 million worth of bonds issued in June 2018, at a rate of 1.375%, maturing in June 2027 
 – EUR 500 million worth of bonds issued in January 2019 and EUR 250 million worth of bonds issued in May 2019, at a rate of 1.500%, 

maturing in January 2028. 

For all those transactions, issue premium and issue costs are amortized per the effective interest rate method.

22.4 Reconciliation with cash flow statement

(in millions of euros)

Bonds
Bank overdrafts and other short-term 

borrowings

TOTAL CURRENT AND NON-CURRENT 

FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

Dec. 31, 2018

Cash
variations

Scope
impacts

Forex
impacts

Other

Dec. 31, 2019

Non-cash variations

6,406

1,091

7,497

464

(654)

(190)

–

–

–

18

59

77

–

–

–

6,888

496

7,384

22.5 Other information
At December 31, 2019 Schneider Electric had confirmed credit lines of EUR 2,675 million, all unused.

Loan  agreements  and  committed  credit  lines  do  not  include  any  financial  covenants  or  credit  rating  triggers  in  case  of  downgrading  in  the 
company’s long-term debt.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 23: Classification of financial instruments

The Group uses financial instruments to manage its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, exchange rates and metal prices. Financial assets 
and liabilities can be classified at the fair value following the hierarchy levels below:

1.  Level 1: market value (non-adjusted) on active markets, for similar assets and liabilities, which the company can obtain on a given valuation date;
2.  Level 2: data other than the market rate available for level 1, which are directly or indirectly observable on the market; 
3.  Level 3: data on the asset or liability that are not observable on the market. 

23.1 Balance sheet exposure and fair value hierarchy

(in millions of euros)

ASSETS:
Listed financial assets
Venture capital (FCPR)/mutual funds (SICAV)
Other unlisted financial assets
Other non-current financial assets

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Trade accounts receivables
Current financial assets
Marketable securities
Derivative instruments – foreign currencies
Derivative instruments – interest rates
Derivative instruments – commodities
Derivative instruments – shares

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

LIABILITIES:
Long-term portions of bonds*
Other long-term debt

TOTAL NON–CURRENT LIABILITIES

Short-term portion of bonds*
Short-term debt
Trade accounts payable
Other
Derivative instruments – foreign currencies
Derivative instruments – interest rates
Derivative instruments – commodities
Derivative instruments – shares

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

Carrying
amount

Fair value
through
P&L

Dec. 31, 2019

Fair value
through 
equity

Financial
assets/liabilities
measured at
amortized cost

19
116
175
335

645

5,953
19
1,560
63
–
8
4

7,607

(6,388)
(17)

(6,405)

(500)
(479)
(4,215)
(44)
(30)
–
(2)
–

(5,270)

–
116
–
–

116

–
19
1,560
50
–
–
4

1,633

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
(23)
–
–
–

(23)

19
–
175
–

194

–
–
–
13
–
8
–

21

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
(7)
–
(2)
–

(9)

–
–
–
335

335

5,953
–
–
–
–
–
–

5,953

(6,388)
(17)

(6,405)

(500)
(479)
(4,215)
(44)
–
–
–
–

(5,238)

Fair
value

19
116
175
335

645

5,953
19
1,560
63
–
8
4

7,607

(6,738)
(17)

(6,755)

(500)
(479)
(4,215)
(44)
(30)
–
(2)
–

(5,270)

Fair value
hierarchy

Level 1
Level 3
Level 3
Level 3

Level 3
Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2

Level 1
Level 3

Level 1
Level 3
Level 3
Level 3
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2

*  The majority of financial instruments listed in the balance sheet are accounted at fair value, except for bonds, for which the amortized cost in the balance sheet represents 

EUR 6,888 million compared to EUR 7,238 million at fair value.

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(in millions of euros)

ASSETS:
Listed financial assets
Venture capital (FCPR)/mutual funds (SICAV)
Other unlisted financial assets
Other non-current financial assets

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Trade accounts receivables
Current financial assets
Marketable securities
Derivative instruments – foreign currencies
Derivative instruments – interest rates
Derivative instruments – commodities
Derivative instruments – shares

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

LIABILITIES:
Long-term portions of bonds
Other long-term debt

TOTAL NON–CURRENT LIABILITIES

Short-term portion of bonds
Short-term debt
Trade accounts payable
Other
Derivative instruments – foreign currencies
Derivative instruments – interest rates
Derivative instruments – commodities
Derivative instruments – shares

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

23.2 Derivative instruments

Carrying
amount

Fair value
through
P&L

Dec. 31, 2018

Fair value
through
equity

Financial assets/
liabilities 
measured at
amortized cost

Fair value

Fair value 
hierarchy

25
97
81
462

665

5,804
43
527
39
–
–
6

6,419

(5,906)
(17)

(5,923)

(500)
(503)
(4,142)
(40)
(40)
–
(12)
–

(5,237)

–
97
–
–

97

–
43
527
25
–
–
6

601

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
(27)
–
–
–

(27)

25
–
81
–

106

–
–
–
14
–
–
–

14

–
–

–

–
–
–
–
(13)
–
(12)
–

(25)

–
–
–
462

462

5,804
–
–
–
–
–
–

5,804

(5,906)
(17)

(5,923)

(500)
(503)
(4,142)
(40)
–
–
–
–

(5,186)

25
97
81
462

665

5,804
43
527
39
–
–
6

6,419

(6,045)
(17)

(6,062)

(500)
(503)
(4,142)
(40)
(40)
–
(12)
–

(5,237)

Level 1
Level 3
Level 3
Level 3

Level 3
Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2

Level 1
Level 3

Level 1
Level 3
Level 3
Level 3
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2

(in millions of euros)

Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Cross currency swaps

TOTAL FX DERIVATIVES

Forwards contracts
Commodities derivatives
Options
Shares derivatives

TOTAL

Accounting
qualification

CFH
CFH
CFH
FVH
NIH
Trading
CFH

Maturity

< 1 year
< 2 years
> 2 years
< 1 year
< 1 year
< 1 year
< 2 years

CFH

< 1 year

Trading

< 1 year

Dec. 31, 2019

Nominal
sales

Nominal
purchases

Fair Value

Carrying
amount
in assets

Carrying
amount
in liabilities

Of which
carrying
amounts
in OCI

127
10
4
1,236
1,191
525
–

3,093

–
–
–
–

(126)
(23)
(4)
(1,028)
–
(3,299)
(108)

(4,588)

(233)
(233)
(4)
(4)

3,093

(4,825)

–
–
–
45
10
(18)
(4)

33

6
6
4
4

43

3
–
–
49
10
1
–

63

8
8
4
4

75

(3)
–
–
(4)
–
(19)
(4)

(30)

(2)
(2)
–
–

–
–
–
–
10
–
(4)

6

6
6
–
–

(32)

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

(in millions of euros)

Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
FX relatives related to operating
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Forwards contracts
Cross currency swaps
FX relatives related to financing

TOTAL FX DERIVATIVES

Forwards contracts
Commodities derivatives
Options
Shares derivatives

TOTAL

Accounting
qualification

Trading
CFH

FVH
NIH
Trading
CFH

Maturity

< 2 years
< 1 year

< 1 year
< 1 year
< 1 year
< 2 years

CFH

< 1 year

Trading

< 1 year

Dec. 31, 2018

Nominal
sales

Nominal
purchases

Fair Value

Carrying
amount
in assets

Carrying
amount
in liabilities

Carrying
amounts
in OCI

1,850
128
1,978
506
1,105
1,417
–
3,028

5,006

–
–
–
–

(1,008)
(28)
(1,036)
(945)
–
(2,413)
(187)
(3,545)

(4,581)

(229)
(229)
(12)
(12)

5,006

(4,822)

7
–
7
(2)
(3)
1
(2)
(6)

1

(12)
(12)
6
6

(5)

23
1
24
3
3
9
–
15

39

6
6
6
6

51

(16)
–
(16)
(5)
(6)
(11)
(2)
(24)

(40)

(18)
(18)
–
–

(58)

–
1
1
1
(2)
–
(1)
(2)

(1)

(12)
(12)
–
–

(13)

23.3 Foreign currency hedges
Since a significant proportion of affiliates’ transactions are denominated in currencies other than the affiliate’s functional currency, the Group is 
exposed to currency risks. If the Group is not able to hedge these risks, fluctuations in exchange rates between the functional currency and other 
currencies can have a significant impact on its results and distort year-on-year performance comparisons. As a result, the Group uses derivative 
instruments to hedge its exposure to exchange rates mainly through FX forwards and natural hedges. Furthermore, some long-term loans and 
borrowings granted to the affiliates are considered as net investment in foreign operations according to IAS 21.

Schneider Electric’s currency hedging policy is to protect its subsidiaries against risks on transactions denominated in a currency other than their 
functional currency. Hedging approaches are detailed in Note 1.22.

The breakdown of the nominal of FX derivatives related to operating and financing activities is as follows:

Dec. 31, 2019
Purchases

(1,795)
(484)
(822)
(277)
(233)
(165)
(156)
(132)
(75)
(63)
(23)
(68)
(5)
–
(4)
(40)
–
(144)
(102)

Net

456
(456)
(655)
(240)
(220)
(156)
(151)
(128)
(70)
(63)
54
(53)
46
42
41
31
28
(28)
27

(4,588)

(1,495)

Sales

2,251
28
167
37
13
9
5
4
5
–
77
15
51
42
45
71
28
116
129

3,093

(in millions of euros)

USD
CNY
EUR
DKK
SGD
SEK
JPY
CHF
AED
BRL
CAD
AUD
SAR
RUB
NOK
GBP
ZAR
HKD
Others

TOTAL

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23.4 Interest rate hedges
Interest rate risk on borrowings is managed at the Group level, based on consolidated debt and taking into consideration market conditions  
to optimize overall borrowing costs. The Group uses derivative instruments to hedge its exposure to interest rates through swaps.

The Group didn’t use any derivative instrument to hedge its exposure to interest rates during the fiscal year 2019.

Dec. 31, 2019

(in millions of euros)

Fixed Rates

Floating rates

Total current and non-current financial liabilities
Cash and cash equivalent

NET DEBT BEFORE HEDGING

Impact of Hedges

6,888
–

6,888

496
(3,592)

(3,096)

NET DEBT AFTER HEDGING

6,888

(3,096)

Total

7,384
(3,592)

3,792

–

3,792

Dec. 31, 2018

Fixed Rates

Floating rates

6,406
–

6,406

–

6,406

1,091
(2,361)

(1,270)

–

(1,270)

Total

7,497
(2,361)

5,136

–

5,136

23.5 Commodity hedges
The  Group  is  exposed  to  fluctuations  in  energy  and  raw  material  prices,  in  particular  steel,  copper,  aluminum,  silver,  lead,  nickel,  zinc  and 
plastics. If the Group is not able to hedge, compensate for or pass on to customers any such increased costs, this could have an adverse impact 
on its financial results. The Group has, however, implemented certain procedures to limit exposure to rising non-ferrous and precious raw material 
prices. The Purchasing departments of the operating units report their purchasing forecasts to the Corporate Finance and Treasury department. 
Purchase commitments are hedged using forward contracts, swaps and, to a lesser extent, options.

All commodities instruments are futures and options designated as cash flow hedge under IFRS standards, of which:

(in millions of euros)

Carrying amount
Nominal amount

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

6
(233)

(12)
(230)

23.6 Share-based payment
Schneider Electric shares are hedged (cash flow hedges) in relation to the Stock Appreciation Rights granted to US employees. Details are 
as follows :

(in millions of euros except for the number of shares)

Outstanding shares
Carrying amount
Nominal amount

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

83,500
4
(4)

275,570
6
(13)

23.7 Financial assets and liabilities subject to netting
In accordance with IFRS 7 standards, this section discloses financial instruments that are subject to netting agreements.

(in millions of euros)

Financial assets
Financial liabilities

(in millions of euros)

Financial assets
Financial liabilities

Gross amounts
offset in the
statement of
financial position

Dec. 31, 2019
Net amounts
presented in the
statement of
financial position

Related amounts
not offset in the
statement of
financial position

–
–

83
31

21
21

Gross amounts

83
31

Gross amounts
offset in the
statement of
financial position

Dec. 31, 2018
Net amounts
presented in the
statement of
financial position

Related amounts
not offset in the
statement of
financial position

–
–

45
63

24
24

Gross amounts

45
63

Net amounts
as per IFRS 7

62
10

Net amounts
as per IFRS 7

21
39

The Group trades over-the-counter derivatives with tier-one banks under agreements which provide for the offsetting of amounts payable and 
receivable in the event of default by one of the contracting parties. These conditional offsetting agreements do not meet the eligibility criteria 
within the meaning of IAS 32 for offsetting derivative instruments recorded under assets and liabilities. However, they do fall within the scope of 
disclosures under IFRS 7 on offsetting.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

23.8 Counterparty risk
Financial transactions are entered with carefully selected counterparties. Banking counterparties are chosen according to the customary criteria, 
including the credit rating issued by an independent rating agency.

Group  policy  consists  of  diversifying  counterparty  risks  and  periodic  controls  are  performed  to  check  compliance  with  the  related  rules.  
In addition, the Group takes out substantial credit insurance and uses other types of guarantees to limit the risk of losses on trade accounts 
receivable.

23.9 Financial risk management
Foreign currency risk arises from the Group undertaking a significant number of foreign currency transactions in the course of operations. These 
exposures arise from sales in currencies other than the Group’s presentational currency of Euro.

The main exposure of the Group in terms of currency exchange risk is related to the US dollar, Chinese Yuan and currencies linked to the US 
dollar. In 2019, revenue in foreign currencies amounted to EUR 21.6 billion (EUR 20.4 billion in 2018), including around EUR 7.2 billion in US dollars 
and EUR 3.6 billion in Chinese yuan (respectively EUR 6.8 and EUR 3.4 billion in 2018).

The Group manages its exposure to currency risk to reduce the sensitivity of earnings to changes in exchange rates. The financial instruments 
used to hedge the Group’s exposure to fluctuations in exchange rates are described above.

The table below shows the impact of a 10% change in the US dollar and the Chinese Yuan against the Euro on Revenue and Adjusted EBITA.  
It includes the impact from the translation of financial statements into the Group’s presentation currency, and assumes no scope impact.

(in millions of euros)

USD

CNY

(in millions of euros)

USD

CNY

Note 24: Employees

24.1 Employees
The Group average number of permanent and temporary employees is as follows:

(in number of employees)

Production
Administration

TOTAL AVERAGE WORKFORCE

of which Europe, Middle-East, Africa and South America
of which North America
of which Asia-Pacific

24.2 Employee benefit expense

(in millions of euros)

Payroll costs
Profit-sharing and incentive bonuses
Stock options and performance shares

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS EXPENSE

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Increase/
(decrease) in 
average rate

10%
(10)%

10%
(10)%

Increase/
(decrease) in 
average rate

10%
(10)%

10%
(10)%

Dec. 31, 2019

Revenue

Adj. EBITA

728
(661)

360
(328)

105
(96)

91
(82)

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue

Adj. EBITA

676
(615)

337
(307)

89
(81)

86
(79)

Full year 
2019

79,337
71,960

Full year
2018

81,474
73,812

151,297

155,286

69,414
32,640
49,243

70,418
32,300
52,568

Full year 
2019

Full year 
2018

(7,120)
(59)
(154)

(7,333)

(6,082)
(64)
(135)

(6,281)

24.3 Benefits granted to senior executives
In 2019, the Group paid EUR 1.8 million in attendance fees to the members of its Board of directors. The total amount of gross remuneration, 
including benefits in kind, paid in 2019 by the Group to the members of Senior Management, excluding executive directors, totaled EUR 21.9 
million, of which EUR 6.1 million corresponded to the variable portion.

During the last three periods, 694,000 performance shares have been allocated, excluding Corporate Officers. No stock options have been 
granted during the last three financial years. Performance shares were allocated under the 2019 long-term incentive plan. Since December 16, 
2011, 100% of performance shares are conditional on the achievement of performance criteria for members of the Executive Committee.

Net pension obligations with respect to members of Senior Management amounted to EUR 15 million at December 31, 2019 (EUR 5 million at 
December 31, 2018).

Please refer to Chapter 4 Section 5 of the Universal Registration Document for more information regarding the members of Senior Management.

Note 25: Related parties transactions

25.1 Associates
Companies over which the Group has significant influence are accounted through the equity method. Transactions with these related parties are 
carried out on arm’s length terms.

Related party transactions were not material in 2019.

25.2 Related parties with significant influence
No transactions were carried out during the year with members of the supervisory board or management board. Compensation and benefits paid 
to the Group’s top senior executives are described in Note 24.

Note 26: Commitments and contingent liabilities

26.1 Guarantees and similar undertakings
The following table discloses the maximum exposure on guarantees given and received:

(in millions of euros)

Market counter guarantees*
Pledges, mortgages and sureties**
Other commitments given

GUARANTEES GIVEN

Endorsements and guarantees received

GUARANTEES RECEIVED

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

3,178
113
291

3,582

49

49

3,105
7
432

3,544

48

48

*  On certain contracts, customers require some commitments to guarantee that the contract will be fully executed by the subsidiaries of the Group. The risk linked to the 

commitment is assessed and a provision for contingencies is recorded when the risk is considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Market counter 
guarantees also include the guaranteed obligations towards pension schemes.

**  Some loans are secured by property, plant and equipment and securities lodged as collateral.

26.2 Contingent liabilities
As part of its normal operations, the Group is exposed to a number of potential claims and litigations. Except for those for which it is probable that 
the Group will incur a liability and for which a provision is established for such outcome (see Note 21), the Group is not aware of other potentially 
material claims and litigations.

Specifically, the Group has not been advised to date of any claim or allegations related to the investigation conducted in France by French public 
agencies or the antitrust investigation currently being conducted by public agencies in Spain. The Group is fully cooperating with the French and 
Spanish authorities on these matters.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Note 27: Subsequent events

27.1 Joint Venture with Russian Direct Investment Fund
On October 24, 2019, the Group agreed to establish a Joint Venture with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) who would obtain joint 
control, to further strengthen the long-term outlook for the Group’s Electroshield Samara business which is currently consolidated under Energy 
Management segment and generated revenues of EUR 168 million in 2019.

The transaction with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) was closed on January 20, 2020.

27.2 Launch of a voluntary public tender for RIB Software SE acquisition
On February 13, 2020, the Group announced its intention to launch a voluntary public tender for the acquisition of 100% of the shares of RIB 
Software SE for a total valorization of EUR 1.4 billion. The acceptance period of the tender offer will begin following approval of the offer document 
by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and is subject to regulatory approvals by antitrust authorities.

Note 28: Statutory Auditors’ fees

Fees paid by the Group to the statutory auditors and their networks:

(in thousands of euros)

Audit
Statutory auditing
o/w Schneider Electric SE
o/w subsidiaries
Related audit services (“SACC”)
o/w Schneider Electric SE
o/w subsidiaries
Audit sub-total
Non-audit services

TOTAL FEES

(in thousands of euros)

Audit
Statutory auditing
o/w Schneider Electric SE
o/w subsidiaries
Related audit services (“SACC”)
o/w Schneider Electric SE
o/w subsidiaries
Audit sub-total
Non-audit services

TOTAL FEES

EY

%

Mazars

%

Full Year 2019

10,909
106
10,803
292
236
56
11,201
327

11,528

94%

3%

97%
3%

100%

8,191
106
8,085
849
23
826
9,040
115

9,155

90%

9%

99%
1%

100%

EY

%

Mazars

%

Full Year 2018

9,884
104
9,780
424
232
192
10,309
233

10,541

94%

4%

98%
2%

100%

7,948
104
7,844
688
13
675
8,636
96

8,732

91%

8%

99%
1%

100%

Total

19,100
212
18,888
1,141
259
882
20,241
442

20,683

Total

17,832
208
17,624
1,112
245
867
18,945
329

19,273

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Note 29: Consolidated companies

The main companies included in the Schneider Electric Group scope of consolidation are listed below:

(in % of interest)

Europe
Fully consolidated
NXT Control GmbH
Schneider Electric Austria GmbH
Schneider Electric Power Drives GmbH
Schneider Electric Systems Austria GmbH
Schneider Electric Bel LLC
Schneider Electric Belgium NV/SA
Schneider Electric Energy Belgium SA
Schneider Electric ESS BVBA
Schneider Electric NV/SA
Schneider Electric Services International SPRL
Schneider Electric Bulgaria EOOD
Schneider Electric d.o.o
Schneider Electric a.s.
Schneider Electric CZ sro
Schneider Electric Systems Czech Republic sro
Ørbaekvej 280 A/S
Schneider Electric Danmark A/S
Schneider Electric IT Denmark ApS
Schneider Nordic Baltic A/S
Schneider Electric Eesti AS
Schneider Electric Finland Oy
Schneider Electric Fire & Security OY
Vamp OY
Behar sécurité
Boissière Finance
Construction Electrique du Vivarais
Dinel
Eckardt
Eurotherm Automation
France Transfo
IGE+XAO SA
Merlin Gerin Alès
Merlin Gerin Loire
Muller & Cie
Newlog
Rectiphase
Sarel – Appareillage Electrique
Scanelec
Schneider Electric Alpes
Schneider Electric Energy France
Schneider Electric France
Schneider Electric Holding Amérique du Nord
Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Schneider Electric International
Schneider Electric IT France
Schneider Electric Manufacturing Bourguebus
Schneider Electric SE (Société mère)
Schneider Electric Solar France
Schneider Electric Systems France
Schneider Electric Telecontrol
Schneider Toshiba Inverter Europe SAS
Schneider Toshiba Inverter SAS
Société d’Appareillage Electrique Gardy
Société d’Application et d’Ingenierie Industrielle et Informatique SAS – SA3I
Société Electrique d’Aubenas
Société Française de Construction Mécanique et Electrique
Société Française Gardy
Systèmes Equipements Tableaux Basse Tension
Transfo Services

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
98.3
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
67.9
100
100
100
100
100
99
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
60
60
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
98.3
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
67.9
100
100
100
100
100
99
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
60
60
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

Austria
Austria
Austria
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Finland
Finland
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

(in % of interest)

Transformateurs SAS
ABN GmbH
Eberle Controls GmbH
Merten GmbH
Schneider Electric Automation GmbH
Schneider Electric Holding Germany GmbH
Schneider Electric GmbH
Schneider Electric Real Estate GmbH
Schneider Electric Sachsenwerk GmbH
Schneider Electric Systems Germany GmbH
Schneider Electric AEBE
Schneider Electric Energy Hungary LTD
Schneider Electric Hungaria Villamossagi ZRT
SE – CEE Schneider Electric Közep-Kelet Europai KFT
Schneider Electric Ireland Ltd
Schneider Electric IT Logistics Europe Ltd
Validation technologies (Europe) Ltd
Eliwell Controls S.r.l.
Eurotherm S.r.l.
Schneider Electric Industrie Italia Spa
Schneider Electric Spa
Schneider Electric Systems Italia Spa
Uniflair Spa
Lexel Fabrika SIA
Schneider Electric Baltic Distribution Center
Schneider Electric Latvija SIA
UAB Schneider Electric Lietuva
Industrielle de Réassurance SA
American Power Conversion Corporation (A.P.C.) BV
APC International Corporation BV
APC International Holdings BV
Pelco Europe BV
Pro-Face Europe BV
Schneider Electric Logistic Centre BV
Schneider Electric Manufacturing The Netherlands BV
Schneider Electric Systems Netherlands BV
Schneider Electric The Netherlands BV
ELKO AS
Eurotherm AS
Lexel Holding Norge AS
Schneider Electric Norge AS
Elda Eltra Elektrotechnika S.A.
Eurotherm Poland Sp. Z.o.o.
Schneider Electric Industries Polska Sp. Z.o.o.
Schneider Electric Polska Sp. Z.o.o.
Schneider Electric Systems Sp. Z.o.o.
Schneider Electric Transformers Poland Sp. Z.o.o.
Schneider Electric Portugal LDA
Schneider Electric Romania SRL
AO Schneider Electric
DIN Elektro Kraft OOO
FLISR LLC
OOO Potential
OOO Schneider Electric Zavod Electromonoblock
Schneider Electric Innovation center LLC
Schneider Electric Systems LLC
Schneider Electric URAL LLC
ZAO Gruppa Kompaniy Electroshield
Schneider Electric DMS NS
Schneider Electric Srbija doo Beograd
Schneider Electric Slovakia Spol SRO
Schneider Electric Systems Slovakia SRO
Schneider Electric d.o.o.
Manufacturas Electricas SA
Schneider Electric Espana SA
Schneider Electric IT Spain, SL

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France
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Hungary
Hungary
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Italy
Italy
Italy
Italy
Italy
Italy
Latvia
Latvia
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Norway
Norway
Norway
Norway
Poland
Poland
Poland
Poland
Poland
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Serbia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Spain
Spain

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
57
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

(in % of interest)

Schneider Electric Systems Iberica S.L.
AB Crahftere 1
AB Wibe
Elektriska AB Delta
Elko AB
Eurotherm AB
Lexel AB
Schneider Electric Buildings AB
Schneider Electric Distribution Centre AB
Schneider Electric Sverige AB
Telvent Sweden AB
Eurotherm-Produkte (Schweiz) AG
Feller AG
Gutor Electronic GmbH
Schneider Electric (Schweiz) AG
Schneider Electric Ukraine
Andromeda Telematics Ltd
AVEVA Group plc
Avtron Loadbank Worldwide Co., Ltd
BTR Property Holdings Ltd
CBS Group Ltd
Eurotherm Ltd
Imserv Europe Ltd
Invensys Holdings Ltd
M&C Energy Group Ltd
N.J. Froment & Co. Limited
Samos Acquisition Company Ltd
Schneider Electric (UK) Ltd
Schneider Electric Buildings UK Ltd
Schneider Electric Controls UK Ltd
Schneider Electric IT UK Ltd
Schneider Electric Ltd
Schneider Electric Systems UK Ltd
Serck Control and Safety Ltd
Accounted for by equity method
Aveltys
Delta Dore Finance SA (sub-group)
Energy Pool Development
Schneider Lucibel Managed Services SAS
Möre Electric Group A/S
Custom Sensors & Technologies Topco Limited
North America
Fully consolidated
Power Measurement Ltd.
Schneider Electric Canada Inc.
Schneider Electric Solar Inc.
Schneider Electric Systems Canada Inc.
Viconics Technologies Inc.
Electronica Reynosa, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Industrias Electronicas Pacifico, S.A. de C.V.
Invensys Group Services Mexico
Schneider Electric IT Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Schneider Electric Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Schneider Electric Systems Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Schneider Industrial Tlaxcala, S.A. de C.V.
Schneider Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Schneider R&D, S.A. de C.V.
Square D Company Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Telvent Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Adaptive Instruments Corp.
American Power Conversion Holdings Inc.
ASCO Power GP, LLC
ASCO Power Services, Inc.
ASCO Power Technologies, L.P.
Foxboro Controles S.A.
Invensys LLC

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C
o
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p
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a
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G
o
v
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a
n
c
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p
o
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t

i

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a
n
c
i
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m
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n
t
s

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a
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i
o
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Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Spain
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom

France
France
France
France
Norway
United Kingdom

Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
83.7
100
100
100
100
60
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

51
20
24.98
47
34
30

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
99.3
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
83.7
100
100
100
100
60
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

51
20
27.86
47
34
30

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
99.3
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

(in % of interest)

Lee Technologies Puerto Rico, LLC
Pelco, Inc
Power Measurement, Inc.
Pro-face America, LLC
Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc.
Schneider Electric Buildings Critical Systems, Inc.
Schneider Electric Buildings, LLC
Schneider Electric Digital, Inc.
Schneider Electric Engineering Services, LLC
Schneider Electric Grid Automation, Inc.
Schneider Electric Holdings, Inc.
Schneider Electric IT America Corp.
Schneider Electric IT Corporation
Schneider Electric IT Mission Critical Services, Inc.
Schneider Electric IT USA, Inc.
Schneider Electric Motion USA, Inc.
Schneider Electric Solar Inverters USA, Inc.
Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc.
Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
SE Vermont Ltd
Siebe Inc.
SNA Holdings Inc.
Square D Investment Company
Stewart Warner Corporation
Summit Energy Services, Inc.
Telvent USA, LLC
Veris Industries LLC
Asia-Pacific
Fully consolidated
Clipsal Australia Pty Ltd
Clipsal Technologies Australia Pty Limited
Nu-lec Industries Pty. Limited
Scada Group Pty Limited
Schneider Electric (Australia) Pty Limited
Schneider Electric Australia Holdings Pty Ltd
Schneider Electric Buildings Australia Pty Ltd
Schneider Electric IT Australia Pty Ltd
Schneider Electric Solar Australia Pty Ltd
Schneider Electric Systems Australia Pty Ltd
Serck Controls Pty Limited
Beijing Leader & Harvest Electric Technologies Co. Ltd
CITIC Schneider Electric Smart Building Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd
Clipsal Manufacturing (Huizhou) Ltd
FSL Electric (Dongguan) Limited
Pelco (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd.
Proface China International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
Schneider (Beijing) Medium & Low Voltage Co., Ltd
Schneider (Beijing) Medium Voltage Co. Ltd
Schneider (Shaanxi) Baoguang Electrical Apparatus Co. Ltd
Schneider (Suzhou) Drives Company Ltd
Schneider (Suzhou) Enclosure Systems Co Ltd
Schneider (Suzhou) Transformers Co. Ltd
Schneider Automation & Controls Systems (Shanghai) Co., LTD
Schneider Busway (Guangzhou) Ltd
Schneider Electric (China) Co. Ltd
Schneider Electric (Xiamen) Switchgear Co. Ltd
Schneider Electric (Xiamen) Switchgear Equipment Co., Ltd
Schneider Electric Equipment an Engineering (X’ian) Co., Ltd
Schneider Electric IT (China) Co., Ltd
Schneider Electric IT (Xiamen) Co., Ltd.
Schneider Electric Low Voltage (Tianjin) Co. Ltd
Schneider Electric Manufacturing (Chongqing) Co. Ltd
Schneider Electric Manufacturing (Wuhan) Co. Ltd
Schneider Great Wall Engineering (Beijing) Co. Ltd
Schneider Shanghai Apparatus Parts Manufacturing Co. Ltd

358

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Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States
United States

Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China

100
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
51
100
54
–
100
95
95
70
90
100
100
100
95
100
100
100
100
100
100
75
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
51
100
54
100
100
95
95
70
90
100
100
100
95
100
100
100
100
100
100
75
100
100
100
100

(in % of interest)

Schneider Shanghai Industrial Control Co. Ltd
Schneider Shanghai Low Voltage Term. Apparatus Co. Ltd
Schneider Shanghai Power Distribution Electric Apparatus Co. Ltd
Schneider Smart Technology., Ltd
Schneider South China Smart Technology (Guangdong) Co. Ltd.
Schneider Switchgear (Suzhou) Co, Ltd
Schneider Wingoal (Tianjin) Electric Equipment Co. Ltd
Shanghai ASCO Electric Technology Co., Ltd
Shanghai Foxboro Co., Ltd
Shanghai Invensys Process System Co., Ltd
Shanghai Schneider Electric Power Automation Co. Ltd
Shanghai Tayee Electric Co., LTD
Telvent – BBS High & New Tech (Beijing) Co. Ltd
Tianjin Merlin Gerin Co. Ltd
Wuxi Proface Co., Ltd
Zircon Investment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
Clipsal Asia Holdings Limited
Clipsal Asia Limited
Fed-Supremetech Limited
Himel Hong Kong Limited
Schneider Electric (Hong Kong) Limited
Schneider Electric Asia Pacific Limited
Schneider Electric IT Hong Kong Limited
Eurotherm India Private Ltd
Luminous Power Technologies Private Ltd
Schneider Electric India Private Ltd
Schneider Electric Infrastructure Limited
Schneider Electric IT Business India Private Ltd
Schneider Electric President Systems Ltd
Schneider Electric Private Limited
Schneider Electric Solar India Private Limited
Schneider Electric Systems India Private Limited
PT Clipsal Manufacturing Jakarta
PT Schneider Electric Indonesia
PT Schneider Electric IT Indonesia
PT Schneider Electric Manufacturing Batam
PT Schneider Electric Systems Indonesia
Schneider Electric Japan, Inc.
Schneider Electric Solar Japan Inc.
Schneider Electric Systems Japan Inc.
Toshiba Schneider Inverter Corp.
Eurotherm Korea Co., Ltd.
Schneider Electric Korea Ltd.
Schneider Electric Systems Korea Limited
Clipsal Manufacturing (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Gutor Electronic Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd.
Huge Eastern Sdn. Bhd.
Schneider Electric (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Schneider Electric Industries (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Schneider Electric IT Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Schneider Electric Systems (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Schneider Electric (NZ) Limited
Schneider Electric Systems New Zealand Limited
American Power Conversion Land Holdings Inc.
Clipsal Philippines, Inc.
Schneider Electric (Philippines) Inc.
Schneider Electric IT Philippines Inc.
Pelco Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd
Schneider Electric Asia Pte. Ltd.
Schneider Electric Export Services Pte Ltd
Schneider Electric IT Logistics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Schneider Electric IT Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Schneider Electric Overseas Asia Pte Ltd
Schneider Electric Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Schneider Electric South East Asia (HQ) Pte. Ltd.

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Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
China
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Korea
Korea
Korea
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia
New Zealand
New Zealand
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore

80
75
80
100
100
58
100
100
100
100
100
74.5
80
75
100
74.5
100
100
54
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
94.6
100
79.5
100
100
100
–
100
100
100
95
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
30
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

80
75
80
–
–
58
100
100
100
100
100
74.5
80
75
100
74.5
100
100
54
–
100
100
100
100
100
100
94.6
100
79.5
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
95
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
30
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

5. Notes to the consolidated financial statements

(in % of interest)

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Schneider Electric Systems Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Schneider Electric Lanka (Private) Limited
Schneider Electric Systems Taiwan Corp.
Schneider Electric Taiwan Co., Ltd.
Pro-Face South-East Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.
Schneider (Thailand) Limited
Schneider Electric CPCS (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Schneider Electric Systems (Thailand) Co. Ltd.
Clipsal Vietnam Co. Ltd
Invensys Vietnam Ltd
Schneider Electric IT Vietnam Limited
Schneider Electric Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd
Schneider Electric Vietnam Co. Ltd
Accounted for by equity method
Delixi Electric LTD (sub-group)
Sunten Electric Equipment Co., Ltd
Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd (sub-group)
Foxboro (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Rest of the World
Fully consolidated
Himel Algerie
Schneider Electric Algerie
Schneider Electric Argentina S.A.
Schneider Electric Systems Argentina S.A.
American Power Conversion Brasil Ltda.
CP Eletronica Ltda.
Eurotherm Ltda.
Schneider Electric Brasil Automação de Processos Ltda.
Schneider Electric Brasil Ltda.
Schneider Electric IT Brasil Industria e Comercio de Equipamentos Eletronicos Ltda.
Steck da Amazonia Industria Electrica Ltda.
Steck Industria Electrica Ltda.
Telseb Serviços de Engenharia e Comércio de Equipamentos Eletrônicos e 

Telecomunicações Ltda

Inversiones Schneider Electric Uno Limitada
Marisio S.A.
Schneider Electric Chile S.A.
Schneider Electric Systems Chile Limitada
Schneider Electric de Colombia S.A.S.
Schneider Electric Systems Colombia Ltda.
Schneider Electric Centroamerica Limitada
Invensys Engineering & Service S.A.E.
Schneider Electric Distribution Company
Schneider Electric Egypt SAE
Schneider Electric Systems Egypt S.A.E
Schneider Electric DC MEA FZCO
Schneider Electric FZE
Schneider Electric Systems Middle East FZE
Schneider Electric (Kenya) Ltd
Schneider Electric Services Kuweit
Schneider Electric East Mediterranean SAL
Delixi Electric Maroc SARL AU
Schneider Electric Maroc
Schneider Electric Nigeria Ltd
Schneider Electric Systems Nigeria Ltd
Schneider Electric OM LLC
Schneider Electric Pakistan (Private) Limited
Schneider Electric Peru S.A.
Schneider Electric Systems del Peru S.A.
Schneider Electric Plants Saudi Arabia Co.
Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia For Solutions & Services Co
Schneider Electric System Arabia Co., LTD
Schneider Electric South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Uniflair South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Gunsan Elektrik
Himel Elektric Malzemeleri Ticaret A.S.

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Singapore
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Taiwan
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

China
China
Japan
Malaysia

Algeria
Algeria
Argentina
Argentina
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil

Brazil
Chile
Chile
Chile
Chile
Colombia
Colombia
Costa Rica
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Kenya
Kuwait
Lebanon
Morocco
Morocco
Nigeria
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Peru
Peru
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
South Africa
Turkey
Turkey

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

50
25
36.8
49

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
51
87.4
91.9
60
100
100
100
100
49
96
100
100
100
100
100
80
100
100
100
100
100
74.9
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

50
25
36.8
49

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
51
87.4
91.9
60
100
100
100
85
49
96
100
100
100
100
100
80
100
100
100
100
100
74.9
100
100
100

(in % of interest)

Schneider Elektrik Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
Schneider Enerji Endustrisi Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
Schneider Electric Systems de Venezuela, C.A.
Schneider Electric Venezuela, S.A.

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Turkey
Turkey
Venezuela
Venezuela

100
100
100
93.6

100
100
100
93.6

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

Statutory auditors’ report on the consolidated financial statements

6. Statutory auditors’ report on the consolidated 
financial statements

To the Annual General Meeting of Schneider Electric S.E.,

Opinion
In compliance with the engagement entrusted to us by your Annual General Meeting, we have audited the accompanying consolidated financial 
statements of Schneider Electric S.E. for the year ended December 31, 2019.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities and of the financial position of the Group 
as  at  December  31,  2019  and  of  the  results  of  its  operations  for  the  year  then  ended  in  accordance  with  International  Financial  Reporting 
Standards as adopted by the European Union.

The audit opinion expressed above is consistent with our report to the Audit and Risks Committee.

Basis for Opinion
Audit Framework
We conducted our audit in accordance with professional standards applicable in France. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained 
is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Our  responsibilities  under  those  standards  are  further  described  in  the  Statutory  Auditors’  Responsibilities  for  the  Audit  of  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements section of our report.

Independence
We conducted our audit engagement in compliance with independence rules applicable to us, for the period from January 1, 2019 to the date of 
our report and specifically we did not provide any prohibited non-audit services referred to in Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 537/2014 or in 
the French Code of Ethics (Code de déontologie) for statutory auditors.

Emphasis of Matter 
We  draw  your  attention  to  the  matters  described  in  Paragraphs  “First  application  of  IFRS  16  –  Leases”  and  “First  application  of  IFRIC  23  – 
Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments” of Note 1 “Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements. Our opinion is not modified in 
respect of these matters.

Justification of Assessments - Key Audit Matters
In accordance with the requirements of Articles L. 823-9 and R. 823-7 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) relating to the 
justification of our assessments, we inform you of the key audit matters relating to risks of material misstatement that, in our professional judgment, 
were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period, as well as how we addressed those risks.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, 
and we do not provide a separate opinion on specific items of the consolidated financial statements.

Measurement of goodwill and trademarks with an indefinite useful life

Notes 1.3, 1.8, 1.10, 5, 9 and 10 to the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matter 
As at December 31, 2019, the carrying amount of goodwill and trademarks with an indefinite useful life is M€ 18 719 and M€ 2 170 respectively, 
totaling 46% of the Group’s consolidated assets.

As described in Note 1.10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Cash Generating Units (CGUs), which the goodwill and the trademarks 
with an indefinite useful life are allocated to, are tested for impairment at least once a year and whenever there is an indication of impairment risk. 

The Group’s CGUs are Low Voltage, Medium Voltage, Industrial Automation, and Secure Power, and correspond to the smallest identifiable 
groups of assets generating cash inflows that are largely independent from the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. 

The recoverable value of a CGU is defined as the highest value between its value in use and its realizable value, net of costs. The value in use of 
a  CGU  is  determined  by  discounting  future  cash  flows  that  will  be  generated  by  its  underlying  assets  and  which  are  based  on  the  Group 
Management’s economic assumptions and operating forecasts.

An impairment loss is recognized when the recoverable value of a CGU is lower than its book value, for the excess amount of the book value over 
the recoverable value. When the tested CGU comprises goodwill, any impairment loss is primarily deducted there from.

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The measurement of goodwill and trademarks with an indefinite useful life is considered to be a key audit matter as these assets account for a 
large part of the Group’s consolidated balance sheet and because of the level of Management’s judgment required to: 

•  define the CGUs, as an improper mapping could lead your Group to not recognize or under-estimate an impairment of goodwill;
•  determine the assumptions used for the impairment tests of goodwill and trademarks, particularly the discount rates, perpetuity growth rates 

and the expected margin rates or royalty rates. 

Our response 
As regards goodwill, our audit work consisted in:

•  assessing the Group’s definition of the CGUs in light of the applicable accounting standards;
•  reconciling the carrying amount of assets tested with the accounting data; 
•  assessing the procedures implemented by the Group to evaluate the future discounted cash flows underlying the determination of the value 

in use of each CGU;

•  assessing the business forecasts underlying the future cash flows by comparing past estimates to actual results; 
•  with the assistance of our valuation experts, assessing the assumptions used such as discount rates, perpetuity growth rates and expected 

margin rates, as well as the sensitivity of tests results to a variation of these assumptions;
•  reconciling the sensitivity analyses performed by the Group with our sensitivity calculations;
•  verifying the arithmetical accuracy of the computations underlying the impairment tests.

As regards significant trademarks with an indefinite useful life, our work consisted in:

•  assessing the method used to evaluate their recoverable amount and the assumptions used, including the discount rate, the perpetuity growth 

rate and the royalty rate, as well as the sensitivity of the results of these tests to changes in these assumptions;
•  assessing the business forecasts underlying the future cash flows by comparing past estimates to actual results;
•  verifying the arithmetical accuracy of the impairment tests.

Capitalization and measurement of development costs

Notes 1.3, 1.8, 1.10, 4 and 10.4 to the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matter 
As at December 31, 2019, the Group’s consolidated balance sheet includes capitalized development costs recognized as intangible assets for 
M€ 1 204.

As described in notes 1.8 and 1.10 to the consolidated financial statements, the costs the Group incurs as part of its new projects are capitalized 
when certain criteria are strictly met and, in particular, when it is probable that future economic benefits attributable to the project will flow to the 
Group.

Development-related assets are amortized from the commercial launch and over the lifespan of the underlying technology.

Capitalized development costs which are not amortized yet are tested for impairment at least on an annual basis and whenever  there is an 
indication of impairment risk. As for capitalized development costs which are in the amortization period, they are tested for impairment when an 
impairment risk has been identified. The Group recognizes an impairment loss when the recoverable amount of a development-related asset is 
lower than the corresponding capitalized costs.

We considered the capitalization and the measurement of development costs to be a key audit matter due to their materiality when compared to 
the consolidated assets of the Group, and to the Management’s judgment exercised when initially determining whether such development costs 
should be accounted for as intangible assets and when subsequently carrying out impairment tests.

Our response 
We analyzed the processes the Group implemented for the initial recognition in intangible assets of development costs, for the identification of 
projects to be potentially impaired and for the determination of estimates used for the purpose of testing the development-related assets for 
impairment. Based on a selection of projects, our work consisted in:

•  ensuring the criteria for recognizing an intangible asset, as set out in IAS 38 and in the Group’s internal procedure, were met and consistently 

applied;

•  reconciling, on a sample basis, the costs capitalized as at December 31, 2019 with the underlying supporting documentation;
•  assessing, with the assistance of our valuation experts, the data and assumptions used by the Group when testing capitalized development-
costs for impairment, mainly sales forecasts, discount rates and long-term growth rates, by inquiring of Management and by comparing future 
cash flows to past performance;

•  comparing the sensitivity analyses performed by the Group to our sensitivity calculations;
•  verifying the arithmetical accuracy of Management’s computations.

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

Statutory auditors’ report on the consolidated financial statements

Recognition and recoverability of deferred tax assets related to tax losses carried forward

Notes 1.3, 1.15 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matter 
As at December 31, 2019, the deferred tax assets recognized in the Group’s balance sheet, with regards to tax losses carried forward, amount 
to M€ 722 and are mainly related to France for M€ 577.

As described in Note 1.15 to the consolidated financial statements, the Group recognizes future tax benefits, arising from the utilization of tax 
losses carried forward, to the extent they can reasonably be expected to be achieved, including when such amounts can be indefinitely carried 
forward.

Management  assesses  at  year-end  the  recoverability  by  the  Group  of  its  deferred  tax  assets  on  tax  losses  carried  forward  based  on  its 
consumption plan. The recognition and appropriate estimation of these deferred tax assets relies on the Group’s ability to accurately forecast its 
future taxable incomes.

The  recognition  and  recoverability  of  deferred  tax  assets  on  tax  losses  carried  forward  is  considered  to  be  a  key  audit  matter  due  to  the 
importance of judgment exercised by Management.

Our response 
In considering the Group’s capacity to benefit from its deferred tax assets on tax losses carried forward by offsetting them with future taxable 
incomes, our audit approach consisted, with the assistance of our tax experts when necessary, in:

inquiring about the consumption plans of tax losses carried forward for the subsidiaries or tax consolidation groups at stake;

• 
•  assessing the data and assumptions underlying the consumption plans of tax losses carried forward supporting the recognition and the 

measurement of deferred tax assets by the Group.

Risk assessment and measurement of provisions, uncertain tax positions and contingent liabilities

Notes 1.1, 1.3, 1.20, 21 and 26.2 to the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matter 
The Group operates in many countries and is thus exposed to different environments in terms of law, regulation and tax. The Group is also subject 
to the inherent risks of its operations, especially with regard to commercial and industrial aspects.

In this context, the Group may face uncertain, litigious or contentious situations, particularly when analyzing uncertain tax positions.

As described in note 1.20 to the consolidated financial statements, the Group recognizes a provision when it has an obligation towards a third 
party prior to the balance sheet date, and when the loss or liability is likely and can be reliably measured. If the loss or liability is not likely and 
cannot be reliably estimated, but remains possible, the Group discloses it as a contingent liability. 

Each subsidiary and relevant departments of the Group assess the identified risks on a regular basis, with the assistance of external counsels 
when necessary. 

The recognition and measurement of provisions, uncertain tax positions and contingent liabilities is considered to be a key audit matter given the 
various risks the Group is exposed to and to the judgment required from Management to estimate the risks and the provisions amounts, if any. In 
case  of  an  incomplete  identification  of  the  risks  and/or  an  incorrect  evaluation  of  its  exposure,  the  Group  could  under-  or  overestimate  its 
provisions and contingent liabilities.

Our response 
Our audit approach consisted mainly in:

•  assessing the procedures implemented by the Group to identify and gather the different types of risks it is exposed to;
•  obtaining an understanding of the risk analyses performed by the Group, with the relating supporting documentation, and studying written 

statements from internal and external legal advisors, where applicable;

•  assessing, for the main risks identified, the assumptions used by Management to measure the provisions and tax liabilities accounted for, with 

the assistance of our experts, if necessary.

•  reading the information provided by the Group with regards to these liabilities and contingent liabilities.

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Specific verifications
We  have  also  performed,  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France,  the  specific  verifications  required  by  laws  and 
regulations of the Group’s information given in the Board of Directors’ management report.

We have no matters to report as to its fair presentation and its consistency with the consolidated financial statements.

We attest that the consolidated non-financial statement required by Article L. 225-102-1 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) is 
included in the Group’s information given in the Board of Directors’ management report, it being specified that, in accordance with Article L. 823-
10 of this Code, we have verified neither the fair presentation nor the consistency with the consolidated financial statements of the information 
contained therein. This information should be reported on by an independent third party. 

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Appointment of the Statutory Auditors
We were appointed as statutory auditors of Schneider Electric S.E. by your Annual General Meeting held on May 6, 2004 for MAZARS and on 
June 25, 1992 for ERNST & YOUNG et Autres.

As at December 31, 2019, MAZARS and ERNST & YOUNG et Autres were in the sixteenth year and in the twenty-eighth year of total uninterrupted 
engagement, respectively.

Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Consolidated Financial Statements 
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to 
enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In  preparing  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  management  is  responsible  for  assessing  the  Company’s  ability  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless it is expected to 
liquidate the Company or to cease operations.

The Audit and Risks Committee is responsible for monitoring the financial reporting process and the effectiveness of internal control and risks 
management systems and where applicable, its internal audit, regarding the accounting and financial reporting procedures.

The consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors.

Statutory Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements 
Objectives and audit approach
Our  role  is  to  issue  a  report  on  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  Our  objective  is  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the 
consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not 
a  guarantee  that  an  audit  conducted  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  will  always  detect  a  material  misstatement  when  it  exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected 
to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements. 

As specified in Article L. 823-10-1 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), our statutory audit does not include assurance on the 
viability of the Company or the quality of management of the affairs of the Company.

As  part  of  an  audit  conducted  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France,  the  statutory  auditor  exercises  professional 
judgment throughout the audit and furthermore: 

• 

Identifies and assesses the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, designs and 
performs audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtains audit evidence considered to be sufficient and appropriate to provide a 
basis for his opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud 
may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. 

•  Obtains an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, 

but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the internal control. 

•  Evaluates the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by 

management in the consolidated financial statements. 

•  Assesses the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, 
whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company’s ability to continue as a 
going  concern.  This  assessment  is  based  on  the  audit  evidence  obtained  up  to  the  date  of  his  audit  report.  However,  future  events  or 
conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern. If the statutory auditor concludes that a material uncertainty 
exists, there is a requirement to draw attention in the audit report to the related disclosures in the consolidated financial statements or, if such 
disclosures are not provided or inadequate, to modify the opinion expressed therein. 

•  Evaluates the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements and assesses whether these statements represent the underlying 

transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. 

•  Obtains  sufficient  appropriate  audit  evidence  regarding  the  financial  information  of  the  entities  or  business  activities  within  the  Group  to 
express an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. The statutory auditor is responsible for the direction, supervision and performance 
of the audit of the consolidated financial statements and for the opinion expressed on these consolidated financial statements. 

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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT DECEMBER 31, 2019

Statutory auditors’ report on the consolidated financial statements

Report to the Audit and Risks Committee
We submit to the Audit and Risks Committee a report which includes in particular a description of the scope of the audit and the audit program 
implemented, as well as the results of our audit. We also report, if any, significant deficiencies in internal control regarding the accounting and 
financial reporting procedures that we have identified.

Our  report  to  the  Audit  and  Risks  Committee  includes  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  that,  in  our  professional  judgment,  were  of  most 
significance in the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period and which are therefore the key audit matters that we are 
required to describe in this report. 

We also provide the Audit and Risks Committee with the declaration provided for in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No. 537/2014, confirming our 
independence within the meaning of the rules applicable in France such as they are set in particular by Articles L. 822-10 to L. 822-14 of the 
French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) and in the French Code of Ethics (Code de déontologie) for statutory auditors. Where appropriate, 
we discuss with the Audit and Risks Committee the risks that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and the related safeguards. 

Courbevoie and Paris-La Défense, March 10, 2020

The Statutory Auditors
French original signed by

MAZARS  
Loïc Wallaert 
Mathieu Mougard  Alexandre Resten

ERNST & YOUNG et Autres
Jean-Yves Jégourel

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In this section

1.  Balance sheet 

2.  Statement of income 

3.  Notes to the financial statements 

3.1  Significant events of the financial year 

3.2  Accounting principles 

3.3  Notes 

370

372

373

373

373

374

4.  Statutory auditors’ report on the financial statements   382

5.  List of securities held at December 31, 2019 

6.  Subsidiaries and affiliates 

7.  The company’s financial results  

over the last 5 years 

385

386

388

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Parent company  
financial statements

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Balance sheet

1. Balance sheet

Assets

(in thousands of euros)

NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Intangible assets
Intangible rights
Property, plant and equipment
Land
Buildings
Other

Total intangible assets and property, plant and equipment
Financial investments
Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates
Other investment securities
Advances to subsidiaries and affiliates
Other

Total financial investments

Total non-current assets

CURRENT ASSETS
Accounts receivable
Accounts receivable – trade
Other

Total accounts receivable
Marketable securities and cash
Marketable securities
Advances to the Group cash pool
Other

Total marketable securities and cash

Total current assets

PREPAYMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS
Prepaid expenses
Deferred charges
Call premiums
Translation losses

TOTAL ASSETS

Notes

Gross

A. & D. or Prov.

Dec. 31, 2019
Net

Dec. 31, 2018
Net

1.1

1.2

2.1
2.2
2.3

3

4
5

6.1
6.2
6.3

27,474

(27,474)

2,785
48
1,468

–
(48)
(242)

31,775

(27,764)

–

2,785
–
1,226

4,011

–

2,932
–
1,226

4,158

5,596,996
1,518,569
3,223,997
10

(111,288)
(77)
–
–

5,485,708
1,518,492
3,223,997
10

5,485,704
1,727,117
3,210,570
–

10,339,572

(111,365)

10,228,207

10,423,391

10,371,348

(139,129)

10,232,219

10,427,549

455,460
102,049

557,509

450,722
5,411,588
2,006

5,864,316

6,421,826

351
14,568
7,123
90,653

–
–

–

–
–

–
–
–
–

455,460
102,049

557,509

450,722
5,411,588
2,006

202
106,019

106,221

22,940
6,899,820
217

5,864,316

6,922,977

6,421,826

7,029,198

351
14,568
7,123
90,653

387
14,435
26,201
77,214

16,905,868

(139,129)

16,766,739

17,574,984

The notes form an integral part of these parent company financial statements. 

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Equity and liabilities

(in thousands of euros)

EQUITY
Share capital
Additional paid-in capital
Reserves
Legal reserve
Retained earnings
Net income for the financial year
Untaxed provisions
Total equity

PROVISIONS FOR CONTINGENCIES:
Provisions for contingencies
Total provisions for contingencies and expenses

LIABILITIES:
Bonds
Other borrowings
Amounts payable to subsidiaries and affiliates
Borrowings and financial liabilities
Accounts payable – trade
Accrued taxes and payroll costs
Other

Total liabilities

Deferred income
Translation gains

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

The notes form an integral part of these parent company financial statements.

Notes Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

7
7.1
7.2

7.3

8

9
10

11

2,328,274
3,133,188

2,316,675
2,976,940

243,027
3,246,040
57,108
2
9,007,639

243,027
84,171
4,457,4994
2
10,078,809

452,634
452,634

1,432
1,432

7,062,368
66,480
14
–
779
80,313
5,762

6,598,934
51,384
14
610,000
543
151,819
4,682

7,215,718

7,417,375

98
90,649

154
77,214

16,766,739

17,574,984

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Notes

Full year 
2019

Full year 
2018

2,385
0
2,385

(10,079)
(1,612)
(4,321)
–
(1,821)
(17,833)

(15,447)

49,896
49,863
–
99,759

(111,639)
(7,103)
(118,741)

174
0
174

(8,887)
(1,640)
(3,554)
–
(1,597)
(15,678)

(15,504)

4,500,507
50,725
–
4,551,232

(126,008)
(8,691)
(134,699)

14

(18,983)

4,416,533

(34,430)
2,078
515,434
375
–

517,887
(148)
17,717
(515,602)
(498,033)

19,854

71,684

57,108

4,401,029
120
–
67
–

187
(311)
(9,902)
(226)
(10,439)

(10,252)

67,216

4,457,994

15

16

Dividend income
Interest income
Reversals of impairment provisions for long-term receivables and other
Financial income

14

PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

2. Statement of income

2. Statement of income

(in thousands of euros)

Sales of services and other
Reversals of provisions, depreciation and amortization and expense transfers
Operating revenues

Purchases and external expenses
Taxes other than on income
Payroll expenses
Depreciation and provision expense
Other operating expenses and joint-venture losses
Operating expenses

Operating profit/(loss)

Interest expense
Provision expense
Financial expenses

Net financial income/(loss)

Current result before tax
Proceeds from fixed asset disposals
Reinvoicing performance share
Provision reversals and expense transfers
Other

Non-recurring income
Carrying amount of fixed asset disposals
Provisions, depreciation and amortization
Other
Non-recurring expenses

Net non-recurring income/(loss)

Net income tax benefit

NET INCOME

The notes form an integral part of these parent company financial statements. 

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3. Notes to the financial statements

3. Notes to the financial statements

(All amounts are in thousands of euros unless otherwise indicated)

3.1 Significant events of the financial year
During the financial year, Schneider Electric SE carried out a capital increase for EUR167 million, as follows:

• 
• 

the employee share issuance carried out on July 10, 2019 as part of the worldwide Employee Stock Purchase Plan, for EUR160 million;
the exercise of performance shares, for EUR7 million.

The company issued three bonds of respectively EUR200, 250 and 500 million.

On May 2019, the company paid out the 2018 dividend of EUR2.35 per share, amounting EUR1,296 million.

The company also proceeded to buy back 3,476,691 of its own shares for EUR266 million.

Finally, in December 2019, the company decided to serve some free shares plans on existing shares, and to reinvoice the Group companies. As 
a consequence, the company recorded a provision of EUR451 million and a revenue of the same amount.

3.2 Accounting principles
As in the prior financial year, the financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 have been prepared in accordance with 
French generally accepted accounting principles and with the ANC no. 2016-07 code.

Non-current assets
Non-current assets of all types are stated at cost.

Intangible assets
Intangible rights are amortized over a maximum of 5 years.

Property, plant and equipment
Items of property, plant and equipment are depreciated on a straight- line basis over their estimated useful lives, ranging from 3 to 10 years.

Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates
Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates are stated at acquisition cost.

Provisions for impairment may be funded where the carrying amount is higher than the estimated value in use at the end of the financial year. This 
estimate is primarily determined on the basis of the underlying net assets, earnings outlook and economic forecasts. For the more recently-acquired 
investments, the analysis also takes account of the acquired business goodwill. For listed securities, the average stock price over the month 
before the closing is used. Unrealized gains resulting from such estimates are not recognized.

Own shares
Treasury stocks are assessed by category (shares in subsidiaries and affiliates, marketable securities), according to the FIFO. method “first-in, 
first-out”.

The accounting classification of treasury stocks depends on the purpose for which they are held:

•  own shares are classified in marketable securities if they are the object of an explicit allocation in the cover of stock option plans or if they are 

bought to regulate the share price of the Group;

•  own shares are classified in long-term investments if they are not the object of an explicit allocation to cover an option plan or if they are bought 
with the aim of their use within the context of a liquidity contract by an investment services provider, or of their later cancellation within the 
framework of a capital reduction.

The accounting of an impairment of own shares depends on the purpose for which they are held:

•  when own shares are allocated to cover of stock option plans, there is no reason to record a provision for impairment;
• 

in other cases, it is necessary to book an impairment if the average stock market price of the month before the closing is lower than the 
weighted average cost.

Pension obligations
The present value of termination benefits is determined using the projected unit credit method. Provisions are funded for the supplementary 
pension benefits provided by the company on the basis of the contractual terms of top-hat agreements, granting a level of benefits exceeding 
the general regimes. The company applies the corridor method to actuarial gains and losses arising from changes in estimates. Under this 
method, the portion of net cumulative actuarial gains and losses exceeding 10% of the projected benefit obligation is amortized over 10 years.

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

3. Notes to the financial statements

Currency risk
When necessary, a contingency provision is put in place for unrealized exchange losses. However, when there are unrealized exchange gains 
and losses on back-to-back transactions in the same currency and with the same maturity, the amount of the provision is then limited to the 
net loss.

Bonds
Redemption premiums and issue costs are amortized over the life of the bonds.

3.3 Notes

Note 1: Non-current assets

1.1 Intangible assets
This item primarily consists of share issue and merger expenses, which are fully amortized.

1.2 Property, plant and equipment

(in thousands of euros)

Property, plant and equipment

Cost
Depreciation

NET

Property, plant and equipment are mainly comprised of land not built.

Note 2: Investments

2.1 Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates

(in thousands of euros)

Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates

Cost
Provisions

NET

During the year, there was no movement in equity shares.

The main investments at December 31, 2019 were as follows:

Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates

Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Cofimines
Schneider Electric Japan Holding
Other (less than EUR5 million)

TOTAL

2.2 Other investment securities

(in thousands of euros)

Other investment securities

Schneider Electric SE shares
Other
Provisions for other Shares and own shares

NET

Dec. 31, 2018

Additions

Disposals Dec. 31, 2019

4,448
(290)

4,158

–
–

–

(147)
–

–

4,301
(290)

4,011

Dec. 31, 2018

Additions

Disposals Dec. 31, 2019

5,599,974
(114,270)

5,485,704

4
–

4

(2,982)
2,982

5,596,996
(111,288)

–

5,485,708

Carrying value

5,343,544
139,077
2,049
1,038

5,485,708

Dec. 31, 2018

1,727,063
131
(77)

1,727,117

Increases

266,322
–
–

266,322

Decreases Dec. 31, 2019

(474,946)
–
–

1,518,439
131
(77)

(474,946)

1,518,493

Other investment securities primarily include Schneider Electric SE shares acquired for allocation on the exercise of certain stock options. 

In compliance with the resolution adopted by the Shareholders’ Meeting dated April 24, 2018, the company proceeded in 2019 to the share 
buyback of 3 476 691 own shares for a total amount of EUR266 million. 

In compliance with the Board resolution of December 2019 to allocate the performance share plans 26, 29, 31, 33 and 35, with SESE own shares, 
9,140,459 shares for a total amount of EUR475m has been booked in Marketable securities.

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2.3 Advances to subsidiaries and affiliates

(in thousands of euros)

Advances to subsidiaries and affiliates

Cost

NET

Dec. 31, 2018

3,210,570

3,210,570

Increases

13,537

13,537

Decreases Dec. 31, 2019

(110)

(110)

3,223,997

3,223,997

At December 31, 2019, this item mainly consisted of a loan of EUR2,500 million granted to Schneider Electric Industries SAS with a maturity date 
of 2020, a loan granted in 2012 to Boissière Finance for a total amount of EUR712 million with a maturity date of 2022 and of accrued interest for 
a total amount of EUR12 million.

Note 3: Accounts receivables

(in thousands of euros)

Trade receivables
Other

NET

Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

455,460
102,049

557,509

202
106,019

106,221

Trade receivables mainly include the reinvoicing of the performance shares to SEISAS.

At December 31, 2019, the “Other receivables” are mainly composed of tax receivables and R&D tax credits.

Note 4: Marketable securities

(in thousands of euros)

TREASURY SHARES
Gross
Provisions

TOTAL NET

Dec. 31, 2018

Acquisitions

Disposals

Dec. 31, 2019

Number of 
shares

1,417,918
–

–

Value

Value

Value

Value

Number of 
shares

40,657
(17,717)

22,940

474,902

474,902

(64,836)
17,717

(47,119)

450,722
–

450,722

8,437,254
–

–

Marketable securities primarily represent own shares held by the company for allocation to future performance shares plans and, if appropriate, 
stock-options.

In  2017,  following  the  decision  of  the  board  to  assign  own  shares  to  the  performance  shares  plan  25,  a  provision  of  EUR8  million  has  been 
recognized. In 2018, a complement of EUR10 million of this provision has been recognized. This plan vested on March 2019.

In 2019, following the decision to reinvoice the performance shares to the subsidiaries, a provision for risk of EUR450 was booked, as these free 
shares concern employees of other Schneider Electric Group entities.

Note 5: Cash and cash equivalent Group

This  item  consists  of  interest-bearing  advances  by  Schneider  Electric  SE  to  the  Group  cash  pool  (Boissière  Finance)  that  are  immediately 
recoverable on demand.

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Dec. 31, 2018

Increases

Decreases Dec. 31, 2019

275
14
1,409
900
1,979
1,907
651
264
2,538
2,344
2,153

14,435

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
565
773
1,807

3,145

(166)
(14)
(423)
(323)
(311)
(386)
(65)
(36)
(442)
(296)
(253)
(52)
(53)
(193)

109
–
986
577
1,668
1,521
586
228
2,096
2,048
1,900
513
720
1,614

(3,013)

14,568

Dec. 31, 2018

Increases

Decreases Dec. 31, 2019

820
32
599
540
5,567
2,659
(1,241)
5,761
4,615
6,848

–
–
–
–
–
–
168
–
–
–
(3,032)
(12,763)
125

26,201

(15,502)

(495)
(32)
(199)
(193)
(873)
(538)
–
(1,000)
(579)
(808)
280
874
(13)

(3,576)

325
–
400
347
4,694
2,121
(1,073)
4,761
4,036
6,040
(2,752)
(11,889)
112

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

3. Notes to the financial statements

Note 6: Prepayment and other assets

6.1 Prepaid expenses
The prepaid expenses relates mainly on insurance costs and fees.

6.2 Bond issue expenses

(in thousands of euros)

Bond issue expenses

July 20, 2010 due 2020 (EUR500 million)
Sep. 22, 2011 due 2019 (EUR500 million)
Sep. 27, 2012 due 2022 (USD800 million)
Sep. 6, 2013 due 2021 (EUR600 million)
Mar. 11, 2015 due 2025 (EUR750 million)
Sep. 8, 2015 due 2023 (EUR800 million)
Oct. 13, 2015 due 2025 (EUR200 million)
Oct. 13, 2015 due 2025 (EUR100 million)
Sep. 9, 2016 due 2024 (EUR800 million)
Dec. 13, 2017 due 2026 (EUR750 million)
June. 21, 2018 due 2027 (EUR750 million)
Sept. 9, 2019 due 2024 (EUR200 million)
Jan. 15, 2019 due 2028 (EUR250 million)
Jan. 15, 2019 due 2028 (EUR500 million)

TOTAL

6.3 Redemption premiums

(in thousands of euros)

Redemption premiums

July 20, 2010 due 2020 (EUR500 million)
Sep. 22, 2011 due 2019 (EUR500 million)
Sep. 27, 2012 due 2022 (USD800 million)
Sep. 6, 2013 due 2021 (EUR600 million)
Mar. 11, 2015 due 2025 (EUR750 million)
Sep. 8, 2015 due 2022 (EUR800 million)
Oct. 13, 2015 due 2025 (EUR100 million)
Sep. 9, 2016 due 2024 (EUR800 million)
Dec. 13,2017 due 2026 (EUR750 million)
June 21,2018 due 2027 (EUR750 million)
Sept. 9, 2019 due 2024 (EUR200 million)
Jan. 15, 2019 due 2028 (EUR250 million)
Jan. 15, 2019 due 2028 (EUR500 million)

TOTAL

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Note 7: Shareholders’ equity and retained earnings

(in millions of euros)

December 31, 2017 before allocation of net income for the year
Change in share capital
Allocation of 2017 net income
2017 dividend
Cancellation of own shares 
2018 net income

December 31, 2018 before allocation of net income for the year

Change in share capital
Allocation of 2018 net income
2018 dividend
Cancellation of own shares 
2019 net income

Share capital

Additional 
paid-in 
capital

Reserves 
and retained 
earnings

Net income 
for the year

Regulated
provisions

2,388
(71)
–
–

–

2,317

11
–
–
–
–

5,147
153
–
(1,198)
(1,126)
–

2,976

156
–
–
–
–

237
(6)
121
(25)

–

327

–
3,161

–
–

121
–
(121)
–

4,457

4,457

–
(3,161)
(1,296)
–
57

Total

7,893
76
–
(1,223)
(1,126)
4,457

10,078

167
–
(1,296)
–
57

9,007

–
–
–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–

DECEMBER 31, 2019 BEFORE ALLOCATION OF NET INCOME 
FOR THE YEAR

2,328

3,133

3,489

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7.1 Capital

Share capital
The company’s share capital at December 31, 2019 amounted to EUR 2,328,274,220 consisting of 582,068,555 shares with a par value of EUR4, 
all fully paid up.

Changes in share capital
During the financial year, the EUR11 million increase in share capital breaks down as follows:

•  EUR10 million share capital increase as part of the worldwide Employee Stock Purchase Plan with an issuance of 2,676,018 new shares;
•  EUR1 million share capital increase for the exercise of performance shares with an issuance of 223,768 new shares.

Own shares
The total number of own shares held at the reporting date was 31,045,826 representing a net amount of EUR1,518 million.

7.2 Additional paid-in capital
Additional paid-in capital increased by EUR156 million over the financial year, mainly coming from the worldwide Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

7.3 Allocation of previous year net income
Pursuant to the 3rd resolution of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019, the 2018 gain of EUR3,161 million was 
allocated to retained earnings. EUR1,296 million of dividends were distributed in 2019.

Note 8: Provisions for contingencies and pension accruals

(in thousands of euros)

PROVISIONS FOR CONTINGENCIES
Disputes
Risk variation own shares
Other

TOTAL

Dec. 31, 2018

Increases

Decreases Dec. 31, 2019

15

1,417

1,432

–
450,722
510

451,232

–

(30)

30

15
450,722
1,897

452,635

Management is confident that overall the balance sheet provisions for disputes of which it is currently aware and in which the company is involved 
should be sufficient to ensure that these disputes do not have a material impact on its financial position or income. 

In 2019, a provision for risk of EUR450 million was booked to cover the decision of the board to allocate performance shares plans with SESE 
own shares.

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

3. Notes to the financial statements

Note 9: Bonds

(in thousands of euros)

Schneider Electric SE 2019

Schneider Electric SE 2020
Schneider Electric SE 2019
Schneider Electric SE 2022
Schneider Electric SE 2021
Schneider Electric SE 2025
Schneider Electric SE 2023
Schneider Electric SE 2025
Schneider Electric SE 2025
Schneider Electric SE 2024
Schneider Electric SE 2024
Schneider Electric SE 2026
Schneider Electric SE 2027
Schneider Electric SE 2028
Schneider Electric SE 2028

TOTAL

Fixed: fixed rate. 
Floating: floating rate.

Share capital
Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2018

Interest rate

Maturity

150,244

500,000
–
712,124
600,000
750,000
800,000
200,000
100,000
800,000
200,000
750,000
750,000
500,000
250,000

150,244 Euribor +0.60%
Floating

July 25, 2019

500,000
500,000
698,690
600,000
750,000
800,000
200,000
100,000
800,000
–
750,000
750,000
–
–

3.625% Fixed July 20, 2020
3.50% Fixed Jan. 22, 2019
2.95% Fixed Sep. 27, 2022
2.50% Fixed Sep. 06, 2021
0.875% Fixed Mar. 11, 2025
1.50% Fixed Sep. 08, 2023
1.841% Fixed Oct. 13, 2025
1.841% Fixed Oct. 13, 2025
0.25% Fixed Sep. 09, 2024
0.25% Fixed Sep. 09, 2024
0.875% Fixed Dec. 13, 2026
1.375% Fixed June 21, 2027
1. 5% Fixed Jan. 15, 2028
1. 5% Fixed Jan. 15, 2028

7,062,368

6,598,934

Schneider Electric SE has issued bonds during past years on different markets:

• 

in the United States, through a private placement offering following (SEC 144A rule) for USD800 million worth of bonds issued in September 
2012, at a rate of 2.950%, due in September 2022;

•  as part of its Euro Medium-Term Notes (EMTN) program, for which bonds are traded on the Luxembourg stock exchange.

During the year, the company reimbursed one bond amounting EUR500 million matured on January 22, 2019.

The company issued three bonds as follows:

•  EUR200 million at 0.25%, maturing on September 9, 2024;
•  EUR500 million at 1.375%, maturing on January, 15 2028;
•  EUR250 million at 1.375%, maturing on January, 15 2028.

At December 31, 2019, the other remaining bonds are as follows:

•  EUR800 million worth of 0.25% bonds issued in September 2016 and maturing on September 9, 2024 and described above;
•  EUR600 million worth of 2.50% bonds issued in September 2013 and maturing on September 6, 2021;
•  EUR500 million worth of 3.625% bonds issued in July 2010 and maturing on July 20, 2020;
•  EUR177 million worth of floating-rate bonds issued in July 2008 and maturing on July 25, 2018, decreased to EUR150 million through the 

repayment in June 2014 of EUR27 million;

•  EUR100 million worth of 1.841% bonds issued in October 2015 and maturing on October 13, 2025;
•  EUR200 million worth of 1.841% bonds issued in October 2015 and maturing on October 13, 2025;
•  EUR800 million worth of 1.50% bonds issued in September 2015 and maturing on September 8, 2023;
•  EUR750 million worth of 0.875% bonds issued in March 2015 and maturing on March 11, 2025; 
•  EUR750 million worth of 0.875% bonds issued in December 2017 and maturing on December 13, 2026; 
•  EUR750 million worth of 1.375% bonds issued in June 2018 and maturing on June 21, 2027.

The issue premiums and issuance costs are amortized in line with the effective interest method.

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Note 10: Other borrowings

Other borrowings at December 31, 2019 included accrued interest on bonds and other debt issued by the company. Accrued interest amounted 
to EUR44 million, compared to EUR51 million at end-2018.

Note 11: Interest-bearing liabilities

Interest-bearing liabilities
(in thousands of euros)

Commercial paper
Overdrafts
Other

NET

In 2019, fixed rate commercial papers were reimbursed over the period. 

Note 12: Maturities of receivables and payables

(in thousands of euros)

NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Advances to subsidiaries and affiliates
CURRENT ASSETS
Accounts receivable – trade
Other receivables
Marketable securities
Prepaid expenses
DEBT
Bonds
Other borrowings
Commercial paper
Amounts payable to subsidiaries and affiliates
Accounts payable – trade
Accrued taxes and payroll costs
Other
Deferred income

Dec. 31, 2018

Increase

Decrease Dec. 31, 2019

610,000
–
–

4,955,000
–
–

(5,565,000)
–
–

610,000

4,955,000

(5,565,000)

–
–
–

–

Total

Due within 
1 year

Due in 
1 to 5 years

Due beyond 
5 years

3,223,997

2,511,871

712,126

455,460
102,049
450,722
351

7,062,368
66,481
–
14
779
80,313
5,762
98

455,460
102,049
450,722
351

500,000
66,481
–
–
779
80,313
5,762
98

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

3,262,368
–
–
14
–
–
–
–

3,300,000
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Invoices received and issued during the period have not been subject to late payment.

Note 13: Related-party transactions (minimum 10% stake)

(in thousands of euros)

Shares in subsidiaries and affiliates
Advances to subsidiaries and affiliates
Accounts receivable
Cash and cash equivalents
Revenues:
•  rebilled performance shares
• 

interest

Gross

Net

5,596,996
3,223,997
453,930
5,411,588

515,602

5,485,708
3,223,997
453,930
5,411,588

2,207
25,347

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

3. Notes to the financial statements

Note 14: Net financial income/(loss)

(in thousands of euros)

Dividends
Net interest income (expense)
Other

NET FINANCIAL INCOME/(LOSS)

In 2019, the company received EUR50 million of dividends from Schneider Electric Industries SAS.

Note 15: Net non-recurring income/(loss)

(in thousands of euros)

Net gains/(losses) on fixed asset disposals
Provisions net of reversals
Other non-recurring income/(expense)

NET NON-RECURRING INCOME/(LOSS)

Note 16: Net income tax benefit

Full year 
2019

49,896
(61,776)
(7,103)

Full year 
2018

4,500,507
(75,283)
(8,691)

(18,983)

4,416,533

Full year 
2019

1,930
18,092
(168)

19,854

Full year 
2018

(191)
(9,835)
(226)

(10,252)

The “income tax expense” line item in the statement of income mainly consists of the Group tax relief recorded by the tax Group headed by 
Schneider Electric SE, net of 2019 income tax due, for EUR71 million.

Schneider  Electric  SE  is  the  parent  company  of  the  tax  Group  comprising  all  French  subsidiaries  that  are  over  95%-owned.  Tax  loss  carry 
forwards available to the company in this capacity totaled EUR2,289 million at December 31, 2019.

Note 17: Pension benefit commitment

The company had taken commitments towards its executives, active managers and retirees. In 2015, the company closed the top-hat executive 
pension plans. Since 2015, there is no more active beneficiary. The company has outsourced to AXA France VIE the commitments towards the 
retires beneficiaries the top-hat executive pension plans.

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Note 18: Off-balance sheet commitments

18.1 Partnership obligations
The share of liabilities of “SC” non-trading companies attributable to Schneider Electric SE as partner is not material. 
The share of liabilities of “SNC” flow-through entities attributable to Schneider Electric SE as partner is not material.

18.2 Guarantees given and received

Commitments given
Counter-guarantees of bank guarantees: None. 
Other guarantees given: EUR2,084 million, mainly to Group companies

Commitments received
Bank counter-guarantees: None.

18.3 Financial instruments
Schneider  Electric  Group  hedging  transactions,  exchange  guarantees  and  the  establishment  of  financial  instruments  are  carried  out  by  the 
manager of the Group cash pool, Boissière Finance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schneider Electric Industries SAS, which in turn is wholly-owned 
by Schneider Electric SE.

Schneider Electric SE does not hold any hedging instruments at December 31, 2019.

Note 19 Contingencies

As part of its operations, the entity is exposed to a number of potential claims and litigations. Except for those for which it is probable that the 
entity will occur a liability and a provision established for such outcome, the entity is not aware of other potentially material claims and litigations. 
Specifically, the entity has not been advised to date of any claim/allegations related to the investigation conducted in France by French public 
agencies. The entity is fully cooperating with the French authorities on these matters.

Note 20 Other information

20.1 Workforce
The average number of employees is 1 over 2019.

20.2 Consolidated financial statements
Schneider Electric SE is the parent company of the Group and accordingly publishes the consolidated financial statements of the Schneider 
Electric Group.

20.3 Subsequent events
At the date of financial statements approval by the board of directors, there is no material subsequent event.

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Statutory auditors’ report on the financial statements

4. Statutory auditors’ report on the financial statements

To the Annual General Meeting of Schneider Electric S.E.,

Opinion
In compliance with the engagement entrusted to us by your Annual General Meeting, we have audited the accompanying financial statements of 
Schneider Electric S.E. for the year ended December 31, 2019.

In our opinion, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities and of the financial position of the Company as at 
December 31, 2019 and of the results of its operations for the year then ended in accordance with French accounting principles.

The audit opinion expressed above is consistent with our report to the Audit and Risks Committee.

Basis for Opinion 
Audit Framework
We conducted our audit in accordance with professional standards applicable in France. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained 
is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Statutory Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements 
section of our report.

Independence
We conducted our audit engagement in compliance with independence rules applicable to us, for the period from January 1, 2019 to the date of 
our report and specifically we did not provide any prohibited non-audit services referred to in Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 537/2014 or in 
the French Code of Ethics (Code de déontologie) for statutory auditors.

Justification of Assessments - Key Audit Matters
In accordance with the requirements of Articles L. 823-9 and R. 823-7 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) relating to the 
justification of our assessments, we inform you of the key audit matters relating to risks of material misstatement that, in our professional judgment, 
were of most significance in our audit of the financial statements of the current period, as well as how we addressed those risks.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do 
not provide a separate opinion on specific items of the financial statements.

Valuation of investments in subsidiaries and affiliates and advances to subsidiaries and affiliates

“Accounting principles” and note 2 “Investments” to the financial statements

Key audit matter 
As at December 31, 2019, investments in subsidiaries and affiliates and the related advances amount to M€ 5,486 and M€ 3,224 respectively in 
the balance sheet of Schneider Electric S.E., net of any impairment loss.

As  described  in  the  accounting  principles  of  the  notes  to  the  financial  statements,  investments  are  recognized  at  their  acquisition  cost  and 
impaired, should their carrying amount exceed their estimated value in use at closing date. The estimated value in use of these investments is 
determined  primarily  based  on  the  subsidiaries’  and  affiliates’  net  assets  as  well  as  on  their  earnings  outlook  and  the  underlying  economic 
forecasts.

Due to the judgment exercised by Management as part of this estimate, especially when relying on forecasts, we considered the valuation of 
investments in subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as the valuation of related advances, to be a key audit matter.

Our response 
We analyzed the procedures implemented by your Company to determine the value in use of investments in subsidiaries and affiliates. Our work 
consisted in:

•  comparing the share in the subsidiaries’ and affiliates’ net assets, when used as a proxy for their value in use, with their underlying accounting 

data, which were subject to an audit or to analytical procedures;

•  assessing the appropriateness of the valuation method used to determine the value in use when based on forecasts;
•  assessing the reasonableness of key assumptions used to estimate values in use, mainly the long-term growth rate and the discount rate, by 

inquiring of Management and with the assistance of our experts, when needed;

•  verifying the arithmetical accuracy of the computations performed by your Company to determine the values in use.

We  also  assessed  the  recoverability  of  advances  to  subsidiaries  and  affiliates,  based  on  the  impairment  tests  results  of  the  corresponding 
investments.

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Specific verifications
We  have  also  performed,  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France,  the  specific  verifications  required  by  laws  and 
regulations.

Information given in the management report and in the other documents with respect to the financial position and the financial statements 
provided to the Shareholders 
We have no matters to report as to the fair presentation and the consistency with the financial statements of the information given in the Board of 
Directors’ management report and in the other documents with respect to the financial position and the financial statements provided to the 
Shareholders.

We attest the fair presentation and the consistency with the financial statements of the information relating to payment deadlines mentioned in 
article D. 441-4 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce). 

Information relating to Corporate Governance 
We attest that the section on Corporate Governance contained in the Board of Directors’ Management Report sets out the information required 
by Articles L. 225-37-3 and L. 225-37-4 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce).

Concerning the information given in accordance with the requirements of Article L. 225-37-3 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) 
relating to remunerations and benefits received by, or allocated to the directors and any other commitments made in their favor, we have verified 
its consistency with the financial statements, or with the underlying information used to prepare these financial statements and, where applicable, 
with the information obtained by your Company from companies controlled thereby which are included in the consolidation scope. Based on 
these procedures, we attest the accuracy and fair presentation of this information.

With respect to the information relating to items that your Company considered likely to have an impact in the event of a takeover bid or exchange 
offer, provided pursuant to Article L. 225-37-5 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), we have agreed this information to the 
source documents communicated to us. Based on these procedures, we have no observations to make on this information. 

Other information
In accordance with French law, we have verified that the required information concerning the purchase of investments and controlling interests 
and the identity of the shareholders and holders of the voting rights has been properly disclosed in the management report.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Appointment of the Statutory Auditors
We were appointed as statutory auditors of Schneider Electric S.E. by your Annual General Meetings held on May 6, 2004 for MAZARS and on 
June 25, 1992 for ERNST & YOUNG et Autres.

As at December 31, 2019, MAZARS and ERNST & YOUNG et Autres were in the sixteenth year and in the twenty-eighth year of total uninterrupted 
engagement, respectively.

Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with French accounting principles 
and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, 
as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless it is expected to liquidate the Company 
or to cease operations.

The Audit and Risks Committee is responsible for monitoring the financial reporting process and the effectiveness of internal control and risks 
management systems and where applicable, its internal audit, regarding the accounting and financial reporting procedures.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors.

Statutory Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements 
Objectives and audit approach
Our role is to issue a report on the financial statements. Our objective is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements 
as a whole are free from material misstatement. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted 
in accordance with professional standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error 
and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users 
taken on the basis of these financial statements.

As specified in Article L. 823-10-1 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), our statutory audit does not include assurance on the 
viability of the Company or the quality of management of the affairs of the Company.

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Rapport des commissaires aux comptes sur les comptes annuels

As  part  of  an  audit  conducted  in  accordance  with  professional  standards  applicable  in  France,  the  statutory  auditor  exercises  professional 
judgment throughout the audit and furthermore:

• 

Identifies and assesses the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, designs and performs 
audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtains audit evidence considered to be sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for his 
opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve 
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

•  Obtains an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, 

but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the internal control. 

•  Evaluates the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by 

management in the financial statements. 

•  Assesses the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, 
whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company’s ability to continue as a 
going  concern.  This  assessment  is  based  on  the  audit  evidence  obtained  up  to  the  date  of  his  audit  report.  However,  future  events  or 
conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern. If the statutory auditor concludes that a material uncertainty 
exists, there is a requirement to draw attention in the audit report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures 
are not provided or inadequate, to modify the opinion expressed therein.

•  Evaluates the overall presentation of the financial statements and assesses whether these statements represent the underlying transactions 

and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

Report to the Audit and Risks Committee
We submit to the Audit and Risks Committee a report which includes in particular a description of the scope of the audit and the audit program 
implemented, as well as the results of our audit. We also report, if any, significant deficiencies in internal control regarding the accounting and 
financial reporting procedures that we have identified.

Our  report  to  the  Audit  and  Risks  Committee  includes  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  that,  in  our  professional  judgment,  were  of  most 
significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and which are therefore the key audit matters that we are required to 
describe in this report.

We also provide the Audit and Risks Committee with the declaration provided for in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No. 537/2014, confirming our 
independence within the meaning of the rules applicable in France such as they are set in particular by Articles L. 822-10 to L. 822-14 of the 
French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) and in the French Code of Ethics (Code de déontologie) for statutory auditors. Where appropriate, 
we discuss with the Audit and Risks Committee the risks that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and the related safeguards.

Courbevoie and Paris-La Défense, March 10, 2020

The Statutory Auditors
French original signed by

MAZARS  
Loïc Wallaert 
Mathieu Mougard  Alexandre Resten

ERNST & YOUNG et Autres
Jean-Yves Jégourel  

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5. List of securities held at December 31, 2019

5. List of securities held at December 31, 2019

Number of securities
(in thousands of euros)

A. MAJOR INVESTMENTS
(Carrying amounts over EUR5 million)
58,018,657
22,608,572

B. OTHER INVESTMENTS
(Carrying amounts under EUR5 million)
C. INVESTMENTS IN REAL ESTATE COMPANIES
D. INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN COMPANIES

Total
MARKETABLE SECURITIES
8,437,254

TOTAL

Company

Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Actions propres Schneider Electric SE

Schneider Electric SE own shares

Carrying amount 
of securities

5,343,544
1,518,493

6,862,037

1,038
–
141,126

7,004,201

450,722,810

457,727,011

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

6. Subsidiaries and affiliates

6. Subsidiaries and affiliates

Company
(in thousands of euros)

I. 

 DETAILED INFORMATION ON SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES WITH A CARRYING 
AMOUNT OF OVER 1% OF THE SHARE CAPITAL OF SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SE

A.  Subsidiaries (at least 50% owned)

Reserves and 
retained earnings 
& retained 
earnings prior  
to appropriation  

Capital

of earnings*

Share interest  

held (%)

Schneider Electric Industries SAS 35, rue Joseph-Monier 92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France

928,299

6,783,914

100,00

Cofimines
Place du Champs-de-Mars, 5, tour Bastion 1050 Brussels, Belgium

96,884

42,230

99.84

B. 

 Affiliates (10 to 50%-owned)

II. 

 OTHER SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES

A. 

 Subsidiaries not included in Section I: (+50%)

a)  French subsidiaries (aggregate)
b)  Foreign subsidiaries (aggregate)

B.  Affiliates not included in Section I: (0-50%)

a)  French companies (aggregate)
b)  Foreign companies (aggregate)

* 

Including income or loss in prior financial year.

–
–

–
–

–
19,600

–
164,492

–
–

–
4.8

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Gross value

Net value

Loans and  
advances  
provided by the 
company and still 
outstanding

Amount  
of guarantees  
given by  

the company

2019

Revenues  
(ex. VAT)

2019 Profit  
or loss (-)

Dividends  
received by 
the company  
during 2019

5,343,544

5,343,544

2,506,389

3,687,868

631,947

49,896

219,894

139,094

–
15,288

130
21,249

–
1,038

53
2,049

–

–
–

–
–

–  Holding company

(11)

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
33,299

–

–
–

–
–

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PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

7. The company’s financial results over the last 5 years

7. The company’s financial results over the last 5 years

Description

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

FINANCIAL POSITION AT DECEMBER 31
Share capital (in thousands of euros)
Number of shares in issue
Number of convertible bonds in issue (in thousands)
Maximum number of shares to be created (in thousands):
• 
• 

through conversion of bonds
through exercise of rights

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (IN THOUSANDS OF EUROS)
Sales (ex. VAT)
Investment revenue, interest income and other revenue
Earnings before tax, depreciation, amortization and provisions
Income tax
Earnings after tax, depreciation, amortization and provisions
Dividends paid(1) excluding tax credit and withholdings

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS PER SHARE (in euros)
Earnings before depreciation, amortization and provisions
Earnings after tax, depreciation, amortization and provisions
Net dividend per share

EMPLOYEES
Average number of employees during the financial year
Total payroll for the financial year (in thousands of euros)
Total of employee benefits paid over the financial year
(Social security, other benefits, etc.) (in thousands of euros)

2,328,274
582,068,555

2,316,675
579,168,769

2,387,665
596,916,242

2,369,995
592,498,759

2,354,938
588,734,472

–

–
8,371

–
8,271

–
9,562

–
7,773

2,385
49,896
(18,659)
71,684
57,108
1,415,125(2)

174
4,551,232
4,412,483
1,215
4,457,994
1,361,047

170
147,031
(22,861)
55,213
121,488
1,313,216

228
52,276
(146,799)
(53,632)
(99,730)
1,208,697

209
54,587
(139,013)
(41,456)
(52,585)
1,177,469

6,77
9,8
2.55(2)

1
3,693
–
944

7.62
7.70
2.35

1
2,544
–
1,010

0.05
0.20
2.20

1
1,670
–
796

(0.14)
(0.17)
2.04

1
1,507
–
974

(0.06)
(0.09)
2

1
2,684
–
1,028

(1)  Dividends on shares held in treasury on the dividend payment date and the associated withholding are credited to retained earnings.
(2)  Pending approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020.

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In this section

1.  General information on the Company 

2.  Shareholders’ rights and obligations 

2.1  Annual Shareholders’ Meetings  

(Article 19 of the Articles of Association) 

2.2  Voting rights 

2.3  Allocation of income (Article 22 of the Articles of Association) 

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2.4  Holding of shares (Article 7 Paragraph 1 of the Articles of Association) 394

2.5  Disclosure thresholds (Article 7 Paragraph 2  

of the Articles of Association) 

2.6  Identifiable holders of bearer shares (Article 7 Paragraph 3  

of the Articles of Association) 

2.7  Disposal of shares (Article 8 of the Articles of Association) 

3.  Capital 

3.1  Share capital and voting rights 

3.2  Potential capital 

3.3  Authorizations to issue shares 

3.4  Three-year summary of changes in capital 

3.5  Share buybacks 

4.  Ownership structure 

4.1  Three-year summary of changes in capital 

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5.  Employee incentive plans – Employee shareholding 

399

5.1  Profit-sharing plans 

5.2  The “Schneider Electric” employee shareholding 

6.  PShares and stock option plans 

6.1  Past stock option plans 

6.2  Details on outstanding options (2019) 

6.3  Situation of corporate officers, broken down  

by plan (at December 31, 2019) 

6.4  t share plans (at December 31, 2019) 

6.5  Options granted and exercised and stock grants  

made to the top 10 employee grantees during the year 

7.  Stock market data 

7.1  Ordinary bonds 

8.  Investor relations 

8.1  Person responsible for financial information 

8.2  Contacts 

8.3  Shareholders’ Advisory Committee 

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Company and its capital 7

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

1. General information on the Company

This chapter includes elements of the board of directors’ governance report.

Section 2 (Annual Shareholders’ Meetings and voting rights), the table of section 3.3 (pending delegations relating to share capital increase) 
and section 6 (lock-up period applicable to executive officers), as well as Chapter 4 constitute the board of directors’ governance report 
prepared in accordance with Article L.225-37 of the French Commercial Code. They are indicated with a special mention.

1. General information on the Company

As a European Company (Societas Europaea) with a board of directors (since June 18, 2014), domiciled in France, Schneider Electric SE is 
governed by European Council Regulation (EC) No. 2157/2001 of October 8, 2001, governing the statutes of European Companies (SE Regulation). 
Issues not covered by the SE Regulation are governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) applicable to 
limited-liability companies, as well as by their Articles of Association. The provisions of the French Commercial Code regarding the management 
and governance of public limited-liability companies are applicable to the European company.

As at December 31, 2019, the Company’s share capital was EUR2,328,274,220. Its head office is located at 35, rue Joseph Monier, 92500 Rueil-
Malmaison, France, telephone: +33 (0)1 41 29 70 00.

Schneider Electric SE is registered with the commercial court registry of Nanterre under No. 542 048 574, APE code (principal activity code) 
7010Z, Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) 969500A1YF1XUYYXS284.

The Company was incorporated in 1871. It is due to expire on July 1, 2031. It was first called Spie Batignolles, then changed its name to Schneider 
SA when it merged with Schneider SA in 1995, and then to Schneider Electric SA in May 1999, before becoming Schneider Electric SE in 2014.

As stated in Article 2 of its Articles of Association, the Company has the following corporate purpose, directly or indirectly, in any form, in France 
and in all other countries:

(i) 

the design, development and sale of products, equipment and solutions related to the metering, management and use of energy in all its 
forms and delivering reliability, efficiency and productivity, in particular through engaging in, whether by creating, acquiring or otherwise, all 
activities related to:
 –
 –
 –
 – management of all types of data centers, networks, equipment and other infrastructure;
the acquisition, purchase, sale and use of any intellectual and/or industrial property rights relative to these industries;

electrical equipment manufacturing, electrical distribution and secured power supply,
building control, automation and safety,
industrial control and automation, including software,

(ii) 
(iii)  involvement  in  any  way  in  any  enterprise,  company  or  consortium,  whatever  the  type,  undertaking  activities  related  to  the  Company’s 
business or such as to encourage its industry and commerce, and, more generally, all industrial, commercial and financial, asset and real 
estate operations related directly or indirectly in any way to the above objective.

The Company may enter into any transactions that fall within the scope of its objectives either alone for its own account or on behalf of third 
parties, either by having an interest in, or by the purchase, subscription, contribution or exchange of company shares, partnership shares and 
the purchase of any company, irrespective of type, in pursuance of a similar or related purpose, or that promote its expansion or development.

The Articles of Association, minutes of Annual Shareholders’ Meetings, statutory auditors’ reports and other legal documents concerning the 
Company are available for consultation at the Company’s head office (office of the secretary to the board of directors) located at 35, rue Joseph 
Monier, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France.

The Articles of Association, regulated information, registration documents, sustainable development reports, notice of the general meeting and 
other documents are also available on the Company’s website (http://www.se.com).

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2. Shareholders’ rights and obligations

2.1 Annual Shareholders’ Meetings (Article 19 of the Articles of Association)

This section is part of the board of directors’ governance report.

Annual Shareholders’ Meetings are called and run in accordance with the conditions prescribed by law.

The meetings are held at the head office or any other address provided in the call to meeting. The board may decide, when each meeting is 
called, to organize the public transmission of all or part of the meeting by videoconference and/or using teletransmission techniques.

All shareholders may attend meetings, in person or by proxy, after providing proof of identity and share ownership in accordance with applicable 
laws and regulations.

When the decision is made to call an Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the board of directors may also decide to allow shareholders to participate 
or  vote  at  Annual  Shareholders’  Meetings  using  videoconferencing  facilities  and/or  any  other  telecommunication  medium  allowed  under 
applicable legislation.

Remote voting procedures are governed by the applicable laws and regulations. In particular, shareholders may send proxy and mail ballot forms 
before Annual Shareholders’ Meetings either in paper form or, if approved by the board of directors and stated in the meeting announcement and/ 
or notice, electronically.

When the decision is made to call an Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the board of directors may authorize shareholders to fill out and sign these 
forms electronically through a secure site set up by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting organizer using a process that complies with applicable 
laws and regulations (Paragraph 2 of Article 1367 of the French Civil Code) and consisting of a username and password.

Proxies or votes so submitted electronically before the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, as well as the related acknowledgments of receipt, will be 
considered irrevocable and binding documents. However, in the event that shares are sold before the applicable record date (midnight Paris time 
two business days before the meeting date), the Company will cancel or amend, as appropriate, any related proxy or electronic votes submitted 
before the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

Meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman of the board of directors or in his absence by the Vice-Chairman, or in his absence by a member of 
the board of directors specially appointed for that purpose by the board of directors. In the event that no Chairman has been selected, the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting elects its Chairman.

The two shareholders present who hold the largest number of votes and who accept shall act as scrutineers. 

The board appoints a secretary, who is not required to be a shareholder.

As required by law, a register of attendance is kept.

Copies  or  extracts  of  the  meeting’s  minutes  are  certified  either  by  the  Chairman  or  Vice-Chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  or  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting’s secretary.

2.2 Voting rights

This section is part of the board of directors’ governance report.

1 – Double voting rights (Article 20 of the Articles of Association)
Voting rights attached to shares are proportionate to the equity in the capital they represent, assuming that they all have the same nominal value. 
Each capital share or dividend share confers the right to one vote except where compulsory legal provisions limit the number of votes a shareholder 
may have. Notwithstanding the foregoing, double voting rights are attributed to fully paid-up shares registered in the name of the same holder for 
at  least  two  years  prior  to  the  end  of  the  calendar  year  preceding  that  in  which  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  takes  place,  subject  to 
compliance with the provisions of the law. In the case of a bonus share issue paid up by capitalizing reserves, earnings or additional issue 
premiums, each bonus share allotted in respect of shares carrying double voting rights will also have double voting rights.

The shares are stripped of their double voting rights if they are converted into bearer shares or transferred, except in the case of the transfer from 
one registered holder to another as part of an inheritance or family gift.

Double  voting  rights  may  also  be  stripped  by  a  decision  of  the  Extraordinary  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  after  ratification  by  a  special 
shareholders’ meeting of beneficiaries benefiting from double voting rights.

The minimum holding period to qualify for double voting rights was reduced from four to two years by decision of the Ordinary and Extraordinary 
Shareholders’ Meeting of June 27, 1995.

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

2. Shareholders’ rights and obligations

2 – Ceiling on voting rights (Article 20 of the Articles of Association)
At the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, no shareholder may exercise, either in person or through a proxy, by virtue of single voting rights conferred 
by the shares they hold directly and indirectly and by virtue of the proxy votes entrusted to them, more than 10% of the total number of the voting 
rights conferred by shares in the Company. However, if a shareholder also holds double voting rights directly or indirectly and/or as proxy, the 
limit set may be exceeded taking into consideration only the resulting additional voting rights, without the total voting rights thereby held exceeding 
15% of the total number of the voting rights conferred by the shares in the Company.

To apply these provisions:

• 

• 

the total number of voting rights allowed are calculated as of the date of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and announced to the shareholders 
at the beginning of such Annual Shareholders’ Meeting;
the number of voting rights held directly and indirectly are understood to include those conferred by shares held personally by a shareholder, 
those conferred by shares held by a legal entity controlled by a shareholder as defined by Article L.233-3 of the French Commercial Code, 
and those shares that are assimilated to the shares owned, as defined by the provisions of Articles L.233-7 et seq. of the Code;

•  shareholders’ proxies returned to the Company that do not appoint a representative are subject to the above ceilings. However, these ceilings 

do not apply to the meeting Chairman voting on behalf of such proxies.

The above ceilings will no longer apply, without it being necessary to put the matter to the vote again by the Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting, 
if any individual or legal entity, acting alone or jointly with one or other individuals or legal entities, acquires or increases its stake to at least two-
thirds of the Company’s capital through a public tender offer for all the Company’s shares. The board of directors takes note of this nullity and 
undertakes  the  formalities  necessary  to  amend  the  Articles  of  Association.  The  ceiling  on  voting  rights  was  approved  by  the  Ordinary  and 
Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting of June 27, 1995.

In  accordance  with  Article  L.225-96,  Paragraph  1  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  any  amendment  to  the  Articles  of  Association  must  be 
approved by the Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting, by a majority of at least two-thirds of the voting rights represented by shareholders in 
attendance or participating by proxy.

2.3 Allocation of income (Article 22 of the Articles of Association)

Net income for the year less any losses brought forward from prior years is appropriated in the following order:

•  5% to the legal reserve (this appropriation is no longer required once the legal reserve represents one-tenth of the capital, provided that 

further appropriations are made in the case of a capital increase);
to discretionary reserves, if appropriate, and to retained earnings;
to the payment of the balance in the form of a dividend.

• 
• 

The General Meeting may decide to offer shareholders the opportunity to receive the dividend in cash or in the form of new shares. 

Dividends not claimed within five years from the date of payment are forfeited and paid to the government, in accordance with the law.

2.4 Holding of shares (Article 7 Paragraph 1 of the Articles of Association)

Shareholders may elect to hold their shares in registered or bearer form. To establish proof of ownership, the shares must be recorded in the 
shareholder’s account in accordance with the procedures and conditions defined by current legislation and regulations.

2.5 Disclosure thresholds (Article 7 Paragraph 2 of the Articles of Association)

The Articles of Association stipulate that any individual or legal entity that owns or controls (as these terms are defined in Article L.233-9 of the 
French Commercial Code) directly or indirectly, shares or voting rights representing at least 1% of the total number of shares or voting rights 
outstanding, or a multiple thereof, is required to disclose the total number of shares, voting rights and share equivalents held directly, indirectly 
or in concert to the Company by registered letter with return receipt requested, within five trading days of the disclosure threshold being crossed. 
In addition, effective November 1, 2009 the shareholder must notify the Company, in the disclosure letter, of the number of existing shares it is 
entitled to acquire by virtue of agreements or financial instruments referred to in point b) of the third Paragraph of Article L.233-7 of the French 
Commercial Code and of the number of existing shares covered by any agreement or financial instrument referred to in point c) of said paragraph. 
Shareholders are also required to notify the Company if the number of shares or voting rights held falls below one of the thresholds defined above. 
In the case of failure to comply with these disclosure obligations, the shares in excess of the disclosure threshold will be stripped of voting rights 
at the request of one or several shareholders owning at least 2.5% of the share capital, subject to compliance with the relevant provisions of the 
law. These provisions are from the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings of June 27, 1995, May 5, 2000 and April 23, 2009.

2.6 Identifiable holders of bearer shares (Article 7 Paragraph 3 of the Articles of Association)

The  Company  may  at  any  time  request  Euroclear  to  identify  holders  of  bearer  securities  conferring  immediate  or  future  voting  rights.  This 
provision was adopted by the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings of June 30, 1988 and May 5, 2000.

2.7 Disposal of shares (Article 8 of the Articles of Association)

Shares in the Company are freely negotiable and transferable.

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3. Capital

3. Capital

3.1 Share capital and voting rights

The Company’s share capital at December 31, 2019 amounted to EUR2,328,274,220 represented by 582,068,555 shares with a par value of 
EUR4, all fully paid up. 608,274,947 voting rights were attached to the 582,068,555 outstanding shares as at December 31, 2019.

3.2 Potential capital

At December 31, 2019, the potential capital consisted of 250,562 shares under the performance shares or stock grant plans 24, 28, 29bis, 30, 
31bis, 32 and 34 relating to existing shares or shares to be issued, as may be determined later.

The potential maximum dilution in case of issue of all the shares resulting from the stock grants and performance shares would be 0.04% of share 
capital at December 31, 2019.

3.3 Authorizations to issue shares

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings of April 25, 2019 authorized the board of directors:

1) 
2) 

to increase the Company’s capital by capitalizing reserves, earnings or additional paid-in-capital;
to increase the share capital by a maximum nominal value of EUR800 million (200 million shares) by issuing shares or share equivalents with 
a ceiling of:
 –
 –

in the case of an issue with preferential subscription rights, the ceiling stands at a nominal value of EUR800 million (200 million shares),
in the case of an issue without preferential subscription rights, the ceiling stands at a nominal value of EUR230 million (57.5 million 
shares) through public offering with the possibility of:
(i)  proceeding to issue by private placements of shares subject to a ceiling with a nominal value of EUR115 million (28.75 million 

shares),

(ii)  paying for securities contributed to the Company in connection with a public exchange offer initiated by the Company,
(iii)  within the limit of 9.93% of capital, making payment for contributions in kind of shares or share equivalents of unlisted companies.

These authorizations include, in case of oversubscription, the power to increase the nominal amount of the issues within the limit set on the ceiling 
on the number of shares or share equivalents to be issued.

3) 

4) 

5) 

to grant existing shares or shares to be issued to employees and corporate officers of the Company and its affiliates under the provisions of 
Article L.225-197-1 et seq. of the French Commercial Code, within a limit of 2% of the Company’s issued share capital as of April 25, 2019;
to issue new shares to members of the Company Savings Plan, within a limit of 2% of the issued capital on the date of the implementation of 
the authorization;
to issue new shares under programs to promote share ownership among employees in non-French companies of the Group, within a limit of 
1% of the Company’s share capital as of April 25, 2019 to be applied to the ceiling for the authorization given in 4) above.

At its meeting of December 11, 2019, the board of directors authorized the issue of new shares to employees, within a limit of 0.64% of the capital. 
These  capital  increases  reserved  for  employees,  whether  part  of  the  Company  Savings  Plan  or  not,  will  take  place  in  June  2020  and  the 
subscription prices will be set by that date, before the subscription period.

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on April 23, 2020 (see pages 420 and 421) will be requested to renew the authorizations for share 
capital increase reserved for employees.

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3. Capital

This table is part of the board of directors’ governance report.

I – Issues with preferential subscription rights  
for shares or warrants

or other securities, giving access immediately  
or in the future to the capital

II – Issues without preferential subscription rights

a) for the issue, in cash or in compensation of listed securities, 
of shares, warrants and other securities giving access 
immediately or in the future to the capital

Maximum par value of 
authorized capital 
increases (in euros)

Number of shares 
(million)

Authorization date/ 
authorization expires

Amount used at  
Dec. 31, 2019
(in million of shares)

800 million(1)

200

Apr. 25, 2019

3.7(3)

Jun. 24, 2021

230 million(1)

57.5

Apr. 25, 2019

3.7(3)

b) to make private placements of shares

115 million(1)(2)

28.75

Apr. 25, 2019

Jun. 24, 2021

c) to issue new shares as consideration for unlisted securities

III – Employee share issues

Company Savings Plan

9.93% of the 
capital(1)(2)

2% of the  
capital(6)

Share issues to promote share ownership among employees in 
foreign companies of the Group

1% of the  
capital(4)(6)

Free shares or performance shares

2% of the  
capital(6)

Jun. 24, 2021

57.5

Apr. 25, 2019

Jun. 24, 2021

11.58

Apr. 25, 2019

3.7(3)

Jun. 24, 2021

5.79

Apr. 25, 2019

3.7(3)

Oct. 24, 2020

11.58

Apr. 25, 2019

0.1(5)

Jun. 24, 2022

(1)  The overall ceiling for issues is capped at EUR800 million in aggregate.
(2)  Within the limit of the common ceiling for all issues of EUR230 million as mentioned under II°, a) + b) + c) being limited to EUR230 million.
(3)  At its meeting of December 11, 2019, the board of directors authorized capital increases reserved for employees, within a limit of a global amount of 3.7 million shares, i.e. 
0.64% of the capital. These capital increases reserved for employees, whether part of the Company Savings Plan or not, under a non-leveraged stock ownership plan, will 
take place in June 2020. The subscription prices will be set before that date. The capital increase reserved for employees participating in the Company Savings Plan will be 
deducted from the amount of the authorizations referred to in I and II a). 

(4)  Issuances of shares reserved for employees in non-French subsidiaries will be deducted from the ceiling for capital increases reserved for employees participating in a 

Company Savings Plan.

(5)  At  the  board  of  directors’  meeting  of  July  23,  2019,  87,110  shares  were  granted  under  the  2019  long-term  incentive  plan.  At  the  board  of  directors’  meeting  of  
October 23, 2019, 17,450 shares were granted under the 2019 long-term incentive plan. In addition, at the board of directors’ meeting of February 19, 2020, the principle was 
agreed that a maximum of 2.1 million shares would be granted under the 2020 long-term incentive plan.

(6)  On the date of the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the share capital was EUR2,317 million.

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3.4 Three-year summary of changes in capital

The following table shows changes in Schneider Electric SE’s share capital and additional paid-in-capital since December 31, 2016 through 
capital increases\decrease and the exercise of stock options:

Employee share issue
Exercise of stock options, warrants and performance shares issued

Capital as of Dec. 31, 2016(1)
Employee share issue
Exercise of stock options and performance shares issued

Capital as of Dec. 31, 2017(2)
Decrease in capital
Employee share issue
Exercise of stock options and performance shares issued

Capital as of Dec. 31, 2018(3)
Employee share issue
Exercise of stock options and performance shares issued

CAPITAL AS OF DEC. 31, 2019(4)

Number of shares 
issued or canceled

Cumulative number  

of shares

Total

2,842,752
921,535

2,413,368
2,004,115

22,000,000
2,406,585
1,845,942

2,676,018
223,768

592,498,759

EUR2,369,995,036

596,916,242

EUR2,387,664,968

579,168,769

EUR2,316,675,076

582,068,555

EUR2,328,274,220

(1)  Increase in share capital (EUR15.1 million), increase in additional paid-in-capital (EUR148 million).
(2)  Increase in share capital (EUR17.7 million), increase in additional paid-in-capital (EUR149 million).
(3)  Decrease in share capital (EUR71 million) and in additional paid-in-capital (EUR2,171 million).
(4)  Increase in share capital (EUR11.6 million), increase in additional paid-in-capital (EUR156.2 million).

3.5 Share buybacks

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 24, 2018 authorized the Company to buy back shares. This authorization was renewed by the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019.

Pursuant to these authorizations, the Company bought back 3,482,422 of its own shares during the year.

As of January 31, 2020, the 31,043,977 own shares were held for allocation on the exercise of stock options or performance shares plans.

We remind you that on February 14, 2019 Schneider Electric initiated a new EUR1.5bn to EUR2.0bn share buyback program over the period 
2019-2021. The program has been launched under the 15th resolution approved at the 2018 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and pursued under 
the 14th resolution approved at the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. These buybacks were part of a policy to neutralize the dilution resulting 
from capital increases reserved for employees or from performance action plans and the exercise of options.

Details of the share buyback program to be submitted for approval to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 23, 2020 are as follows:

•  number of shares and percentage of share capital held directly and indirectly by Schneider Electric SE (as of January 31, 2020):

 – own shares: 31,043,977 shares, i.e. 5.33% of share capital,
 – treasury shares: 1,058 shares,
 – total: 31,045,035 shares, i.e. 5.33% of share capital;
•  overview of purposes for which shares have been held:

 – the 31,043,977 shares held in own shares as at January 31, 2020 are held for allocation of performance shares;

•  share buyback program objectives:

 – reduce the capital by canceling shares,
 – hold shares for allocation on performance shares plans or to permit the conversion of convertible debt securities,
 – undertaking (for exchange, payment or other purposes) external growth transactions, mergers, spin-offs or contributions,
 – market making under a liquidity agreement;
•  maximum number of shares that may be acquired:

 – 10% of the issued share capital as of the date of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, representing, on the basis of the issued share capital 

as of January 31, 2020, a total of 58,206,855 Schneider Electric SE shares with a nominal value of EUR4,

 – taking into account treasury stock and own shares at January 31, 2020 (31,045,035 shares), the number of shares that could be bought 

back under the authorization is 27,161,820 or 4.66% of the capital as of January 31, 2020;

•  maximum purchase price and maximum aggregate amount of share purchases:

 – the maximum purchase price is set at EUR150 per share,
 – EUR8,731,028,250;

•  duration of the buyback program:

• 

 – 18 months maximum, expiring on October 22, 2021;
transactions carried out pursuant to the program authorized by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 2019 between April 26, 2019 and February 19, 2020:
 – transactions carried out by the Company:
 – number of shares acquired: 3,482,422,
 – number of shares transferred: 84,042.

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4. Ownership structure

4. Ownership structure

4.1 Three-year summary of changes in capital(1)

Sun Life Financial, Inc.
BlackRock, Inc.
Employees
Treasury shares
Public

Capital Number of shares

Voting rights Number of shares

Dec. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018
Capital

Voting rights

Dec. 31, 2017
Capital

Voting rights

%

8.5
6.2
3.7
5.3
76.2

49,431,382
36,175,008
21,745,793
31,046,884
443,669,488

%

8.1
6.0
6.3
–
79.6

49,431,382
36,175,008
38,524,340  

–
484,144,217

%

8.6
5.8
4.3
5.1
76.2

%

8.2
5.5
7.2
–
79.1

%

5.9
5.5
4.1
6.6
77.9

%

5.6
5.2
7.4
–
81.8

TOTAL

100.0

582,068,555

100.0

608,274,947(2)

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

(1)  Table lists ownership stakes that have breached 5% ownership voting rights threshold in the previous three years, to the best of the Company’s knowledge.
(2)  Number of voting rights as defined in article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation, which includes shares deprived of voting rights.

Disclosure thresholds
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, no shareholders other than Sun Life Financial, Inc. and BlackRock, Inc., both listed above, hold, either 
directly or indirectly, more than 5% of Schneider Electric’s capital or voting rights.

Changes in holdings (for stake equal to or greater than 5%)
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, no shareholders have made a change in holding during 2019 that crosses the 5% threshold for either 
capital or voting rights. 

Pledges on Schneider Electric SE shares
405,940 shares are pledged.

Pledges on subsidiaries’ shares
Schneider Electric SE has not pledged any shares in significant subsidiaries.

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5. Employee incentive plans – Employee shareholding

5. Employee incentive plans – Employee shareholding

5.1 Profit-sharing plans

Most of the Group’s French companies have profit-sharing and other profit-based incentive plans. The amounts paid by the Group’s French 
entities over the last five years were:

(in millions of euros)

Profit-based incentive plans and profit-sharing plans

2019

59,3

2018

66,9

2017

71,7

2016

65,2

2015

66,4

In  2019,  57%  of  the  total  from  incentives  and  profit-sharing  was  invested  in  the  Schneider  Electric  shareholder  fund  and  17%  was  received  
by employees in cash.

5.2 The “Schneider Electric” employee shareholding

Schneider Electric wants employees to “Act Like Owners” of the Company, taking responsibility and ownership in everything they do. 

In line with this strong belief, the Group offers since 1995 to most employees throughout the world the opportunity to become actual owners  
of the Company, at preferred conditions. 

Through  the  Employee  Share  Ownership  program,  Schneider  Electric  shares  Company  value  creation  with  employees,  thus  aligning  both 
Company  and  employees’  interests.  In  countries  where  regulations  permit,  Schneider  Electric  offers  its  employees  the  opportunity  to  invest 
during share capital increases reserved for its employees.

The Group’s last employee share issue took place in July 2019. This operation, without leverage effect, was offered to over 80% of employees. 
51%  of  the  eligible  employees  subscribed  to  the  share  capital  increase  and  2.7  million  shares  were  thus  subscribed  for  a  total  amount  of  
EUR161 million.

On December 31, 2019, Group employees were holding a total of 21.7 million Schneider Electric SE shares through the corporate mutual funds 
(FCPE) or directly, or through performance share plans, representing 3.7% of the share capital and 6.3% of the voting rights, taking into account 
double voting rights.

Voting rights attached to shares held by corporate mutual funds are exercised by the supervisory boards of the corporate mutual funds.

The Group’s employee shareholders are spread across nearly 75 countries, as follows: 24% in France, representing 44% of employee shareholding, 
14% in China, 12% in India, 12% in the United States, and 38% elsewhere. Circa half of all employees are shareholders of the Group.

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6. Shares and stock option plans

6. Shares and stock option plans

This section is part of the corporate governance report.

Shares and stock option plans
Grant policy
As part of its overall staff pay policy, Schneider Electric sets up a long-term incentive plan every year. This plan is based on an annual allocation 
of performance shares. No stock options or SARs have been granted since 2009 and the last authorization to do so expired.

These plans are granted by the board of directors, based on the report from the Human Resources and CSR committee.

Beneficiaries include members of Group Senior Management, top managers, high-potential managers and employees in all countries whose 
performance  was  judged  remarkable.  There  were  2,382  beneficiaries  in  the  2018  long-term  incentive  plan  and  2,728  in  the  2019  long-term 
incentive plan.

Allocations to Group Senior Management, including corporate officers, represent 13.9% of the total attributions in the framework of the 2019 long-
term incentive plan, similar to the proportion prevalent (12%) in the framework of the 2018 long-term incentive plan.

In  addition,  Schneider  Electric  exceptionally  grants  free  shares.  These  grants  are  decided  by  the  board  of  directors  when  it  considers  that, 
instead  of  allocating  cash,  a  payment  in  shares  is  preferable  to  correlate  this  benefit  with  the  Group’s  long-term  development  through  the 
evolution of the share price and/or to create a retention element.

In 2019, a dedicated retention plan subject to performance conditions was granted to 298 employees and shall be delivered through existing 
shares at vesting.

Description of performance shares granted
For the French plans 21 and 21bis, the vesting and lock-up periods for share acquisition are at least two years each. For the French plan 25, the 
vesting period for share acquisition is three years, followed by a lock-up period of two years.

For international plans 22 and 22bis, 26, the vesting period for share acquisition is four years. There is no lock-up period.

For plans 27, 29 and 29bis, 31, 31bis, 33, 34 and 35 applicable in France and internationally, the vesting period for share acquisition is three years. 
There is no lock-up period.

For plans 28, 30 and 32 applicable to corporate officers only, the vesting period is three years, followed by a lock-up period of one year.

Performance shares vest only if the beneficiary is a Group employee as of the vesting date and if certain performance targets, detailed below, 
are met (see pages 404 and subs.).

Since January 2009, for Corporate Officers, and since December 2011 for members of the Executive Committee, allocations of performance 
shares are fully subject to the achievement of performance conditions.

Description of the options allocated
Since 2006, the options had a 10-year life. They could not be exercised until after the fourth year. However, they could be exercised before 
maturity in the case of a takeover bid for the Company’s shares.

Options could only be exercised by Group employees. In addition, the exercise of all or part of the options was dependent on specific targets 
being met, detailed below (see page 402). All of the options granted to Corporate Officers have been subject to performance criteria since 
January 2009.

The last options were granted in 2009 and the rights attached to the remaining ones expired on December 12, 2019.

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Description of Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)
SARs mirror the mechanism of options. They are subject to conditions, particularly performance criteria. The beneficiary receives the proceeds 
in cash.

Lock-up period applicable to corporate officers
The board of directors has set a retention target of shares representing three years of base salary for Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, and two years of 
base salary for Mr. Emmanuel Babeau. Calculation of the number of shares held is based on Schneider Electric SE shares and the equivalent in 
shares of the corporate mutual fund units invested in Schneider Electric shares held by the beneficiaries.

In accordance with the provisions of articles L.225-185 and L.225 197 1 of the French Commercial Code and the AFEP/MEDEF Code, the board 
of directors has approved the following:

•  a proportion of shares issued from the exercise of options granted under plans 30 et seq. must be held in a registered account. This number 
corresponds to a percentage of the capital gains realized through exercise of the options, net of taxes, mandatory contributions and the sums 
necessary to fund the purchase of such shares. The percentage is set at 25% for Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire and 15% for Mr. Emmanuel Babeau;
•  mandatory retention beyond the lock-up period of a percentage of the shares acquired under plans 3 et seq. The percentage is set at 25% for 

Jean-Pascal Tricoire and 15% for Emmanuel Babeau;

•  mandatory investment in Schneider Electric SE shares of 10% of the selling price (net of taxes and contributions) of performance share grants 

acquired through plans set up since 2009.

These obligations are suspended once the shareholding targets described above are met.

Corporate officers formally undertake, for each grant of shares since 2014, not to engage in hedging transactions in respect of their own risks on 
the shares until the end of their duties as executive officers.

The board verified that the corporate officers were complying with the lock-up obligations presented above and was satisfied therewith.

Stock options and shares held by corporate officers and directors

STOCK OPTIONS

PERFORMANCE SHARES

OTHER SHARES

Stock Options*

from stock options

Shares issued  

Shares granted, in 
the process of 
being acquired

Acquired but not yet  

available for sale

Acquired and 
available for sale

including through 
FCPE Funds

Jean-Pascal Tricoire 

–

298,257

218,414

55,463

136,470

38,471

under plans 
20, 24, 28, 
30, 31 and 
33

under plans 
26, 28, 29;  
30, 31, 32, 
33

under plans 19a and b and  
20a, b and c (available  
February 18, 2020  
for 39,000 shares), and  
25 (March 31, 2021,  

16,463 shares)

under plans  
3, 5, 8, 10, 
15, 17  
and 21

Emmanuel Babeau

–

–

94,646

14,884

18,460

1,109

under plans 19a and b and  
20a and b (available  
February 18, 2020  
for 7,750 shares), and  
25 (March 31, 2021,  

7,134 shares)

under plans 
26, 28, 29; 
30, 31, 32, 
33

under plans 
21 and 22

*  There were no stock options granted to corporate officers in such capacity which remained outstanding as at December 31, 2018.

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6. Shares and stock option plans

Shares held by directors other than corporate officers
Directors not employed in Schneider Electric operations do not benefit from shares and stock options plans.

Léo Apotheker
Cécile Cabanis
Fred Kindle
Willy Kissling
Linda Knoll
Xiaoyun Ma*
Patrick Montier*
Fleur Pellerin
Anders Runevad
Greg Spierkel
Lip-Bu Tan

*  Directors employed in Schneider Electric operations.

6.1 Past stock option plans*

Plan

Plan date

Number of 
beneficiaries
at grant

Number of 
options  
at grant

Exercise 
price (in 
euros)

Shares acquired as 
performance shares

Other shares including 
through FCPE Funds

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
10,580
–
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

3,093
1,000
40,000
1,600
1,000
789
4,124
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000

Performance criteria

% of targets 
reached

Options 
canceled by 
performance 
criteria

Options 
outstanding  
as at  

Dec. 31, 2019(1)

50% of options/100% for the  
management board – 2011 operating 
margin(2) and 2009 to 2011 EPS  

31

Jan. 5, 2009

328 1,358,000

22.99

compared to a benchmark selection(3)

80

133,760

33 Dec. 21, 2009

391 1,652,686

33.48

3,010,686

50% of options/100% for the  
management board – 2010 and 2011 
operating margin(2) and 2011 share of 
revenue generated in the new economies

100

–

133,760

0

0

0

*  The data above are adjusted of the 2-for-1 share split, effective September 2, 2011 and the adjustment for dividends paid out of distributable earnings from 2014 to 2018 

included.

(1)  Number of options remaining to be exercised after deduction of all cancellations and exercises since plan implementation.
(2)  Excluding restructuring costs.
(3)  On the basis of a pre-defined and fixed list of 11 competitors.

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6.2 Details on outstanding options (2019)*

Plan

31
33

Plan date

Type of plan(1)

Expiration date

(in euros)(2)

Dec. 31, 2018

Exercise price  

Plans as at  

Jan. 5, 2009
Dec. 21, 2009

Jan. 4, 2019
S
S Dec. 20, 2019

22.99
33.48

19,566
210,356

229,922

Number of 
options 
exercised 
during the 
financial year

(17,701)
(196,767)

Number of 
options 
canceled  
during the 
financial year

1,865
6,962

214,468

15,454

Of which 
Corporate 
Officers

0
0

0

Options 
outstanding as 
at Dec. 31, 2019

0
0

0

*  The data above are adjusted for the 2-for-1 share split, effective September 2, 2011 and for the adjustment for dividends paid in distributable earnings from 2014 to 2018 

included.

(1)  S = Subscription stock option plan.
(2)  Average of the 20 quotations preceding the grant, with no discount or premium.

6.3 Situation of corporate officers, broken down by plan (at December 31, 2019) 

In 2019, there was no right left to exercise options for a beneficiary who was a corporate officer at the time of the grant. 

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

6. Shares and stock option plans

6.4 Past share plans (at December 31, 2019)* 

Plan number

Grant date

Nb. of shares at grant

of which
- JP Tricoire
- E Babeau

Vesting/delivery date

End of holding period

Performance conditions

% achievement performance condition

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2018

Nb rights granted in 2019

Nb shares delivered in 2019

Nb rights canceled(1) in 2019

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2019

Plan 19a and b

Plan 20a, b and c

Plan 21

Feb. 18, 2015

Feb. 18, 2015

Mar. 27, 2015

14,025 

11,700 
2,325

Feb. 18, 2017 
Feb. 18, 2018

Feb. 19, 2020 
Feb. 20, 2020

32,725 

27,300 
5,425

Feb. 18, 2017 
Feb. 18, 2018 
Feb. 18, 2019

Feb. 18, 2020 
Feb. 19, 2020 
Feb. 20, 2020

No performance 
condition

No performance 
condition

– 

9,300 

(9,300) 

– 

– 

– 

719,970 

18,000 
7,800

Mar. 27, 2017

Mar. 27, 2019

50% of the shares/ 
100% for the executive 
officers and Executive 
Committee – 2015 and 
2016 operating 
margin(1), average 
ROCE for the years 
2015 and 2016 and 
change in the Planet &  
Society barometer at 
the end of 2016

71%

– 

– 

– 

*  Performance conditions were validated on February 19, 2020 Board meeting post December 31, 2019, see page 271.
(1)  Excluding restructuring costs.

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Plan 21bis

Oct. 28, 2015

1,500 

– 
–

Plan 22

Mar. 27, 2015

2,095,610 

42,000 
18,200 

Plan 22bis

Oct. 28, 2015

32,650 

–
–

Plan 22ter

Oct. 28, 2015

24,570 

–
–

Plan 23

Mar. 23, 2016

7,983 

–
–

Oct. 28, 2017

Mar. 27, 2019

Oct. 28, 2019

Oct. 28, 2019

Mar. 23, 2018

Oct. 30, 2019

Mar. 23, 2020

Same as Plan 21

Same as Plan 21

Same as Plan 21

71%

– 

– 

71%

1,408,618 

(1,377,178) 

(31,440) 

– 

71%

19,797 

(17,402) 

(2,395) 

– 

No performance  

No performance  

condition

– 

24,570 

(24,570) 

– 

condition

– 

– 

– 

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

6. Shares and stock option plans

6.4 Past share plans (at December 31, 2019)* (continued)

Plan number

Grant date

Nb. of shares at grant

of which
- JP Tricoire
- E Babeau

Vesting/delivery date

End of holding period

Plan 24

Plan 25

Plan 26

Mar. 23, 2016

Mar. 23, 2016

Mar. 23, 2016

27,042 

744,540 

2,291,200 

–
–

Mar. 23, 2020

Mar. 23, 2020

18,000 
7,800 

Mar. 30, 2019

Mar. 31, 2021

42,000 
18,200 

Mar. 23, 2020

N/A

50% of the shares/ 
100% for the  
executive officers and 
Executive Committee 
– 2016, 2017, 2018 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate, 
2016, 2017, 2018  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking  
and Planet & Society 
barometer index at  
the end of 2018 

91%

714,140 

(670,841) 

(43,299) 

– 

Same as Plan 25

91%

1,962,900 

(2,011) 

(200,607) 

1,760,282 

Performance conditions

% achievement performance condition

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2018

Nb rights granted in 2019

Nb shares delivered in 2019

Nb rights cancelled(1) in 2019

No performance 
condition

– 

27,042 

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2019

27,042 

*  Performance conditions were validated on February 19, 2020 Board meeting post December 31, 2019, see page 271.
(1)  Excluding restructuring costs.

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Plan 27

Plan 28

Oct. 26, 2016

Mar. 24, 2017

35,700 

– 
– 

25,800 

18,000 
7,800 

Plan 29

Mar. 24, 2017

2,405,220 

42,000 
18,200 

Plan 29bis

Oct. 25, 2017

32,400 

– 
– 

Plan 30

Mar. 26, 2018

25,800 

18,000 
7,800 

Oct. 26, 2019

N/A

Mar. 24, 2020

Mar. 23, 2021

Mar. 24, 2020

Oct. 25, 2020

N/A

N/A

Mar. 26, 2021

Mar. 26, 2022

100% for the  
executive officers and  
Executive Committee –  
2017, 2018, 2019  
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2017, 2018, 2019  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking at 
end of 2019, and 2017, 
2018, 2019 Planet & 
Society barometer  
index average 
achievement rate 

70% of the shares/ 
100% for the  
executive officers and  
Executive Committee 
– 2017, 2018, 2019 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2017, 2018, 2019  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking at 
end of 2019, and 2017, 
2018, 2019 Planet & 
Society barometer  
index average 
achievement rate

* 

25,800 

25,800 

* 

2,259,170 

(1,700) 

(102,600) 

2,154,870 

70% of the shares –  
2016, 2017, 2018  
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2016, 2017, 2018  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking 
and Planet & Society 
barometer index at the 
end of 2018 

91%

33,700 

(31,132) 

(2,568) 

– 

70% of the shares,  
2017, 2018, 2019  
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2017, 2018, 2019  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking  
at end of 2019,  
and 2017, 2018,  
2019 Planet & Society 
barometer index average 
achievement rate

100% for the  
executive officers and  
Executive Committee 
– 2018, 2019, 2020 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2018, 2019, 2020  
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking at 
the end of 2020, and  
2018, 2019, 2020 
Sustainability Impact 
barometer average 
achievement rate

* 

31,800 

25,800 

31,800 

25,800 

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

6. Shares and stock option plans

6.4 Past share plans (at December 31, 2019)* (continued)

Plan number

Grant date

Nb. of shares at grant

of which
- JP Tricoire
- E Babeau

Vesting/delivery date

End of holding period

Performance conditions

% achievement performance condition

Plan 31

Plan 31bis

Plan 32

Mar. 26, 2018

Oct. 24, 2018

Mar. 26, 2019

2,318,140 

28,000 

42,000 
18,200 

– 
– 

25,800 

18,000 
7,800 

Mar. 26, 2021

Oct. 25, 2021

N/A

N/A

Mar. 28, 2022

Mar. 28, 2023

70% of the shares/ 
100% for the  
executive officers and 
Executive Committee 
– 2018, 2019, 2020 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2018, 2019, 2020 
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking 
at the end of 2020, and 
2018, 2019, 2020 
Sustainability Impact 
barometer average 
achievement rate

70% of the shares,  
2018, 2019, 2020 
Adjusted EBITA 
average achievement 
rate, 2018, 2019, 2020 
Cash conversion  
rate average, TSR 
ranking at the end  
of 2020, and 2018,  
2019, 2020 Schneider 
Sustainability  
Impact barometer  
index average 
achievement rate

100% for the  
executive officers and 
Executive Committee 
– 2019, 2020, 2021 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2019, 2020, 2021 
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking 
at the end of 2021, and 
2019, 2020, 2021 
Sustainability Impact 
barometer average 
achievement rate

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2018

2,284,940 

28,000 

Nb rights granted in 2019

Nb shares delivered in 2019

Nb rights canceled(1) in 2019

Nb rights outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2019

(1,720) 

(88,230) 

2,194,990 

25,800 

28,000 

25,800 

*  Performance conditions were validated on February 19, 2020 Board meeting post December 31, 2019, see page 271.
(1)  Excluding restructuring costs.

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Plan 33

Mar. 26, 2019

2,313,650 

42,000 
18,200 

Plan 34

Jul. 24, 2019

87,110 

– 
– 

Plan 35

Oct. 23, 2019

Total

17,450 

13,306,885 

– 
– 

339,000 
137,750 

Mar. 28, 2022

Jul. 25, 2022

Oct. 24, 2022

N/A

N/A

N/A

70% of the shares/ 
100% for the  
executive officers and 
Executive Committee – 
2019, 2020, 2021 
Adjusted EBITA average 
achievement rate,  
2019, 2020, 2021 
Cash conversion rate 
average, TSR ranking at 
the end of 2021, and  
2019, 2020, 2021 
Sustainability Impact 
barometer average 
achievement rate

70% of the shares,  
2020, 2021 
Adjusted EPS 
improvement average 
achievement rate, TSR 
ranking at the end of 
2021 vs bespoke peer 
group and CAC 40, and 
2019, 2020, 2021 
Schneider Sustainability 
External & Relative  
Index (SSERI) average 
achievement rate

70% of the shares,  
2020, 2021 
Adjusted EPS 
improvement average 
achievement rate, TSR 
ranking at the end of 
2021 vs bespoke peer 
group and CAC 40, and 
2019, 2020, 2021 
Schneider Sustainability 
External & Relative  
Index (SSERI) average 
achievement rate

2,313,650 

(23,070) 

2,290,580 

87,110 

(790) 

86,320 

17,450 

17,450 

8,855,577 

2,444,010 

(2,135,854) 

(494,999) 

8,668,734 

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

6. Shares and stock option plans

6.5 Options granted and exercised and stock grants made to the top 10 employee grantees during the year

The data below are adjusted for the 2-for-1 share split, effective September 2, 2011.

Stock options or share purchase options granted or exercised by the 10 highest beneficiaries among employees  
(excluding corporate officers)

Options exercised in 2019 for which the number of shares bought or subscribed is the highest

On December 31, 2019, there was no more right outstanding.

Shares granted to the 10 most highly paid employees (excluding corporate officers)

Exercise price/ 
Average weighted 
price

EUR32,13

Number

85,803

Plan

31-33

2019 Performance share grant (annual share grant of March 24, 2019)

Number

211,500

Plan

33

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7. Stock market data

7. Stock market data

In France, Schneider Electric is listed on Euronext Paris (sub-fund A), where it is traded on a per-share basis under ISIN code FR0000121972. 
Schneider Electric SE shares are included on the CAC 40 index established by Euronext.

18-month trading data in Paris

Year

2018

2019

2020

Number of 
securities traded 
(in thousands 
of shares)

Value 
(in millions  
of euros)

34,385
32,875
37,194
45,264
34,897
32,730

33,398
31,239
31,546
28,930
28,599
26,704
27,330
28,708
26,767
31,268
23,229
25,823

2,399
2,262
2,543
2,835
2,227
2,002

1,995
2,065
2,189
2,148
2,072
2,034
2,136
2,116
2,113
2,526
2,022
2,334

343,541
25,795

25,750
2,388

Month

July
August
September
October
November
December

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Total 2019
January

High(1)

72.16
71.58
70.62
69.58
66.06
67.00

62.80
70.22
71.50
78.66
74.96
79.96
81.36
78.74
82.20
85.46
88.92
94.58

94.58
95.02

Low(1)

67.08
66.54
64.02
57.66
61.92
57.54

57.58
61.78
67.14
70.46
69.80
70.14
75.78
70.78
74.24
74.50
83.28
85.66

57.58
90.10

Number 
of trading 
sessions

22
23
20
23
22
19

22
20
21
20
22
20
23
22
21
23
21
20

255
22

(1)  The data corresponds to trading volumes on NYSE Euronext.

Five-year trading summary

in million of euros

Average daily trading volume on the Paris stock  
exchanges (NYSE Euronext):
•  Number of shares (in thousands)
• 
High and low share prices (in euros)
•  high
• 
low
Year-end closing price (in euros)
Yield (%)

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

1,347.22
100.98

1,608.40
110.98

1,317.91
91.37

1,689.00
94.56

2,107.54
130.16

94.58
57.58
91.50
2.79

78.56
57.54
59.72
3.94

75.94
63.36
70.86
3.10

66.63
45.32
66.11
3.09

75.29
48.57
52.56
3.81

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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND ITS CAPITAL

7. Stock market data

The Schneider Electric SE share results versus the CAC 40 index (rebased) over five years

Schneider Electric SE

CAC 40

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Jan 2015

Jan 2016

Jan 2017

Jan 2018

Jan 2019

Dec 2019 

MONEP
Schneider Electric SE shares have been traded on the MONEP market since December 20, 1996.

7.1 Ordinary bonds

The information is disclosed in Note 9 of the Company financial statements (page 378).

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8. Investor relations

8. Investor relations

8.1 Person responsible for financial information

Emmanuel Babeau
Deputy CEO, in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs
35, rue Joseph Monier – CS30323
92506 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex - France
Tel: +33 (0)1 41 29 71 19

8.2 Contacts

Any information or document may be requested from:
Amit Bhalla – Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations
For institutional investors and financial analysts: Tel: +44 (0)207 592 8747
For individual investors:

toll-free number in France: 0800 20 55 14 / +33 (0)1 41 39 32 44

• 
•  email: actionnaires@se.com

8.3 Shareholders’ Advisory Committee

The  committee  is  the  voice  of  Schneider  Electric’s  individual  shareholders.  The  committee  consists  of  eight  to  ten  independent  volunteers 
appointed by Schneider Electric.

The Advisory Committee meets three to four times a year to discuss various topics with a strong emphasis on the Company’s strategy towards 
individual  shareholders  (enhancing  communication  material  and  defining  dedicated  events).  The  committee  also  plays  a  role  in  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting as one of its members opens the Q&A session with the Chairman and CEO.

Shareholder documents
The Company provides the following documents to its shareholders:

the annual report;
the integrated report;

• 
• 
•  newsletters to shareholders;
• 

information  on  financial  results,  corporate  governance  and  strategic  updates  through  specific  press  releases,  videos  and  presentations 
available in a dedicated section on the corporate website: www.se.com/finance

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In this section

1.  Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary and 

Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting 

1.1  Ordinary meeting 

1.2  Extraordinary Meeting 

2.  Report of the Vice-Chairman independent lead 

director of the board of directors 

3.  Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal 
regulations of the board and charter of the  
Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

416

416

420

422

424

3.1  Internal regulations of the board of directors of Schneider Electric SE  424

3.2  Charter of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

432

4.  Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements  433

4.1  Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

433

4.2  Statutory auditors’ report on the issuance of shares or securities giving 

access to capital reserved for members of a Company Savings Plan  436

4.3  Statutory Auditors’ report on the issuance of shares  
or securities reserved for a category of beneficiaries 

5.  Draft resolutions 

437

438

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Shareholders’ Meeting 8

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

1. Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting

1. Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary and 
Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting

1.1 Ordinary meeting

Approval of corporate financial statements – First resolution
We request that you approve the transactions and financial statements for the year 2019, as presented, which show a net profit of EUR57,108,197.35.

Approval of consolidated financial statements – Second resolution
We request that you approve the transactions and consolidated financial statements for the year 2019, as presented, which show a net income 
for  the  Group  of  EUR2,413  million  and  an  adjusted  net  income,  which  includes  the  adjusted  EBITA,  Price  Purchase  Allocation  Amortization 
(excluding impairment), net financial income and loss, income tax expense on these elements at the effective tax rate discontinued operations 
net income, share of profit and loss of associates and impact of noncontrolling interests, of EUR2,933 million.

Distribution: appropriation of profit and setting of a dividend of EUR2.55 per share – Third resolution
We also recommend a distribution of EUR2.55 per EUR4 par nominal value share, which represents a distribution rate of 50.6% of the Group’s 
net adjusted income. It will be paid on May 7, 2020 on the 582,068,555 shares with dividend rights on January 1, 2020 that made up the capital 
on December 31, 2019. No dividend will be paid on shares held in treasury by the Company on the payment date.

This distribution will be paid out of distributable earnings consisting of:

(i) 
(ii) 

retained earnings of EUR3,246,040,431.39;
the net profit for the year amounting to EUR57,108,197.35; 

Amounting to EUR3,303,148,628.74.

The total distribution will amount to EUR1,484,274,815.25 and the remaining profit available for distribution will be allocated to profit earnings. The 
distribution will be paid on May 7, 2020, according to the following schedule:

Dividend ex-date
Record date
Dividend payment date

Tuesday, May 05, 2020
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Thursday, May 07, 2020

For individual shareholders resident for tax purposes in France, the distribution of EUR2.55 per share constitutes distributed income. As such, a 
social security tax of 17.2% will be charged on the gross amount when paid. The gross amount of French-source dividends received by resident 
individuals will also be subject to a mandatory non-definitive withholding tax of 12.8%.

Nevertheless, individuals belonging to a tax household whose taxable income for the penultimate year is less than EUR50,000 with the status of 
single, divorced or widowed taxpayer, and EUR75,000 for couples who file a joint tax return, can request exemption from this withholding tax. To 
this  end,  under  their  responsibility,  they  should  submit  their  application  for  exemption  to  the  paying  entity,  in  the  form  of  a  sworn  statement 
indicating that their reference taxable income listed on their tax form established under income for the penultimate year preceding the payment 
of the income, shows income lower than the thresholds indicated above. This application must be filed no later than November 30 of the year 
preceding that of the payment.

In 2021, dividends will in principle be subject to a flat tax (“Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique” – “PFU”) at the rate of 12.8%. However, taxpayers may 
opt for dividends to be subject to income tax at ordinary progressive rates. In such case, after applying a 40% (uncapped) allowance, only 60% 
of  the  dividends  will  be  included  in  the  taxable  income,  less  any  deductible  charges  and  expenses.  The  option  for  taxation  at  the  ordinary 
progressive tax rates is irrevocable and applies to all investment income received by the taxpayer. It is made in the income tax return filed every 
year following the one when the dividends are received.

The above-mentioned levy at source of 12.8% will be offset against the income tax that will be due in 2021 for income earned in 2020. If it exceeds 
the income tax due, the surplus will be paid back.

Shareholders are invited to contact their usual advisors for further information about the applicable tax regime.

Dividends/coupons paid by Schneider Electric SE in respect of the three most recent financial years are as follows:

Net dividend paid per share 
in EUR

2016

2.04

2017

2.20

2018

2.35

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Regulated agreements entered into under the article L.225-38 of the French Commercial Code – Fourth and fifth resolutions
We request that you approve and take note of regulated agreements described in the Statutory Auditors’ special report prepared in accordance 
with Article L.225-40 of the French Commercial Code.

Under the fourth resolution regarding the implementation during the financial year of agreements already approved by the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting, we request that you take note of the Statutory Auditors’ special report on regulated agreements prepared in accordance with Article 
L.225-40 of the French Commercial Code. As a reminder, the regulated commitments concerning the status of Messrs. Jean-Pascal Tricoire and 
Emmanuel Babeau approved at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 24 April 2018 and applicable until the approbation of a new compensation 
policy which, if approved, will supersede them, shall no longer be mentioned in this report. As a result, no regulated agreement executed in the 
previous years had to be communicated to the statutory auditors.

Under the fifth resolution, we request that you approve, under the condition precedent of the approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 
the tenth resolution, the specific agreement setting the terms and conditions of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s 
departure, effective from 30 April 2020. These specific modalities supersede the elements of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s status last approved on 
24  April  2018  and  are  reported  in  the  compensation  policy  specifically  applicable  to  the  Deputy  CEO  Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau  for  2020  and 
submitted to your approval under the tenth resolution. Under this agreement, the board of Schneider Electric aimed at protecting the Group’s 
interests by strengthening the non-compete obligations applicable to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau after his departure, by (i) extending its term to two 
years instead of one and by (ii) extending the non-compete scope to technology and engineering companies. The non-compete commitment 
expressly prohibits Mr. Emmanuel Babeau from performing executive or non-executive functions in these companies. In addition, this fresh non-
compete commitment would be supplemented by specific restrictive covenants applicable to the departing corporate officer for two years after 
his  effective  departure,  namely  (i)  non-solicitation,  (ii)  non-disparagement,  (iii)  confidentiality  and  (iv)  cooperation  in  the  context  of  legal  or 
administrative proceedings involving the Company. 

As a result, Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, whose contribution to the solid performance of the Group was acknowledged by the board of directors, 
waives the non-compete compensation to be paid at 60% of his annual fixed and target variable parts, including complementary payments for 
retirement, that he would have been entitled to in pursuance of the current agreements. The board of directors, by way of derogation, allows 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau to retain the benefit of the performance shares granted to him in 2018 and 2019, in proportion of the time of his presence 
over the acquisition period of these plans, i.e. 18,056 shares granted on 26 March 2018 and 9,389 shares granted on 26 March 2019. The final 
number of shares eventually acquired by Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will be determined at the end of the vesting period of each plan, depending upon 
the achievement level of the performance conditions of the plan as well as the continuous compliance with of the above-mentioned commitments 
by  Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau.  The  board  of  directors  noted  that  the  equivalent  value  of  these  shares  does  not  exceed  twice  the  average  of 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s effective annual compensation (fixed and target variable parts) of the past three years, to the exclusion of complementary 
payments for pension building.

You  will  find  all  details  on  this  regulated  agreement  in  the  compensation  policy  applicable  to  Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau  with  respect  to  2020,  
pages 297-298.

Should  the  fifth  or  the  tenth  resolution  be  rejected,  (i)  the  non-compete  commitment  approved  by  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  of  
24 April 2018 shall apply and (ii) Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will be entitled to the components of the compensation previously authorized by the board 
of directors and approved by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 25 April 2019, i.e.:

•  his annual fixed compensation until the termination date of his term of office as Deputy CEO of the Company, based on an annual amount of 

EUR 680,000;

•  his annual variable compensation with respect to the financial year 2020, calculated  prorata temporis and paid in 2021 subject to (i) the 
achievement rates of the performance conditions as set by the board of directors at the beginning of 2021 and (ii) the approval by the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of 2021 convened to approve the 2020 financial statements, of the fixed, variable and exceptional components of 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s total compensation and benefits of all types paid to him during the 2020 financial year or awarded in respect of the 
said financial year;
the complementary payments for pension building (cash benefit) comprised of fixed and variable components, calculated prorata temporis 
until the date of termination of his term of office as Deputy CEO, being specified that the payment of the variable part will be subject to (i) the 
achievement rates of the performance conditions as set by the board of directors at the beginning of 2021 and (ii) the approval by the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of 2021 convened to approve the 2020 financial statements, of the fixed, variable and exceptional components of 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s total compensation and benefits of all types paid to him during the 2020 financial year or awarded in respect of the 
said financial year; and

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•  an allowance equal to 60% of his average compensation during the last twelve months of presence (fixed and target variable parts, including 

complementary payments for pension building), paid on monthly instalments during one year.

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would however lose the benefit of the performance shares granted to him in 2018 and 2019.

It is specified that in any event, Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will not be entitled to any Involuntary Severance Pay as his departure does not qualify as 
a constraint departure.

Approval of the compensation report in relation to the last financial year – Sixth resolution
In pursuance of Article L. 225-100 II of the French Commercial Code, you are requested to approve the information listed in Article L. 225-37-3 I 
of the French Commercial Code as enacted by the Bill of 27 November 2019 relating to corporate officers’ compensation in listed companies and 
that are presented to you in the corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code. You will find all this 
information set out in detail in section 4.7 of the Universal Registration Document dedicated to the Senior Management compensation.

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8Strategic ReportCorporate  Governance ReportFinancial StatementsShareholder InformationANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

1. Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting 

Approval of the components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 2019 financial year or awarded in 
respect of the said financial year to Messrs. Jean-Pascal Tricoire and Emmanuel Babeau –Seventh and eighth resolutions
In pursuance of Article L.225-100 III of the French Commercial Code as amended by the Bill of 27 November 2019 relating to corporate officers’ 
compensation in listed companies, you are requested to approve fixed, variable and exceptional components of the total compensation and 
benefits of all types paid during the last financial year or awarded in respect of the said year, to the Chairman and CEO on the one side and to 
the Deputy-CEO on the other side.

These components are detailed in section 4.7 of the Universal Registration Document dedicated to the Senior Management compensation which 
is part of the corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code. They have been paid or awarded in 
accordance with the principles and criteria approved by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 24 April 2018 or by the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting of 25 April 2019, as applicable.

For  easy  reference,  you  will  find  in  section  4.7  a  reminder  of  the  principles  and  criteria  governing  the  allocation  of  the  corporate  officers’ 
compensation that you previously approved and pursuant to which the compensation and benefits of all types paid out in 2019 or awarded in 
respect of 2019 to the Chairman and CEO, Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, and to the Deputy CEO, Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, were calculated and set by 
the board of directors at its meeting of February 19, 2020.

The achievement rates of the performance conditions are presented and commented therein.

A reminder is also given that cash variable components (annual incentive and complementary variable portion for building pensions) will only be 
paid out, subject to approval of the compensation of the concerned corporate officer by a majority of the shareholders.

By  the  seventh  resolution  you  are  requested  to  approve  the  elements  of  Mr.  Jean-Pascal  Tricoire’s  2019  compensation  and  by  the eighth 
resolution, those of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau.

Approval of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s compensation policy – ninth resolution
In pursuance of Article L. 225-37-2 II of the French Commercial Code as amended by the Bill of 27 November 2019 relating to corporate officers’ 
compensation in listed companies, you are invited to approve the compensation policy of the Chairman and CEO. This policy as well as the 
manner in which it serves the corporate interest, contributes to the perennity of the company and fits its commercial strategy, are presented in 
section 4.7 of the Universal Registration Document. This section, dedicated to the Senior Management compensation, is part of the corporate 
governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code.

The  scope  of  the  approval  covers  all  components  of  remuneration  in  cash,  fixed  and  variable,  benefits  of  all  types,  including  the  long-term 
incentive  in  the  form  of  performance  shares,  fringe  benefits,  pension  cash  allowances,  as  well  as  indemnities  or  other  benefits  payable  or 
potentially due as a consequence of the departure of the corporate officer or after such departure.

Based  on  the  principles  and  criteria  for  determining,  allocating  and  granting  the  components  of  the  compensation  and  benefits  of  all  types 
awarded to the Chairman and CEO for 2019 approved by the shareholders at the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting with more than 85 % 
support, the board of directors decided on February 19, 2020, based on the works and recommendations of the Governance and remunerations 
committee, which as a reminder is composed of 80% of independent members as per AFEP/MEDEF Code: 

• 

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• 

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to continue to apply in 2020 the fundamental pillars which command the principles governing the compensation of the corporate officers. 
These pillars are: pay-for-performance, alignment with shareholders’ interests, and competitiveness. The structure of the corporate officers’ 
compensation results from these pillars, notably the overweight of variable components (75 to 80% of the total target compensation) and the 
proportion of approximately 50% of the target compensation granted in the form of performance shares;
to maintain the base salary of Mr. Tricoire in his capacity as Chairman and CEO at the level set and approved for 2019;
to maintain the maximum payable Annual Incentive in proportion of the base salary at 260%, with no change;
to keep as it is the structure of the Annual Cash Incentive, as simplified in 2019: its amount now depends exclusively on Group criteria (to the 
exclusion of individual criteria) that are measurable and communicated to the market. 80% are Financial (namely: Adj. EBITA margin (organic) 
improvement, Group Cash Conversion rate, Group Organic Sales Growth), and 20% reflect the Group’s performance in the field of sustainability 
as measured by the Schneider Sustainability Impact;
to use the new authorization given to the board of directors at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 25 April 2019 (21st resolution), to make 
grants of performance shares to employees and corporate officers of the Company based on a new acquisition scale which depends upon 
the Group’s performance measured in terms of Adjusted EPS improvement (40%), Relative TSR (35%) and relative sustainability performance 
measured through the Schneider Sustainability External and Relative Index (25%);
to keep as it is the maximum number of performance shares granted to the Chairman and CEO Mr. Tricoire;
to  maintain  the  rule  according  to  which  no  compensation  which  is  not  provided  by  the  compensation  policy  already  approved  by  the 
shareholders be paid to corporate officers;
to detail the circumstances under which the payment of an involuntary severance pay and/or non-compete indemnity may be due, specifying 
that only a resignation requested by the company may qualify as a constraint departure, and to remove the complementary payments for 
pension building from the reference compensation used to determine the quantum of these indemnities, if any.

In accordance with applicable law, the payment of any variable or exceptional cash component in relation to the exercise of his office in 2020 will 
be subject to your approval at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting following year-end 2020.

Under the ninth resolution you are requested to approve this policy which now only applies to the Chairman and CEO.

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Approval of the compensation policy and of the components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 2020 
financial year or awarded in respect of the said financial year to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mr. Emmanuel Babeau – Tenth 
resolution
Under this tenth resolution, you are requested to approve the new compensation policy applicable to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau in 2020, which 
reflects the terms and conditions of the regulated agreement submitted to your approval under the fifth resolution, and to approve the amount 
and the payment of the sums that are mentioned therein, namely, the fixed compensation (base salary), the annual incentive at target and the 
fixed and variable complementary payments for pension building, calculated prorata temporis for 2020 till Mr. Emmanuel Babeau’s effective 
departure on 30 April 2020. The respective annual amounts of these elements are unchanged from 2019 policy and their calculation detailed in 
the corporate governance report, pages 290-291 of the Universal Registration Document for 2019. 

Approval of the board members’ compensation policy – Eleventh resolution
In pursuance of Article L.225-37-2 II of the French Commercial Code as amended by the Bill of 27 November 2019 referred to herein above, we 
request you to approve the compensation policy of the members of the board of directors, which means, firstly, the maximum amount that is 
proposed to be allocated to the board members annually and secondly, the allocation rules of this amount. Both the maximum annual amount 
and  the  allocation  rules  are  proposed  to  remain  unchanged  in  2020.  These  elements  are  presented  in  detail  in  section  4.7  of  the  Universal 
Registration Document, which forms part of the corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code.

Composition of the board of directors – Twelfth to sixteenth resolutions
We remind you that the terms of office of Mr. Léo Apotheker, Ms. Cécile Cabanis, Mr. Fred Kindle and Mr. Willy Kissling are due to expire after the 
2020 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. The board of directors has unanimously decided, upon recommendation of its Governance and remunerations 
committee, to propose:

• 
• 

the renewals of Mr. Léo Apotheker, Ms. Cécile Cabanis, Mr. Fred Kindle and Mr. Willy Kissling; and
the appointment of Ms. Jill Lee.

These recommendations are in line with the board continuity planning that implies changing some of its members at regular intervals and serves 
the objective of attaining a balanced representation between women and men on the board. They also aim at ensuring diversity in terms of 
geographies, generations and competences in the best manner to address the challenges and strategic orientations of the Group, while keeping 
the current strong competences of the board and a reasonable size.

Ms. Jill Lee joined Schneider Electric SE’s board of directors as a non-voting member on January 1st, 2020. Ms. Jill Lee, 56 years old, a Singaporean 
citizen, has been serving as the Group Chief Financial Officer of Sulzer Ltd. since April 2018. Ms. Lee began her career in finance in 1986 at AT&T 
and Tyco Electronics in Singapore. She pursued her career within Siemens and then ABB, mainly in China and Europe. In addition to strong 
financial skills, Ms. Lee brings to the board her thorough knowledge of Schneider Electric’s activities and an expert understanding of the Asian 
markets. Ms. Lee is an advisory board member of Nanyang Business School (Nanyang Technological University) in Singapore and a member of 
the supervisory board of the Dutch leading lighting company Signify Ltd. (formerly Philips Lighting).

Ms. Jill Lee will qualify as an independent director with regard to all the criteria set by Article 9.5 of the AFEP/MEDEF corporate governance Code 
and will join the Audit and risks committee.

Mr. Léo Apotheker, Ms. Cécile Cabanis, Mr. Fred Kindle and Mr. Willy Kissling’s biographies and their terms of office are provided on pages 428 
to 430.

Messrs. Léo Apotheker and Willy Kissling, beyond their thorough knowledge of the Group and their respective expertises, contribute to the 
balanced composition of the board of directors.

Ms. Cécile Cabanis executive and non executive functions within Danone group are not impediments, in terms of availability, to the performance 
of her term of office as a director of Schneider Electric SE, as evidenced by her individual attendance average rate at the board of directors’ 
meetings over 2018 and 2019 reaching 93% corresponding to only one absence over two years, i.e. the day of Danone’s Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting.

Ms. Cécile Cabanis and Mr. Fred Kindle are independent directors under AFEP/MEDEF corporate governance Code contrary to Mr. Willy Kissling 
due to his long tenure on the board. For the same reason, Mr. Léo Apotheker will no longer qualify as an independent director as from the 2020 
Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. In pursuance of Article 11.2 of the Articles of Association which provides that when an appointment is made of a 
director who will reach the age of 70 before the expiry of his/her term, its duration is limited to the period expiring at the close of the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting held in the year during which such director will reach the age of 70, Mr. Apotheker’s term of office shall be renewed for a 
three-year period only.

If you approve the proposals made in the twelfth to sixteenth resolutions, the board of directors will comprise 13 members, 42% of women 
(director representing employees excluded pursuant to the provisions of the French Commercial Code), 69% of foreign directors and 73% of 
independent directors (in accordance with AFEP/MEDEF corporate governance Code).

The board of directors considers that in addition to Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, to Ms. Xiaoyun Ma, representing employee shareholders, and to 
Mr. Patrick Montier, representing employees, Messrs. Léo Apotheker and Willy Kissling do not qualify as independent directors. At the date of the 
Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 2020, both will no longer qualify as independent directors due to their long years of service on the board. All of 
the other directors are independent.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

1. Report of the board of directors to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting 

Share buybacks – Seventeenth resolution
We request that you renew the authorization given to the Company by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019, to buy back its shares 
by  any  appropriate  method,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  Article  L.225-209  of  the  French  Commercial  Code  and  European  Regulation  (EU) 
no. 596/2014 of April 16, 2014 on market abuse (regulation concerning market abuse) which came into force on July 3, 2016.

The  Company  buyback  programs  may  have  various  objectives:  to  reduce  share  capital,  cover  allocation  on  performance  shares  plans  to 
employees or corporate officers, fulfill obligations related to convertible bonds, and engage in market making as part of a liquidity contract, as 
well as engage in external acquisitions, as may be permitted under the regulations in force.

Shares bought back may be cancelled under the authorization adopted by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 (twenty-fourth 
resolution).

We remind you that on February 14, 2019 Schneider Electric initiated a new EUR1.5bn to EUR2.0bn share buyback program over the period 
2019-2021. The program has been launched under the fifteenth resolution approved at the 2018 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and pursued 
under the fourteenth resolution approved at the 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. These buybacks were part of a policy to neutralize the 
dilution resulting from capital increases reserved for employees or from performance share plans and the exercise of options.

As  part  of  the  authorization  granted  at  the  Annual  Shareholders’  Meeting  on  April  25,  2019,  and  through  implementation  of  the  announced 
projects,  Schneider  Electric  proceeded  from  April  26,  2019  to  February  19,  2020  to  a  buyback  of  3.5  million  shares,  for  a  total  sum  of  
EUR266.3 million. Since the beginning of the program, February 14, 2019, the Company bought back 3.5 million shares for EUR266.3 million.

Further information on the Company’s share buyback programs can be found on page 397.

In the seventeenth resolution, you are requested to authorize the Company to buy back shares representing a maximum of 10% of the issued 
capital as of the date of the Shareholders’ Meeting (for reference purposes, based on the issued capital on December 31, 2019: 58,206,855 
shares). The maximum purchase price is brought up to EUR150. We remind you that this authorization may not be used during public offer 
periods.

1.2 Extraordinary Meeting

Amendments to the Articles of Association – Eighteenth and nineteenth resolutions
The  board  of  directors  recommends  you  to  amend  Article  11.4  of  the  Articles  of  Association  pursuant  to  Article  L.225-27-1  of  the  French 
Commercial Code modified by Law n°2019-486 of May 22, 2019 relating to companies’ growth and transformation, known as PACTE Law, which 
reduces the threshold for appointment of a second director representing employees from twelve to eight.

Besides and in line with the prescription of Article L.225-27-1, III, 4° of the French Commercial Code, the second director representing employees 
will be appointed by the European Works Council, employee representative body of the Company set up in pursuance of Article L.2352-16 of the 
French Labor Code, ensuring thereby a higher representativity of the Group employees within the board.

Finally, under the amendment to the Articles of Association proposed to you, without prejudice of the four-year duration of the term of office of 
directors  representing  employees,  provision  is  made  for  establishing  the  principle  based  on  which  when,  at  the  end  of  a  financial  year,  the 
Company no longer meets the prerequisites for the appointment of directors representing employees, the term of office of any director representing 
employees will cease at the close of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting ruling upon the accounts of the said financial year.

Such is the purpose of the eighteenth resolution.

Under the nineteenth resolution, we present four other amendments to the Articles of Association concerning Articles 13 and 16 to reflect the 
amended laws and correct a material error.

Capital increases reserved for employees with cancellation of preferential subscription rights of shareholders – Twentieth and 
twenty-first resolutions
Schneider Electric is convinced of the importance of developing the Company’s employee shareholder base and issues new shares to employees 
each year. As of December 31, 2019, employees held 3.7% of the capital.

We remind you that the twenty-second and the twenty-third resolutions of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 authorized the 
board of directors to issue shares reserved for employees participating in the Company Savings Plan within the limit of 2% of the share capital, 
and to issue shares reserved for employees of foreign Group companies or entities set up on their behalf, within the limit of 1% of the share capital.

As part of these authorizations, at its meetings of December 11, 2019, the board of directors decided to renew the annual employee shareholder 
plan in 2020, within a limit of 3.7 million shares (approximately 0.64% of the capital). This plan, which will not include a leveraged offer, will be 
offered in 40 countries representing more than 80% of the Group’s employees. The shares will be offered with a discount on the share price of 
15% to all subscribers and a maximum employer contribution of EUR1,400.

The  Company  carried  out  capital  increases  reserved  for  Group  employees  in  2019  (WESOP  2019).  These  transactions  are  presented  on  
page 399 of this Universal Registration Document.

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To allow for the implementation of a new global employee share ownership plan in 2021, you are requested to renew these authorizations under 
the same conditions.

Such is the purpose of the twentieth and twenty-first resolutions.

Under  the  twentieth  resolution,  you  are  requested  to  grant  the  board  of  directors  the  authority  to  carry  out  capital  increases  reserved  for 
employees  participating  in  the  Company  Savings  Plan  within  the  limit  of  2%  of  the  Company’s  capital,  with  the  provision  that  the  maximum 
discount at which the shares could be offered is set at 30%.

This authority requires shareholders to waive their preferential subscription right in favor of members of the Company Savings Plan. It is valid for 
a period of 26 months; the authority in force as voted by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 in its twenty-second resolution shall 
cease to be effective as from June 30, 2020.

The maximum nominal amount of capital increases carried out on the basis of the twentieth resolution will be deducted from the ceilings outlined 
in the fifteenth and seventeenth resolutions approved by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019.

Under  the  twenty-first  resolution,  we  request  that  you  renew  the  authorization  to  carry  out  capital  increases  reserved  for  employees  and 
corporate officers of non-French Group companies or to entities set up on their behalf. We remind you that the authorization will not exceed 1% 
of the capital. The issues to be carried out will be deducted from the ceiling of 2% of the capital set for the issuance of shares to employees who 
are members of the Company Savings Plan. At the discretion of the board of directors, the issue price will be based on either (i) the opening or 
closing price of the Company’s shares quoted on the trading day on which the decision of the board or its delegate setting the issue price is 
made, or (ii) the average of the opening or closing prices quoted for the Company’s shares over the 20 trading days preceding the decision of 
the board or its delegate setting the issue price under the twentieth resolution of this Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. A maximum discount of 30% 
may  be  applied  in  relation  to  the  benchmark  stock  price.  The  application  of  such  a  discount  will  be  assessed  by  the  board  of  directors  in 
consideration, in particular, of the legal, regulatory and tax regulations of the foreign legal system applicable to beneficiaries of the issue. Issues 
performed will be deducted from the ceiling of 2% provided for by the twentieth resolution.

This authorization is valid for a period of 18 months and may only be used on or after August 1, 2020. As from August 1, 2020, it shall supersede 
the existing authorization granted in the twenty-third resolution adopted by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019 for the amounts 
remaining unused at July 31, 2020.

Finally, under the twenty-second resolution we request that you grant us the powers necessary to carry out the formalities.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

2. Report of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director of the board of directors

2. Report of the Vice-Chairman independent lead 
director of the board of directors

Mr. Leo Apotheker hereby reports on the work he carried out in 2019 as part of his administrative functions as Vice-Chairman independent lead 
director.

At the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2016 where Mr. Leo Apotheker was re-elected as director, the board of directors appointed him 
as Vice-Chairman independent lead director for the term of his office, ie. till the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020. At the end of this 
meeting, Mr. Leo Apotheker will lose his independence status as per the AFEP-MEDEF Corporate Governance Code and will be replaced at the 
position of Vice-Chairman independent lead director by Mr. Fred Kindle, subject to the latter’s renewal of term (14th resolution).

1.  Powers of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director
The Vice-Chairman independent lead director is appointed by the board of directors in pursuance of article 12 of the Articles of Association, 
which provide for the appointment of a Vice-Chairman with the function of a Senior Independent Director if the roles of Chairman and CEO are 
combined.

In compliance with article 12 of the Articles of Association, the duties of the Vice- Chairman lead director are defined by the internal regulations 
of the board of directors. Those internal regulations and the charter for the Vice-Chairman independent lead director can be found on pages 424 
to 432 of this Universal Registration Document. They are also published on the Company’s website, www.se.com.

2.  Activities of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director

Information of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director
To be able to carry out his duties, the Vice-Chairman lead director must have excellent knowledge of the Group and be particularly well informed 
about its business performance.

As such, the Vice-Chairman is apprised of current events and the performance of the Group through weekly exchanges with the Chairman and 
CEO. He meets regularly all members of the Group Executive committee and pursues regular interactions with managers and other employees 
of the Group in various sites of Schneider Electric.

He  is  continuously  kept  informed  of  the  evolution  of  the  competitive  environment,  technological  breakthroughs  and  business  opportunities. 
Besides being the Chairman of the Governance and Remunerations Committee and a member of the Digital Committee, Mr. Leo Apotheker also 
takes part in the works of the Investment Committee, of which he is a standing invitee and which he will be called upon to chair after the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting of 23 April 2020.

Participation in the preparation of the meetings of the board
The Vice-Chairman lead director participated in the preparation for meetings of the board of directors. As a result, he has participated in all the 
“pre-Board” meetings. As a matter of fact, each meeting of the board of directors is preceded by two pre-Board meetings, in which the Chairman, 
the Vice-Chairman lead director, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and the Secretary of the board of directors review the topics and issues 
addressed by the committees, and establish the agenda prepared by the Chairman and the content of the meeting file. 

Executive sessions
The Vice-Chairman lead director chairs the executive sessions (i.e. the meetings where Board members meet without the presence of the two 
executive Corporate Officers), convened at the end of each Board meeting. The employee directors are invited to attend all executive sessions 
following meetings of the Board at which they are present.

The board of directors held three executive sessions in 2019 during which its members expressed their views and observations on, among 
others, the Group’s strategic options and the potential impact of the new legal requirements on governance. They also discussed the possible 
options regarding the executive corporate officers’ succession planning depending upon the mode of exercise of general management. The 
Vice-Chairman lead director reported the conclusions thereof to the Chairman.

Interaction with shareholders
The Vice-Chairman lead director is the designated contact for the shareholders on matters pertaining to corporate governance. He carried out 
two  shareholder  engagement  campaigns  in  2019:  one  before  the  shareholders’  meeting  to  present  to  those  who  so  wished,  the  resolutions 
submitted  to  the  shareholders’  approval  on  25  April  2019;  the  other  one,  in  the  fall  semester,  to  freely  exchange  views  on  topical  themes  of 
corporate governance that do not materialize in resolutions submitted to the shareholders’ approval and thus, are excluded from the usual dialog. 
On this occasion, the Vice-Chairman independent lead director, with the support of a Group expert on sustainable development, explained to the 
investors’ representatives the growing importance of social and environmental topics at the board of directors and their reflection in the corporate 
officers’ compensation.

Overall, these two campaigns comprised 28 face-to-face or phone meetings with analysts from a wide range of corporate governance cultures 
and  covered  around  40%  of  the  share  capital.  The  conclusions  of  these  discussions  have  been  reported  in  detail  to  the  Governance  and 
remunerations Committee and contributed to its on-going thought process on governance matters. Report thereon was subsequently made to 
the board.

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Other duties
The Vice-Chairman independent lead director conducted the annual deliberation of the board on its composition, organization and operations 
as well as those of its committees, with the assistance of the secretary of the board of directors. In 2019, this self-assessment was carried out 
through an anonymous on-line survey and included a 360° individual assessment of each member in his/her individual capacity, with individual 
feedback done by the Vice-Chairman independent lead director. The conclusions of this assessment, which highlighted the quest for continuous 
improvement, are presented on page 242 of this Universal Registration Document. In 2020, a formal self-assessment will be performed with the 
assistance of an independent and external expert.

The Vice-Chairman lead independent director has also had frequent contacts with each of the directors.

He ensured that there was no conflict of interest within the board of directors, which he would have been responsible for bringing to the attention 
of the Chairman.

Thanks
The  Vice-Chairman  lead  independent  director  sincerely  thanks  all  the  shareholders  who  accompanied  him  during  these  six  years  of  vice-
chairmanship, which he will remember as particularly dense and characterized by the fast-growing awareness that a robust governance like that 
of Schneider Electric is there to serve the company’s performance.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director

3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report:  
internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director

3.1 Internal regulations of the board of directors of Schneider Electric SE

Schneider Electric refers to the AFEP/MEDEF corporate governance code. 

The present internal regulations have been drawn up in application of Article 13.7 of the company’s articles of association.

These regulations were adopted by the board of directors on April 25, 2013 and last amended on December 11, 2019.

Article 1 – Method of exercising general management – chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the board of directors
A. Method of exercising general management
1.   General management of the company is under the responsibility of either the chairperson of the board of directors, who will then go by the 
title of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, or of another natural person appointed by the board of directors going by the title of Chief 
Executive Officer.

2.  The board of directors decides between these two methods of exercising general management at the time when the chairman of the board 
of directors or the chief executive officer is appointed or when renewing their terms of office. If the board of directors has decided to combine 
the functions of chairman and chief executive officer, it will deliberate on this choice every year. 

3. 

In order to maintain continuity in the company’s operation if the chairman serving as CEO leaves his role or is prevented from doing so, the 
deputy CEO(s) shall take the interim responsibility for general management functions in the company, unless otherwise decided by the 
board, until such time as a new CEO is appointed. The vice-chairman shall temporarily take the Chair of the board of directors.

B. Chairperson of the board of directors
1.  The board of directors shall elect a chairperson amongst its members (“chairman”). The chairman shall be appointed for a period that can 
be no longer than his/her term of office as a director. The chairman is eligible for re-election. He/she may be removed from office by the 
board of directors at any time.

2.  The chairman of the board of directors organizes and manages the board’s activities, and reports thereon at the annual general shareholders 

meeting.

3.  The chairman of the board of directors sets the agenda and the schedule for board meetings with assistance from the vice-chairman lead 

director.

4.  The chairman of the board of directors ensures that the different corporate bodies operate correctly and especially that the directors are in 
a position to fulfill their mission. The chairman may request any document or item of information useful to enlighten the board of directors 
when preparing its meetings.

C. Vice-chairman of the board of directors – lead independent director
1.  The board of directors may appoint a vice-chairman. The vice- chairman shall be appointed for a period that may not be any longer than his 
term of office as a director. The vice-chairman is eligible for re-election. The vice-chairman may be removed from office by the board of 
directors at any time. 

2.  The vice-chairman shall preside over board meetings in the absence of the chairman.

The vice-chairman shall be called upon to replace the chairman of the board of directors in the event of any temporary inability of the latter 
to fulfill his/her functions or in the event of death. In the event of the chairman’s inability to fulfill his/her functions, he/she will be replaced by 
the vice-chairman as long as his/her inability may last and, in the case of death, until the election of a new chairman. 

3. 

In exception to 1 above, and in compliance with Article 12.2 of the articles of association, the appointment of a vice-chairman is compulsory 
if the roles of chairman and CEO are combined. In this case, the vice-chairman also takes on the role of lead independent director. In this 
respect:

•  The  vice-chairman  is  kept  informed  of  major  events  in  Group  life  through  regular  contacts  and  monthly  meetings  with  the  chairman 

serving as CEO;

•  The vice-chairman is consulted by the chairman serving as CEO on the agenda and the sequence of events for every board meeting as 

well as on the schedule for board meetings;

•  At the end of every board meeting, the vice-chairman convenes executive sessions with non-executive members of the board of directors, 
over which he will preside. It is the vice-chairman’s responsibility to appreciate for each topic discussed whether the employee directors 
should leave the meeting till the topic is closed. In addition, the vice-chairman may convene an executive session between two board 
meetings. Any director may ask the vice-chairman to convene additional executive sessions;

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•  The vice-chairman shall promptly report to the chairman serving as CEO on the conclusions of executive sessions;
•  The vice-chairman shall draw the attention of the chairman and of the board of directors to any possible conflicts of interest that he may 

have identified or which may be reported to him;

•  The vice-chairman is the chairperson of the Governance and remuneration committee;
•  Like any other member of the board, the vice-chairman may attend any meetings of committees of which he is not a member;
• 
In order to complement his knowledge, the vice-chairman may meet the Group’s leading managers and visit company sites; 
•  The vice-chairman carries out annual assessments of the board of directors and, in this context, assesses the actual contribution of every 

member of the board to the board’s activities;

•  The vice-chairman shall report on his actions at annual general shareholders meetings;
•  The vice-chairman shall meet any shareholder who wishes so and inform the board of their concerns on governance matters. 

4.  The vice-chairman lead director must be an independent member of the board, as defined in accordance with the criteria published by the 

company.

Article 2 – Roles and powers of the board of directors
1.  The board of directors shall determine company business policies in accordance with its social interest and while considering its social and 
environmental aspects, and ensure that they are implemented. Subject to the powers expressly conferred to annual general shareholders 
meetings and within the limit of the corporate purpose, it shall deal with any issue affecting the company’s efficient operation and take 
business decisions within its remit. 

The board regularly reviews, in relation to the strategy it has defined, the opportunities and risks, such as financial, legal, operational, social 
and environmental risks, as well as the measures taken accordingly. To this end, the board of directors receives all of the information needed 
to carry out its task, notably from the executive corporate officers (Chief Executive Officer, deputy Chief Executive Officers).

The board ascertains the implementation of a process aimed at preventing and detecting corruption and influence peddling. It receives all 
of the information required for this purpose.

The board also checks that the executive corporate officers implement a policy of non-discrimination and diversity, notably with regard to 
the balanced representation of men and women on the governing bodies.

2. 

In accordance with legal or statutory provisions, it is the board of directors’ responsibility to:

•  Determine the method of exercising general management of the company;
•  Appoint executive corporate officers and also remove them from office as well as to set their remuneration and the benefits granted to them;
•  Co-opt directors whenever necessary;
•  Convene annual general shareholders meetings;
•  Approve corporate and consolidated accounts;
•  Draw up management reports and reports for annual general shareholders meetings; 
•  Draw up management planning documents and the corresponding reports;
•  Draw up the corporate governance report as provided for in Article L.225-37 of the French Commercial Code;
•  Decide on the use of the delegations of authority granted at annual general shareholders meetings, more particularly for increasing 

company capital, redeeming the company’s own shares, carrying out employee shareholding operations and cancelling shares;

•  Authorize the issue of bonds;
•  Decide  on  the  handing  out  of  options  or  restricted/performance  shares  within  the  limits  of  authorizations  given  at  annual  general 

shareholders meetings; 

•  Authorize statutory conventions (conventions covered by Article L.225-38 and following of the Commercial Code);
• 

Implement a process to regularly assess that the rules used to qualify a related party transaction as regulated agreement or not, are 
relevant and effective;

•  Authorize the issue of sureties, endorsements and guarantees;
•  Decide on the constitution of study committees and designate their members;
•  Decide on the dates for the payment of dividends and any possible down-payments on dividends; 
•  Distribute directors’ remuneration allocated at the annual general shareholders meeting amongst members of the board of directors.

   In compliance with the provisions set forth in the Commercial Code, the board of directors delegates all powers to the chairman serving as 

CEO (or the CEO if appropriate):

•  For issuing, with the possibility of sub-delegating, sureties, endorsements or guarantees within a maximum annual sum of 500 million 

euros, limited per surety, endorsement or guarantee to:

(i)  EUR150 million for commitment guarantees made by Group subsidiaries for Group financial optimization operations, 
(ii)  EUR250 million for commitment guarantees made by Group subsidiaries, for taking over the company’s commitments whenever 

acquisition operations are made on companies or business activities, 

(iii)  EUR100 million for other guarantees. 

 The above limits are not applicable to any sureties, endorsements and guarantees that may be issued with regard to tax or customs 
authorities.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

•  For formally recording any increases in capital following conversions of convertible bonds, exercising warrants and stock options, as well 
as  subscribing  to  capital  securities  or  shares  giving  access  to  company  capital  in  the  context  of  increases  in  capital  reserved  for 
employees and carrying out all prior and subsequent formalities related to any such changes in capital and to any modifications to the 
articles of association. 

3.  To enable the board to exercise its duties as defined in 1 and beyond its specific powers summarized in 2, the board of directors:

•  Shall be informed by its chairman or by its committees of any significant event concerning the company’s efficient operation as well as 

the successful conclusions of any significant projects; 

•  Shall give prior authorization for:
•  All disposals or acquisitions of holdings or assets by the company or by a Group company for a sum of more than 250 million euros,
•  Concluding any strategic partnership agreement;
•  Shall review every year its composition, its organization and its mode of operation;
•  Shall be consulted prior to acceptance by the chief executive officer or deputy chief executive officers of any corporate appointment in 

a listed company outside the Group;

•  Shall be informed about market developments, competitive environment and the most important challenges the company has to face, 

including in the area of social and environmental responsibility.

4.  The activities of the board of directors and its committees shall be described in the corporate governance report.

Article 3 – Membership of the board of directors
In the proposals it makes and the decisions it takes, the board of directors shall ensure:

•  That it reflects the international nature of the Group’s activities and of its shareholders by having a significant number of members of non-

French nationality; 

•  That it protects the independence of the board through the competence, availability and courage of its members;
•  That it pursues its objective of diversifying the board of directors in compliance with the legal principle of attaining balanced representation 

between men and women on the board;

•  That it appoints persons with the expertise required for developing and implementing the Group strategy while considering the objectives 

of diversity based on criteria such as age, professional skills and experiences;

•  That employee shareholders and employees shall continue to be represented on the board in compliance with the provisions set forth in 

Articles 11.3 and 11.4 of the articles of association;

•  That it preserves the continuity of the board by changing some of its members at regular intervals, if necessary by anticipating the expiry 

of members’ terms of office.

Article 4 – Meetings of the board of directors
1.  The board of directors shall meet whenever the interests of the company so require and at the least six times a year, including one meeting 

for examining strategy in detail. 

Notices to attend shall be issued by all means, including verbally. They shall be sent via the secretary of the board.

2.  Board meetings shall be convened by the chairman or, if such person is unable to do so, by the vice-chairman.

Moreover, if no board meeting takes place for over two months, the chairman must convene a meeting of the board at a date no later than 
fifteen days after at least one-third of the members of the board have made a justified request for this purpose. If the request goes unheeded, 
the person or persons requesting the meeting may convene a meeting himself or themselves, stating the agenda of the proposed meeting. 

Similarly, the chief executive officer, if he is not chairman of the board of directors may also address a request to the chairman to convene a 
meeting on any given agenda.

The  person  responsible  for  convening  the  meeting  shall  set  its  agenda.  The  agenda  may  be  modified  or  completed  at  the  time  of  the 
meeting. 

Board meetings shall be held at the company’s registered offices or at any other place specified in the notice of the meeting, whether in 
France or abroad.

3.  Any member of the board may appoint another member to represent him at a board meeting by means of a proxy form.

During the same meeting, each member of the board may only use one proxy form that he has received further to the foregoing paragraph.

Members of the board may attend board meetings by videoconference or telecommunication links, which allow them to be identified and 
which guarantee their effective participation. In such a case, they are counted among the members present to the meeting. However, in 
accordance with applicable laws, for the purposes of checking and controlling annual accounts, consolidated accounts and the management 
report, the members of the board of directors who attend the meeting by videoconference or telecommunication links shall not be taken into 
account for the purposes of determining the quorum or the majority. 

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Deliberations of the board of directors shall only be valid if at least half of the directors are present. However, in application of Article 15 of 
the articles of association, the board of directors may only deliberate validly on the methods for exercising general management if two-thirds 
of the directors are present or represented. 
Decisions shall be taken on a majority vote by the directors present or represented. In the event of equality of votes, the chairman of the 
meeting shall have the casting vote. 

4.  Besides the secretary of the board, the deputy CEO in charge of finance shall attend board meetings.

The board of directors shall hear operational managers concerned by major issues submitted to examination by the board.

The board of directors may authorize persons who are not members of the board to attend board meetings including by videoconference or 
by telecommunication links.

5.  An attendance register shall be kept at the registered office.

The proceedings of the board of directors shall be recorded in minutes. 

The secretary of the board shall be authorized to certify copies or excerpts from the minutes of the board’s proceedings.

Article 5 – Information for the board of directors
Members of the board of directors shall be provided with all the information necessary to enable them to carry out their duties and this within time 
limits that enable them to familiarize themselves with this information in a meaningful way. They may procure any documents they require for this 
purpose prior to meetings. 

Any request for information made by members of the board on specific subjects shall be addressed to the chairman serving as CEO (and, if 
appropriate, to the CEO), who will reply thereto as promptly as possible.

In  order  to  provide  members  of  the  board  of  directors  with  complete  information,  visits  to  sites  and  customers  shall  be  organized  for  them. 
Members of the board of directors shall have the right to meet the main company executives. They shall inform the chairman serving as CEO (and, 
if appropriate, the CEO) thereof.

The chairman serving as CEO shall meet each member of the board individually once a year.

Article 6 – The status of members of the board of directors
1.  Members of the board of directors shall represent all the shareholders and shall act in the interests of the company in all circumstances.

2.  Members of the board of directors shall attend board meetings and meetings of the committees of which they are members.

Any member, who has not attended at least half of the meetings held during the year, unless there are exceptional reasons, shall be deemed 
to wish to terminate his term of office and shall be invited to resign from the board of directors or the committee concerned, as appropriate. 

3.  Members of the board of directors shall be bound by a general confidentiality obligation with respect to the deliberations of the board and 
the committees and with respect to information which is not in the public domain, which they receive further to performing their duties.

4.  Directors may not exercise more than 4 other terms of office in listed companies outside the Group.

5.   Members of the board of directors shall have a duty to inform the board of directors of any office they may hold or no longer hold in other 

companies. 

6.  Members of the board of directors have a permanent duty to ensure that their personal situation shall not give rise to a conflict of interest with 

the company. In this respect, they shall disclose:

• 

the existence of any conflict of interest, even a potential one, upon assuming their duties and then each year in response to a request 
made by the company at the time of preparation of its Universal Registration Document;

•  upon occurrence of any event which would render the statement above mentioned totally or partially inaccurate.

Any member of the board of directors having a conflict of interest, even a potential one, has a duty to notify it to the vice-chairman lead 
director who shall in turn inform the board of directors. The board of directors shall rule upon the conflict of interest and may request to the 
member(s) of the board of directors concerned to correct his/her situation. The member of the board of directors having a conflict of interest, 
even a potential one, shall not take part to the discussions nor to the vote of the corresponding decision and shall leave the meeting of the 
board of directors when the decision is debated.

7.  During their term of office, members of the board of directors, to the exclusion of the directors representing employees, shall possess at least 
1,000 shares in Schneider Electric SE. For applying this obligation, except for the 250 shares which must be held to comply with Article 11.1 
of the articles of association, shares held via a company mutual fund essentially invested in the company shares can be taken into account. 
The Schneider Electric shares that they hold shall either be in purely registered (nominatif pur) or in managed registered (administré) form. 

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3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

8.  Members of the board of directors shall inform the French financial market authority within three business days from the completion of the 
operation, by e-mail at the following address: https://onde.amf-france.org/RemiseInformationEmetteur/Client/PTRemiseInformationEmetteur.
aspx,  as  well  as  the  secretary  of  the  board,  of  any  acquisition,  sale,  subscription  or  exchange  concerning  shares  issued  by  Schneider 
Electric SE or any operation on financial instruments linked thereto, conducted on their own account or on their behalf.

8A.   Members of the board of directors shall provide the secretary of the board with the list of the persons closely associated with them as defined 
by the European Regulation n°596/2014 (“Market Abuse Regulation”), whom they shall notify of their individual duties to inform the French 
financial market authority and Schneider Electric SE (to the attention of the secretary of the board), similar to those applicable to themselves 
pursuant to paragraph 8 above.

9.   Members of the board of directors undertake to abide by the compliance code governing stock-market ethics, of which they have received 
a copy, with respect to their personal financial transactions. In consequence, members of the board of directors may not acquire or dispose 
of options or any other derivative relating to Schneider Electric SE shares, except authorized hedging of stock-options plans in order to 
hedge stock option plans (eg: hedging of shares subscribed upon exercise of options).

Members of the board of directors shall refrain from carrying out any transaction involving company’s listed shares during the 31 days before 
the day following publication of annual or half-yearly accounts, and during the 16-day period before the day following publication of quarterly 
information. The same principle applies when they hold insider information, i.e. precise information concerning the company, which has not 
been made public and which, if it were made public, could have a marked impact on share price or on any financial instrument related to them.

10.   Members of the board of directors shall attend annual general shareholders meetings.

11.   Members of the board of directors shall be remunerated by the payment of an annual fixed amount allocated at annual general shareholders 

meetings. The said amount will be distributed by the board of directors to its members. 
The board of directors may grant exceptional remuneration for assignments or offices conferred upon directors.

12.   Travelling expenses, notably including hotel and restaurant expenses, incurred by the members of the board of directors in relation to the 

performance of their duties, shall be borne by the company on presentation of supporting documents.

13.  Members of the board of directors shall complete the on-boarding programme offered to them at the beginning of their first term.

Article 7 – Non-voting directors
The non-voting directors shall attend board meetings in a consultative capacity. 

They shall receive the same information as the other members of the board. They may be appointed as members of committees, except for the 
Audit committee. 

They shall act in the interest of the company under all circumstances. 

They shall be bound by the same general confidentiality obligation as the members of the board of directors and shall be subject to the same 
limitations regarding transactions involving the company’s shares. Their remuneration shall be determined by the board of directors. 

Article 8 – The committees of the board of directors
1.  The committees created by the board of directors shall be as follows:

•  Governance and remuneration committee,
•  Audit and risks committee,
•  Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility committee,
• 
•  Digital committee.

Investment committee,

2.  The role of these committees shall be to research and prepare certain matters to be considered by the board of directors. They shall make 

proposals, give recommendations and issue opinions, as appropriate, in their area of competence.

Created by virtue of Article 13 of the articles of association, they shall only have a consultative role and shall act under the authority of the 
board of directors. 

3.  The chairpersons and members of the committees shall be appointed by the board of directors. However, the vice-chairman lead director 
shall preside over the Governance and remuneration committee. They shall be appointed in a personal capacity and may not be represented.

The terms of office of committee members shall coincide with their terms of office as members of the board of directors. The terms of office 
of committee members may be renewed.

As a matter of good governance and to the exclusion of the Governance and remuneration committee chaired by the vice-chairman lead 
director,  committee  chairs  should  be  rotated  and  not  exceed  four-years  for  a  given  committee.  The  board  of  directors  shall  deliberate 
annually on the chairmanship of the concerned committee whenever such four-year limit is reached or exceeded.

4.  Committees shall meet on the initiative of their chairperson or on request from the chairman of the board of directors or the CEO.

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5.  The chairman serving as CEO or the CEO shall be kept informed of committee meetings. He/she shall be in regular contact with committee 

chairmen.

6.  Committee meetings shall be held at the company’s registered offices or any other place decided upon by the chairperson of the committee 

with an agenda prepared by the latter. If necessary they may be held by audio or video conference. 
Members of the board of directors may attend meetings of committees of which they are not a member. Only the members of the committee 
shall take part in the committee’s discussions. 

A secretary will prepare the minutes of the meetings, which shall be recorded in an  ad hoc register specific to each committee by the 
secretary of the board.

A report on each committee’s activities shall be given by the committee’s chairperson or one of its members at the next board meeting. 
Minutes of committee meetings shall be provided for the members of the board of directors.

After referring the matter to the chairman of the board, every committee may request studies from external consultants. Every committee 
may invite any person of its choice to its meetings, as and when required. 

7.   Other than the permanent specialist committees that it has created, the board of directors may also decide to set up any ad hoc committees 

for specific operations or assignments.

Article 9 – The Audit and Risks committee 
1.  Membership and operation of the Audit committee
The committee shall be comprised of at least three members, two-thirds of whom must be independent members of the board of directors. At 
least  one  of  the  members  must  possess  special  skills  concerning  matters  of  finance  and  accountancy  and  be  independent  with  regard  to 
specified, published criteria. 

The deputy CEO in charge of finance shall act as the Audit committee’s contact. 

The head of internal audit shall act as secretary to the Audit committee.

The committee shall meet at least five times a year. The chairperson of the committee shall draw up agendas for meetings. 

The meetings shall be attended by members of the finance department and of the company’s internal audit department and, with respect to 
meetings devoted to examining accounts, by the statutory auditors. The committee may invite any person it wishes to hear to its meetings. It may 
also require the CEO to provide any documents it deems to be useful. 

Outside the presence of company representatives, the committee shall regularly hear the statutory auditors and the head of the internal audit. 

2.  The duties of the Audit committee
The Audit Committee monitors questions on drawing up and controlling accounting, financial and extra-financial information. It prepares the 
board of directors’ decisions in these domains. It issues recommendations to the board for the purpose of ensuring the integrity of the financial 
and extra-financial information and gives advices. For this purpose:

• 

It shall prepare for annual and half-yearly accounts to be approved by the board and therefore, more particularly:
 – Checks the appropriateness and consistency of the accounting methods used for drawing up consolidated and corporate accounts, as 
well as checking that significant operations on Group level have been dealt with appropriately and that rules relating to the consolidation 
perimeter have been complied with;

 – Examines off-balance-sheet risks, including those of a social and environmental nature, and commitments as well as the cash situation; 
 – Examines the process for drawing up financial and extra-financial information.

• 

• 

It examines the draft annual report, which bears the status of Universal Registration Document and contains the information on internal control, 
the  draft  half-yearly  report  and,  where  applicable,  any  remarks  made  by  the  French  Financial  Market  Authority  (AMF)  concerning  these 
reports, as well as the other key financial information documents. 
It handles follow-up on legal control of annual and consolidated accounts made by statutory auditors, notably by examining the external audit 
plan and results of controls made by statutory auditors.

•  After a consultation process, it shall suggest reappointing the existing statutory auditors or appointing new statutory auditors.
• 

It shall check the independence of statutory auditors, especially at the time of examining fees paid by the Group to their firm or their network, 
and by giving prior approval to any missions that are not strictly included in the scope of the statutory audit. 
It monitors the efficiency of internal control and risk management systems. For this purpose: 
 – It shall examine the organization and resources used for internal audit, as well as its annual work program. It shall receive summaries of 

• 

reports produced on audits on a quarterly basis. However, the chairperson of the committee shall receive these reports in full;

 – The committee shall examine operational risk-mapping and make sure that measures exist for preventing or minimizing risks;
 – It shall examine how to optimize risk coverage on the basis of reports requested from internal audit;
 – It shall examine Group internal control measures and look into the results of entities’ self-assessments with respect to internal control. It 

shall ensure that a relevant process exists for identifying and processing incidents and anomalies;

 – It shall ascertain the existence of Group compliance policies notably concerning competition, anti-bribery, ethics and data protection and 

the measures implemented to ensure that these policies are circulated and applied.

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3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

The Audit committee shall examine proposals for distribution as well as the amount of financial authorizations submitted for approval at annual 
general shareholders meetings.

The Audit committee reports to the board on the implementation of Schneider Electric SE’s Charter on the related party transactions and on the 
relevance of the criteria to qualify related party transactions as regulated agreements or not.

The Audit committee shall examine all financial and accounting questions and questions related to risk-management submitted to it by the board 
of directors.

The Audit committee reports to the board on the findings of its works and how they contributed to the integrity of the financial and extra-financial 
information. It informs the board of the follow-up actions that it proposes to take. The chairperson of the Audit Committee shall keep the chairman 
and the vice-chairman lead director promptly informed of any difficulties encountered by the committee.

Article 10 – Governance and remuneration committee
1.  Membership and operation of the Governance and remuneration committee 
The committee shall be comprised of at least three members.

The Governance and remuneration committee shall be presided by the vice-chairman lead director. Failing this, the board shall appoint the 
chairperson of the committee. 

The secretary of the board shall be the secretary of the Governance and remuneration committee. 

The committee shall meet at the initiative of its chairperson. The agenda shall be drawn up by the chairperson of the committee after consultation 
with the chairman of the board of directors. The committee shall meet at least three times a year.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes.

2.  The Governance and remuneration committee’s duties: 
The committee will formulate proposals to the board of directors in view of any appointment made: 

(i)  To the board of directors: 

 –
 –
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Directors or non-voting directors,
Chairman of the board of directors, vice-chairman and vice-chairman- lead director, 
Chairpersons and members of committees;

(ii)   For general management of the company. The committee will also give its opinion to the board on nominations for any deputy CEO’s.

The committee shall formulate proposals to the board of directors on the compensation policy of the executive corporate officers (chairman of the 
board of directors and/or CEO, deputy CEO), ensuring in particular its alignment with the corporate interest. The committee shall prepare annual 
assessments of the persons concerned and make recommendations to the board of directors concerning the determination of the components 
of the compensation due to executive corporate officers in accordance with the compensation policy. To this end, it uses the works of the Human 
Resources and CSR committee. 

The committee shall prepare the draft corporate governance report of the board of directors.

When the committee reports to the board on these matters, the board of directors debates and deliberates without the presence of the executive 
corporate officers.

The committee shall propose measures to the board of directors that will reassure both shareholders and the market that the board of directors 
carries out its duties with all necessary independence and objectivity. For this purpose, it will organize for yearly assessments to be made of the 
board of directors. It shall make proposals to the board of directors on:

•  Determining and reviewing directors’ independence criteria and directors’ qualifications with regard to these criteria;
•  Missions carried out by the committees of the board of directors;
•  The evolution, organization and operation of the board of directors and its committees;
•  The company’s use of national and international corporate governance practices; 
•  The total amount of board members’ remuneration proposed at annual general shareholders meetings together with its allocation amongst them. 

Article 11 – Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility committee
1.  Membership and operation of the Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee 
The committee shall be comprised of at least three members. 

The director of Human Resources for the Group shall be the secretary to the Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility committee. 

The committee shall meet at the initiative of its chairperson. The agenda shall be drawn up by the chairperson of the committee after consultation 
with the chairman serving as CEO. The committee shall meet at least three times a year.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes.

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2.  The committee’s duties: 
The committee shall formulate proposals to the board of directors on setting up share subscription/purchase options plans and free/performance 
shares plans. 

The committee shall formulate projects on proposals made by general management on:

•  Compensation of the members of the executive committee.
•  Principles and criteria for determining the compensation of Group executives.

The committee shall be informed of any nomination of members of the executive committee and of the main Group executives. 

It shall examine succession plans for key Group executives.

The committee shall prepare the board of directors’ deliberations on (i) expansion of employee shareholding, (ii) review by the board on social 
and financial impacts of major re-organization projects and major human resource policies, (iii) monitoring risks management in relation to human 
resources and (iv) examining the different aspects of the “CSR” Group policy.

Article 12 – Investment Committee
1.  Membership and operation of the Investment committee 
The committee shall be comprised of at least three members.

The director of Group Strategy will be secretary to the Investment committee.

The committee shall meet at the initiative of its chairperson. The agenda shall be drawn up by the chairperson of the committee after consultation 
with the chairman serving as CEO. The committee shall meet three times a year, less or more depending on the circumstances.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes and call upon the Group M&A director.

2.  The Investment committee’s duties: 
The committee prepares the board of directors’ deliberations on investment policy. 

To this purpose, the committee:

•  Shall elaborate recommendations for the board on major capital deployment decisions;
•  Shall advise the management team on capital deployment strategies;
•  May  launch,  at  the  board’s  request,  or  suggest  research  projects  leading  to  material  investments  for  the  company,  typically  for  capital 

deployment decisions of €250million or above;

•  May investigate matters of smaller scale, if the strategic significance warrants it or the board/chairman of the board specifically requires it;
•  Shall provide recommendations on major merger, alliances and acquisition projects;
•  Shall pay special attention to reconfiguration or consolidation scenarios happening in the sectors the company is operating in or likely to 

operate in;

•  Shall examine portfolio optimizations and divestment projects of financial or strategic significance;
•  Shall support the management in the elaboration of investment policies linked to the long-term positioning of Schneider Electric, such as 

innovation and R&D strategies or any major organic growth investments;

•  Shall present to the board social and environmental aspects of the strategic projects submitted to it such as M&A projects.

Article 13 – Digital Committee
1.  Membership and operation of the Digital committee 
The committee shall be comprised of at least 3 members.

The Chief Digital Officer or the Chief Information Officer will be secretary to the Digital committee.

The committee shall meet at the initiative of its chairperson. The agenda shall be drawn up by the chairperson of the committee after consulting 
with the chairman & CEO. The committee shall meet at least three times a year, including a joint review on Cyber-security risks with the Audit and 
risk committee.

In order to carry out its assignments, the committee may hear any person it wishes.

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3. Exhibits to the board of directors’ report: internal regulations of the board and charter  
of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director 

2  The Digital committee’s duties
The purpose of the Digital committee is to assist the board in digital matters in order to guide, support and control the Group in its digitization 
efforts. The Digital committee prepares the board of directors’ deliberations on digital matters.

For this purpose, the Digital Committee will review, appraise and follow-up projects and, generally, advise, inter alia on 7 areas:

1.  Development  and  growth  of  the  EcoStruxure  digital  business,  including  (i)  enhancing  Core  Businesses  with  Connectivity  &  Analytics,  

2. 
3. 

(ii) building new digital offers & business models, (iii) establishing its contribution to and consistence with the overall strategy; 
Improvement and transformation of the Group’s Digital Customers & Partners Experience;
Improvement  of  Schneider  Electric’s  Operational  Efficiency  through  the  effective  use  of  Information  Technology  and  digital  automation 
capabilities;

4.  Assessment of Cyber Risks and enhancement of the Group’s Cyber Security posture (jointly with the audit committee);
5.  Assessment of the contribution of potential M&A operations to the Group’s Digital strategy;
6.  Monitoring and analysis of the Digital landscape (competitors and disrupters, threats and opportunities);
7.  Checking that the company is equipped with the right pool of talents for digital transformation.

Article 14 – Perimeter of internal regulations
The present internal regulations have been unanimously approved by the board of directors. A purely internal act, their objective is to complete 
the articles of association by stipulating the main conditions of organization and operation of the board of directors. Their purpose is not to replace 
the articles of association. They may not be relied upon by shareholders or third parties for use against members of the board of directors, the 
company, or any company in the Schneider Electric Group. They may be modified at any time solely by deliberation of the board of directors.

3.2 Charter of the Vice-Chairman independent lead director

1.  The board of directors may appoint a Vice-Chairman. The Vice-Chairman shall be appointed for a period that may not be any longer than 
his term of office as a director. The Vice-Chairman is eligible for re-election. The Vice-Chairman may be removed from office by the board 
of directors at any time.

2.  The Vice-Chairman shall preside over board meetings in the absence of the Chairman.

The Vice-Chairman shall be called upon to replace the Chairman of the board of directors in the event of any temporary inability of the latter 
to fulfill his functions or his death. In the event of the Chairman’s inability to fulfill his functions, he will be replaced by the Vice-Chairman as 
long as his inability may last and, in the case of his death, until the election of a new Chairman.

3. 

In exception to 1 above, and in compliance with article 12.2 of the articles of association, the appointment of a Vice-Chairman is compulsory 
if the roles of Chairman and CEO are combined. In this case, the Vice-Chairman also takes on the role of independent lead director. In this 
respect:

• 

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the Vice-Chairman is kept  informed of major events in Group life through regular contacts and monthly meetings with the Chairman 
serving as CEO;
the Vice-Chairman is consulted by the Chairman serving as CEO on the agenda and the sequence of events for every board meeting as 
well as on the schedule for board meetings;
the Vice-Chairman may convene executive sessions with non-executive members of the board of directors, over which he will preside. 
An executive session shall be included on the agenda of every board meeting. It is the Vice-Chairman’s responsibility to decide whether 
it should be held or not. It is therefore held as decided by the Vice-Chairman, either directly before or after each board meeting. In 
addition, the Vice-Chairman may convene an executive session between 2 board meetings. Any director may ask the Vice-Chairman to 
convene an executive session;
the Vice-Chairman shall promptly report to the Chairman serving as CEO on the conclusions of executive sessions;
the Vice-Chairman shall draw the attention of the Chairman and of the board of directors to any possible conflicts of interest that he may 
have identified;
the Vice-Chairman is Chairman of the Governance committee;
like any other member of the board, the Vice-Chairman may attend any meetings of committees of which he is not a member;
in order to complement his knowledge, the Vice-Chairman may meet the Group’s leading managers and visit company sites;
the  Vice-Chairman  carries  out  annual  and  biennial  assessments  of  the  board  of  directors  and,  in  this  context,  assesses  the  actual 
contribution of every member of the board to the board’s works;
the Vice-Chairman shall report on his actions at Annual General Shareholders’ Meetings;
the Vice-Chairman shall meet any shareholder who wishes so and inform the board of their concerns on governance matters.

4.  The Vice-Chairman lead director must be an independent member of the board, as defined in the criteria published by the company.

As  a  transitional  measure,  article  12.2  of  the  articles  of  association  provides  for  the  first  Vice-Chairman  lead  director  to  be  the  former 
Chairman of the supervisory board for the remaining duration of his term of office.

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4. Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

4. Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

4.1 Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

To the Shareholders of Schneider Electric SE, 

In our capacity as statutory auditors of your Company, we hereby report to you on related party agreements.

It is our responsibility to report to shareholders, based on the information provided to us, on the main terms, conditions and reasons underlying 
company’s  interest  of  agreements  that  have  been  disclosed  to  us  or  that  we  may  have  been  identified  as  part  of  our  engagement,  without 
commenting on their relevance or substance or identifying any undisclosed agreements. It is your responsibility, in accordance with Article R. 
225-31 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), to assess the relevance of these agreements prior to their approval. 

Where applicable, it is also our responsibility to provide shareholders with the information required by article R. 225-31 of the French commercial 
code in relation to the implementation during the year of agreements previously approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting.

We performed the procedures that we deemed necessary in accordance with the guidance issued by the French Institute of statutory auditors 
(Compagnie nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes) for this type of engagement. These procedures consisted in verifying the consistency of 
the information provided to us with the relevant source documents.

Agreements submitted to the approval of the shareholders’ meeting

Agreements authorized and concluded during the financial year
We have been informed of no agreements authorized during the last year and requiring the approval of the Shareholders’ Meeting by virtue of 
article L. 225-38 of the French commercial code.

Agreements authorized after closing 
We have been informed of the following related party agreement, authorized and concluded after closing date, that has been authorized by the 
Board of directors dated February 28, 2020.

Agreement concluded with Mr. Emmanuel Babeau (Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs) in the 
context of his departure from the Group on April 30, 2020
It is specified that Mr. Emmanuel Babeau benefited, as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, of related party commitments previously authorized by 
your Board of Directors and regularly approved by your shareholders’ meeting. In connection with his departure from the Schneider Electric 
Group, the Company entered into a related party agreement with Mr. Emmanuel Babeau setting out the terms and conditions for the termination 
of his duties and updating or supplementing the commitments previously in force. This related party agreement is submitted to your approval 
under the 10th resolution of this shareholders’ meeting, which pertains to the compensations granted to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau for fiscal year 
2020. Its terms and conditions are as follows: 

Fixed compensation for fiscal year 2020
The amount of the fixed annual compensation of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer would remain unchanged at 680,000 euros for fiscal year 
2020. The fixed compensation paid to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would be calculated prorata temporis until the term of his duties as Deputy Chief 
Executive Officer. 

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would thus receive 226,667 euros until April 30, 2020 as part of his fixed compensation.

Variable compensation for fiscal year 2020
The target level of 680,000 euros set for fiscal year 2020, and not its maximum, would be deemed vested for Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, who would 
be granted variable compensation calculated prorata temporis until the term of his duties as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

The variable portion of the compensation due to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau for fiscal year 2020 would thus be 226,667 euros.

Additional pension payments (cash benefit)
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would receive the following amounts in respect of additional pension payments for 2020, calculated prorata temporis until 
the term of his duties as Deputy Chief executive Officer:

•  a fixed part of 51,100 euros (calculated on an annual basis of 153,300 euros); and
•  a variable part of 51,100 euros, should the target be met (calculated on an annual basis of 153,300 euros for a variable compensation amount 

equal to 100% of the annual compensation amount, in the event the target is deemed to have vested for 2020).

Application of a new non-compete agreement and of additional commitments
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau was bound by a non-compete agreement in the event of his departure, pursuant to the decisions of the Board of Directors 
of June 18 and 19, 2013 (amended on October 24, 2013 and February 18, 2015, then reiterated and amended again on April 25, 2017 and 
February 14, 2018), as approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting of April 24, 2018 in the context of the related party commitments regime. 

This one-year commitment is remunerated at 60% of the annual target compensation (fixed and variable, including additional pension payments), 
i.e. a total amount of 999,960 euros.

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4. Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

Given the recent changes in the Group’s scope of consolidation and the specific responsibilities assumed by Mr. Emmanuel Babeau in this 
context, this non-compete agreement would be modified in order to protect the best interests of the Company and the Group after the departure 
of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, who has been with the Group for more than ten years, including seven years as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, has in-
depth knowledge of the Group’s operations and development. As Vice-Chairman and non-executive director of Aveva Group Plc. since 2018, he 
has also developed transversal, strategic and operational skills in the industrial and engineering software sector, a sector considered key to the 
current and future development of the group. 

Consequently, this commitment would be replaced by a new two-year non-compete agreement (the “Non-Compete Agreement”) with a scope 
extended to: 

•  salaried, executive or corporate officer duties (including any participation in a governance body) in companies already covered by the initial 

non-compete agreement and in companies in the industrial and engineering software sector; and
•  any service provision activity or consulting mission for the benefit of the above-mentioned companies. 

Mr. Emmanuel Babeau would waive the non-compete indemnity in cash equal to 60% of his annual target compensation (including additional 
payments) that he would be entitled to receive pursuant to the Non-Compete Agreement approved by the shareholders’ meeting of April 24, 2018. 

This  Non-Compete  Agreement  would  be  supplemented  by  additional  commitments  related  to  his  departure:  (i)  non-solicitation,  (ii)  non-
disparagement,  (iii)  confidentiality  and  (iv)  cooperation  in  judicial  or  administrative  proceedings  involving  the  company,  to  be  borne  by 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau for a period of two years (together with the Non-Compete Agreement, the “Commitments”). 

Subject to complying with the Commitments, Mr. Emmanuel Babeau may retain the benefit of the performance shares he was granted in 2018 
and 2019, proportionally to the time he spent in the company over the vesting period of the performance share plans concerned, under the 
conditions set out below.

Long-term compensation (performance share plans)
The condition of presence provided for by the performance share plans would be waived in favor of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, who would retain the 
benefit  of  the  52,000  performance  shares  he  was  granted  free  of  charge  in  2018  and  2019  and  that  are  still  subject  to  a  vesting  period, 
proportionally to his presence over the vesting period of the performance share plans concerned, i.e. a maximum of 27,445 performance shares, 
and under the following conditions:

•  18,056 performance shares granted in 2018 would be deemed vested on March 26, 2021, subject to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer’s 

compliance with the Commitments until that date; and

•  9,389 performance shares granted in 2019 would be deemed vested on March 28, 2022, subject to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer’s 

compliance with the Commitments until that date.

Other conditions provided for in the performance share plans rules, in particular the performance conditions, would remain applicable. 

The final number of performance shares likely to be acquired by Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will be known at the end of the respective acquisition 
periods, subject to continually complying with the Commitments and the Board of Directors’ decision on the achievement rate of the applicable 
performance conditions.

It is specified that all the performance shares likely to be acquired by Emmanuel Babeau would represent, at the term of his duties as Deputy 
Chief Executive Officer, an individual value of 54.69 euros per performance share granted in 2018 and 53.84 euros per performance share 
granted in 2019. The valuation of the performance shares was calculated in accordance with the Company’s past practices and in accordance 
with the recommendations of the Afep-Medef Code. This valuation represents a total amount of 1,492,940.90 euros (987,446.53 euros for the 
preference  shares  granted  in  2018  and  505,494.37  euros  for  the  preference  shares  granted  in  2019),  i.e.  a  sum  below  two  years  of  annual 
compensation (fixed and variable) of Mr. Emmanuel Babeau.

Legal and tax assistance
Emmanuel Babeau would benefit from legal and tax assistance until the completion of the study on the consequences of his expatriation to the 
United Kingdom from July 2014 to July 2018 for the purposes of the integration of Invensys Ltd. which is currently underway by the service 
provider, and hypothetically until December 31, 2020 at the latest. The maximum cost of this benefit is estimated at EUR 15,000. 

The  Board  of  Directors  determined  the  company’s  interest  in  entering  into  this  agreement  pertains  to  protecting  the  Group’s  interests  by 
strengthening the guarantees following the departure of a corporate officer who has been in charge for more than ten years and whose scope of 
expertise has been extended to technology and engineering companies. It also noted that the right to maintain performance shares on a prorata 
temporis basis is proportionate in amount to the commitments made by Mr. Emmanuel Babeau and corresponds, in duration, to the period during 
which these commitments must be fulfilled. 

The  elements  of  compensation  allocated  or  paid  to  Mr.  Emmanuel  Babeau  in  connection  with  the  termination  of  his  duties  as  Deputy  Chief 
Executive Officer of the Company would represent a maximum amount of 2,063,474.90 euros. 

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Agreements previously approved by the shareholders’ meeting
We have not been notified of any agreements previously approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting that remained in force during the past financial 
year.

Signed in Paris-La Défense and in Courbevoie, on March 10, 2019

The Statutory Auditors

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES 
Jean-Yves Jégourel  
Alexandre Resten 

MAZARS  
Loïc Wallaert
Mathieu Mougard

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4. Statutory Auditors’ report on related party agreements 

4.2 Statutory auditors’ report on the issuance of shares or securities giving access to capital reserved for 
members of a Company Savings Plan 

To the Shareholders,

In our capacity as statutory auditors of your company and in compliance with Articles L. 228-92 and L. 225-135 et seq. of the French Commercial 
Code (Code de commerce), we hereby report on the proposal to authorize your board of directors to decide whether to proceed with an issue of 
shares or securities giving access to the share capital of the company with cancellation of preferential subscription rights, reserved for participants 
in a Company Savings Plan of the company and of the French or non-French companies affiliated with the company in accordance with article  
L. 225-180 of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce) and article L. 3344-1 of the French Labor code (Code du travail), an operation 
upon which you are called to vote. 

The maximum nominal amount of the increase in capital that may result from this issue is 2 % of the share capital on the date of implementation 
of this delegation, it being specified that this amount shall be deducted from the ceilings referred to in the 15th and 17th resolutions adopted by the 
shareholders’ meeting dated April 25, 2019.

This operation is submitted for your approval in accordance with articles L. 225-129-6 of the French Commercial code (Code de commerce) and 
L. 3332-18 et seq. of the French Labor code (Code du travail).

Your board of directors proposes that, on the basis of its report, it be authorized, with the right of sub-delegation, for a period of twenty-six months 
from the date of this shareholders’ meeting, to decide on whether to proceed with an issue and proposes to cancel your preferential subscription 
rights to the equity securities to be issued. If applicable, it shall determine the final conditions of this operation. 

This delegation may only be used from June 30, 2020 and will from that date render ineffective the authorization granted by the shareholders’ 
meeting of April 25, 2019 in its 22nd resolution, for the amounts not used by the board of directors.

It is the responsibility of the board of directors to prepare a report in accordance with articles R. 225-113 et seq. of the French Commercial code 
(Code de commerce). Our role is to report on the fairness of the financial information taken from the accounts, on the proposed cancellation of 
preferential subscription rights, and on other information relating to the share issue provided in this report.

We have performed those procedures which we considered necessary to comply with the professional guidance issued by the French national 
auditing body (Compagnie Nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes) for this type of engagement. These procedures consisted in verifying the 
information provided in the board of director’s report relating to this operation and the methods used to determine the issue price of the equity 
securities to be issued.

Subject to a subsequent examination of the conditions for the issue that would be decided, we have no matters to report as to the methods used 
to determine the issue price of the equity securities to be issued provided in the board of director’s report.

As the final conditions for the issue have not yet been determined, we cannot report on these conditions and, consequently, on the proposed 
cancellation of preferential subscription rights.

In accordance with article R. 225-116 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), we will issue a supplementary report, if necessary, 
when your board of directors has exercised this authorization.

Signed in Paris-La-Défense and in Courbevoie, on March 10, 2020 

The Statutory Auditors

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES 
Jean-Yves Jégourel  
Alexandre Resten 

MAZARS  
Loïc Wallaert
Mathieu Mougard

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4.3 Statutory Auditors’ report on the issuance of shares or securities reserved for a category of beneficiaries

To the Shareholders,

In our capacity as Statutory auditors of your company and in compliance with articles L. 228-92 and 225-135 et seq. of the French Commercial 
Code (Code de commerce), we hereby report on the proposal to issue ordinary shares or securities giving access to the share capital of the 
company, with cancellation of preferential subscription right reserved for (i) employees and officers of companies of the Schneider Electric 
Group affiliated with the company under the terms and conditions set forth in article L. 225-180 of the French Commercial code (Code de 
commerce) and article L. 3344-1 of the French Labor code (Code du travail) and the head office of which is located outside France; (ii) and/or 
OPCVM mutual investment funds or other entities, with or without legal personality, of employee shareholders invested in equity securities of 
the company, the unit holders or shareholders of which consist of persons described in (i) of this paragraph; (iii) and/or any banking institution 
or affiliate or subsidiary of such institution acting at the company’s request for purposes of implementing and giving effect to a shareholder 
incentive or investment or savings plan for the benefit of the persons described in (i) of this paragraph, an operation upon which you are called 
to vote.

The maximum nominal amount of the increase in capital that may result from this issue is 1 % of the share capital on the date of this 
shareholders’ meeting, it being specified that this amount shall be deducted from the 2 % ceiling referred to in the 20th resolution of this 
shareholders’ meeting, but is autonomous and distinct from the ceiling referred to in the 15th and 17th resolutions adopted by the shareholders’ 
meeting dated April 25, 2019.

Your board of directors proposes that, on the basis of its report, it be authorized, with the right of sub-delegation, for a period of eighteen 
months from the date of this shareholders’ meeting, to decide on whether to proceed with an issue and proposes to cancel your preferential 
subscription rights to the equity securities to be issued. 

This delegation may only be used from August 1, 2020 and will from that date render ineffective the authorization granted by the shareholders’ 
meeting of April 25, 2019 in its 23rd resolution for the amounts not used by the Board of Directors.

It is the responsibility of the board of directors to prepare a report in accordance with articles R. 225-113 et seq. of the French Commercial 
code (Code de commerce). Our role is to report on the fairness of the financial information taken from the accounts, on the proposed 
cancellation of preferential subscription rights, and on other information relating to the share issue provided in this report. 

We have performed those procedures which we considered necessary to comply with the professional guidance issued by the French national 
auditing body (Compagnie Nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes) for this type of engagement. These procedures consisted in verifying 
the information provided in the board of director’s report relating to this operation and the methods used to determine the issue price of the 
equity securities to be issued.

Subject to a subsequent examination of the conditions for the issue that would be decided, we have no matters to report as to the methods 
used to determine the issue price of the equity securities to be issued provided in the board of director’s report.

As the final conditions for the issue have not yet been determined, we cannot report on these conditions and, consequently, on the proposed 
cancellation of preferential subscription rights. 

In accordance with article R. 225-116 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), we will issue a supplementary report, if 
necessary, when your board of directors has exercised this authorization.

Signed in Paris-La-Défense and in Courbevoie, on March 10, 2020 

The Statutory Auditors 

ERNST & YOUNG ET AUTRES 
Jean-Yves Jégourel  
Alexandre Resten 

MAZARS  
Loïc Wallaert
Mathieu Mougard

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

5. Draft resolutions

5. Draft resolutions

Ordinary Meeting

FIRST RESOLUTION

(Approval of corporate financial statements for the 2019 financial year)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report on the Company financial statements and the Statutory Auditors’ report, approves the corporate financial statements 
for the 2019 financial year as presented, as well as the transactions reflected in these statements or summarized in such reports showing a net 
profit of EUR57,108,197.35.

SECOND RESOLUTION

(Approval of consolidated financial statements for the 2019 financial year)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report on the Company consolidated statements and the Statutory Auditors’ report, approves the consolidated statements for 
the 2019 financial year as presented, as well as the transactions reflected in these statements or summarized in such reports.

THIRD RESOLUTION

(Appropriation of profit for the financial year and setting the dividend)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, upon proposal of the 
board of directors:

(i)  after taking into account that the retained earnings amount to EUR3,246,040,431.39 and the total distributable earnings to EUR3,303,148,628.74;
(ii)  decides on the distribution to the 582,068,555 shares with a par value of EUR4 comprising the share capital on December 31, 2019, and 
dividend rights on January 1, 2020, at EUR2.55 per share, and as a result sets at EUR1,484,274,815.25 the amount to withhold on distributable 
earnings to carry out this distribution.

Net profit

Retained earnings
Distributable earnings

Total amount of the distribution
Amount of the retained earnings after withholding from the distribution

EUR57,108,197.35

EUR3,246,040,431.39
EUR3,303,148,628.74

EUR1,484,274,815.25
EUR1,818,873,813.49

With regard to taxation, it is specified that this distribution of EUR2.55 per share constitutes distributed income subject to a social security tax of 
17.2% charged on the gross amount when paid. The gross amount of French-source dividends received by resident individuals will also be 
subject to a mandatory non-definitive levy at source of 12.8%, but exemption from this levy. In 2021, dividends will in principle be subject to a flat 
tax (“Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique” – “PFU”) at the rate of 12.8% unless option for dividends to be subject to income tax at ordinary progressive 
rates. In such case, after applying a 40% (uncapped) allowance, only 60% of the dividends will be included in the taxable income, less any 
deductible charges and expenses. The above-mentioned levy at source of 12.8% will be imputed on the income tax that will be due in 2021 for 
income earned in 2020.

Dividends/coupons paid by Schneider Electric SE for the three most recent financial years are as follows, in EUR:

Net dividend paid per share in EUR

2016

2.04

2017

2.20

2018

2.35

FOURTH RESOLUTION

(Information regarding regulated agreements executed during previous financial years)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, takes due note of the 
information set forth in the Statutory Auditors’ special report relating to the agreements executed during previous financial years and approved 
by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

FIFTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of a new regulated agreement in relation to the terms and conditions of the departure of 
the Deputy CEO Mr. Emmanuel Babeau)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report and the Statutory Auditors’ special report presented in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 225-40 of the French 
Commercial Code on the agreements referred to in Article L. 225-38 of the said Code, and subject to the condition precedent of the approval of 
the 10th resolution by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, approves the agreement relating to the departure of the Deputy CEO Mr. Emmanuel 
Babeau presented in these reports. 

SIXTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of the compensation report in relation to the last financial year)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code, approves, in pursuance of Article L.225-100 II of 
the said Code, the information mentioned in Article L. 225 -37-3 I of the French Commercial Code as presented therein.

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SEVENTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of the components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 
2019 financial year or awarded in respect of the said financial year to Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code, approves, in pursuance of Article L. 225-100 III of 
the French Commercial Code, the fixed, variable and exceptional components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 
2019 financial year or awarded in respect of the 2019 financial year to the Chairman and CEO Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire as presented therein.

EIGHTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of the components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 
2019 financial year or awarded in respect of the said financial year to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code, approves, in pursuance of Article L. 225-100 III of 
the French Commercial Code, the fixed, variable and exceptional components of the total compensation and benefits of all types paid during the 
2019 financial year or awarded in respect of the 2019 financial year to the Deputy CEO Mr. Emmanuel Babeau as presented therein.

NINTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s compensation policy)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate  governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code which describes the features of the  corporate 
officers’ compensation policy, approves, in pursuance of Article L. 225-37-2 II of the French Commercial Code, the compensation policy of the 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer as presented therein.

TENTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of (i) the compensation policy specifically applicable to Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy 
Chief Executive Officer, in pursuance of his departure and (ii) the components of the compensation 
and benefits of all types paid to him during the 2020 financial year or awarded to him in respect of 
the said financial year)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code, approves, subject to the condition precedent of the 
approval by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of the fifth resolution:

(i) 

(ii) 

in  pursuance  of  Article  L.  225-37-2  of  the  French  Commercial  Code,  the  compensation  policy  specifically  applicable  to  Mr.  Emmanuel 
Babeau, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, until April 30, 2020, as described in the corporate governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 
of the French Commercial Code; and
in pursuance of Article L. 225-100 of the French Commercial Code and considering that Mr. Emmanuel Babeau will step down from his 
functions as Deputy Chief Executive Officer after this Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the fixed, variable and exceptional components of the 
total  compensation  and  benefits  of  all  types  paid  during  the  2020  financial  year  or  awarded  in  respect  of  the  2020  financial  year  to 
Mr. Emmanuel Babeau, Deputy Chief Executive Officer until April 30, 2020 as described in the corporate governance report referred to in 
Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code.

ELEVENTH RESOLUTION

(Approval of the board members’ compensation policy)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, after perusal of the 
corporate  governance report referred to in Article L. 225-37 of the French Commercial Code which describes the features of the  corporate 
officers’ compensation policy, approves, in pursuance of Article L. 225-37-2 II of the French Commercial Code, the compensation policy of the 
members of the board of directors as presented therein.

TWELFTH RESOLUTION

(Renewal of a directorship: Mr. Léo Apotheker)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report, hereby resolves to re-elect Mr. Léo Apotheker as a director for a three-year term, due to the statutory provisions relating 
to the age of the directors, expiring at the close of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in 2023 to approve the financial statements for the 
financial year ending December 31, 2022.

THIRTEENTH RESOLUTION

(Renewal of a directorship: Ms. Cécile Cabanis)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report, hereby resolves to re-elect Ms. Cécile Cabanis as a director for a four-year term expiring at the close of the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in 2024 to approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2023.

FOURTEENTH RESOLUTION

(Renewal of a directorship: Mr. Fred Kindle)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board  of  directors’  report,  hereby  resolves  to  re-elect  Mr.  Fred  Kindle  as  a  director  for  a  four-year  term  expiring  at  the  close  of  the  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in 2024 to approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2023.

FIFTEENTH RESOLUTION

(Renewal of a directorship: Mr. Willy Kissling)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report, hereby resolves to re-elect Mr. Willy Kissling as a director for a two-year term expiring at the close of the Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in 2022 to approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2021.

SIXTEENTH RESOLUTION

(Appointment of a director: Ms. Jill Lee)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report, hereby appoints Ms. Jill Lee as a director for a four-year term expiring at the close of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 
to be held in 2024 to approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2023.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

5. Draft resolutions 

SEVENTEENTH RESOLUTION (Authorization granted to the board of directors to buy back Company shares – maximum purchase 

price per share EUR150)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for ordinary meetings, having heard the 
board of directors’ report, hereby authorizes the board of directors, pursuant to the provisions of Article L.225-209 of the French Commercial 
Code  and  of  Regulation  (EU)  no.  596/2014  of  April  16,  2014  on  market  abuse  (market  abuse  regulation),  to  acquire  or  have  acquired  the 
Company’s shares for the purpose of:

•  reducing the share capital within the maximum legal limit;
•  covering share allocations plans to employees or officers of the Company or an associated company;
• 
•  undertaking (for exchange, payment or other purposes) external growth transactions, mergers, spin-offs or contributions (up to a limit of 5% 

fulfilling obligations related debt securities convertible into shares of the Company;

of the share capital);

•  engage in market making under and pursuant to a liquidity agreement consistent with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers accepted market 

practices; or
implementing and carrying out any other market practice that may be recognized by law or the AMF.

• 

The maximum number of shares that may be acquired under and pursuant to this authority shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of 
shares constituting the share capital on the date of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting (i.e. for information purposes, 58,206,855 shares on the 
basis of the share capital as of December 31, 2019).

The maximum share purchase price is set at EUR150 per share without exceeding the maximum price set by applicable laws and regulations.

As a result of the aforesaid limits, the maximum aggregate amount of share buy-backs shall not exceed EUR8,731,028,250.

The acquisition, sale or transfer of such shares may be made on one or more occasions by any means, in the market, on a multilateral trading 
facility  (MTF),  via  a  systemic  internalizer,  or  by  individual,  person-to-person  (over-the-counter)  trade  in  compliance  with  applicable  law  and 
regulations. Such means and methods may include acquisition or sale of blocks on a regulated exchange or directly between individuals (over-
the-counter), to the extent compliant with applicable law and regulations.

These transactions may be carried out at any time, in accordance with current regulations, except during public offerings on the Company’s 
share capital.

Shares acquired may also be canceled, subject to compliance with the provisions of Articles L.225-204 and L.225-205 of the French Commercial 
Code and in accordance with the twenty-fourth resolution adopted by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019.

The board of directors may adjust the prices set forth above in the event of the capitalization of reserves or earnings giving rise either to an 
increase in the par value of the shares, or to the issuance and free award of shares, in the event of a division of the par value of the shares (stock 
split) or amalgamation of shares (reverse split), and, more generally, in the event of a transaction involving shareholders’ equity, to account for the 
impact of the consequences of such transactions on the value of the shares, such price then to be adjusted by a multiplier coefficient equal to 
the ratio between the number of shares constituting the share capital prior to the transaction and such number following such transaction.

Any and all authority is hereby granted to the board of directors with power to grant delegations of authority to implement and carry out this resolution.

This authority shall be valid for a maximum of 18 months from the date of this Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

Extraordinary Meeting

EIGHTEENTH RESOLUTION

(Amendment of Article 11.4 of the Articles of Association to make it consistent with the amended 
laws and provide for the appointment of the second director representing employees by the 
European Works Council)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for extraordinary shareholders’ meetings, 
after  the  Group  Council’s  positive  opinion  and  having  heard  the  board  of  directors’  report,  decides  to  amend  Article  11.4  of  the  Articles  of 
Association to make it consistent with the amended laws and provide for the appointment of the second director representing employees by the 
European Works Council as follows:

• 
• 

• 

in the second paragraph, the number “twelve” is replaced by the number “eight”, twice;
in the third paragraph, the second sentence is replaced by the following sentence: “When two Directors representing employees are to be 
appointed, the second is designated, pursuant to Article L.225-27-1, III, 4° of the French Commercial Code, by the European Works Council 
(employees representative body set up in application of Article L.2352-16 of the French Labor Code)”;
the eighth and last paragraph is replaced by the following one: “This Article shall cease to apply when, at the end of a financial year, the 
Company no longer meets the prerequisites for the appointment of Directors representing employees, being specified that the office of any 
Director representing employees will cease at the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting ruling upon the accounts of said financial year.”

The other provisions of Article 11.4 of the Articles of Association remain unchanged.

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NINETEENTH RESOLUTION

(Amendment of Articles 13 and 16 of the Articles of Association to reflect the amended laws and 
correct a material error)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for extraordinary shareholders’ meetings, 
after having heard the board of directors’ report, decides to amend Articles 13 and 16 of the Articles of Association to correct a material error and 
make them consistent with the amended laws as follows:

• 
• 
• 
• 

in Article 13.4, the word “conditions” is replaced by the word “sureties”;
in Article 13.5, the reference to Article “L.225-42-1” is replaced by the reference to “L.225-42”;
in Article 16.1, the portion of the sentence “, as attendance fees” is deleted;
in Article 16.2, the words “these attendance fees“ are replaced by “this remuneration”.

The other provisions of Articles 13 and 16 of the Articles of Association remain unchanged.

A copy of the Articles of Association of Schneider Electric SE is attached to the minutes of this meeting.

TWENTIETH RESOLUTION

(Delegation of authority to the board of directors to undertake capital increases reserved for 
participants in a Company Savings Plan up to a limit of 2% of share capital, without shareholders’ 
preferential subscription right)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements required for extraordinary meetings, having 
heard the report of the board of directors and the special report of the Statutory Auditors, pursuant to the provisions of Articles L.3332-1 et seq. 
of the French Labor Code and Articles L.225-129-2, L.225-129-6, L.225-138-1 and L.228-92 of the French Commercial Code and in accordance 
with the provisions of that code:

•  delegates  to  the  board  of  directors  the  authority,  with  the  power  to  subdelegate,  for  a  period  of  26  months  from  the  date  of  this  Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting, to undertake a capital increase on one or more occasions at its discretion by issuing shares or securities carrying the 
right to acquire shares of the Company, under the terms and conditions set forth in Article L.225-180 of the French Commercial Code and 
Article  L.3344-1  of  the  French  Labor  code,  reserved  for  participants  in  a  Company  Savings  Plan  and  French  or  non-French  companies 
affiliated with the Company in a maximum par value, or paid-in capital, amount of 2% of the share capital on the date this authorization is 
implemented and given effect, with the possibility to issue shares against cash or by capitalizing reserves, profits or premium in case of grants 
of free shares or of securities granting access to share capital on account for the discount or the matching contribution, it being specified that 
(i) such limit shall be charged against the limits set forth in the fifteenth and seventeenth resolutions adopted by the Annual Shareholders’ 
Meeting of April 25, 2019, and (ii) this authorization may be used only from and after June 30, 2020;

•  hereby resolves to set a maximum discount to be offered in connection with Company Savings Plan at 30% of an average of the trading price of 
the Company’s shares on Euronext Paris during the 20 trading sessions preceding the date of the decision of the board of directors or of its 
authorized representative setting the date to begin taking subscriptions. The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, however, hereby resolves expressly 
to authorize the board of directors to reduce the aforementioned discount within applicable legal and regulatory requirements, or not to grant one, 
in particular so as to take into account the laws and regulations applicable in countries where such offering may be implemented;

•  hereby authorizes the board of directors to make grants of free ordinary shares or other securities granting immediate or differed access to ordinary 
share capital, in total or partial substitution for the discount and/or, as the case may be, for the matching contribution, provided that the value of the benefit 
resulting from this grant on account for the discount or the matching contribution, shall not exceed the limits imposed by applicable law and regulations;
•  hereby resolves that the characteristics of the other securities granting access to Company capital shall be decided and determined by the board of 

directors under the terms and conditions set by applicable law and regulations;

•  hereby resolves to waive in favor of the participants in a Company Savings Plan the shareholders’ preferential right to subscribe for the shares 

and securities granting access to capital to be issued under and pursuant to this resolution;

•  acknowledges that this authorization entails an automatic waiver to preferential subscription rights to shares of which the securities issued on 

the basis of this resolution may carry the right to acquire;

•  hereby resolves that this authorization cancels, effective June 30, 2020, the authorization given by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 

• 

25, 2019, in its twenty-second resolution, for its amounts unused by the board of directors;
the shareholders hereby take note that the board of directors has all authority, with the power to subdelegate authority, to undertake the 
transactions set forth in this resolution and to record and complete the capital increases resulting therefrom.

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ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

5. Draft resolutions 

TWENTY-FIRST RESOLUTION (Delegation of powers to the board of directors to undertake capital increases reserved  

for a category of beneficiaries: in favor of employees of foreign companies of the Group, either 
directly or via entities acting on their behalf thereof to offer employees of foreign companies of the 
Group benefits comparable to those offered to participants in the Company Savings Plan up to 1% 
of share capital, without shareholders’ preferential subscription right)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, acting in accordance with the quorum and majority requirements for extraordinary shareholder meetings, 
having heard the board of directors’ report and the Statutory Auditors’ special report, and in accordance with Articles L.225-129-1, L.225-138 
and L.228-92 et seq. of the French Commercial Code:

•  hereby delegates to the board of directors the authority, with the power to grant subdelegations of authority, necessary to undertake increases 
in the share capital on one or more occasions, at the times and in the proportions it deems appropriate up to a maximum of 1% of the share 
capital on the date of this shareholders’ meeting, by issuing shares or securities providing access to the capital of the Company, granting the 
same  rights  as  previously  issued  shares,  such  issue  to  be  reserved  for  persons  meeting  the  characteristics  of  the  class  defined  below, 
provided, however, that (i) the 1% limit set forth above shall be charged against the 2% limit set forth in the twentieth resolution of this Annual 
Shareholders’ Meeting, but, which, on the other hand, is separate and apart from the limits set forth in the fifteenth and seventeenth resolutions 
adopted by the Annual Shareholders’ meeting of April 25, 2019, and (ii) this authorization may be used only from and after August 1, 2020;
•  hereby resolves to waive the shareholders’ preferential right to subscribe for shares or other securities granting access to the share capital 
pursuant to this resolution and to reserve the right to subscribe to one and/or another class of beneficiaries or recipients having the following 
characteristics:  (i)  employees  and  officers  of  companies  of  Schneider  Electric  Group  affiliated  with  the  Company  under  the  terms  and 
conditions set forth in Article L.225-180 of the French Commercial Code and Article L.3344-1 of the French Labor Code and the head office 
of which is located outside France; (ii) and/or OPCVM mutual investment funds or other entities, with or without legal personality, of employee 
shareholders invested in equity securities of the Company, the unit holders or shareholders of which consist of persons described in (i) of this 
paragraph; (iii) and/or any banking institution or affiliate or subsidiary of such institution acting at the Company’s request for purposes of 
implementing and giving effect to a shareholder incentive or investment or savings plan for the benefit of the persons described in (i) of this 
paragraph, to the extent that subscription of the person authorized in accordance with this resolution would make it possible for employees of 
subsidiaries located outside France to benefit from and take advantage of forms of shareholder incentive or investment or savings plans 
equivalent in terms of economic benefit to those from which the other employees of the Group benefit;

•  hereby takes note that this authorization shall constitute automatically and by law an express waiver by the shareholders, in favor of the holders 
of  securities  granting  access  to  Company  capital,  of  their  preferential  right  to  subscribe  for  ordinary  shares  of  the  Company  which  such 
securities carry the right to acquire;

•  hereby resolves that the amount payable to the Company for all shares issued, or to be issued, and pursuant to this resolution shall be set by 
the board of directors on the basis of the trading price of the Company’s shares on Euronext Paris; the issue conditions shall be determined 
at the discretion of the board of directors on the basis of either (i) the first or last quoted trading price of the Company’s shares at the trading 
session on the date of the decision by the board of directors or the authorized representative thereof setting the issue conditions, or (ii) of an 
average of the quoted prices for the Company’s shares during the 20 trading sessions preceding the date of the decision by the board of 
directors  or  the  authorized  representative  thereof  setting  the  issue  conditions  under  this  resolution  or  setting  the  issue  price  under  the 
twentieth resolution of this Annual Shareholders’ Meeting; the board of directors may set the issue price by applying a maximum discount of 
30% of the trading price of the Company’s shares determined in accordance with either of the two methods set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) of 
this paragraph; the percentage of such discount applied to the trading price of the Company’s shares shall be determined by the board of 
directors taking into consideration, among other things, legal, tax, and regulatory provisions of foreign law applicable, as the case may be, to 
the persons benefiting from the issue;

•  hereby resolves that the board of directors shall have full authority, on the terms and conditions provided by law and within the limits set forth 
hereinabove, to implement and give effect to this authorization and determine the list of the beneficiaries and recipients within the classes 
described in this resolution and the number of securities to be offered to each thereof, provided that the board of directors may decide that 
the capital increase shall be completed for the amounts subscribed, on the condition that a minimum of 75% of the shares or other offered 
securities providing access to capital have been subscribed, as well as, among other things:
 – to determine the characteristics of the securities to be issued, to decide on the issue price, dates, time periods, terms and conditions of 
subscribing therefore, paying the paid-in capital, or nominal amount thereof, delivery and effectiveness of the shares and equity securities, 
the lock-up and early release period, within applicable limits of the law and regulations,

 – to record and determine the capital increase, to undertake the issuance of the shares and other securities carrying the right to acquire 

shares, to amend the Articles of Association accordingly,

 – and, as a general rule, to enter into any agreement, in particular to ensure the due and proper completion of the contemplated issuances, 
take all steps and complete any required formalities in connection with the issue, the listing and financial servicing of the securities issued 
under and this authorization, as well as the exercise of the rights attaching thereto, and, more generally, to do whatever may be necessary;
•  resolves that this delegation shall nullify as of August 1, 2020, the authority given by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of April 25, 2019, in its 

twenty-third resolution for its amounts not used by the board of directors.

The authorization granted under and pursuant to this resolution shall be valid for 18 months from and after this Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

Ordinary Meeting

TWENTY-SECOND 
RESOLUTION

(Powers for formalities)

The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting confers full powers upon the bearer of a copy or excerpts of the minutes confirming these resolutions for the 
purposes of carrying out all legal and administrative formalities.

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Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

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PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT AND AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Persons responsible for the  
Universal Registration Document

Attestation

I declare that, having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case, the information contained in the Universal Registration Document 
is, to the best of my knowledge, in accordance with the facts and contains no omission likely to affect its import. 

I declare that, to the best of my knowledge, the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards 
and that they present fairly the assets, financial position and results of the company and the consolidated Group. To the best of my knowledge, 
the business review accurately presents the changes in business, results and financial position of the company and the consolidated Group, as 
well as a description of their principal risks and contingencies. 

March 17, 2020
The Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric SE 
Jean-Pascal Tricoire

Pursuant  to  article  19  of  Commission  regulation  1129/2017/EU,  the  following  information  is  incorporated  by  reference  in  the  present 
Universal Registration Document:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

the consolidated financial statements and corresponding auditors’ reports provided in Chapter 5 of the registration document for the 
year ended December 31, 2017, registered with Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.18-0138 on March 16, 2018; 
the consolidated financial statements and corresponding auditors’ reports provided in Chapter 5 of the registration document for the 
year ended December 31, 2018, registered with Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.19-0155 on March 15, 2019; 
the parent company financial statements and corresponding auditors’ reports provided in Chapter 6 of the registration document for 
the year ended December 31, 2017, registered with Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.18-0138 on March 16, 
2018; 
the parent company financial statements and corresponding auditors’ reports provided in Chapter 6 of the registration document for 
the year ended December 31, 2018, registered with Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.19-0155 on March 15, 
2019; 
the management report provided in Chapter 4 of the registration document for the year ended December 31, 2017, registered with 
Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.18-0138 on March 16, 2018; 
the management report provided in Chapter 3 of the registration document for the year ended December 31, 2018, registered with 
Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) under number D.19-0155 on March 15, 2019; 

•  Passages not incorporated in these documents are either irrelevant for the investor or covered in another section of the Universal 

Registration Document.

Life Is On | Schneider Electric

 443

 
 
 
 
 
 
PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT AND AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Persons responsible for the audit  
of the financial statements

Statutory Auditors
Ernst & Young et Autres Tour First – 1, place des Saisons – 92037 Paris-la-Défense-Cedex  
Represented by Jean-Yves Jégourel and Alexandre Resten
Mazars Tour Exaltis – 61, rue Henri-Regnault – 92400 Courbevoie  
Represented by Loïc Wallaert and Mathieu Mougard

Alternate Auditors
Auditex
Thierry Blanchetier

Ernst & Young et Autres and Mazars are members of the Auditors’ Regional Company of Versailles.

Date  

appointed

Appointment 
expires

1992

2004

2010
2010

2022

2022

2022
2022

444

Schneider Electric  Universal Registration Document 2019

Financial Calendar

Investor relations 

April 23rd, 2020  
May 7th, 2020  

Shareholder’s Annual Meeting (Paris)
Dividend payment

Financial releases

February 20th, 2020  2019 Annual results 
April 17th, 2020  
July 23rd, 2020  
October 22nd, 2020   Q3 2020 sales

Q1 2020 sales 
Half year results 

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Investors Relations
Amit Bhalla
Tel.: +44(0)20 7592 8216

Press Contact
Véronique Roquet MONTEGON
Tel.: +33(0)1 41 29 70 76
Fax: +33(0)1 41 29 88 14

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