Gaïa Rating - New award for ESI Group's ESG commitment

This award received during the ceremony held on October 19^th, 2021 in Paris, illustrates the efforts made by the Group to continuously improve its CSR commitments (social, societal, and environmental).

2021 was shaped by several significant actions for ESI Group, both within its governance, its environmental commitments, some in collaboration with Reforest'Action, and above all, with initiatives dedicated to its employees.

Particularly shaken by the Covid-19 health crisis, the work-life balance was a field of action for ESI Group, which employs 1,200 people in about 20 countries. In this context, the Group has introduced a "No-Meeting Day": one-day per week dedicated to restoring the importance of taking time, without meetings, enabling employees to work differently. While reducing the stress and pressure caused by overloaded agendas, this format increases the concentration and productivity of teams.

We are delighted with this new distinction from Gaïa Research. In 2021, ESI succeeded in optimizing its ESG commitment on all areas. The pandemic has disrupted the lives of our teams as well as our work habits. With the ‘No-Meeting Day’, we wanted to offer an initiative that would give our employees the opportunity to break the rhythm which could sometimes be counterproductive and allow them to thrive in their missions. We also worked for the Planet by helping reforestation, strengthened the independence of our governance and contributed to the decarbonization of the industry through our solutions. All this would not have been possible without the contribution of all our teams, who, in addition to being expert and recognized, reflect diversity. This is a real source of pride for all of us!

Corinne Romefort-Régnier

ESI Group's Governance Director

We want to be a vector of progress. The companies monitored by the Gaïa Research teams are growing companies with strong development ambitions. Our objective, in addition to supporting financial players in their responsible investment approach, is also to prepare companies for the new expectations of their stakeholders in terms of environmental, social and governance issues. Our evaluations allow investors to identify the most transparent and efficient companies in terms of CSR.

Emmanuel de La Ville

of Gaïa Research.

Methodology:

Since 2009, Gaïa Research has been conducting an annual data collection campaign covering most of the SMEs listed in France. Based on this information, companies are rated on their level of transparency and performance. The ratings are based on 174 criteria (economic, governance, human capital, environment and stakeholders) and are used by leading management companies in their management process and investment decisions. Since its creation, this index has outperformed the CAC 40 and the CAC Mid & Small every year.