INFO Magazine - Focus on COP21 & the business of climate change

french chamber of great britain www.frenchchamber.co.uk

SePtember / october 2015

I N F Ot h e m a g a z i n e f o r a n g l o - f r e n c h b u s i n e s s

IN THIS ISSUE:

Ségolène Royal on her hopes and expectations for COP21Antoine Frérot, Chairman & CEO of Veolia: perspectives on COP21Business leadership in an uncertain world: Carolyn McCall CBE, easyJet CEOPresident Estelle Brachlianoff outlines her vision for the Chamber New Column: THE UK AND EUROPE - Choices and Voices

the businessof climate

change

COP21 &

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info - september / october - �

To start on a good note, I would like to pay tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II, who on 9 September became

Britain’s longest reigning monarch, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years and 216 days. Former Prime Minister Sir John Major, one of the 12 prime ministers of her reign so far, encapsulated this achievement by describing her as ‘an absolute constant’ in British life.

Such continuity provides a stark contrast to what is happening around us. The migrant/refugee crisis is one of the world’s most pressing issues, which has been brought into focus in Europe recently.

In his speech at the annual French Ambassadors’ Conference in Paris, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development also highlighted the Climate Change issues and impending COP21 meeting in Paris. ‘Climate disruption is a problem on whose solution life itself on our planet and the solution to all the other problems depend,’ he said ‘…think about what a temperature rise of 4 to 5 or even 6°C would spell for migration, with consequences for droughts, famines and floods. It wouldn’t be hundreds

of thousands of people who would be tragically affected by migration, like today, but hundreds of millions. In reality, it’s perhaps the greatest trigger for future war or peace.’

It is the topic of Climate Change that this issue of INFO has focused on, with particular emphasis on what is at stake at COP21. An interview with Ségolène Royal brings the government perspective, while various business views on what is being done or needs to be done are presented by business leaders, thought leaders and academics. Other articles consider the issues of financing climate change adaptation and innovation, debate policy direction for renewables, consider consumer attitudes and influence, and look at how business is investing in resilience with various case studies offering examples of best practice. It is a thought-provoking read, which sets the scene for the Paris meetings, which we hope will be progressive and ground-breaking in the fight against global warming.

You will also notice that this issue of INFO has a new look that is more modern, corporate and professional, which we believe is a good reflection of our Chamber and what it stands for. I

President, French Chamber of Great BritainExecutive Vice President of Veolia UK & Ireland

EstEllE Brachlianoff

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It is with great sadness that we announce that laurence Dubois Destrizais, former Minister Counsellor for Economic and Financial Affairs at the French Embassy in the UK and former Advisory Councillor at the Chamber, passed away on 28 August.

‘I first met Laurence five years ago when she came to London as Minister Counsellor and our professional relationship quickly turned into a great friendship. Laurence was a force of nature – a very charismatic person with a strong personality and an amazing energy, demanding of herself and others, highly intelligent, with a great sense of humour. She had moved to Brussels last summer to become a member of the Permanent Representation of France to the European Union, but I kept in regular contact with her. The quick onset of her illness and her passing within only nine months has left many with a profound sense of loss. Our thoughts are with her mother and partner Jean-Michel Mangeot, to whom we offer sincere condolences on behalf of the Chamber.’ Florence Gomez

Available in English on Freesat / Sky / TV PlayerAnd in English and French on Virgin

WORLD NEWS

MADE IN FRANCE

FRANCE24.COM

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6 InterviewwithEstelle Brachlianoff

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9 TheUKandEurope:ChoicesandVoices11 TheBankingUnionexplained

BUSIneSS WoRLD

12 5minuteswith...Rob Davies, CEO AREVA UK 14 Schneider Electricin£1.3bnreverse takeoverofAveva15 SPIEbuysLevenEnergyServices16 JCDecauxwins‘world’sbiggestbusshelter adcontract’17 Bouygues UKappointedformajorLondon regenerationscheme19 Médecins du Monde UKprovidingessential healthcareinCalais20 Profile: LiveSpeech22 SMEnews

eDUcAtIon

24 InterviewwithSimon Mercado, UK Director, ESCP Europe Business School26 Newsbriefs

FocUS

The Business of Climate Change30 Interview:Ségolène Royal32 COP21:whatisbeingnegotiatedandwhy?34 BusinessperspectivesonCOP21andclimate changeissues36 Business wants to be a part of the fight againstclimatechange-Parismustgiveus thegloves37 Businessvsclimatechange:thetruepicture38 A roadmap to finance a low-carbon economy39 COP21: Mobilisation of the financial sector40 Climatechange&theinvestmentmarket42 Arouteforrenewableenergy deployment

44 Winningthechallengeofconsumer sentiment46 Thehiddenenvironmentalimpactofthe Internet47 Buildingaresilientorganisation:why context&materialityreallymatters48 Casestudy:Buildingresilience intosupplyandcustomerchains49 Areva:environmentalmanagementona groupscale49 WARNING: energy fines ahead!50 Businessinnovationoutofclimatechange: -Climpact-Metnext:weathermodelling -INERIS:trackingemissions -TGOGC:people-poweredgyms

LIFeStYLe

53 Exhibitions58 La Cave à Fromage:aworld-classcheeseshop59 Eat,Drink,Stay-briefs60 Cheese&WinePress61 Travelogue:JapanandIreland

cHAmBeR HAPPenInGS 65 Shorties67 Newmembers68 Carolyn McCall OBE,CEOofeasyJet70 BreakfastwithEurostar CEO Nicolas Petrovic 71 The significance of the Magna Carta to our presentage72 Sir John Major:theGEexplained SummerChampagneReception73 DînerdesChefsatClubGascon

FoRUmS & cLUBS 74 Luxury ClubBreakfastatRoyalAlbertHall75 HR Forum-TheroleofHRinCSR76 SME & Entrepreneur Club-Socialmedia forSMEs, challengesandopportunities77 Interview:Jean-PhilippeVerdier,Deputy ChairoftheClimateChangeForum ForthcomingForums&Clubs78 ForthcomingEvents

Managing Director: Florence Gomez Editor-in-chief: Keri Fuller corporate communication Executive: Marielle Fraize Graphic design & cover artwork: Katherine Millet advertising & sales: Suzanne Lycett Publications assistant: Melissa Hattabi subscription: INFO is published every 2 months Printed by: CPI Colour

contributors: Philippe Allard, Richard Brown CBE, Pascal Canfin, Eric Charriaux, Antoine Frérot, Jean-Michel Geffriaud, Pat Gilroy, Jonathan Grant, Christine Fedigan, Thibault Lavergne, Dr Andrea Masini, Simon Mercado, Mike Pini, Simon Pringle, James Robey, Benoît Ronez, Peter Stephenson-Wright, Jean-Michel Sylvestre, Jean-Philippe Verdier, Barnaby Wharton

Distribution: French Chamber members, Franco-British decision makers, Business Class lounges of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Air France in London, Paris and Manchester

Editorial and Publishing office:French Chamber of Great BritainLincoln House, 300 High HolbornLondon WC1V 7JHTel: (020) 7092 6600;Fax: (020) 7092 6601www.frenchchamber.co.uk

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Why did you decide to run for President of the French Chamber? Veolia has been a member of the Chamber since our UK launch in the early 1990s and Jean-Claude Banon held the office of President between 1997-2002. We have definitely benefited from our membership and I think it’s important to give something back.

When I came to the UK in 2012, I knew of the Chamber’s importance and quickly became involved. I served on the Board as Vice-President and as a French Foreign Trade Advisor, I felt very much at home with the team and could see the impetus the Chamber was giving to Franco-British trade.What has been so encouraging for both myself and Deputy President Stephen Burgin is the support we have received since our election in June. It has been a really exciting time and the backing we have gained makes us very positive about the future.

How do you view the Chamber’s role and purpose?Our goal is simple – to help French and British companies both large and small grow their businesses and share best practice. We make this possible through a number of events, forums and support services – we help give you access to the right people face to face.

The Chamber’s 600 members are split fairly evenly between UK and French companies, and range from entrepreneurs and SMEs to blue chips. We provide both business communities with the opportunity to exchange ideas, develop networks and influence policy makers both in the UK and in France.

Our overall aims are to provide a platform for exchange and networking at the service of Franco-British firms in the UK, to promote our members’ interests to key decision makers and to help develop economic and commercial relations between France and the UK.

How would you like to see the Chamber developing in your Presidency?There is an English phrase – ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ What has struck me over the last three months is the determination of our team at the Chamber to provide our members with the best possible service and of course I want to encourage this proactive approach.

What I have found myself from visiting Lincoln House more regularly is the sheer number of opportunities to network from breakfast meetings to evening events. The Chamber is a hive of activity and we also have dedicated Account Managers available, providing a wide range of business consultancy, recruitment and marketing services.

So I think we have an excellent platform in place and I don’t have an agenda for change. I just think we would benefit from greater feedback from our members about what they value and how we have helped them. We also need to make sure that all our existing members are fully aware of our services, and finally, like every organisation, we need to attract new members – and I believe we have a great story to tell.

In your first speech as President you spoke about the importance of diversity. Can you elaborate on this?You are right, I think diversity is all important for companies seeking to develop their business. The truth is there is no

EstEllEBRACHlIANOFFNewPresidentoftheFrenchChamber

Interview

In her first interview since becoming President of the French Chamber in June, Senior Executive Vice President of Veolia UK & Ireland, Estelle Brachlianoff reflects on her role, the Chamber’s mission and her perspective of the business landscape in the UK


monopoly on good ideas and a company that encourages diversity across agenda, ethnicity, sexuality, age and disability will attract talent from a more diverse range of backgrounds.The lifeblood of any company is innovation and I believe diversity is the key to that innovation. Technology is now moving so fast and products are coming to market quicker than ever before. Businesses are seeking that competitive differentiation and only with access to a wide range of people with new ideas will they start to think differently.

As the leader of a French company in the UK what is your perspective of the business landscape and prospects for French companies here?What is so exciting about being in London now is that business and consumer confidence is growing and there is no shortage of opportunities here for French entrepreneurs. My experience is that the UK is a secure investment market, GDP growth is outperforming mainland Europe and there have been considerable efforts to become more ‘business friendly’ to encourage companies to set up and expand.

However for existing French companies or start-ups the message is still the same. You have to try and stay one step ahead, keep close to your customers, understand what they want and try and anticipate ‘the next big thing’.

What is your involvement in the wider business community in the UK?I contribute to a number of business organisations in addition to the Chamber, but I would like to focus on just three – the CBI, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Business in the Community (BITC).

I sit on the Infrastructure Board and President’s Committee of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). This gives me the opportunity to participate in the infrastructure debate from an investor’s perspective and spell out the key issues in terms of legislative certainty and economic security which affect investment decisions.

Equally it allows me to address current topics affecting French and British employers, for example taking part in the CBI’s Great Business Debate about living standards with John

Cridland, Director General of the CBI and Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary.

I am also part of the Ellen MacArthur Circular Economy 100 and the Environmental Leadership team of the BITC. Both organisations offer the opportunity to increase awareness of the importance of improved resource management via a new business model based on the circular economy.

What do you view as the main challenges for business in the current economic and political climate?Clearly, we live in a time of great economic and political change with a host of key issues including economic growth, migration and EU membership. Working for an environmental company, you would expect me to say this, but I am convinced that top of the agenda is how we resource the world. By 2050 the world population will have risen by a third from 7.2 billion to over 9.6 billion and over 70% of those people will live in cities. With a rapidly growing global population and fast increasing consumption, it is clear that security of supply will be one of the biggest risks to business continuity and I believe how we cope with the impending shortage of raw materials will dictate our future.

Do you believe the Chamber has a role to play in voicing French business views on key issues and how do you envisage this developing?There are two issues here – the Chamber as a forum for debate and the Chamber setting out its own viewpoint on key issues.

As a forum for debate I am really proud of how the Chamber is tackling topical issues and our six forums on climate change, cross-cultural relations, finance, human resources, legal and economic debate do a great job at keeping our members up to date.

As a commentator on key issues we have to be aware that we represent the views of all our members, but in issues relating to Franco-British trade we are the authoritative voice. Both Stephen and I look forward to working with our Board and Advisory Council to take advantage of relevant opportunities. I Interview by KF

InteRVIe W WItH e S teLLe BR AcHLIAnoFF

There is no shortage of opportunities here for French entrepreneurs.My experience is that the UK is a secure investment market, GDP growth is outperforming mainland Europe and there have been considerable efforts to become more ‘business friendly’ to encourage companies to set up and expand


comment

Holding the reins of a proudly European business school here in London, I am constantly struck by the tensions

and uncertainties in the UK’s complex relationship with Europe and the European Union. Outside of our organisation, in our local constituency and business community, opinions about the future of Europe and Britain’s place within it are as diverse as the Europe that is our day-to-day reality. Inside our organisation too, there is an honest debate over the precise character of the European project and its future direction. A belief in European identity and interdependency is in the DNA of those that work at ESCP Europe but our mission is to educate Europe’s future professionals and thought-leaders, not to force feed a set view of European integration. Indeed, preparing individuals to lead in an open European marketplace and to develop as global citizens does not equate with promotion of federalist ideals or a particular vision of Europe as a political construct. What it does require, however, is the development of an outward-looking ethos and a management skill-set in which there is firm grasp of the commercial, regulatory and human realities of doing business in modern-day Europe.

So it is from this starting point that I begin my journey with you and reflect over coming months on the character of the British debate on Europe and on Britain’s place in Europe. We will keep tabs on the BREXIT debate and look at some of the fundamentals of UK-EU relations. We will look at emerging models of European co-operation and engagement – it will not be long before the concept of associate membership rears its head – and will assess the debate from the perspective of trade, industry and education. We will also dive deep into some of the psychology that will characterise the Referendum process and debate. In this regard, I am often taken back to the weighty assessment of Winston Churchill that: ‘We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed’. For many, Churchill’s words ring hollow in a later century and after 40 years of economic and political partnership under the auspice of common institutions. And yet, this sense of semi-detachment is something that we confront quickly in today’s debate and in the actions of successive governments. Whether it is Britain’s historical self-perception of difference or simply a clash of philosophies, not all Brits see themselves as ‘European’ and the ‘awkward partner’ label seems as valid today as it was when first coined.

Before disillusionment sets in over yet another column on such matter or yet another phase in our seemingly endless machinations over Europe, let me make a quick case for your attention. Hardened veterans may have a strong sense of déjà vu with current debate and media preoccupation, especially those that remember the Common Market debate of the 1970s. But there is something new in the wind that now blows across Europe and something new in today’s discussions. As I write, Europe is in the midst of a human tragedy where refugees are confused as migrants and bodies wash up on our beaches, in part, because the European ideal is one held by those who perceive themselves to be on the outside, as something safe and privileged. Three generations of Brits have become accustomed to a life where Europe is not so much ‘over there’ but ‘over here’ in our media, consumption and social freedoms. Record numbers of young British people are flooding to the Netherlands and other parts of continental Europe to study at Universities outside of the UK, where tuition fees are lower or non-existent. International schools like ESCP Europe offer leading academic experiences that seamlessly cut across European and global borders. Educational institutions once suspicious of European interference and agenda creep have been busy painting a positive picture of what Europe means and offers today for them and their students. In one eye-opening move, Universities UK has launched its ‘Universities for Europe’ campaign with support from politicians like Chukka Umunna MP. Campaign groups like these are keen to highlight Europe’s role in supporting them to pursue new knowledge and markets, whether this be through access to European talent or funding.

It is now up to the Government to decide when to move and how to move. By the time the next column is published, important matters should have been settled. By no means least, the Government will have taken a stance on the recommendations of the Electoral Commission over the wording of the Referendum question and the Referendum Bill should have passed through Parliament. It looks set to be a choice between ‘remain’ or ‘leave’ but in this debate at least, no choice is ever a straightforward one! I

tHE UK ANd EUROpE: Choices and VoicesInthisnewcolumnabouttheUKanditsrelationshipwithandpositionwithin-orwithout-theEU,Simon Mercado,UKDirectorofESCPEuropeBusinessSchool(whoisinterviewedonpage24-25),setsoutthethemesandissues

This column will run until the referendum on British membership of the EU takes place. Members wishing to contribute to it should contact Keri Fuller at [email protected]

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info - september / october - 11

In June 2012, the governments of the European Union decided the setting up of the Banking Union with the

objective to reinforce the mechanisms of prevention and resolution of banking crisis in Europe.

The Banking Union stands upon three pillars. The first pillar is a single banking supervision in the European Union, supported by a Single Rulebook. It consists in a single set of rules which provide harmonised prudential regulation that credit institutions and investment firms must respect throughout the European Union. The term Single Rulebook was chosen in 2009 by the European Council in order to refer to the aim of a unified regulatory framework for the financial sector of the European Union that would complete the single market in financial services. These prudential rules, which cover topics such as credit, market, operational and liquidity risk but also governance and reporting, are enforced by national competent authorities (e.g. the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom) and the European Central Bank in the Eurozone with the entry into force of the Single Supervisory Mechanism in November 2014.

The second pillar is a European mechanism for the resolution of ailing banks. The purpose of these rules is to ensure that failing credit institutions and/or investment firms can be either liquidated thanks to national rules or put under resolution when necessary. Resolution is implemented with specific tools such as assets sale or separation, the setting up of a bridge bank or the implementation of the bail-in tool. This mechanism is also supported by a single set of rules resulting from the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive and the Guidelines and technical standards developed by the European Banking Authority. The enforcement of these rules is ensured by national resolution authorities and the Single Resolution Board in the Eurozone, which entered into force on 1st January 2015.

Finally, the third pillar consists in a Single Deposit Guarantee scheme which ensures the same level of coverage for all depositors in the European Union and an efficient

collaboration between national deposit guarantee schemes.The development of a set of rules for resolution is

the most important innovation of the financial regulatory framework. In a post Lehman world, it is one of the answers brought by policy makers to the ‘too big too fail’ issue and the

challenges of supporting systemic banks. In this framework, banks should rely eventually not on government support but on resolution plans prepared ex ante, where alternative solutions are prepared when a bank is failing.

Therefore, the banking regulatory supervisory landscape is now covered by two types of rules and institutions: on the one hand, banking supervisors assess the adequacy of the risk profile with the risk management of banks and investment firms throughout their life and on the other hand resolution authorities prepare with institutions the conditions for their orderly resolution when they are failing or they are likely to fail.

In order to strengthen the resilience of the EU financial system, the national authorities of the European Union in charge of supervision and resolution, the European Central Bank and the Single Resolution Board shall ensure an efficient interplay between supervision on the one hand and resolution on the other hand. I

the Banking Union explained PhiliPPe AllArdPolicyExpert,Regulation,EuropeanBankingAuthority

comment

The development of a set of rules for resolution is the mostimportant innovation of the financial regulatory framework

12 - info - september / october

You come from a military background, having spent 25 years in the Royal Navy, commanding warships, and later in the Ministry of Defence. How did you end up in the nuclear and renewable energy industry? Nothing spectacular, there are many ex-military personnel in the UK, French and US nuclear industries. The nuclear culture has similarities with that of the military – it is disciplined, under high scrutiny and there are clear chains of command. National governments take a clear position on industrial civil nuclear, it is a strategic issue, nearly as much as a nation’s military. Also, both military and civil nuclear projects tend to be capital intensive, they have significant timelines and a plethora of stakeholders. So there is a great deal in common, not least a common stakeholder (sometimes shareholder): the national government. But at least in civil nuclear, sea sickness or ‘mal de mer’ is not an issue.

What is AREVA’s history in the UK, and what is the company doing here today?The UK is a major target market for AREVA, today and tomorrow. We have a historical presence in the UK, dating back 30 years, partnering and providing services to the UK nuclear industry across the entire nuclear cycle from fuel supply and reactor services to decommissioning and waste management.

Today, as well as being involved with new build at Hinkley Point C with EDF Energy and supplying fuel and outages services at Sizewell B, the group is well established at the Sellafield site, where it is set to continue to play a key role in cleaning up hazardous wastes, notably as part of the Silos Direct-encapsulation Plant (SDP) project, with our UK partners Mace and Atkins.

With already 300+ people operating at 15 sites across the UK, the company is gearing up to work on other projects and is developing its UK base through the deployment of an engineering arm in the north west of England, a new office

in West Cumbria to be closer to our client Sellafield, and through further partnerships with leading UK companies.AREVA is also supporting the UK’s low carbon energy mix through Adwen, its 50/50 joint venture with Gamesa dedicated to offshore wind. Adwen operates in the UK from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

AREVA has an historical approach of partnerships with UK leading firms and suppliers to deliver its projects in the UK. Can you tell us a bit more about this and the latest initiatives and agreements?It is a clear strategy of AREVA to build and maintain strong partnerships with UK industry because: (1) it is the only way to ensure competitive project delivery tailored to clients’ needs and country regulations; and (2) because we are committed to contribute to the development of business growth in the countries and communities in which we operate.

As of today, we are currently involved in six major projects in the UK, four of which are delivered alongside UK partners such as Atkins, Mace, AMEC and Rolls-Royce, and engaged in discussions with a number of others regarding futures projects.

With regard to the supply chain, more than 20 UK companies are already part of AREVA’s nuclear supply chain and working on projects worldwide, and twice as many have received initial approval to join.

In early June, we partnered with UKTI to organise the first supplier event focusing on the decommissioning and waste management sectors to support UK projects. Over 100 company representatives attended the event which provided a platform to foster new partnerships and open opportunities in both domestic and international markets.

We also became the 250th member of the Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster in order to build strong ties and close business relationships with the Cumbrian supply chain as we expect to grow our operations in the region.

rob daviesCEO, AREVA UK Ltd

5 minutes with


Philippe Knoche, AREVA’s CEO identified the UK as a strategic country for the group in his 4 March announcements on the group’s future. Has this position changed with the decision to split the company into two with the reactors and their services on one side and the nuclear fuel cycle on the other? The simple answer is no, the UK remains a key target market. The UK and France are clearly at the forefront of European nuclear, with both nations having a strong nuclear industrial base and installed nuclear generation capacity. The UK is driving European new nuclear with major new build investments being developed. So the decision to create two companies from the group doesn’t alter the fact that the UK is one of the two key markets along with Asia for all of AREVA’s activities. For the new AREVA, the ambitions are clear and two-fold in the UK:

Contributing to the success of Hinkley Point C, then Sizewell C, as one of EDF Energy’s partners as well as continuing to support Sizewell B Nuclear Power Plant with fuel supplies and outages services.Remaining a key partner to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to support the UK’s clean-up and legacy waste management programmes, notably at Sellafield where we are committed for the long term and keen to provide, amongst other projects, a solution for the plutonium stockpile stored on site with AREVA’s Convert project.

Can you tell us a bit more about this Convert project?The UK is currently storing 100 tonnes plus of plutonium at Sellafield. Not only does this cost in the region of £80 million annually to manage but from a security and proliferation risk standpoint, this issue needs to be addressed.

AREVA Convert is the industrial solution we propose to eliminate 100% of the stockpile, converting at least 95% of the plutonium into valuable fuel to power UK’s new nuclear plants, with the remaining material to be treated to make it suitable for final, safe storage. Based on our proven Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel technology employed successfully for 40 years in France, the project will require the construction of a new facility at Sellafield to reprocess the plutonium, bringing new jobs and investment to Cumbria and to the wider UK supply chain while supporting the UK in tackling its energy challenges and meeting its environmental, safety and non-proliferation targets.

Through the Adwen joint venture, AREVA has an offshore wind offer in the UK. What developments and ambitions do you have in this area?Since its creation in March this year, Adwen is working with numerous UK utilities and developers. The JV is confident that

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its new 8MW wind turbine – which features the largest rotor available and has already a secured pipeline of 1.5GW – will give a competitive edge to the utilities and developers in this very competitive UK market where the Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction system put in place by the UK Government strives for ever lower strike prices and the reduction of the offshore wind energy costs. There is therefore a clear need for larger wind turbines which can offer a reduced and optimised lifetime cost/MWh. Adwen is thus committed to play a key role in the UK market in the coming years, including through the development of local content, if long-term visibility and market volume can be ensured under the current market framework.

What are AREVA’s main challenges in its areas of operation in the UK?Nuclear is a long term business. To be successful we need to offer products and services required by the UK, at a competitive price and, to be able to deliver these in a safe and sustainable way. In addition, our clients seek continuity and certainty of delivery. So to achieve this, we are building a UK engineering workforce, complemented by French colleagues, and establishing enduring industrial relationships with our UK partners. In parallel, we are establishing footholds in the key nuclear centres of Sellafield and Warrington. These are the foundation stones for a sustainable future. There is much similarity between the nuclear industries of France and the UK. They are, and will be in the foreseeable future, the drivers for European nuclear, thus greater cooperation between the two nations, establishing common ground, could do much to optimise synergies, reduce cost and increase industrial certainty. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of the Airbus book.

What does AREVA UK get from being a member of the French Chamber?Being part of the Chamber is simply coherent with who we are and what we do in the UK, namely building on French and British strengths and bringing them together to deliver and answer to our clients’ needs. We therefore fully share the Chamber’s values and objective aimed at fostering economic, technological and commercial relations between French and British companies. It is also for us a great platform to raise brand awareness in a country where AREVA is not necessarily well known outside of the Franco-British business community and the energy sector. Finally, it gives us the opportunity to touch base and share experiences and best practices with all type and size of companies on a number of occasions which always proved instructive and interesting at many levels. I Interview by KF

5 MINUTES WITH rob davIES

France and the UK are... the drivers for European nuclear, thus greater cooperation between the two nations could do much to optimise synergies, reduce cost and increase industrial certainty


ENGIE signs land contract for UK nuclear plant

ENGIE’s UK subsidiary, NuGeneration Ltd (NuGen), has signed a land contract for Moorside with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in order to build a new nuclear power plant. The proposed Moorside Nuclear Power Plant at Sellafield, West Cumbria, with 3.4GW net output capacity, will be the UK’s biggest nuclear power station, delivering enough low-carbon electricity to power approximately 6 million homes.

This project meets the British government’s CO2 emissions reduction and energy supply security objectives. When in full operation, the Power Plant will meet 7% of the UK’s anticipated electricity needs. The first reactor is expected to enter into service by 2024 and its construction and operation is expected to create up to 21,000 jobs. I www.engie.com

Schneider Electric has reached a deal with AVEVA Group PLC, the British engineering software company spun out of Cambridge University in the 1960s, which effectively amounts to a £1.3bn reverse takeover of the UK group. Schneider Electric will own 53.5% of the enlarged AVEVA Group while also combining its software operations with the UK group.

The combination of the two groups is expected to create a business active in sectors ranging from nuclear power to pharmaceuticals and less reliant on oil and gas markets but it will also create a global leader in industrial software, with a unique portfolio of asset management solutions from design & build to operations. The group will also establish a ‘best in class’ management team and increased brand profile for attracting further talent. I www.schneider-electric.com

Schneider Electric in £1.3bn reverse takeover of AVEVA

bUSINESS WorLd - CoMPaNY NEWSCompiled by Marielle Fraize

John Clarke, the NDA’s CEO, with Tom Samson, NuGen’s CEO

Alstom and JV partner Taylor Woodrow have completed work on the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) extension. The expanded network has more than doubled the existing tram line, with 17.5km of new track and 28 new stops to the South and Southwest of the city, with the extension linking directly with the existing NET Line One at Nottingham Station. The total tram network is now 32km in length, serves seven park and ride sites, and is able to cater for up to 20 million passenger journeys a year.

‘We’re delighted to have finished what was the region’s biggest construction project and, more importantly, a project that offers the people of Nottingham a modern, effective, low carbon transportation system. Everyone can now see, and enjoy, the benefits of the expanded network,’ said Terence Watson, UK Managing Director of Alstom Transport.

The joint venture built all associated infrastructure for the project, including overhead wires, track and signalling. Iwww.alstom.com

Alstom completes work on Nottingham tram extension

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SPIE, a European leader in electrical, mechanical and HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) engineering services, energy and communication systems, has acquired Leven Energy Services, an independent utilities contractor supporting Distribution Network Operators. This latest move expands SPIE’s operations into the gas, water and substation sectors as Leven Energy Services provides a range of engineering and utility services, including mains replacement, underground cabling and overhead line management. Leven’s strong client base includes National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Electricity North West and Scottish & Southern Energy.

James Thoden van Velzen, CEO of SPIE UK, commented: ‘This acquisition is the next step forward after the creation of SPIE ENS (Electricity Network Solutions) two years ago when we entered into the power line contracting market. Since then, we have been involved in some very exciting projects – including the recently reported network renovation with Northern Ireland Electricity. We are looking forward to developing our reach further and becoming one of the biggest players in the utility sector.’ Leven Energy Services will integrate with SPIE ENS to become SPIE Distribution & Transmission. The entity will be one of the largest woodpole distribution service providers in the UK by both volume and resource. I www.spieuk.com

SPIE buys Leven Energy Services

bUSINESS WorLd - CoMPaNY NEWS

Thales awarded Underground signalling contract

Thales has been awarded a £760 million contract by Transport for London to deliver the vital modernisation of the signalling and train control system of four London Underground lines – the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. As a result, up to 1,100 jobs and 60 apprenticeships will be sustained or created, both in London and across the UK.

‘Once completed, 60% of the London Underground will have been modernised using Thales signalling technology,’ said Thales Chairman & CEO Patrice Caine.

The improvements will boost capacity by an average of a third on the four lines, which is vital to support London’s growing population, expected to increase from 8.6 million today to 10 million by 2030. Work is expected to begin later this year and the main benefits will be delivered by 2022, when the frequency of trains running during peak periods will increase to 32 trains per hour in central London – a train every two minutes. I www.thalesgroup.com



JCDecaux wins ‘world’s biggest bus shelter ad contract’

JCDecaux, the number one Outdoor advertising company worldwide and the number one in the UK, has been awarded what Transport for London (TfL) describes as the world’s largest bus shelter advertising concession, in a deal worth €700m across a period of eight years. From 1 January 2016, JCDecaux will sell ad space across 4,900 of TfL’s bus shelters. London’s public transport provider said the new contract provide more digital ads, more interactive advertising and local information. The digitisation of the London bus shelters will provide a complete digital footprint in London covering all the touchpoints in the consumer journey.

Jean-Francois Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: ‘JCDecaux is delighted to have been awarded the prestigious TfL advertising contract, the world’s largest bus shelter advertising concession. London’s economy and population is booming. The city is changing at a rate not seen since Victorian times and it will have a 10 million population by 2030 increasing its value as a market for advertisers’. I www.jcdecaux.co.uk

Asendia creates guide to cross-border commerce for retailers

Asendia, the Joint Venture between La Poste and Swiss Post, has strengthened its position as an international facilitator of cross-border e-commerce, by providing a range of online support materials to retailers who want to sell their products across borders. Already one of the world’s leading companies for the distribution of international mail and parcels to over 200 destinations, Asendia set up a dedicated microsite at www.ecommerce.asendia.com, designed to make cross-border commerce easy and reliable. The material is available in various languages and allows businesses to assess their preparedness for the challenges related to entering new markets. On the site, retailers can complete a self-assessment tool (FitCheck) to find out about how their business can optimise its cross-border shopping experience. As an additional support tool, visitors to the microsite can download the 2015 Pocket Guide to Cross-Border E-commerce. I www.asendia.com

AREVA gets contract for nuclear site decommissioning

AREVA has signed a framework contract with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Shared Service Alliance to provide engineering services for nuclear site decommissioning. The contract applies to 12 sites throughout the UK managed by the decommissioning company Magnox Ltd as well as the nuclear site at Dounreay in Northern Scotland, Radioactive Waste Management Limited’s site in Harwell and the Low-Level Waste Repository in West Cumbria. The first segment of the contract, won by AREVA and its British partner Atkins, includes engineering and design services for decommissioning projects. The second, won by AREVA’s British safety and environmental risks assessment consultancy subsidiary, AREVA RMC, combines studies for the management of waste from nuclear site decommissioning. I www.uk.areva.comGlove box, decommissioning of Cadarache plant, France

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VINCI joint venture wins ‘smart’ motorway contract

Highways England, the government-owned company responsible for managing the core road network in England, has awarded a contract to convert a section of the M5 southwest of Birmingham into a ‘smart’ motorway to a joint venture comprising VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Taylor Woodrow and Balfour Beatty.

The €65 million project, part of the Smart Motorways Programme, will add capacity to an 18km section of the M5 motorway southwest of Birmingham by converting the hard shoulder to a traffic lane with digital signage telling drivers what speed to drive at, if lanes are blocked or closed and about incidents up ahead. Traffic flows will be managed in real time with sensors sending information to a control centre that is able to modulate speed limits. The improved traffic flow will benefit thousands of motorists a day.

The major project entity of VINCI group has already turned large parts of the UK’s motorway system into smart roads. I www.vinci-construction-projects.com

Bouygues UK appointed for major London regeneration scheme

The first construction contract for an ambitious regeneration project in Barking, being jointly delivered by East Thames and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD), has been awarded to Bouygues UK, the British subsidiary of Bouygues Construction.

East Thames and LBBD are renewing the eastern end of the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, with shared responsibility for funding, design, construction and maintenance. Designed by architects Levitt Bernstein and Allies & Morrison, the first 190 homes will become available by 2018 and will be part of

Phase One of the project, as well as the construction of an energy centre. Altogether, the contract represents a value of approximately £41.5m. This first phase of the scheme has already won a ‘Project Award’ at the Housing Design Awards.

Commenting on the new contract, Bouygues UK Managing Director for Housing London, John Campion, said: ‘We’re very happy to be working with East Thames and LBBD as part of the overall masterplan to regenerate Gascoigne Estate, as well as increasing our contribution to the wider regeneration of the borough as a whole.’ I www.bouygues-uk.com

CONSTRUCTING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

At VINCI Construction Grands Projets, we engineer solutions that are not only financially competitive, but also work in a way that is sustainable for the planet.

Sustainability goes beyond the care we take in protecting our people and our environment. It’s also a commitment to offer new solutions to our clients and stakeholders.

We nurture Innovation.

Every two years, the VINCI Innovation Awards get increased entries, reaching 2,075 in 2013. These awards reflect the core values of the group and we are proud at VINCI Construction Grands Projets that the Lee Tunnel project (Thames Water) was awarded the Grand Prize in the UK & Ireland.

To learn more please visit www.vinci-construction-projects.com/british-isles

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AD_VINCI_2014_v11.indd 2 22/11/2013 15:16



Veolia selects its 2015 Apprentice of the Year

Veolia demonstrated its long-term commitment to apprentices with a special awards ceremony at the House of Commons in July. Skills Minister, Nick Boles MP and Veolia’s Senior Executive Vice-President, UK & Ireland, Estelle Brachlianoff, presented its 2015 Apprentice of the Year Award to Ben Thompson, a 22-year-old electro-mechanical engineering apprentice who was selected from 500 Veolia apprentices across the UK.

‘As a two-time winner of the National Vocational

Qualifications Employer of the Year award, we see many of our future leaders emerging from our apprenticeship programme which is central to our investment in the company’s long-term development,’ Estelle Brachlianoff said.

Skills Minister Nick Boles MP said: ’It’s crucial that employers like Veolia continue supporting high quality apprenticeships which help young people build their skills and help boost the UK’s productivity and prosperity.’ I www.veolia.co.uk

Estelle Brachlianoff with Apprentice of the Year Ben Thompson

AXA PPP Healthcare recognised as Green World Ambassador

AXA PPP Healthcare, the UK healthcare arm of AXA, has been recognised as a Green World Ambassador by The Green Organisation for its programme of environmental commitment. This new accolade, which comes as part of the Green Apple Awards, will see AXA PPP Healthcare’s environment management achievements published in The Green Organisation’s Green Book as an example of corporate best practice.

The organisation reached ISO 14001 environmental management standard across all of its office sites in 2014. Among the achievements recognised by The Green Organisation were a reduction of its carbon footprint by 46 tonnes since 2007, a reduction in water usage of 787m3, and the elimination of 2.5 million pages of A4 from use across AXA PPP Healthcare offices. For the future, the business continues to focus on improvement, setting itself targets to maintain a focus on reducing energy consumption. I www.axa.co.uk

Médecins du Monde UK providing essential healthcare in Calais

Migrants in and around Calais are living in appalling conditions including pregnant women and very young children, many of them unaccompanied. Most lack essentials such as safe drinking water, adequate food, sanitation and proper shelter.This is causing a huge number of health issues among the migrants including mental trauma, respiratory and skin problems.

Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) is the only

charity providing medical help on the ground in Calais. It has a clinic in the main ‘Jungle’ camp where a team of volunteer doctors and nurses provide essential medical consultations, counselling and psychological support services for up to 90 people a day. It also provides tents, sleeping bags and hygiene kits to those in other camps in the region. To donate to Doctors of the World’s emergency appeal, please visit: www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/pages/calais-appeal I

Nick Boles MP takes a selfie with Veolia’s finalist apprentices


bUSINESS WorLd - SPoTLIGHT oN SMES

Profile

Olivia brings the communications expertise to the partnership. Before founding her own communications

agency O2P in 2007, she spent 15 years ‘in the field’, working in communications roles for the French National Assembly and Nuclear Safety Authority as well as for Nicole Ameline, then Minister for Women’s Rights and most notably Christine Lagarde, then Minister for Foreign Trade, whom she accompanied to high ranking meetings such as the WTO Ministerial Conference and Davos Economic Forum in 2005-6 as communications supervisor. Drawing on all her experience, she now advises companies, institutions, experts and prominent personalities, including politicians, on their communications strategies, public relations and tools such as public speaking. Olivia was initially based in France, but moved to London in 2010, and now works between the two capitals. London is where she is developing the coaching side of the business with Etienne, aimed at foreign professionals in the UK. ‘I realised that for many non-British managers, public speaking is a challenge,’ says Olivia. ‘They lack confidence and find it stressful because they don’t learn how to do it at school like you do in the UK.’

LiveSpeech

LiveSpeech was an idea conceived at a Chamber event by two Chamber members, and this bilingual public-speaking and media-training platform that combines their complimentary skills was launched at the Chamber when Olivia Penichou and Etienne Duval conducted their first workshop in April


Explaining the different cultural approaches is where Etienne comes in. ‘It’s very important and useful to help people understand the very different way of addressing an audience in the UK,’ he says. ‘The British approach is to start with a joke and continue in a vein of self deprecation while keeping it focused and light. The French, on the other hand, favour formality and jokes are frowned upon.’

Etienne’s insights come from his bilingual, bicultural background, thanks to French and Scottish parentage and a ‘traditional’ upbringing in both France and the UK. ‘I have a passionate interest in helping each side decode and understand the other,’ he says. His education too, in both the French Lycée system and an English public school, followed by Brasenose College, Oxford (notably David Cameron’s alma mater), gave him ‘a proper insight into the way the establishment works in both countries’.

After his French military service, Etienne joined the BBC World Service, working in the French radio service for three years before deciding to go freelance, ‘randomly’ picking India as a base from where he reported for French newspapers and radios at the time of the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the Bhopal disaster. He later returned to London as a broadcast journalist for French language media, including Le Matin de Paris, Europe 1, Arte, TV5, la RTBF and RTS. ‘My purpose in life has always been to explain the English-speaking world to French-speaking people,’ he says wryly.

Training journalists was something Etienne was increasingly drafted in to do by various television and media organisations, and as he enjoyed it, he decided that this, along with media training for corporate clients, some independent journalism and communications consulting would be the core business of his own boutique company, NewTownVision, which he set up a few years ago. He has deliberately kept his client list small, but works very

thoroughly with them ‘to look good on television’.When Olivia and Etienne met, they realised there was

a complementary intersection between their two small companies, and that their combined firepower had the makings of an effective coaching business. ‘Leaders have to grow and be visible with public speaking and media interviews. If they are not ready for that, they won’t progress,’ says Olivia. ‘Knowledge is acquired slowly, but when a crisis hits, things happen very fast,’ Etienne adds. ‘By then, it’s far too late to acquire the right reflexes, so we believe it’s cleverer to put in the training ahead of time so you are equipped when the time comes.’

To enhance their offering, both bring skills from outside

of the overlap, notably Etienne’s pre and post production know-how as a television producer and broadcast journalist, and Olivia’s expertise with content and messages as an advisor. Conducted within small groups or individually, the interactive coaching is tailored to each and every client with the objective of preparing them for any public situation. And for both Olivia and Etienne, the context of the Chamber is important for the contacts and support in working with French companies.

With a potentially large pool of clients in London, the pair has high hopes for their new joint venture, LiveSpeech; the workshop that kicked it off has already led to a new client project and a second workshop at the Chamber is planned for 22 October… Before long, a new breed of presentationally polished French business leaders will be taking on the British at their own game! I www.livespeech.eu

I realised that for many non-British managers, public speaking is a challenge...They lack confidence and find it stressful because they don’t learn how to do it at school like you do in the UK

Top right: Etienne Duval puts a client in front of a camera for a practice media interviewLeft: Olivia Penichou (left) and Etienne Duval (right) conducting a workshop at the Chamber


Blick Rothenberg LLP launches Tech Business Awards

Blick Rothenberg LLP and other leading enterprises have teamed up to launch the Tech Business Awards. The awards are part of Blick Rothenberg’s 12-month Tech Business programme, available to 10 tech companies who will receive tailored financial guidance. Nilesh Shah, Partner, said: ‘Young tech companies often fall at the first hurdle, not because their technology is poor but simply because they do not have

the right financial infrastructure or the right mentor as the business is growing.

Our role in this project is to provide guidance around finance and tax, but also use our considerable experience of dealing with tech companies to mentor founders on the disciplines of running and growing a business.’ Iwww.blickrothenberg.com

Expandys to represent Galicia region in the UK

Expandys, the international expansion advisory company, has won the call for tender to represent the Spanish region of Galicia in the UK through its collaboration with PEXGA, the Agency for External

Promotion and public entity of the Regional Government of Galicia. I www.expandys.com

Joseph partners with the Franco-British Lawyers Society

International Fashion House Joseph, whose identity is built upon its dual nationality, has been working closely with The Franco-British Lawyers Society in order to support the understanding of legal differences between France and the UK. As part of the close partnership, Joseph will sponsor a conference on 9 October at Notre Dame University in Paris, organised by the Franco British Lawyers Society, at which lawyers and experts from the art world will share their knowledge and experiences of working in the Art and Law sector. I www.joseph-fashion.com

bUSINESS WorLd - SME NEWS

Anthony & Co UK rebrands as ALTYX Financial Planning

Following recent changes in the business, Anthony & Co UK has changed its name to ALTYX Financial Planning. The redesign and brand changes have been accompanied by the launch of a new website. An Independent Financial Adviser (IFA), ALTYX Financial Planning is specialised in working with expatriates and corporate clients in the UK and France. I www.altyxfp.com

OVH.com pairs up with Cavium for public Cloud

OVH.com, the world’s third largest Internet hosting company, paired up with Cavium this July to launch the world’s first ARMv8 based public Cloud. This deployment is an example of OVH.Com’s leadership in delivering latest industry leading technologies to the tech community. From web hosting to virtual data centres, all of their services benefit from continuous innovation and are regularly enriched with new features..’ I www.ovh.co.uk

MyInternshipAbroad working with Frenger International

MyInternshipAbroad, the agency specialised in recruitment of French interns for UK companies, has been collaborating with Frenger International, the international business development specialists, by providing them with a significant number of interns from the top French business schools. These two companies, both members of the Chamber, have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration since 2010. I www.myinternshipabroad.com


French Radio London celebrates its 5th anniversary

On the occasion of its 5th anniversary in November, French Radio London in collaboration with Thierry Suc will be hosting a concert by the award-winning singer Calogero on 9 November 2015. Calogero, who received several accolades at the NRJ Music Awards and Victoires de la Musique, will be performing for the first time in London at La Scala, King’s Cross. Tickets are available at http://frenchradiolondon.com/calogero

Still the only UK-based French radio station, FRL has

achieved a lot in 5 years. Not only has it been keeping its audience entertained with a mix of French music, exclusive talk shows and local news, but it has also worked in partnership with private businesses, governmental and non-profit organisations to promote local cultural events, and has given a voice to young French entrepreneurs, start-ups, charities and other organisations to raise awareness of their businesses and causes. I www.frenchradiolondon.com

bUSINESS WorLd - SME NEWS

Rival Colour signs up to Living Wage Scheme

Commercial printer Rival Colour has become one of the first companies to sign up to the Living Wage Accreditation scheme for the next 5 years. This means that it will pay all employees over the age of 18 no less than the London Living Wage of £9.15 per hour. Managing Director Nick Clode says, ‘Rival has always invested in the staff, which has been reflected in the average length of service in the company being over 20 years... We value the staff and their expertise they bring, so we feel it is only right to make this commitment to them in return.’ Rival believes this may benefit the company with more work as like-minded companies and councils will want to do business with each other. I www.rivalcolour.com

New office for Henri Wedier

Henri Wedier, a multi-disciplinary firm specialising in audit, advisory, tax, legal and accounting services, has recently opened a new office in Saint Martin Boulogne, 15 minutes drive from Eurotunnel Le Shuttle in the North of France. Dedicated to subsidiaries of foreign companies or

individuals establishing or developing business in France, Cabinet Henri Wedier is developing a new corporate culture offering a full range of services for entrepreneurs who wish to deal effectively with people from different nationalities. I www.cabinetwedier.fr

Credit Limits International Ltd gets Healthy Business Award

Independent owner-managed international debt collection agency Credit Limits International Ltd was one of a few SMEs to pick up a Kent Healthy Business Award in July 2015. The company is continuing to build its reputation for commitment to best practice in health, safety and wellbeing. A number of measures have been added to the company’s Staff Handbook, including its famous non-smoking breaks, and it has been working with Swale, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils to introduce new policies that place health and wellbeing at the heart of business.

The French Chamber uses the services of Credit Limits International. I www.creditlimitsinternational.com

L to R: Graham Gibbens, Kent County Council, Pierre Haincourt, Managing Director and Kent Swindells-Spruzen, Collections Manager Southern Europe, Credit Limits International Ltd


EdUCaTIoN - INTErvIEW

You were appointed UK Director of ESCP Europe Business School in April. What is your background and what aspects will you be bringing to your new role?I am the first British national to serve as UK Director for a number of years. As such, I bring a fresh eye, which is both local and international, to the opportunities and challenges of developing our London campus. I have over a decade’s experience in higher education management in the UK, primarily at Nottingham Business School, where I worked in both academic and managerial roles. Complementing that, I have been fortunate enough to study, teach and work in several countries and have good experience in international education practice and marketing. I bring that ‘glocal’ history to this role along with a belief in the internationalisation imperative. What I mean by this is that we live and function in a globalised and connected economy; modern education has to reflect that.

The internationalisation of higher education is one of your primary research and professional interests, which fits well with ESCP Europe’s model. How does this feed into your strategy for ESCP Europe’s London campus?ESCP Europe is a truly authentic multi-national European business school – a school with five ‘doors’ or campuses (soon to be six with the opening of one in Warsaw in partnership with Kozminski University. The others are in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid and Torino.) It has a unique level of integration across those campuses, with academic programmes, designed and delivered jointly by faculty in our different locations, and programmes experienced by students across those campuses. I have been talking, writing and teaching about international education models for the best part of 20 years and ESCP Europe is one of the most mature and developed examples. I also believe passionately in the development of intercultural effectiveness. ESCP Europe has developed a position of leadership in cross-cultural management, knowledge and practice, and that is something I am keen to contribute to.

Strategically, the London campus is important within this multi-centre model, a ‘pole’ of ESCP Europe in Europe’s most global city. I aim to support key pillars of our European strategy, including the development of transnational education experiences and the promotion of responsible leadership. In many respects, the demands upon management educators have never been greater – to respond to the effects of the financial crisis, as well as the social, environmental and geopolitical challenges that we all face collectively. We need to help develop a new generation of leaders who are not only equipped with technical skills and competencies, but also to deal with the complexities and uncertainties that characterise the contemporary business environment. It is important that as we develop the portfolio here in London, we develop global citizens and hold to the humanist values that have always been a part of ESCP Europe’s DNA.

Our new Bachelor in Management (BiM) programme is an example of how we are approaching this task. It is the first Bachelor degree in the history of the school and launches in London this September. The curriculum includes business management, psychology, philosophy, economics and languages. It runs over three years, with students moving across three campuses and national cultures. This is ESCP Europe’s very unique form of ‘intra-institutional’ mobility, which aims to develop individuals that are cosmopolitan, culturally literate and comfortable in different environments and cultures. Campus London is proud to be its launch pad.

How international is your London campus? We have over 20 nationalities across a core staff of 60 and 28 nationalities within the student body approaching 500. That number does not count those on our customised executive education programmes. You can touch, feel and hear the international character of the place when you are here day to day. This is a living, breathing example of multi-campus international education at its best.

Professor siMoN MerCadoUK Director, ESCP Europe Business School

Interview


How do you see the evolution of the UK campus and programmes?The school has an excellent reputation in key areas. Finance is one; our Master in Finance has just been ranked number 3 in the world. Energy, oil and gas is another, with a flourishing Master in Energy Management and a very successful research centre based in London. Another area of expertise is around Marketing (Creativity/Digital/Analytics) and we have a strong Masters in Creativity Marketing. We also have an international research centre in health management innovation across the London and Paris campuses and this is the next area for course development. Indeed, alongside our FT ranked ‘transnational’ programmes (MIM and EMBA), we are running locally led Masters programmes in our core areas of expertise. We’re also building on some fantastic research expertise in this school with our core faculty of 20 staff, many of whom are producing world-leading published research and papers. Our aim is to have that sought-after trinity of outstanding programmes in key areas, first-rate research and world-class graduates making an impact in business and government. We are also looking to expand our expertise in executive education and bespoke management development to a wider client base. A key part of my mission and mandate is to connect and engage with the corporate community more fully

here. We have built links with the City and leading business firms across London and the Southeast and these will develop. We are also looking to capitalise on our positioning with respect to the M1 and M40 corridors. We already have very strong programmes in place with a range of international firms and run an executive development programme for NATO. We are primed to apply that international experience more sustainably here in the UK. In doing so, we can call on a large network of experts and an expert faculty. Most of our professors have recent or current industry experience.

ESCP Europe has long-established links with the French Chamber, particularly with its forums and conferences. How do you see this relationship developing?We are proud of our history of working together with the French Chamber, and both our faculty and services staff will continue to do so. It is a positive and stimulating relationship, which underlines the importance and significance of London to French business. We were particularly encouraged by being awarded the Chamber’s 2015 Intercultural Trophy in recognition of our efforts to develop culturally intelligent, multilingual excellence in the sphere of business education. I Interview by KF

MAP YOUR OWN

COURSE!ESCP Europe Executive MBA

The World’s First Business School (est. 1819)

www.escpeurope.eu ESCP Europe is among the 1% of business schools worldwide to be triple-accredited

ESCP Europe Executive MBA:2nd worldwide for International Course Experience(Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking, 2014/15)

The Executive MBA is an 18- or 30-month part-time programme with a range of international study tracks, electives and seminars.

Apply Now for 2016!Ensure your place in our Januaryintake at escpeurope.eu/mba

ScholarshipsAvailable to Women Leaders and employees from NGOs/not-for-profi ts, emerging markets, SMEs and Entrepreneurs.

Contact:Crochenka McCarthyTel: +44 (0)20 7443 8823Email: [email protected]

PARIS | LONDON | BERLIN | MADRID | TORINO

Untitled-1.indd 1 18/06/2015 22:11

EdUCaTIoN - INTErvIEW WITHSimon Mercado


EdUCaTIoN - NEWS

Peter Todd appointed new Dean of HEC Paris

At the invitation of Pierre-Antoine Gailly, President of the CCI Paris Ile-de-France, Peter Todd has accepted the appointment as Dean of HEC Paris, succeeding Bernard Ramanantsoa who had headed HEC since 1995.

Peter Todd, a renowned researcher and professor in the fields of innovation management and information technologies, had more than 25 years of significant experience in managing degree programmes (specifically MBA) and Executive Education programmes before becoming Dean of a business school. With a PhD from the University of British Columbia, Peter Todd was a professor at Queens School of Business (Ontario) and later at the University of Houston (Texas), before joining the prestigious McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia in 2001. From 2005 to 2014, he was Dean of the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management, based in Montreal.

The choice was made after an exhaustive selection process that was both open and transparent. The selection committee, under the leadership of Etienne Guyot, General Director of CCI Paris Ile-de-France, worked from January to June 2015 to independently consider more than 20 candidates. I www.hec.fr

Peter Todd

SciencesPo Paris opens new School of Public Affairs

SciencesPo Paris will see the opening of its new School of Public Affairs in September 2015. Yann Algan, who holds a PhD in economics from University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne and joined SciencesPo in 2008, has been appointed its Dean. The School will seek to contribute to the education and training of students by offering a European alternative to the American schools of public affairs, which tend to focus on national issues. Internationally focused and strongly anchored to social sciences and ethics, the programme will aim to train leaders enabling them to make decisions within an ever-changing and complex environment. Students will be able to enrol for the Master of Public Policies (4 terms) or Executive Master (2 terms), targeted at professionals with over five years of experience. Iwww.sciencespo.fr

Yann Algan

a practical approach to human resources in great britain

Written by members of the French Chamber’s HR Forum, this guide provides an overview of Human Resources practices and law in the UK, and is full of valuable testimonials, tips and advice. A particularly useful reference tool for those seeking to set up a company in the UK, it will also help French subsidiaries in the UK to clarify the differences between UK and French HR practices for their French headquarters.

AreAs covered include: How to recruit - The legal framework - What salary and benefits? - Payroll, taxation and other charges - Working conditions

www.frenchchamber.co.uk

£12

Want to know moreabout HR in the UK ?

www.frenchchamber.co.uk

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focus

For the 21st Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), 2 degrees Celsius is the headline number. Not a goal, but a limit to the rise in global temperature above pre-industrial levels, beyond which climate change risks become unacceptably high. Getting all parties – 195 countries – to agree to a deal that would make this target achievable is the big challenge ahead. While it is governments that

will be negotiating in Paris, establishing rules and mechanisms, setting out national contributions, and pledging funding to enable this, business and industry also have a pivotal role to play. Our interview with Ségolène Royal, the French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy reveals just how ambitious the scope of COP21 is, but she also challenges business to rise to the occasion by adapting their own business models, making commitments and demonstrating how their actions are making a difference in order to build momentum.

Many businesses are already doing this. Our own Climate Change Forum’s survey revealed that 80% of respondent businesses are taking action and half of those are going above and beyond what is required. It seems that the tide is turning – as the high cost of doing nothing starts to become apparent, action is no longer being weighed against profit. Consumers bring some of the pressure as eco-awareness begins to have a bearing on brand choice, but business reputation is also increasingly at stake. And as climate change events start having an impact on commodities, suppliers, production, logistics and distribution, it is clear that much more than lip service towards a ‘feel-good’ CSR or ‘sustainability’ is needed. It has become a matter of future proofing for survival. In order to prepare for the future, however, businesses do need certainty in their operating environments. Three fundamentals that underpin this are identified by the CBI, and these are reiterated in various forms in other articles: a strong regulatory framework, a carbon price and the means for finance to flow. All eyes will be on Paris to come up with the roadmap that business is crying out for.

One of the biggest questions is, who is going to pay for all this? Financing is crucial for mitigation, adaptation and innovation, and while there are signs that the investment community is shifting towards a low carbon economy and there exist numerous specialist investment vehicles, Richard Brown CBE, Chair of the Chamber’s Climate Change Forum and former Chairman and CEO of Eurostar, points out that listed companies and banks are still primarily focused on financial performance, so there is still huge scope for improvement.

Companies are also paying to adapt and build resilience into their businesses, but many have found that there are cost savings too, as the case studies of Areva and Capgemini show. And often small, inexpensive changes or out-of-the-box thinking can lead to large gains in the fight against climate change.

A big part of the equation is energy consumption, which is responsible for so much of global warming, and no discourse on climate change can ignore it. Renewable energy will be in the spotlight at COP21 and all the questions around it are considered by HEC professor Dr Andrea Masini. In the meantime, as frighteningly huge amounts are being consumed by our increasingly online lives, some digital and IT companies are taking serious steps to ensure that they are powered by renewable sources.

To some extent, policy regulations and taxes will bring about change, but what is far more interesting is the innovation that is happening as creative minds find new ways to work. Some of this is happening on a company level, and some of it is giving rise to new companies with products and

services that would never have been imagined had it not been for the realities of climate change.

This, above all, gives hope that a deal in Paris is within our grasp. I KF

The business of climate change

COP21 &


Ahead of COP21, you have said that in terms of ‘ecological transition’, France must be an example in order to convince and lead. How do you intend to do this?I felt that in order for France to live up to its role as host of CoP21, it had to set an example. The Energy Transition for Green Growth Act, which I defended in Parliament and which is now in effect, sets out ambitious objectives, in line with the European Union’s commitments, and beyond. It lays down the regulatory framework for companies, territories and local authorities to embark on a true energy transition.

I want the environmental and energy transition to be a source of new opportunities: an opportunity for businesses to become more competitive on price, through technological innovation, training, better product quality and differentiation, and improved brand image.

What are your hopes and expectations for an agreement at the Paris Climate Change Conference?My hope is that a Paris Alliance for Climate will emerge from the Conference in December, which will enable us to limit the planet’s average temperature rise to less than 1.5ºC or 2ºC above pre-industrial levels and adapt our societies to deal with the existing disruption.

This Alliance will have four aspects: a universal agreement establishing rules and mechanisms capable of progressively achieving the goal of respecting the limits of 1.5 or 2ºC; the presentation by all countries of their national contributions, ahead of COP21, in order to create a ripple effect and show that all countries are moving ahead in the same direction, depending on their national situations; the financial aspect, which must support developing countries and enable the transition to resilient, low-carbon economies to be funded before and after 2020; and the strengthening of commitments from civil society and non-state actors as well as of multi-partner initiatives in the Lima Paris Action Agenda, in order to involve all stakeholders and begin concrete action without waiting for the future

agreement to come into force in 2020.These four aspects are complementary and will be mutually

reinforced, in order to give our fellow citizens, local authorities and businesses a clear signal that we are embarking on a resolute transition to low-carbon economies while guaranteeing everyone fair access to sustainable development.

You have said that business and industry are necessary to the success of COP21. How are you engaging with them to be involved?The contribution of business is essential to the success of the Paris climate negotiations this December. Companies have a responsibility to adapt their own business models to meet the challenge of ensuring that we keep global temperature rises to no more than 1.5ºC or 2ºC. There are three principal ways in which business can engage with the Action Agenda: Cooperative Action, which includes joining partnerships or cooperative initiatives; Individual Action, which involves setting individual targets; and Public Policy Action, whereby businesses lobby governments for public policies which encourage emissions reductions (notably on carbon pricing).

The time to commit has now come! In the months before Paris, I strongly encourage businesses to sign-up to one or more Cooperative Actions in order to build momentum. Businesses may also make individual commitments and are encouraged to directly register their commitment on the UN climate action portal NAZCA. Many businesses have already realised they will gain from the transition. This was clear at the Business and Climate summit which we held in Paris in May. At COP21, climate action will be showcased during a high level meeting, the Action Day, in which I will participate. Business leaders, committed CEOs, climate entrepreneurs and low carbon technology inventors will get a chance to hop on stage and demonstrate to the world that action is ongoing, and will deliver economic and social improvements, together with contributing to a resilient world.

SEGOLENEROYAL

Interview with

French Minister of Ecology,Sustainable Development and Energy


You have called upon businesses to act quickly to tackle climate change, but they require policy support and regulatory certainty. What regulatory and/or financial incentives are in place in France to help businesses do this?Across all sectors, new measures must provide the impetus for a form of positive ecology that lifts constraints, unleashes initiatives and provides tangible benefits for everyone (individuals, businesses and local authorities). I firmly believe that this energy transition relies on our territories and the ability of local authorities to get things moving at local level.

For individuals, the act puts in place tax credits, zero interest loans, third party financing and reduced VAT rate for financing energy efficient household renovation works or the installation of an electric vehicle charging point. For local authorities, I have also put in place key financing tools such as a €5 billion loan facility from the Caisse des Dépôts for public projects on building energy renovation, development of clean transport, the circular economy and renewable energy. For businesses, we

also have specialised facilities such as the Renewable Heat Fund for heat production using renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal heat recovery, solar thermal energy, etc.), the Waste Fund to reduce waste production and improve waste recovery (recycling of materials, composting, biogas production), and the Energy Transition Financing Fund: this €1.5 billion fund covers areas such as renewable heat, waste, positive-energy areas, energy renovation, combined transport, etc.

What is your view on carbon pricing?Carbon pricing, in my view, is a fundamental tool for the transition to a decarbonised economy. More and more countries are implementing policy measures to create a price on carbon. In France, the newly Energy Transition for Green Growth Act includes the objective to multiply by four the ‘Climate Energy Contribution’, which is a carbon tax, by 2030. I will push for an efficient carbon price at European level which will set the right incentives.

Businesses are increasingly taking position in favour of a carbon price. Currently, at least 150 major corporations from diverse sectors (energy, industry, finance, consumer goods, etc.) have set internal carbon prices (‘shadow prices’). For many of these businesses, this is used to identify the opportunities of investing in low-carbon technologies and as part of a strategy of risk management, evaluating the impact of carbon pricing on their operations and anticipating a development of carbon pricing mechanisms.

However, a global price is still way ahead of us, since political feasibility, economic structures and fiscal concerns differ across

countries. And in any case, a price on carbon would not be sufficient to finance the transition towards a decarbonised economy: much broader policy measures are necessary. This is why the climate negotiations under COP are so important: each country has to define its objectives of green house gas (GHG) emission reductions in their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution: in this context, carbon pricing is one of the policy measures that a country can choose to reach those objectives, just as France did.

You have fought hard for the introduction of the new energy law, passed by the Assembly on 22 July, which you said is ‘the most ambitious in Europe’. Can you explain what it entails and the effect it will have on France’s energy landscape? France has set itself the objective of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% between 1990 and 2030, and fourfold between 1990 and 2050. France, including the mainland and overseas territories, benefits from exceptional assets that will

allow it to become a major producer of renewable energy. In 2012, 14% of the energy that we consumed was of renewable origin. The objective I enshrined in the new law is to increase the share of renewable energies to 32% of final energy consumption by 2030. At the same time, the proportion of nuclear energy used in the production of electricity will go down to 50% in 2025 from 75% currently. There will be a shift in our energy mix. I have already put into practice these objectives: for instance, regarding solar power, I decided to increase the 2020 objective originally set at 5400MW in 2009, to 8000MW.

Building resilience and technological innovation are key to mitigating the effects of climate change, but require financing and investment on a long-term basis. How does the French government currently or intend to facilitate resilience efforts/ flow of finance for innovation, adaptation and mitigation?I am determined to put low-carbon technology innovation at the centre of the Paris Alliance for Climate Action. Scaling up low-carbon technology innovation and speeding up its diffusion are key to meet the twin challenges of deep decarbonisation and sustainable development. We need to increase public and private investments in low-carbon and climate-resilient technology research, development and demonstration. We must drive down the costs, improve the efficiency and facilitate easier access to key low-carbon and climate-resilient technologies. For businesses, as I said, public funds are now available for them to invest wisely in renewables. IInterview by KF

Companies have a responsibility to adapt their own business models to meet the challenge of ensuring that we keep global temperature rises to no more than 1.5-2ºC

INTERVIE W WITh SEGOLENE ROYAL


COP21: whAt is being negotiated and whY ?

FOCUS - ThE bUSINESS OF CLImATE ChANGE

Twenty five years ago, in November 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published

its first assessment report stating that ‘emissions resulting from human activities are substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases … These increases will enhance the greenhouse effect, resulting on average in an additional warming of the Earth’s surface.’ 1

Two years later, governments met in Rio and agreed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations and prevent dangerous interference with the global climate. Today, 195 governments are Parties to the Convention and they meet each year for the annual climate summit or ‘Conference of Parties’.

The summit in Paris at the end of this year is the 21st conference, hence its nickname COP21. Governments plan to adopt a new global agreement which could limit warming to 2ºC

and change the way we travel, grow our food, heat our homes and do business. To achieve this, all countries will need to limit or reduce emissions and so the negotiations will centre on who should make what cuts and who should pay for them. The two previous attempts at forging a global deal namely in Kyoto (COP3, in 1997) and Copenhagen (COP15, in 2009), ended in failure.

Even though the governments accept the IPCC’s findings and acknowledge the need for global action, coming to an agreement as to what to do, how and by when, is a very different matter. Here are the main reasons why.

The 195 countries in the talks form into about a dozen negotiating blocs, each with different concerns and expectations. These blocs include the Least Developed Countries, the Alliance of Small Island States and the Umbrella Group (including Japan, US, Canada and other non-EU developed countries). In very simple terms:

Jonathan Grant and Kinga Lodge of PwC’s Sustainability and Climate Change practice explain the history, context and issues around COP21, and what governments will be trying to negotiate when they meet in Paris

Infographic created specially for INFO by PwC


• The rich countries accept the need to take on emissions targets. But they represent an ever-decreasing share of global emissions and so want the major emerging economies to start cutting emissions and report on progress. • The poor countries want all major emitters to commit to ambitious reduction targets and a process to ratchet up that ambition over time. They also call for finance to address the impacts of climate change and support their low carbon development. • Many of the emerging economies recognise the need to limit or reduce their emissions, but only a few have declared their target so far and many are reluctant to accept a binding reporting and review process.

In addition, there is the underlying issue of trust. Over the years, rich countries have promised to help poorer countries adapt to climate change. This could include upgrading infrastructure to cope with the rising sea levels or changing agricultural practices so that crops can cope with a drier climate. It was expected that this climate finance would be on top of existing aid budgets. But the finance hasn’t flowed as fast as poorer countries had hoped and they are now trying to manage the effects of climate change as well as continuing their social and economic development.

Despite these sensitivities, there is a real need for COP21 to deliver a comprehensive global agreement. The French Government hosting the COP and working the diplomatic channels, expects the deal to comprise of four ‘pillars’. These

are the national mitigation targets, finance, adaptation and commitments by business, cities and others. The legal form of the treaty and how it will address the different needs and responsibilities of developing and developed countries will also be fundamental to the overall success of the agreement.

There is no longer a clear trade-off between cutting emissions and economic growth. Increasingly, green and profitable go hand in hand whether it’s improving air quality, reducing traffic congestion or having smarter houses and appliances. The latest analysis from New Climate Economy estimated that businesses are already driving a growing US$5.5 trillion global market for ‘green’ goods and services. There are more and more opportunities for growth, sharing costs and for collaboration between governments, regions, cities, businesses and investors.

Perhaps the main purpose of the UN climate negotiations is to build trust that countries are doing what they promised to do. So a global deal is vital as it enables national politicians to implement climate policy at the national level. Unless there is trust that other countries are making similar efforts, they will be less likely to do this. With a successful deal, politicians may have the confidence to ratchet up the ambition in future. I

1. Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment (1990), Executive Summary; (5 August 2015) https://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/far/wg_I/ipcc_far_wg_I_spm.pdf

There is no longer a clear trade-off between cutting emissions and economic growth. Increasingly, green and profitable go hand in hand whether it’s improving air quality, reducing traffic congestions or having smarter houses and appliances


Antoine Frérot, Chairman and CEO, Veolia Group

The issue of greenhouse gas

emissions is a serious and urgent problem. Eventually, its consequences may well be impossible to calculate and dramatic: life may become unsustainable

in some regions, extreme events, economic consequences, population displacements, geopolitical instability, and so forth.

We would like the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) to be the ‘conference of solutions’ that will showcase the ways in which greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced; we would like it to set clear, easy to understand and ambitious targets that will allow us to cap global warming at 2°C. We will not overcome the tough climate challenge that is taking shape without deploying these promising solutions at a large scale.

We hope that COP21 will massively mobilise civil society players (economic and general public players) around the theme of a new way of using resources. Veolia in particular is in favour of a wide-scale deployment of measures promoting the development of a low-carbon and resilient economy:• A robust and predictable carbon price (we have factored in the carbon risk by setting an internal CO2 price) would steer investments into energy efficiency, renewable energies and on a broader scale would encourage using resources in a circular approach as an alternative to fossil fuels;• A regulatory framework and compulsory measures imposed on greenhouse gas emissions, and in particular methane: said measure would have to be harmonised and included in public calls for tenders;

• Financial mechanisms covering the risk related to new technologies;• Incentives to develop mitigation and adaptation solutions.

The Group is also in favour of harmonising market-related regulations on the price of carbon and allowing exchanges between geographical areas; and it supports the idea that taxes and proceeds raised by the pricing of carbon should make a contribution to funding the transition toward a carbon-free economy.

In order to incentivise economic players to lower their CO2 emissions, one has to give carbon a robust and predictable cost. If this is to work, the most efficient solution would certainly be a levy on carbon emissions. Its proceeds would be paid to those who invest to ensure their operations are ‘carbon-free’. Right now, polluting does not cost anything. By contrast, decontaminating is expensive. What is at stake with this levy is the attempt to make sure that, one day, polluting will be more expensive than decontaminating.

Failing a worldwide agreement on this issue, one could start in a defined region, large enough to have economic weight and be attractive for the rest of the world that exports its goods into said region, such as, for instance, the European Union. And to avoid handicapping European players, I would suggest a compensatory carbon customs duty on goods entering the EU.

business perspectives on COP21 and cLimAtE chANGE iSSuES

Business and climate policy leaders voice their hopes and expectations for a deal to come out of Paris as business confidence, investment, growth and innovation depends on it

The Group supports the idea that taxes and proceeds raised by the pricing of carbon should make a contribution to funding the transition toward a carbon-free economy

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Jean-Michel Geffriaud, Vice President CSR and Environment, Health & Security, Alstom Group

Alstom is an international engineering company and, as such, COP21 goes to the very heart of everything we do.

A large part of our work revolves around making existing fossil fuel power stations more efficient, so helping reduce carbon emissions, while we also provide equipment and technology for zero carbon methods of power generation. As leaders in rail transportation technology too, having political and commercial clarity on emissions is fundamental to the success of our business. For us, COP21 has to lay out a roadmap that is ambitious and achievable. That would give our customers a framework that allowed them to invest, safe in the knowledge that they won’t be left with stranded assets, and it would allow us to finesse our existing technologies and develop new ones to help attain the eventual goal.

So, more specifically, what do we as an organisation want to see? We would like the Paris agreement to cover all major emitters and to aim for an ambitious long-term global emissions reduction goal including a framework for early action. We expect the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to be reviewed periodically with a mechanism to ratchet up ambition over time to keep the 2°C rise in temperature target in reach. There should also be clear rules on the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions at country level. We would like Paris and the INDC process to help deliver meaningful CO2 prices in different jurisdictions. The Paris agreement should also allow for the UN to support linking of those different pricing schemes with a view to developing a global carbon market.

Finance is also central to delivering the transition to the low-carbon economy. Early and substantial capitalisation of the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a key factor. The GCF should channel public and private finance thereby stimulating private investment through risk-sharing instruments such as loan guarantees. Furthermore, we would like to see a strengthening of innovation and drive for development and deployment of low-carbon technologies.

For an engineering company such as Alstom, it is vitally important that the agreement should identify roadmaps for key technologies that include a framework for commercialisation through, for instance, demonstration projects. As part of that, the upholding of existing intellectual property rights is an essential facilitator of technology transfer that will further allow the development and deployment of low carbon technologies, giving the private sector a vital role in the whole process.

If all of that is achieved – and it remains quite a large ‘if’ – then we at Alstom can see very real progress being made by public and private institutions in the fight against climate change. COP21 is another opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.

Christine Fedigan,

Head of Corporate Climate Policy, ENGIE

From ENGIE’s business perspective the key things we hope to see achieved at COP21 are visibility and stability.

We hope that governments will design a long-term policy framework against which we can invest and make major decisions about shifting today’s approach to business, to a low carbon, circular, more equitable model. A price on carbon is a significant part of this. It should drive innovation without trying to second guess what innovations the market will produce.

To design a framework able to drive investment choices in favour of low carbon solutions, we need price signals that will translate the political will to act against climate change. Energy transition is key in ENGIE’s strategy; pricing carbon would change the odds in favour of renewable energies, energy efficiency and ‘green’ technologies.

We support carbon pricing because we believe there is a need to address risks linked to climate change, and we support action to address emission reductions cost effectively. We are in favour of market-based approaches and emissions trading; they give business the flexibility to reduce emissions when and where it is most economically viable.

I believe that what can be agreed is a general framework on articulating regular reviews of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) with a global 2°C mitigation target. Paris can further agree on the need to develop consistent and transparent measuring and reporting, with rules that can be subsequently defined, for accountability, compliance and standardised systems for measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) of national emissions.

Finance availability is a key factor to achieving a global deal. In Paris, it is possible that carbon market instruments can be accepted to play a role in leveraging private finance for low carbon and innovative solutions, with modalities to be more precisely defined post-Paris.

A Paris deal would have an impact on our business as the largest private utility in the world. Energy transition is key to mitigation issues, and key to ENGIE’s strategy. An agreement consistent with the 2°C target would give confidence about the speed and direction of the transition towards cleaner economies; send strong signals to investors and businesses across the world; and boost the transition.

The business sector is already investing in solutions to help fight against climate change. But to date, these types of investments are still a bet for most of the economic actors.

My message to the lead negotiators would be that carbon pricing is not an obstacle for the global economy, on the contrary, by stimulating confidence, innovation and investments, it is a growth accelerator. I



business wants to be a part of the fight against climate change - PARiS muSt GivE uS thE GLOvES

Attending the Business Climate Summit in Paris in May, I was struck

by how far the private sector has come since the disappointing climate change negotiations in Copenhagen six years ago. Back then, business was clearly concerned about the costs of going green and what it would mean for them. But from the mood in the conference room at the UNESCO headquarters, where 2,000 businesses and investors gathered, it was clear that business wants to invest in a low carbon future and green economy.

As John Cridland, Director-General of the CBI recently said, business is not ‘becoming green for the sake of it – or for some lofty ideal. They’re doing it because there’s a strong economic case.’ The UK’s low carbon economy is worth £122 billion, and whether it is the UK’s leading position in offshore wind, or in developing carbon capture and storage, we are well placed to take advantage of a global green market that is worth over £3 trillion, and is only set to grow.

The reality is that business and industry are part of the solution to the climate change challenge. Greenhouse gas emissions from power, industry and transport account for three fifths of European emissions, and a similar amount globally. We therefore cannot tackle emissions without the efforts of industry, but this needs to be done in a way that can support and drive economic growth, investment and jobs.

This is why, when nations come together in Paris in December to hammer out the final details of a global climate change agreement, it is vital for business that they succeed. As the CBI

noted in our report A Climate for Growth, ‘a global deal will create the right climate for growth and ensure a sustainable future’ and it will contribute to the clarity that is needed for business investment. The CBI called for the deal to cover three elements.

Firstly, we need a legal framework that has clarity and longevity. Nations continue to present their commitments through their ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ (INDCs), setting out their climate ambitions for the medium term. While we will not see these INDCs converted into legally binding targets in the Paris agreement, these commitments are useful for business to understand what individual nations intend to do, and which policies are likely to be put in place to achieve them.

But for them to carry any weight, it is important to know that nations are going to be true to their word and meet their commitments. So the Paris agreement should include some way to assess each nation’s progress towards their ambitions, what this means for global emissions, and how countries can

be held to account if they are failing to meet them. Furthermore, achieving the necessary emissions cuts will be costly in some places, so it is important that the obligations are distributed fairly and equitably, and that everyone is open about the progress that they are making.

Second, putting a price on carbon will also be critical to success. In the EU we have the emissions trading system, which despite some troubles, has seen emissions fall. There are now dozens of pricing schemes around the world, and our long-term ambition should be for a global carbon market that can drive the most efficient emissions reductions, wherever they are. We hope that the Paris agreement will drive this agenda forward.

Third, we need to get finance and technology flowing to those that need it. Developing countries will require significant financial and technological support from the global community – especially the private sector – for low-carbon energy and climate adaptation. Business wants to invest and the Paris deal must facilitate this flow of cash.

As President Hollande told the Davos conference earlier this year, ‘Paris needs to result in a binding global agreement that will map out an effective fight against climate change.’ Business can, and must, be a part of this fight, but it can only be so if our political leaders provide the confidence, clarity and capacity for them to do so. A deal in Paris is an opportunity not just to provide an ambition for a low-carbon world, but also the foundation for the industrial effort and investment that can actually secure it. I

Business can, and must, be a part of this fight, but it can only be so if our political leaders provide the confidence and clarity for them to do so

Barnaby Wharton, Senior Policy Adviser, Energy and Climate Change at the CBI identifies a clear legal framework, a carbon price and facilitation of finance flow at the top of the wish list


business vs climate change: thE tRuE PictuRE

The Chamber has had a Climate Change Forum for four years now, allowing members to exchange ideas and

experience in developing low carbon products and services. We have also twice surveyed views on climate change across the whole of the Chamber’s membership. The results show that many businesses are more concerned about climate change and doing more to help tackle it than is generally realised. Fully 96% of those responding to our latest survey earlier this year said they were concerned or very concerned and 80% said they were taking action in some way, half of them doing more than was legally required of them.

Strikingly, pressure from customers and employees is seen to be the main driver for taking action to reduce emissions, recycle or develop low carbon products and services, together with concern to maintain or enhance the company’s reputation as part of wider CSR policies. In some cases it was the personal motivation of a key individual, such as the CEO, but too rarely did the drive come from the Board or investors. There are a growing number of investment funds specialising in renewable energy and sustainability – and we have met with several of these at the Climate Change Forum – but listed company investors and bankers are still primarily focused on pure financial performance.

The business sector generally sees itself as part of

the solution to tackling climate change by developing and deploying new low carbon technologies and products, and being ever more efficient in their use of energy. But it is also clear that companies want governments to play a stronger role – roundly 80% of members said they would welcome clearer and stronger regulation and taxation policies to incentivise business – which may be a surprise to many people. The Forum has seen a number of examples of effective policies by governments at both national and European level driving change. A good example is the EU policy to cap the average emissions from each car manufacturer’s overall sales in Europe – with fines for any manufacturers who exceed the cap – combined with national governments incentives to purchase electric and hybrid cars, which together have driven the rapid development of a wide range of electric and hybrid vehicles. UK sales of electric cars rose fourfold last year. Average car emissions have also been falling substantially as a result.

Even more surprising is that more than 60% of companies responding to our surveys said they would favour some form of carbon pricing or carbon tax – the political and media assumption is often that business would be against this. Perhaps it is the minority of companies which are against it as a result of a vested interest that have had the loudest voice until now. As Lord Stern concluded in his study of the economics of climate change for the UK government a number of years ago, climate change is probably the most extreme example of market failure, with greenhouse gas emissions too often free despite their potentially devastating impact on the world’s climate. Pricing or taxing emissions would be the logical response to this.

Overall our surveys of Chamber members paint a positive picture of business generally, and show many individual companies actively working to develop and implement solutions to tackle climate change but also wanting to see a more level playing field between fossil fuels and renewable energy incentivised by governments. One could say that consumers are often ahead of businesses in wanting low carbon products and services, and that business is ahead of government in wanting more effective regulations and incentives. Let us hope that governments at COP21 in Paris this December rise to the challenge! I

Richard Brown CBE, Chair of the Climate Change Forum, and former Chairman and CEO of Eurostar, reports on a survey of Chamber member companies which shows how seriously most businesses are taking climate change



While part of the broader run-up to CoP21, the UN climate conference to be held in Paris between 30 November and

11 December, the commission’s recommendations fall outside of the scope of the climate talks sensu stricto. Yet they serve to support the ‘Paris Alliance’ for climate, which will include the formal international agreement, as well as decisions and commitments made by public and private actors.

In this regard, the report aims to contribute to making COP21 a political milestone that signals to economic and financial decision makers the upcoming acceleration in the evolution of the ‘rules of the game’, with a view to ensuring that public and private investments are compatible with keeping the increase in global average temperature below 2°C, as agreed by the international community. This is all the more necessary since currently, only 7 to 13% of total investment in infrastructure can be considered as ‘green’.

The report acknowledges and proposes to build on the numerous initiatives taken since the UN Climate Summit in New York in September 2014, such as the mandate given by the G20 to the Financial Stability Board to ‘review how the financial sector can take account of climate-related issues’, the Bank of England’s decision to investigate the risk of ‘carbon bubble’ in financial markets, the work underway at the People’s Bank of China on ‘greening the Chinese financial system’, and last but not least, the adoption in France of a new law that requires asset managers to disclose both their exposure to climate risks and their contribution to limiting global warming.

Against this backdrop, the report outlines a roadmap to finance a low-carbon economy, based on 10 key recommendations:1. Establish a carbon price signal. In addition to the necessary phasing-out of fossil fuel subsidies, developed and emerging countries should agree to a ‘carbon price corridor’ starting at $15-20/ton of CO2 in 2020 and increasing gradually to $60-80/ton of CO2 in 2030-2035.2. Integrate climate in macroeconomic models. The integration of a 2°C scenario throughout the macroeconomic forecasts and models of international institutions (IMF, OECD, etc.) and finance ministries would ensure better coherence between short-term decisions and long-term low-carbon objectives.

3. Develop national strategies to finance the decarbonisation of the economy. Governments should produce national decarbonisation plans covering the needed financing, both from public and private sources.4. Request that each development bank develop a ‘2°C investment roadmap’. This should specify how the bank’s activity will contribute to keeping global warming below 2°C.5. Increase the use by development banks of instruments and tools with high leverage ratios, such as guarantees, subordinated debt or credit enhancement, to increase climate finance at comparatively low costs.6. Include in the 2016 G20 work programme the forthcoming recommendations of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), which was mandated in April 2015 by G20 finance ministers to analyse the potential impacts of climate change on financial stability.7. Request that financial regulators define methods to include climate risks in stress tests for banks and insurance companies. This should include methodologies to assess the performance of assets held by banks and insurance companies in the +4°C scenario as developed by the International Panel of experts on Climate Change.8. Establish a public monitoring system for financial actors’ commitments that have multiplied in recent months, including: the integration of climate risk; measuring greenhouse gas emissions induced by their financial activities; and increasing financing for the green economy, in line for instance with the new bill passed in France in August on mandatory carbon footprinting.10. Adopt the methodology developed by the OECD in June 2015 to analyse the alignment of public policies with low-carbon development. The report proposes that France be one of the first countries to commit to apply this framework internally and urge other member countries of the OECD and key OECD partners to do so before COP21.11. Establish a monitoring process for the low-carbon financial roadmap to ensure its longevity beyond COP21. The IMF and the World Bank could be in charge of the supervision and implementation of this roadmap, in coordination with relevant UN institutions. I

MobiliSing cliMate finance:A roadmap to finance a low-carbon economy

In February 2015, President Hollande entrusted Pascal Canfin, the former Minister of Development, and Alain Grandjean, co-founder and partner of Carbone 4, with co-chairing an independent commission on how to advance the innovative financing agenda in international forums. The commission handed in its report to the President on 18 June, and here, Pascal Canfin outlines their findings and recommendations


The objective of the French presidency of COP21 is to achieve in December 2015 a ‘Paris Alliance’ that addresses the challenge

of climate change and enables us to: contain global warming within the limit of 1.5/2°C, above which the impacts would be difficult to control; adapt our societies to impacts already being felt, and foster low-carbon development. The Paris Alliance also promotes an ‘Action agenda’, alongside the agreement that will be reached in Paris, and the national commitments, which should contribute to send the signal that non-governmental stakeholders are determined to carry out a transition towards low-carbon economies, by promoting solutions for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

A growing number of private financial operators throughout the world are getting involved in order to redirect capital towards a low-carbon and resilient growth. The United Nations Climate Summit that was held in New York on 23 September 2014 demonstrated the extent of their commitments. The Climate Finance Day that took place in Paris on 22 May was another key event to take stock of the commitments the financial sector has made to support the necessary transition towards a low-carbon economy, and constituted an occasion for further actors to make new commitments.

There is a wide array of solutions that can be adopted to reduce financing for a high carbon economy, and conversely, to encourage green investments.Through new methods to develop more accurate assessments of the risks and opportunities inherent to the decisions to be made, new financial instruments, and a transformation of the composition of its portfolios, the financial sector can make a difference and be part of the global coalition to limit global warming.

In order to maximise the publicity around the commitments made by the financial sector both at the Climate Finance day and after it, and have a comprehensive picture of those commitments, two specific platforms were launched in May 2015 to register all individual commitments made by financial sector actors: one for investors and one for insurers.

Through a standardised template which help companies formulate in a simple way their commitments, investors can make four kinds of commitment:1. greater transparency (through measurement of the carbon

footprint of their investments for instance);2. greater engagement with companies on their climate change performance;3. reallocation of their investments towards low-carbon assets (decarbonisation of their portfolios);4. reinforcement of their action to fight climate change (for instance through dedicated investment tools, such as green bonds).

Investors can either join an existing collaborative initiative (investorsonclimatechange.org/initiatives/), such as the Portfolio Decarbonisation Coalition, the Low Carbon Registry, Collaborative Engagement, the Montreal Pledge, the CDSB Fiduciary Statement, and the Climate Bond Initiative, or make their own commitments (investorsonclimatechange.org/other-actions).

The insurance sector also has a dedicated platform (www.unepfi.org/psi/commitments/) which enables actors from the sector to register four kinds of commitment as well:1. embed in their decision-making environmental, social and governance issues; 2. work together with their clients and business partners to raise awareness of environmental, social and governance issues, manage risk and develop solutions;3. work together with governments, regulators and other key stakeholders to promote widespread action across society on environmental, social and governance issues;4. demonstrate accountability and transparency in regularly and publicly disclosing progress in implementing these principles.

Alternatively, actors from other parts of the financial sector can register their own commitments on the NAZCA platform which compiles commitments from all non-governmental actors (climateaction.unfccc.int/register.aspx). I


The UN Secretary General and the French Presidency of COP21 will give high visibility to the initiatives taken by the international financial community on several occasions until COP21, among others during the annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF in October in Lima.

Mobilisation of the fiNANciAL SEctOR

The UN Climate Change Conference in Paris will constitute a historical milestone to limit global warming to 1.5/2°C. The mobilisation of the financial sector to reduce financing for a high carbon economy and to encourage green investments is more pressing now than ever. The French Presidency of COP21 sets out the financing opportunities and option for investors

COP21:MobiliSing cliMate finance:


Jean-Philippe Verdier, Managing Director and Head of French Investment Banking at Jefferies International, and Deputy Chair of the Chamber’s Climate Change Forum, considers how the investment landscape is changing and where it is falling short

Is there a shift of the investment community?Last May, the $880bn Norwegian Oil Fund announced its intention to withdraw investments from companies whose business relies more than 30% on coal, or has significant negative environmental effects. In May also, over 100 heads of institutional investors, including pension giants CalPERS and CalSTRS, representing $12 trillion assets under management, petitioned G7 finance ministers to support a ‘long-term’ goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stating that they pose ‘one of the biggest systemic risks’ to investors.

Twenty plus years after the start of climate change negotiations in 1992, these two high profile examples show a significant change in the investment community’s mindset towards businesses relying on ‘old dirty energy’, and an attraction to investments in green/environmental related companies.

Green economy: investment without risk?The dependency on government policies, such as subsidy schemes and installed capacity targets, has influenced the renewable energy sector. This reliance is justifiable in the initial stage of development of a fledging green economy to support investment, demand and ultimately foster a rapid catch up along the price curve (e.g. achieve grid parity). This goes hand in hand with the fact that very few pricing mechanisms of externalities (pollution, or greenhouse gas emissions) have been introduced by governments (the example of the price of diesel in France versus unleaded petrol is quite illustrative). Retroactive cancellation (Spain in 2008) and a reduction of subsidies have put off investors, concerned about the lack of visibility for their investments.

New technologies, new materials, functioning storage options at industrial level (batteries) and increased volumes are all leading to rapidly decreasing break points, meaning that a subsidy-free, economically viable sector may not be far off. Subsidies are meant to be reduced or scrapped at some stage as government budgets are constrained and once the initial objective of kick-starting the industry has been achieved (which was the justification given by the UK government in July). Investors have now factored that in.

A variety of investment opportunities now availableToday, renewable energy has grown into an asset class of its own and has found a base of investors with a variety of profiles. This is because the offering of investment solutions is now broader, and products have been structured to meet investor demands. Below are some of the most commonly issued ‘green’ securities.

On the debt side of the investment spectrum, Green Bonds have been used since 2007 by big utilities and some supranational issuers and banks. These are interest-bearing bonds that provide investors with the commitment that the funds will be used to finance green-related projects (greenhouse gas mitigation or green energy) and offer a slightly more attractive return than their otherwise issued ‘standard’ bonds. Approximately $38bn has been raised so far, with $20bn in 2014 alone, and some are expecting $30bn this year. Whilst a drop in the ocean of financing needs, it is encouraging and gaining momentum. Above all, it is reaching a new stage of maturity as significant banking intermediaries are now supporting this market (e.g. Credit Agricole Corporate

cLimAtE chANGE the iNvEStmENt mARkEt

&



& Investment Bank, JPMorgan, Citi, Morgan Stanley), and new reporting guidelines are being implemented under the auspices of the International Capital Market Association to improve standards and overall transparency.

Unit trusts (a type of security issued in the UK) attract investors who mainly look for yield, whilst still happy to bear higher risk than a typical bond investor, since the ‘promised’ return is provided via a dividend, and therefore not guaranteed. These have been in demand in the currently low yield environment, all the more so as they can benefit from tax wrappers (e.g. ISA [Individual Savings Account] in the UK).

YieldCos are equally dividend-growth listed companies, often subsidiaries of bigger utilities, which house renewable energy operating assets with long-term power purchase contracts and therefore generate predictable cash flows. They are a good way for utilities to raise much needed financing and for yield-hungry investors to gain exposure to cash-flow-generating renewable assets. They have proven increasingly popular, and the number of IPOs in 2013 and 2014 grew significantly, particularly in solar in the USA. The market capitalisation of the YieldCos in early 2015 was estimated at about $12bn.

On the equity side, investors can chose between a variety of instruments depending on their investment horizon, liquidity profile, risk appetite or tax situation. For instance, private equity firms have long raised dedicated funds to invest in infrastructure like renewable energy projects in developed or developing countries (e.g. KKR, HgCapital) or in small to mid-sized cleantech companies (e.g. Greencoat). Insurance companies, pension funds, wealthy individuals or family offices are the most common investors.

For private individuals, tax efficient schemes such as Venture Capital Trusts in the UK (e.g. Foresight) provide the opportunity to gain exposure to small-sized projects/companies in the green field whilst benefiting from significant upfront and future tax breaks.

Finally, some mid-sized green energy companies (developers, operators or cleantech) are listed (e.g. Voltalia) and offer the opportunity to invest at various points in the value chain, and enjoy the liquidity of a traded security. It is

fair to say that investors remain selective. As an illustration, even though the first half of this year saw a solid IPO market, not all projects find their investor base, or at the desired value point: Solaire Direct, a developer and operator of photovoltaic plants overseas, attempted to raise €200m on Euronext Paris in the Spring but had to cancel its IPO, and was finally bought by ENGIE.

Where do we stand?Today, investors have a wider choice to finance and gain exposure to renewable energy, or climate change mitigating assets, meeting a variety of investing objectives whether yield or capital growth.

Having said that, in his report ‘Better Growth, Better Climate’, UK economist Nicolas Stern estimates financing needs to mitigate worldwide climate change represent close to $90 trillion. The fact is that only 7 to 13% of infrastructure investments are directed towards low carbon assets: at this

pace we are therefore still wide of the mark to meet the 2°C target. Whilst growing, in the grand scheme of things, too little is redirected which must mean that many investors don’t quite find the risk-return profile sufficiently attractive. Many say that the solution is to unlock the pot of money managed by pension funds. If that is the case, confidence in the long-term cash flow generating capabilities of the business model of the sector is critical. Government needs to show leadership and consistence for investors to trust their Excel models. I

The fact is that only 7 to 13% of infrastructure investments are directed towards low carbon assets: at this pace we are therefore still wide of the mark to meet the 2 C̊ target


Renewable energies under the spotlightWith COP21 approaching, renewable energy sources (RES) are once again under the spotlight. They are one of the most effective instruments to curb CO2 emissions and play a central role in virtually every future low-carbon energy scenario. They are also considered with growing interest due to their multiple expected social and economic benefits: energy security enhancement, poverty reduction and employment creation. Even countries rich in conventional resources are considering RES as a viable alternative to fossil fuels to meet their growing domestic demand. Not surprisingly, to increase penetration, advanced economies have deployed a range of dedicated policies supporting renewables.

However, despite this support and recent progress, the share of RES in the global energy mix remains below the level deemed necessary to curb or even stabilise CO2 emissions. Thus the question of whether and how public policies can accelerate their market diffusion remains at the centre of the policy agenda. Several recent examples demonstrate that supporting renewables is not simple; implementing the wrong type of incentives or granting generous support and then interrupting it too abruptly may hamper the industry and stifle technological progress. The heterogeneity of the policies deployed so far and their mixed results also reflect an incomplete understanding of the effects of the mechanisms supporting low carbon innovation in the energy sector.

Should renewables be supported, and how?To address these questions and support policy initiatives, the research group on renewable energies at HEC Paris is engaged in a number of projects to identify strategies to accelerate the market diffusion of sustainable energy technologies. This research, which is part of a broader initiative on sustainability led by my colleague Rodolphe Durand via the Centre for Society and Organisations (SnO), examines several questions related to both the supply and the demand side of the renewable industry: from how to stimulate technology innovation and promote competition, to how to sustain end-user demand.

One central question that concerns both policy makers and entrepreneurs is whether or not renewable energies should be supported through public subsidies and, if yes, what are the most appropriate instruments to deploy such support. Our research shows that RE support policies should be carefully balanced, they should remain consistent over time and, most importantly, they should be coupled with other measures aimed at stimulating economic growth.

Policies aimed at stimulating R&D have a stronger and more immediate impact on innovation creation than diffusion, signalling that public R&D expenditures may be needed to facilitate technological breakthroughs, but they are less effective in supporting short-term RE deployment. Demand-pull policies such as feed-in-tariffs stimulate both innovation creation and diffusion in the RE industry. However, their contribution to RE deployment is less important than that of economic growth. Thus, for RE diffusion to increase, government action should be directed not only at shielding renewables from competition with fossil fuel technologies but also at stimulating aggregated demand. However, incentives aimed at stimulating demand such as the feed-in-tariff schemes widely popular in Europe, lead investors to pick mature RE technologies at the expense of radical innovations. Thus, only a balanced combination of technology-push policies (aimed at stimulating fundamental R&D) and demand-pull measures (aimed at creating competitive niche markets in the short term) can help renewables play a major role in future energy scenarios.

Our research also shows that strategic need for renewable electricity in a portfolio of electricity generating technologies calls for an increase in the degree of competition in the technology provider market. Thus, recent RE investments made by several players worldwide to develop renewable manufacturing capacity in various regions should be welcomed by the RE industry as a whole. By stimulating competition, such initiatives are likely to further decrease technology cost, thereby making the RE industry stronger and more competitive at a global level.

Dr Andrea Masini, Associate Professor at HEC Paris, looks at the policymaking issues at stake at COP21, the challenges posed by grid integration and the role played by business and government alike in facilitating investment, as well as opportunities for entrepreneurs in the renewable space

a route for RENEwAbLE ENERGY deployMent


a route for RENEwAbLE ENERGY deployMent


The challenges of grid integration As appealing as it is from an environmental standpoint, large scale deployment of renewables requires the redesign of an entire industrial ecosystem and important investments in the electricity grid. Policy makers and business leaders have a fundamental role to play in this process. By shaping the competitive, organisational and social environments, they have the ability to facilitate or hamper investments and to orient the choices of industry players.

Furthermore, the much debated challenge of the intermittency of RE power can be addressed by increasing interconnections in the electricity grid and by implementing grid management models such as demand response initiatives. Our research suggests avenues for optimising such a process. It also indicates that developing countries and fast-growing cities that are quickly redesigning their infrastructure have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this transformation. On one hand, the rapid development of their infrastructure makes these places a fertile ground for promoting the integration of renewables into sophisticated smartgrids. On the other hand, with investments estimated at several hundreds of billions of dollars within the next few years, the industry offers appealing opportunities to investors.

Renewables offer opportunities for entrepreneursBesides being of obvious interest to policy makers, renewables offer a number of appealing opportunities to entrepreneurs in a variety of sectors. First and foremost, renewable energy firms and technology manufacturers worldwide offer profitable investment opportunities for both venture capitalists and institutional investors alike. Venture capitalists and business

angels will most likely prefer to aim for black swans and radical innovations. Institutional investors will want to direct their resources towards more traditional technologies such as crystalline silicon manufacturers. Second, similar to what was observed in Germany, this ongoing energy revolution will see the emergence of new services, new competitors and new business models at the local level. Most of the activities associated with decentralised energy systems are IT intensive and service oriented. This implies that there will be a dramatic reduction in the traditionally high entry barriers to the industry, thus opening the door to a variety of new players: tomorrow’s energy companies will resemble Google more than the utilities we know today. The energy ecosystem of tomorrow will be composed of small independent producers; it will thus require smartgrid operators capable of connecting users and producers seamlessly and of integrating electric vehicles into the electricity network. It will also need energy service companies capable of providing specialised energy efficiency and integration services to business and households. All these niches offer entry points into the industry and represent options for entrepreneurs.

In sum, to increase the share of renewables in the global energy mix, improved policy frameworks for renewable energies are required, which correct externalities and ensure a more level playing field. Cooperation between public and private actors needs to be strengthened too. Both groups play a key role. Policy makers should create incentives to ensure that the necessary investments are undertaken. In turn, the private sector can play a crucial role in raising the required financial resources to facilitate the transition towards a low-carbon economy. The upcoming COP21 offers a unique opportunity to make significant progress towards this end. I

Most of the activities associated with decentralised energy systems are IT intensive and service oriented... thus opening the door to a variety of new players: tomorrow’s energy companies will resemble Google more than the utilities we know today


Back in 1990, as the green

movement first gained critical mass amongst consumers, I was involved in the development of an advertising campaign in the UK and Germany. The TV spot

did not show any glossy product shots, but simply a sequence of beautiful natural and animal scenes against a soundtrack of Louis Armstrong singing ‘What a Wonderful World’. At the end, a voice-over informed viewers that cars from Vauxhall and Opel would be fitted with catalytic converters at no extra cost (rivals were charging extra for these).The campaign was an enormous success, winning a Gold EFFIE Award that year for marketing effectiveness. Vauxhall and Opel’s brand image improved dramatically and the public bought their cars in record numbers.

Since then, it has become rather less straightforward to influence consumer attitudes and behaviour.

A mixture of general apathy, changing government priorities and frustration over ‘greenwash’ has left the public confused and uncertain about their personal roles in limiting climate change. Moreover, surely as long as the US keeps guzzling gas and China keeps burning coal, there’s little an individual citizen can do?

Despite this, however, for any agreements made at the forthcoming COP21 Climate Change Conference to be effective, consumers are undoubtedly going to have to be on board. With BP predicting a rise in global energy consumption of 41% between 2012 and 2035, public sentiment and action will need to change if the world is to pursue a sustainable path.

So what are the barriers and what needsto change?The starting point is the difficulty in perceiving climate change. After all, the symptoms are, for the most part, a slow creep of statistics. NASA may have announced in July that the last six months have been the warmest mid-year sequence since 1880 – but what does that really mean? The inherent nature of climate change is a slow, imperceptible drift punctuated by extreme and disruptive weather events. It’s the events that usually grab the headlines, with causal links difficult to make.

A second barrier is that consumers may feel that the low-hanging fruit is all gone and from now on the environmental trade-offs will get more complex and more expensive. Not entirely true. Despite successful campaigns promoting such things as home insulation, low-energy bulbs and solar panels, there is much more to be done; the real challenge lies in changing behaviours.

This brings us to society’s pre-occupation with ‘newness’. Consumers have been conditioned to want the latest in everything, and to pay a profits-friendly premium for it. But making things new every time is superbly wasteful. It’s not just about encouraging consumers to recycle, it’s about building a culture that equates new with wastefulness, not the leading edge.

A small example of the challenge ahead: it has been some years since manufacturers successfully developed furnace-friendly paint to enable old building materials to be recycled, but buyers missed the ‘new paint’ smell and shunned the option. Clearly there is psychology as well as chemistry to overcome.

It is certainly true that trends amongst the Facebook Generation show a different balance between ownership and usage. Why own things when you can rent, share or

winning the challenge of cONSumER SENtimENt

Peter Stephenson-Wright, Affiliate Professor at ESCP Europe Business School, and Programme Director for the MSc in Marketing & Creativity, looks at the importance of consumer sentiment for bringing about change

CLIMATE CHANGE:



borrow them? For this group, possessions are out and experiences are in. However, with this attitude comes a certain disengagement from the hard facts of the world around. The TwentySomethingLondon.com guide to independent London captured the zeitgeist of a generation when it announced an app to make going out with your mates ‘as easy as doing quantum physics’. So much for science, let’s get on with the important things in life!

But even virtual consumption has a real affect on the environment. Some 12% of the energy currently consumed in the UK is devoted to running the internet, and this will only rise. A future sustainable world is going to have to find energy-efficient ways of ‘doing digital’ too – as Google has pioneered, using solar energy to power its latest data centres.

Leading organisations are already adopting so-called ‘Circular Economy’ models to become more sustainable and gain competitive advantage. Research by Accenture recently identified five drivers of the so-called ‘Circular Economy’, identifying production and consumption systems that combine traditional renewable and recycling strategies with newer ideas such as product life extension, sharing platforms and product-as-a-service strategies. All of them represent a fundamental consumption shift from volume to performance that will need to be reflected in the ways in which governments and businesses communicate with their citizens and customers.

Consumer education and information will have important roles to play In many countries, businesses are beginning to recognise their part in building public momentum versus the ups and downs of government policy. French companies, with their leading positions in energy markets in the UK and elsewhere, are likely to play a leading part in shaping public take-up of the energy-efficient products and services in the future, whether EDF Energy and Areva in the nuclear industry, Veolia leading the

delivery of Circular systems, Bolloré with its Autolib’ electric car sharing service or Alstom’s new energy recovery system for the London Underground.

At the domestic and small business level, studies around the world have shown that simply making energy usage visible through the introduction of ‘Smart Meters’ can lead to a reduction of 9% in personal energy consumption; switching to these would more than deliver the UK Government’s current target of a 2% saving.

According to Peter Franklin of energy consultancy Enstra, the next generation of these systems will use this information

both to reduce overall consumption and to educate consumers about switching their energy usage

outside peak periods of demand. Public behaviour in the future is likely to be

shaped by a mixture of rewards and penalties. As Bill Bernbach famously said, ‘It’s not a principle until it costs you money’.

The Swiss authorities realised this many years ago and instituted

a mandatory system for rubbish collection, giving bags for waste to be

recycled for free, but charging SFr20 for bags used for unsorted rubbish.

As well as encouraging recycling by consumers, Germany took the issue one step up the distribution chain, forcing retailers to pay for the ‘Green Dot’ scheme on all packaging: the more there is, the higher the fee. The response, simpler packaging, has alone resulted in a drop of 1 million tons per year in the country’s annual waste of 30 million tons.

There is more to do worldwide at all levels in society. The challenges will be tough, but both government and industry must grasp the opportunities to shape public opinion – and, like Vauxhall and Opel, reap the potential benefits in image and sales. We would all be winners from this. How about a new awards ceremony for those companies doing the most to change public perceptions and behaviours? I

Some 12% of the energy currently consumed in the UK is devoted to running the internet, and this will only rise. A future sustainable world is going to have to find energy-efficient ways of ‘doing digital’ too


Ahead of COP21, you have said that in terms of ‘ecological transition’, France must be an example in order to convince and lead. How do you intend to do this?I felt that in order for

France to live up to its role as host of CoP21, it had to set an example. The Energy Transition for Green Growth Act, which I defended in Parliament and which is now in effect, sets out ambitious objectives, in line with the European Union’s commitments, and beyond. It lays down the regulatory framework for companies, territories and local authorities to embark on a true energy transition.I want the environme. IInterview by KF

The hidden environmental impact of the InTErnET

It is estimated that, today, up to 12% of the UK’s total electricity is used just to power the Internet. To put this

into context, Yorkshire’s Drax power station, the largest in the UK, supplies around 7% of the country’s electricity demand1 (equivalent to meeting the needs of 4.5 million people). So the UK needs one and a half Draxs just to keep the Internet running.

As more and more people join the digital revolution, and as broadband speeds continue to get faster, more and more energy is being needed to keep up the pace. According to one academic, Andrew Ellis, Professor of Optical Communications at Aston University, Internet demand is rising so fast that it could consume the nation’s entire power supply by around 2035.2

All this electricity comes with a significant environmental impact. Generally speaking, the greater the energy used, the more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

However, the relationship between Internet use and energy used is complex. Take, for example, online shopping – one van delivering groceries can take 15 cars off the road, saving fuel and carbon emissions; however, the Internet makes it easy to order products from all over the world in a way that was never previously feasible, leading to rapidly increasing levels of international freight. The popularity of Internet shopping continues to grow rapidly – in the UK last year online retail sales rose 14% compared to the previous year, going above £100 billion for the first time.3 The Web has undoubtedly improved the lives of millions of people around the world, but simply surfing it for the best deals burns carbon too; according to Harvard University’s Dr Alex Wissner-Gross, two searches on the web produce as much

carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle.4 The technology industry acknowledged its contribution

to the growing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere several years ago and since then some of the world’s most famous technology firms have been leading the way in tackling the problem head on. In 2010, Google purchased two wind farms in North Dakota, and has since spent significant sums of money on several solar and geothermal projects to feed its ever-hungry servers.

This year, Apple invested in renewable energy for its data centres in Ireland and Denmark, and expanded a renewable energy project in China. The tech giant also announced that it aims to power all its operations worldwide with renewable energy. Amazon Web Services made the same pledge last year, funding large wind turbine projects in Indiana and north

Carolina. Surplus energy generated by these projects will be fed back into the energy grids.

Capgemini is playing its part too. Data centres – warehouse-like buildings filled with IT servers – are our biggest single consumer of electricity. In 2010, Capgemini opened Merlin, a data centre in Swindon, UK, that was billed as the world’s most sustainable with many revolutionary design features – particularly around air-conditioning which can often consume as much power as the equipment it is cooling. Compared with a similar-sized conventional data centre, in its first year of operations Merlin recorded a 92% reduction in energy used for cooling by replacing air-conditioning units with free, fresh air cooling. Since Capgemini raised the bar five years ago, the IT industry has developed and built even more efficient servers and data centres, but Merlin is still considered one of the most sustainable.5 I

James Robey, Capgemini Group’s Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability, reflects on the significant environmental impact of the Internet and reveals how the IT industry is responding

1 www.drax.com2 www.independent.co.uk/news/science/britain-may-be-forced-to-ration-the-internet-expert-warns-as-web-use-could-consume-100-of-nations power-supply-by-2035-10222638.html3 www.uk.capgemini.com/news/uk-news/uk-online-sales-exceed-ps100-billion-in-20144 www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/4217055/Two-Google-searches-produce-same-CO2-as-boiling-a-kettle.html5 www.uk.capgemini.com/resources/merlin-the-worlds-most-sustainable-data-centre


Simon Pringle, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at BDO, considers what sustainability really means for businesses today and how becoming a truly resilient organisation is much more than putting in some technical innovations

The sustainability agenda has become a mainstream business concern for organisations of all shapes and sizes.

Despite some current uncertainty surrounding proposed policy changes, sustainability, energy security and the ‘green’ agenda remain a high level priority for Governments across Europe.

The days of simply ticking a box in the CSR column of a supply chain questionnaire have disappeared into history. For many businesses, sustainability means the capacity for organisations to become more resilient and ‘future proof’. This can be achieved by the creation of short term efficiencies alongside strategies to ensure the delivery of shareholder value into the medium and longer term.

Many issues that were previously seen as mid-term sustainability concerns are impacting upon the here and now. This change is partly being driven by corporate minds that are focused on the risks and opportunities associated with commodity and energy prices, regulatory changes, supply chain management and brand reputation.

At the same time, a highly creative and innovative low carbon ‘green’ sector has started to mature. Combining government policy with corporate demand and genuine innovation brings real momentum to a market that has confounded the broader economic backdrop and enjoyed a period of growth and cautious optimism. This means that many companies have been working hard to satisfy the emerging demands of consumer and corporate hunger for clean technologies and energy efficient products.

Take, for example, a range of innovations operating at different scales:• Resilience through energy security: the RidgeBlade is

a wind turbine designed to lie along the ridge of a roof and combine with solar to provide a low cost integrated energy solution.

• Resilience through resource efficiency: Thermitech takes non-recyclable waste streams from factories and other manufacturing sites and converts them in situ into heat and power. This closed loop approach saves money and reduces resource intensity.

• Resilience though system level change: Dearman Technology Company has produced an emission free engine that runs on liquid nitrogen and that has the potential to dramatically improve the global cold chain, reduce post-

harvest food losses and contribute to improvements in urban air quality.

However, for an organisation to become truly resilient normally requires more than just a technical fix. A resilient organisation truly understands the context in which it operates, recognises which issues are potentially material and has effective strategies in place to respond to that assessment.

The evolution of company reporting towards a more integrated style gives a clue as to the changing commercial, social and environmental context in which businesses are operating. We know from direct experience that investor demands are increasingly reaching beyond financial governance to other issues that have a material influence on the ability of a business to deliver enduring shareholder value.

As the materiality of certain non-financial business issues is better understood, there is recognition that not every scrap of financial data is necessarily critical to a business’s ability to deliver enduring value. Conversely, some things that are non-financial can have a fundamental bearing on a business’s potential to create value for a wide group of stakeholders.

Perhaps the starkest illustration of this is offered by the extent to which intangible assets such as intellectual property, people, brand equity and reputation now make up the majority of corporate value. The following figure takes the example of businesses on the Dow Jones Index and shows the trend over a 35 year period from 1975 onward.

The integrity of an organisation’s operations and supply chain are absolutely critical to maintain trust, brand value and market position. Take, for example, the Food and Drink sector, which

building a resilient organisation: why context & materiality really matters




sits as a major part of the retail supply chain and is subject to greater levels of corporate and consumer scrutiny than almost any other group of suppliers. This drive for quality and resource efficiency combines with the role of delivering food security and social wellbeing to place the sector in a unique position.

For many UK food and drink businesses, 2013 will be remembered as the year of the horsemeat scandal. A considerable number of products identified as containing lamb or beef were found to contain horse meat instead. The vulnerability to illegal behaviour within the supply chain exposed by investigations into the scandal also shines a light onto other provenance issues such as ethical standards, resource usage and biodiversity impacts.

What this shows is that there is a huge amount of damage that can be inflicted on the equity of a trusted brand if its supply chain, often made up of SMEs, fails to deliver on the promises made by the ultimate retailer or branded product at the top of the value chain.

Given the diversity of contexts in which businesses operate it is impossible to produce a comprehensive overview in a short article. However, here are some practical tips that may help in building a resilient organisation:• Have you appropriately assessed your risks?• Does this assessment extend beyond pure compliance?• Have you understood the non-regulatory risks in your supply chain and/or product design?• Does your strategy for sustainability align with the core business?• Are the risks identified in the risk register?• Do you have an appropriate system of assessment, control, assurance and governance? • Do you fully understand your competitive landscape and/or the behaviour of their customer or clients?• Are you effectively using this insight to gain competitive advantage? I

reducing the environmental impact of clients, suppliers and employees

It’s generally accepted that all businesses have a responsibility for

reducing their carbon footprints. While some are taking small steps to minimise their own impacts, others are now being more ambitious.

Last year, French-based Capgemini, Europe’s largest IT services and consulting company, collaborated in a cross-industry group with Forum for the Future, the Climate Group and WWF to explore ‘net Positive’, the concept that organisations need to look beyond their own environmental impact and consider that of their clients, suppliers and employees too.

now, Capgemini UK has decided to implement net Positive in its ecosystem (with clients, suppliers and employees) to reduce by three times its own carbon emissions by 2017. To put this into perspective, with a current footprint of 50,000 tonnes of CO2e

1 per annum, this will involve finding 150,000 tonnes

of carbon savings in the company’s ecosystem – this is equivalent to 30% of Guernsey’s emissions2, or 121,000 return commercial passenger flights from London to new York. This is an ambitious target.

How will tHis be acHieved? Capgemini UK is using its technology and business process expertise to help clients cut carbon emissions. Significant carbon savings can be made by moving client IT infrastructure from traditional data centres to highly efficient, low-environmental-impact ones, such as Capgemini’s Merlin data centre near Swindon. Another example is iBabs, a multilingual app that over 150 clients use to simplify meeting planning and preparation via tablets and laptops. The solution enables meetings to be paperless.

The company is also collaborating with suppliers and business partners to reduce

emissions within its supply network. For example, Capgemini’s IT hardware suppliers ensure that every purchase improves environmental performance. In addition, Capgemini UK is investing in energy-efficient technologies and processes such as photovoltaic in Aston, rainwater harvesting, smart metering and in-depth energy assessments.

Employees are supported too. They have access to a range of communication tools enabling them to work remotely, thereby reducing the need to travel. They are encouraged to use public transport or car-share, whether they are making their regular commute to the office, attending training sessions, or visiting clients or business partners. Employees who are eligible for company cars have the option of low-emission electric cars. I

James Robey, Group Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability, Capgemini UK

BUildinG resilienCe inTo sUpplY and CUsTomer Chains

1. CO2e: carbon dioxide equivalent, a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints. 2. http://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=94358&p=0


ArEVA: environmental management on a group scale

As a supplier of high-added value products and services for the nuclear

fleet worldwide, AREVA is helping to bring low-carbon energy to the greatest number of people. The group has always endeavoured to establish internal practices that are in line with this mission, and to be proactive in reducing its environmental footprint. ArEVA has thus established an internal system of environmental performance indicators to measure the results produced by the evolution of individual behaviour as well as the optimisation of existing installations and the implementation of major technological breakthroughs.

ranging from consumption of the most basic resources such as paper and the installation of loops for recycling cooling water in plants, through to the adoption of a uranium enrichment process which has cut the electricity

consumption of the group’s Tricastin site in France by a factor of 50, the ambitious action plan has involved all the industrial branches of the group and has been transformed into a powerful tool for mobilising the efforts of everyone concerned on a daily basis. This process of assuming greater responsibility was even fostered over a five-year period by setting up an internal market for the offsetting of CO2 emissions, with operational entities being financially encouraged to move towards the ‘eco-design’ of cleaner technological solutions.

From the start, ArEVA has made the management indicators of this initiative available for audit to ensure that the results obtained are not open to question. Since 2004, AREVA’s ‘non-financial reporting’ system has thus been audited every year by its statutory auditors and

the results are published in the group’s annual report. At the end of the financial year 2014, a 10-year report presented results which speak for themselves: a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 66% at constant revenue, a reduction in water consumption of 94%, a reduction in energy consumption of 89% and a reduction in the production of conventional final waste of 48% over the past decade.

One final detail to convince those who are not yet persuaded of the benefits of the system: this reduction in the group’s environmental footprint represents a saving of €40 million on operating expenses annually, this excluding the very significant savings achieved thanks to the new enrichment process. I Patrick Cazaubon, Sustainable Development & Environment Vice President, AREVA Group

Your company could need an energy audit by 5 December this year – and without it your business could face up to £90,000

of fines. ESOS is the Government’s response to implementing Article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and requires large organisations employing either 250 people or over, and/or with an annual turnover and balance sheet in excess of €50m (£38.9m) and €43 (£33.5m), respectively.

The scheme is designed to help businesses with an expert energy management assessment that can deliver significant savings to their energy bills and aims to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. ESOS audits thus represent a real opportunity for organisations to find out how they are performing, and more importantly can give practical measures for increasing energy efficiency and sustainability. These cover a wide range of activities from behavioural change through energy awareness campaigns, operational control and optimisation measures, to investment in a new energy efficient plant. Such investments in infrastructure can be self-funding through energy cost savings and often have short payback periods. Many plant investment arrangement schemes involve no capital cost and some can be eligible for grant funding.

There is a common perception that to reduce carbon emissions through lowering energy consumption requires a

wARNiNG: ENERGY fiNES AhEAd

large capital outlay. This need not be the case, as approaching necessary building improvements with energy use in mind can reap significant CO2 reductions which translate to savings on the bottom line. Indeed, quick wins will often be available for little or no outlay. For example, heating systems are often badly controlled or the lights left on all day for no reason and this can be solved by effective re-setting or replacing timers and controls. Medium cost solutions can include new controls, solar shades, loft insulation, low energy lights and the use of new technology such as power regulation and variable speed fan controls.

Major cost items that may be worthwhile as part of a major refurbishment include window replacements, new roof, building fabric upgrades, to provide energy savings through improved thermal performance. Replacing obsolete heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems provides an opportunity to invest in low carbon energy technology such as condensing boilers or combined heat and power (CHP).

With an ESOS audit and implemention of measures, organisations not only become compliant with the legislation and avoid the financial penalties, but can also benefit from innovative energy saving measures which are able to reduce energy bills by as much as 10-15%, as well as cutting carbon emissions. I

Up to 10,000 unsuspecting UK companies could be heading for total fines of over £900m if they fail to comply with the new Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). Pat Gilroy, COO of Industrial Customers for Veolia UK outlines a positive approach to ESOS that can help reduce emissions and save businesses money


buSiNESS iNNOvAtiON Out Of cLimAtE chANGE

While established business and industry are investing in resilience and technical innovation to deal with the impacts of climate change, there are many start-ups whose existence and offerings have come about because of and as a response to climate change. Companies such as ENGIE with its Big Pitch 2015 competition are encouraging and nurturing this new wave of innovation (openinnovation-engie.com) to find the next big idea in the technology revolution that is needed to achieve that 2ºC cap on global warming

Every board is now well aware of their duties to weatherproof their businesses. A start-up called

Climpact-Metnext has tapped into that new knowledge demand by providing customised weather forecasts, based on a new model which takes advantage of the newly available 30-year detailed weather databases. Graduating from the usual energy companies, their clients are increasingly coming from the retail sector and other weather dependant producers.

According to Climpact-Metnext, 60% of fast moving goods categories are significantly weather dependent.

Inventory management is a key factor once the distribution channel has been sorted out, and that is where forecast confidence matters.

This has proved to be a compelling argument for their shareholders nextStage and BPI France. They are also hoping that the general public will start paying more detailed attention to the tracking of air pollutants and their local concentration, which can vary significantly over time and place… but that is the next story. I

www.climpact.com/frJean-Michel Sylvestre, CEO, Charmont Investments

climpact-Metnext helping businesses weather the impact of climate change



eco exercise: people-powered gyms

The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGOGC)’s energy-generating outdoor gym was given a special

award in EnGIE’s Big Pitch UK competition for its community benefits and contribution to the drive towards a greener economy. now it is headed to Paris for COP21 where it will be on display outside the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) building.

Georgie Delaney, Founder and Creative Director of this family business, says that they came up with the idea when thinking of ways to make their new range of outdoor gyms more robust. ‘When we got down to the nitty-gritty of what it was all about – dissipating the energy – we thought, why not harness and recycle it instead?’ The energy generated by exercisers – 50-100 watts each depending on fitness – can be used for mobile device charging on the spot, or is stored by an Energy Display Unit, which shows the energy being generated as you work out, and then used to light up the installation in the evening, extending the hours of use and saving on electricity costs. Power can also go back into the grid – a sixth form college where

the gym was piloted, fed surplus energy into its buildings and sold it to the grid, making money for scholarships. ‘One thing we have learnt from this process is how hard

it really is to generate energy,’ Georgie says, ‘It makes you appreciate it! ’So far 11 Green Energy Gyms have been installed around the UK and two have been piloted in Hungary and Malaysia. ‘It’s been a learning curve,’ Georgie admits. ‘Since the first one we’ve developed it quite a bit, and now that we are happy with the systems, we are ready to launch it properly and the Paris Climate Change Conference seemed the ideal place to do that.’ TGOGC was invited to do so by French eco nGO Shamengo, which has also been promoting its green energy gym as a ‘pioneer’, and it certainly is a world first, which even featured on

Cnn World news. They may not become mainstream sources of energy generation, but these innovative gyms do raise energy consciousness at a personal and community level, while promoting health and wellbeing and contributing in a small way to the green economy. www.tgogc.com I KF

The ‘polluter pays’ principle is well established, which means that environmental liabilities can be pinned

on companies long after the polluting has occurred. Climate change science has helped to identify the sources of pollutants, which were previously amalgamated, with liability ultimately resting on government.

As a Government sponsored agency, the nancy (Lorraine)-based InErIS is developing and selling solutions to identify and track air born pollutants. With their roots in mining and chemical industry safety, they are now using mass spectrometers to tag the molecules of pollutants. Combined with higher altitude wind information, collected thanks to LIDArs scanners, they can, for example, segregate the carbon components emitted from wood from those derived from fossil fuel

combustion (levoglucosan, carbon black). They can also model the impact of sea salt in the nitrogen components and adjust road traffic restriction measures to more targeted areas. That ability to attribute emissions to private parties is a game changer that will quickly ripple into behavioural changes.

A few years ago, Addison Lee founder’s John Griffin installed air quality stations across London to help assert the better footprint of his fleet against old fashion black cabs. now that pollution tracking is getting even sharper, Zac Goldsmith MP (a potential Tory canditate for London Mayor) may be taken seriously on his air clean up platform! www.ineris.fr/en/services/Chemical%20substances IJean-Michel Sylvestre, CEO, Charmont Investments

ineris tracking emissions to their source

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LIFESTYLE - ExhIbITIonSCompiled by Melissa Hattabi

Tate Britain presents ‘Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World’, the first large-scale exhibition devoted to the artist in London for more than 50 years. This retrospective of one of Britain’s greatest and leading artists of the 1930s features many of her most significant and beautiful sculptures in wood, stone and bronze alongside lesser-known drawings, textiles and collages as well as film and selected works by her peers and predecessors

from Jacob Epstein to Henry Moore. Uniquely, the show includes an impressive reconstruction of a modernist structure to showcase Hepworth’s ‘ideal’ environment. Among the highlights are four large sculptures in sumptuous African hardwood reunited in one room. I Until 25 October / Open daily 10am to 6pm / Full price £18

Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World

tate Britain, london

Barbara Hepworth with the plaster of Single Form 1961-4 at the Morris Singer foundry, London, May 1963.Photograph by Morgan-Wells

Barbara Hepworth in the Palais studio at work on the wood carving Hollow Form with White Interior 1963Photo by Val Wilmer


The Serpentine Gallery’s iconic annual programme showcases the ‘Serpentine Pavilion 2015’ designed by Spanish architects SelgasCano who are making their first foray into UK architecture with the construct.

The 15th Serpentine Gallery Pavilion consists of a double-layered plastic skin in a variety of colours, wrapped around a series of metal arches. The aim is that the design should be for a flexible, multi-purpose social space where visitors can relax. The structure is in line with previous designs from SelgasCano which include light-filled harbourside structures, playful floating shapes and even the subterranean Office in the Woods, all of which display their approach to architecture as part of the natural landscape. I Until 18 October / Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm / Free admission

Serpentine Pavilion 2015 by SelgasCano

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Serpentine Pavilion 2015 designed by SelgasCano

LIFESTYLE - ExhIbITIonS

From opulent royal foot apparel to hard-to-wear stilettos, this exhibition at London’s V&A museum explores the ‘human obsession with shoes’ over 2,000 years. Split over two levels at the centre of the museum’s fashion gallery, ‘Shoes: Pleasure and Pain’ is divided thematically to present the way many different cultures have used footwear as a form of personal expression, to announce status and aid seduction but also how it can alter or enhance their wearer.

Sponsored by the British shoe retailer and manufacturer Clarks, the exhibition was curated by Helen Persson, who specialises in textiles and dress in the V&A’s Asian department. It features designs from the museum’s archives, along with loans from individuals and institutions. I Until 31 January 2016 / Open daily from 10am to 5.30pm and until 9.30pm on Fridays / Full Price £12

Wedding toe-knob paduka, silver and gold over wood,India, 1800s

Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

ViCtoria & alBert MUSeUM, london

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace plays host to ‘Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden’ which reveals the way in which gardens have been celebrated in art across four centuries.

With over 150 displays bringing together paintings, botanical studies, drawings, books, manuscripts and decorative arts, the exhibition explores the garden from the 16th to the early 20th century. It includes works by da Vinci, Maria Sibylla Merian and Carl Fabergé as well as some of the earliest depictions of gardens such as a Rembrandt illustrating the Biblical account of how Mary Magdalene mistook the Risen Christ for a gardener on Easter morning. I Until 11 October / Open daily from 10am to 5.30pm / Full price £10

Painting Paradise – the art of the Garden

tHe QUeen’S GallerY at BUCKinGHaM PalaCe, london

Marco Ricci, A View of the Cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens, c.1715

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Opened by the Queen in 1982, who declared it was ‘one of the modern wonders of the world’, the Barbican was seen as a landmark in terms of its scale, cohesion and ambition. This second exhibition in the Barbican series explores almost three decades of the estate’s construction from the mid-1950s to the official inauguration of the arts centre in 1982.

Taking place in the main foyer, the display includes rarely seen photographs of the construction illustrating the vast progress that took place to convert a bomb site wrought by the Blitz into a significant example of architecture with international renown. I Until 29 November / Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 11pm – Sundays from 11am / Free admission

the Barbican exhibition: Building a landmark

tHe BarBiCan, london

Tooling of the conservatory’s concrete - 6 November 1979Photo by Peter Bloomfield

Since leaving Poland, Xawery Wolski began sculpting in 1983 and quickly established an artistic language based on an aesthetic of minimalism. His work is executed in natural materials such as earth, fired clay, and stone.

Chamber member Gallery Elena Shchkuina exposes Wolski’s first solo show within the UK and displays the wonderful mix of the simplest form, allowing for traditional techniques from a classical training and contemporary ideas. In this exhibition every objects relate one to another, linking the past to the present and the future and creating a dialogue between the works. I Until 28 October / Open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm Saturdays by appointment only / Free admission

the course of infinity: space, time and light

GallerY elena SHCHUKina, london

One of China’s major artists and a cultural phenomenon, Ai Weiwei became widely known in Britain after his sunflower seeds installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2010, but this will be the first major institutional survey of his work ever held in the UK.

The Royal Academy of Arts offered its main galleries for a presentation of Ai’s brave, provocative and visionary works. Curated in collaboration with the artist from his studio in Beijing, the exhibition displays some of his most important works from 1993, when he left the US to return to China, to the present day. The artist, who works with a diverse range of materials from marble and steel to tea and glass, also created new works specifically for this show. I Until 13 December / Open Saturday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Fridays / Full price £16

ai Weiwei

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Xawery Wolski, Little Chain 3 Links, 2007Terracotta white patina44 x 16 x 12 cm

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Violette et la tasse de thé is the brainchild of Anne-Sophie Ravix, who moved with her family to London in 2007. Encouraged by her children to write down some of the

stories she told them and inspired by the ‘curious, sweet-tooth’ character of one of her daughters as well as her own experiences of living in London, she wrote the story one day on a train journey to Normandy.

In her search for an illustrator to bring her story to life, Anne-Sophie turned to social media and found Florence Dambre, who was taking a maternity break from her BA Design at Goldsmiths College. The two forged an immediate partnership which led to the creation of a company called Violette et Cetera Ltd. Initially they sought a publisher in France, but found the children’s book market not only tough to get into but also saturated. ‘Two publishers were potentially interested in the picture book but they were asking for so many changes that we thought our book would lose its soul,’ comments Anne-Sophie. ‘So we decided to self-publish in the first instance.’

They published the French version in November 2014 and managed to sell 500 copies within the first four months, mainly online through Amazon.fr and other websites, but also in independent bookshops. Positive feedback from friends, family, schoolteachers and bookshops led to the release of the English version – Violette and the cup of tea – five months later. ‘This has been the best decision ever!’ says Anne-Sophie. ‘We now have a few projects coming up with schools and reading clubs. A bilingual school in Kentish Town studied both versions and is considering using our book as an educational tool for the next academic year.’ The bilingual element has also caught the attention of Waterstones bookshop in the UK, which has agreed to place it on their shelves.

Plans are afoot to send Violette on more adventures, but, says Florence, ‘she might need to embark on a stronger boat…’. The pair is currently approaching UK literary agents to get their book officially published, which would take the onerous job of promotion and distribution out of their hands. Thereafter, the world will be Violette’s oyster… I KF

LIFESTYLE - booKS

The Violette project

LIFESTYLE - AUCTIon

On 23 September, Christie’s South Kensington presents First Open LDN, an auction of Post-war and Contemporary Art of both established names and the best cutting-edge or emerging artists at accessible price points. Aimed at first-time buyers, seasoned collectors looking to add interesting pieces to their collections, and those looking to decorate their homes, estimates range from £800 to £150,000. This season, First Open LDN will also introduce Double Vision, a single owner grouping from an Italian collection that captures the diverse currents of the international art scene during the late 1970s and 1980s. This selection will be offered in an evening time session beginning at 7pm. Join us on the night of the sale for refreshments, specialist talks and advice on how to bid. I 23 September, 7pm/Free admission www.christies.com

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La Cave à FrOMaGe NAMED ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST AMAzING CHEESE SHOPS

La Cave à Fromage has been ranked as the third most amazing cheese shop in the world

by The Telegraph because of its offer of ‘the very best of French and English cheeses, curated after years of working with the UK’s top artisanal cheese producers and restaurants, such as Raymond Blanc’s Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons’.

Much more than a cheese retailer, La Cave à Fromage is imbued with the passion of its founders Eric Charriaux and Amnon Paldi.

‘We opened our first outlet in South Kensington in November 2007 with passion, common sense and excitement,’ says Eric. ‘I believe we have kept these values throughout these years and carried them to our other two shops in Brighton and Notting Hill.’

These shops have made a real experience of cheese with seating areas where customers can relax while having cheese, bread and wine after work, as well as monthly cheese events.

Speaking about their new world ranking, Eric adds: ‘When I read about this accolade, my initial feeling of extreme pride quickly changed to gratitude towards our loyal customers, who, week after week, have pushed opened the doors and endorsed our values. Gratitude also towards our suppliers who work so hard to remain consistent, and commited to creating beautiful and delicious cheese. From a business point of view, it proves once again that creativity and consistency are key factors, and that motivated and well-trained staff – we have set up our own Cheese Academy – is essential as far as customers are concerned.’

Eric writes the regular cheese column in INFO (see page 58), and his Notting Hill shop hosts the Chamber’s ever popular ‘Say Cheese... and Wine’ events in partnership with Wine Story. I KFwww.la-cave.co.uk

Top: eric Charriaux and amnon Paldi have a nose for the best cheese Bottom: La Cave à Fromage in South Kensington, London, was singled out as third best cheese shop worldwide

From a business point of view, it proves once again that creativity and consistency are key factors


LIFESTYLE - EAT, DRInK, STAY - bRIEFS

Big Fernand gears up for the Rugby World Cup

French burger joint Big Fernand, is gearing up for the Rugby World Cup by introducing draught beer to its London ‘workshop’. A giant screen is also being installed for rugby

lovers to enjoy all the XV de France games while enjoying their hamburgés! Iwww.bigfernand.co.uk

London Jam Factory scores three Great Taste Awards

The London Jam Factory (LJF) has just added to its accolades with three Great Taste awards.Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food

and drink. It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. LJF won 2 gold stars for its Raspberry & Geranium preserve, with the judges saying: ‘We do love the geranium bursting through this loose coulis and setting off the raspberry to good effect. Great fun and a good idea.’

Its Raspberry & Rose and Apricot, Orange & Grand Marnier earned a gold star each. ‘All the flavours in a beautifully balanced rainbow that just goes on and on’ the judges said of the latter, but having tasted Pierre-Louis Phelipot’s glorious jams we think it could apply to them all!. I KFTo order Pierre-Louis’ jams visit www.thelondonjamfactory.com

The Landmark London will be providing the backdrop for an autumnal operatic evening on 2 October. Unlike a performance in an opera house, this Night at the Opera dinner promises to be a unique experience as the four singers will weave their way among the tables during the performance, serenading guests.

A ticketed event, the opera will take place in the atmospheric surrounds of The Landmark London’s Winter Garden restaurant underneath the eight-storey glass-roofed atrium set to ensure a spectacular atmosphere, superb acoustics for the operatic performances and a memorable evening of good music and fine dining. Iwww.landmarklondon.co.uk

‘A Night at the Opera’ at The Landmark London

The Grill Counter wine evenings at The Dorchester

A series of fun monthly wine and canapé evenings have been introduced at The Grill Counter in The Dorchester’s recently re-launched restaurant, The Grill at The Dorchester. Hosted by double act head chef Christophe Marleix and head sommelier Ruben Desport, this wine and canapé journey for a total of seven guests will cover six pairings from a different region or theme each month. Designed to offer an alternative night out to sitting down for dinner, Ruben and Christophe will tailor their tips, stories and anecdotes to the varying levels of wine and food knowledge shared amongst guests. I www.dorchestercollection.com

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LIFESTYLE - ChEESE & wInE pRESS

aPPenzellerby la Cave à FromageAmong European countries, the small state of Switzerland is well known for preserving its traditions and thus its unique identity. With a rich multicultural heritage that has German, Italian and French influences, Switzerland has always valued welfare and peace.

These intrinsic values are celebrated in the incredible Appenzeller cheese, which is produced in only 58 local cheese dairies of the Appenzell region of northeast Switzerland. A semi-hard to hard cow’s-milk cheese, with a gorgeous ivory to yellow paste, Appenzeller is slowly matured for over six months, giving it a hard, golden rind.

Tradition requires that the recipe for the herbal brine used to wash the cheese remains a closely guarded secret, known by only two people at a time and passed from generation to generation, perpetuating the cheese’s pleasures over time. Appenzeller can be characterised as a very rich cheese, with a tangy, zingy touch. I by eric Charriaux

E: [email protected]: +44 (0)845 108 8222W: www.la-cave.co.uk

YoUr Wine WitH aPPenzellerby Wine Story

The earliest influences on viticulture in Switzerland are Roman, which is testimony to the long tradition of Swiss wines. Produced from nearly 15,000 hectares, mainly in the West and South regions, these wines are rarely exported and therefore not easy to find on the French or British markets. There are some exceptions, however, such as the light, dry white Fendant from the Valais, famous in Alpine ski resorts.

Most of the dry, white wines in Switzerland are produced from the aromatic Chasselas grape such as the iconic Dézaley Grand Cru from Lavaux in the Canton de Vaud (the 53.6 hectares of the appellation are shared between 133 wine growers). With the Appenzeller cheese, I recommend wines from the Riesling grape. For a French alternative, the Alsace Grand Cru Bruderthal from the Domaine Gerard Neumeyer would be a good choice. I by Thibault Lavergne

E: [email protected]: +44 (0)7921 770 691W: www.wine-story.co.uk


In one day, the people of Japan can attend a Shinto religious

service, visit an avant-garde contemporary art installation and take part in a good old-fashioned karaoke. In Japan, paradoxes can be turned into all kinds of audacity. As a result, the most improbable artistic designs featuring traditional symbols of the utmost purity can be found in the middle of even the most rural of regions.

Our journey through this artistic fantasy begins in the historic neighborhood of Kurashiki in the Okayama region, where ancient warehouses dating from the 17th century stand side by side with old leather lampposts of the Meiji era, pretty cafes and scenic canals. After 15 hours of travel, this is the perfect place to wander around! The private Ohara museum, created in 1930 in honour of the painter Kojima Torajiro, is tucked away in the heart of this enchanting landscape and reveals an impressive collection of paintings from Europe, inspired by the various artistic movements of the era led by the likes of El Greco, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse and Picasso. As dusk falls, the lights of Kurashiki can be seen from the window of our Ryokan.

Our quest for art takes us to the islands of the inland sea. In Naoshima we encounter the hotel-museum Benesse House, made famous by Yayoi Kusama’s giant pumpkin, the crazy brainchild of the billionaire Soichiro Fukutake and that genius of Japanese architecture, Tadao Ando. Together, they have reinvented a paradise of contemplation where nature and

art become one. With the aim of injecting life back into the island, Soichiro Fukutake took the project one step further by transforming traditional 19th century houses into contemporary art installations. Naoshima’s pioneering work has become a model for neighboring islands including Inujima. Its unique museum, built inside an ancient refinery, is dedicated to the author Yukio Mishima and exhibits the elements of his Tokyo house with a strong ecological touch.

It is just as strange to roam around this island of fishermen, whose 50 inhabitants have agreed to share their land with art installations, each more troubling than the next. It is on a wild beach of the island of Teshima, that Christian Boltanski set up the compilation of his ‘Archives du cœurs’. Finally, the museum in Teshima, founded by the architect Ryuei Nishizawa and the sculptor Rei Naito, is possibly the most disconcerting creation of them all. Within a giant elliptical capsule, carved into the concrete and without a single supporting pillar, small drops of water slowly drip onto the ground as the wind blows in an Olympian silence. It’s enough to take your breath away! I

E: [email protected]: +44 (0) 7931 099 269W: www.exclusifvoyages.co.uk

artiStiC FantaSY in JaPan

Il vento café on Teshima Island, Japan


I was born in Dublin and for as long

as I can remember I always wanted

to work in hospitality. Was it because

my parents dreamt of building a hotel

in the west of the country but never

managed to do it? Or because of the

suit my grandfather wore that I wanted

in a child’s size so I could wear it

wandering the corridors of my place.

After living overseas, I returned to Cork

to work as a hotel manager and then

I settled for good in Kenmare, in the

south of the country. I got to travel a lot

around Ireland when I was presenting

‘At Your Service’, a hit TV show here

in this country. The South I would like

to show you has immense treasures.

Roam the length of its crests, play golf

on the finest courses in the world, and

enter century-old castles that recount

the very particular history of a country

quite unlike any other...

ireland – Castles of the SouthA Route du Bonheur from Relais & Chateaux by Francis Brennan, owner of Park Hotel Kenmare

Along the way.. HOUSe OF WaTerFOrD CrySTaL, WaTerFOrDThey have been working with crystal here for over 200 years. Based in the heart of the city, Waterford Crystal marries traditional know-how and modern techniques. The public can view every stage of the manufacturing, from the creation of the moulds to the almost magical, meticulous work of the blowers. Close to 45,000 pieces are produced here annually. www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com

Stage 1 (165 km) 1 day, 1 nightMarlfield House, GoreyThis has to be one of the finest country houses in Ireland. Marlfield House has been a peaceful haven for its very loyal guests for nearly 40 years now. You only have to take a stroll through the 35 acres of landscaped gardens to understand the owners’ sophistication and attention to detail. There are classical music concerts and recitals held on some weekends. www.marlfieldhouse.com

1

House ofWaterford

Crystal


Stage 2 (180 km) 1 day, 1 nightCliff House Hotel, ArdmoreThis incredible hotel looks like a cruise ship about to set sail. Located close to the little fishing village of Ardmore, this contemporary establishment faces the sea directly. Its Michelin star restaurant is one of the best in the country. Adriaan Bartels, the general manager, will tell you where to go to see dolphins and whales, and to look at the changing colours on the horizon when the wind picks up. When you exit the Spa, you can try out your tee shot direct from your balcony. A proper Irish jaunt...www.thecliffhousehotel.com

Along the way... LISMOre CaSTLeBuilt in the late 16th century, this fortress with crenellated towers and façades underwent many alterations until the arrival of the Duke of Devonshire. In the early 19th century, he transformed it into a spectacular gothic castle using hewn stones sourced from Derbyshire. These days there is a lovely contemporary art gallery in the West wing. The outer walls overlook a river teaming with salmon...www.lismorecastle.com

Stage 3 (260 km) 2 days, 2 nightsPark Hotel Kenmare, KenmareOur hotel is located in the pretty little town of Kenmare and dates back to 1897. The old fashioned residence bears a special witness to our regional skills and architectural heritage. The hotel is next to an 18 hole golf course and has a renowned spa. Magazines Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure voted Kenmare Ireland’s best hotel in 2012. Recognition for the entire team working there...www.parkkenmare.com

Along the way... KISS THe BLarNey STONe, COrKSome people believe that the stone was brought back from the Crusades and others claim it was struck by Moses, or blessed by a witch saved from drowning, or it could have been a part of the throne of the Irish kings. All we do know is that men and women have been lining up to kiss this stone for over 200 years. According to the deep-rooted legend, doing so will bring the gift of eloquence. In the past, visitors had to be held by the ankles as they leaned their head forward over the ramparts. These days all you have to do is lie on your back and place your lips on it, while gripping onto an iron railing. www.blarneycastle.ie

Stage 4 (160 km) 1 day, 1 nightBallyfin Demesne, BallyfinIn the midst of 600 acres of landscaped gardens, Ballyfin Demesne is a splendid Regency style building. A unique setting that has just 15 rooms, painstakingly restored for 8 years and only reopened to the public in the spring of 2011. A spirit of romance prevails in this stone house in the midst of walled gardens, woods and vegetable gardens. Decorated in neo-classical style, the grandeur of the rooms is matched only by the privacy to be found there. www.ballyfin.com

Along the way...KING JOHN’S CaSTLe, LIMerICKBuilt over the foundations of an ancient Viking fortification, King John’s Castle dates back to the early 13th century. Its impressive round towers and high wall in the Anglo-Norman fortress architectural style still dominate Limerick’s old medieval quarter.www.shannonheritage.com/KingJohnsCastle

2

3

4

Lismore Castle

Blarney Castle

DisCoveR the FRenCh ChAmBeR

We organised 57 networking

events in 2014

While the Chamber was quiet in August, we had a backlog of events to cover from

before the summer break, so this issue provides a reminder of all the happenings, from the glamorous Gala Dinner to the fascinating conversation with former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, as well as a couple of illuminating Forum & Club sessions on the wide-ranging topis of CSR and digital marketing.

Our members have recently added 13 to their number: two Patrons – Havas and Christie’s – one Corporate and 10 Actives.

As always, La Rentrée heralds the return to a busy programme of Chamber events and activities, including the Trade Delegation to Manchester and Dîner de la Rentrée in September, and three big ones – Women, Inspiration & Leadership, the Franco-British Digital Conference and the Franco-British Business Awards – in November. Forum & Club sessions are also back in full swing, with experts weighing in on some topical issues, and our business services are as busy as ever with recruitment, accountancy and consultancy.

We have two new additions to the team with Anne Bioche becoming the Forums & Clubs Project Manager and Noémie du Chatelier the Executive Assistant to the Managing Director.

Welcome to all and welcome back! I KF


ChAMbER hAppEnInGS


ChAMbER hAppEnInGS - ShoRTIES

Call for applications for the Franco-British Business awards 2015

The applications for the 2015 edition of the Franco-British Business Awards are now open. If your company has grown significantly over the past few years, created jobs, developed innovative services, products or campaigns, engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility, encouraged diversity or been proactive in terms of climate change and sustainability, it could be a contender for either the SME/Entrepreneur Award or Large Corporate Award. The deadline for applications is 9 October 2015. For further information, contact Anne-

Claire Lo Bianco at +44 (0)207 092 6644

New staff at the Chamber

Noémie Du Chatelier, EA to the Managing Director

Noémie has joined the team as Executive Assistant to our Managing Director, Florence Gomez. A London resident for over 10 years, Noémie gained her office management and administration experience working in different sized organisations ranging from fine arts to the travel industry

and finance. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked for Enko Capital Management, an asset management company investing in opportunities across Africa.She holds a Masters degree in Archaeology and Ethnology from Paris.She will be replacing Carla Coutinho, who has been promoted to Office Manager and who will support Noémie in some administrative tasks. Carla has been with the Chamber for 12 years and remains one of its most valuable assets!

Anne Bioche, Forums & Clubs Project Manager

Anne has joined the Chamber as Project Manager of Forums and Clubs. She has been living in London for more than 10 years and prior to that, had lived abroad for 20 years.Anne has strong experience as a Project and Communications Manager in both start-ups and larger groups. She began

her career in 2000 as a Communications Strategy Manager at EDF’s Distribution Network in France, before moving to London in 2007.In 2009, Anne joined the team that launched Avenuedesecoles.com, an informative website specialised in educational issues, which immersed her in the Anglo/ French community in London. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Montreal and a Master of Political Science from the University of Assas in France.

New speakers for the Franco-British Digital Conference: Small Meets Big

The latest line-up of speakers confirmed for the first Franco-British Digital Conference includes Axelle Lemaire, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs; Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy; Pierre Peladeau, Vice President & Partner, Strategy& Digital, PwC; Karine Bidart, Deputy Managing Director, Paris&Co; and Gerard Grech CEO of Tech City UK. More than 200 leaders and experts are expected to attend the conference, which takes place on Thursday 12 November at One Great George Street. www.thefrancobritishdigitalconference2015.co.uk

small meets big

the FRAnCo-BRitish

ConFeRenCe 2015

Innovation Award for The HR Guide

The French Chamber of Great Britain was singled out of the 113 Chambers in the CCI France International network to receive the 2015 Innovation Award for its publication The HR Guide: a practical approach to Human Resources in Great Britain. The Award was presented to Florence Gomez at the CCI France International Managing Directors’ Annual Seminar, which took place in Berlin. Charles Maridor, Network Director of CCI France International, said it was for ‘the quality of the HR Guide’s content, its practical approach, the innovative aspect of this project as well as the possibility of it being duplicated in many countries’.

GavIN CHaPMaN, joined Sopra Steria in January 2010 as Chief Operating Officer with 25 years’ experience within the IT and Business Process Industry. His main responsibilities include driving growth and the delivery of Sopra Steria’s IT and BPO services to a wide selection of blue-chip clients across a variety of business sectors. He also has a particular skill for ensuring operational excellence, global delivery transformation and cost control, enabling him to maximise profit margins, as well as client and employee satisfaction. www.soprasteria.co.uk

DaNIeL MCMILLeN has been appointed Store Manager of the Chaumet New Bond Street boutique taking over from Shohreh Haghayeghi. Daniel made the transition into luxury jewellery as assistant manager of Cartier Dublin and brings with him expertise gained from 10 years experience in prestigious Maisons such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and more recently Chanel Fine Jewellery. www.chaumet.com


ChAMbER hAppEnInGS - ShoRTIES

Four New tenants at the Chamber’s Incubator

Since June, the Chamber’s Incubator has welcomed four new tenants: SMCP (Sandro, Maje, and Claudie Pierlot) an elegant and creative fashion group, Efinor specialised in metal industry project management, Charmont Investments which is an energy company focused on renewable heat and Ikos Consulting, a railway consulting company. Like the 11 other co-tenants, these four companies will benefit from the ‘all inclusive package’ which, in addition to a dedicated desk and phone line, offers access to the Chamber’s network and support from the Business Consultancy department.

Present your company details in our Franco-British Trade Directory 2016

The Franco-British Trade Directory compiles the details of all members of the French Chamber. In addition to this comprehensive list, it includes many other useful contacts in both the UK and France, such as foreign Chambers in the UK, French official services and Foreign Trade Advisors as well as Press Correspondents – more than 2000 contacts in total. With over 300 pages, this information is classified by sector, company name or representative’s name. The Directory is also a great opportunity to advertise and maximise your visibility on both sides of the Channel. Please contact us for more information about our opportunities and rates.

aDrIaN GreGOry has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Atos UK and Ireland. Adrian is an Engineer by trade and started his IT career in ICL following a period as a Marine Engineer with Esso Petroleum. Adrian joined Atos in 2007 and has a 20 year blue-chip background with experience of a wide range of technology solutions and multiple client sectors. Most recently he was Senior Vice President for Public Sector, Health & BBC with responsibility for all aspects of client business and future strategy. Adrian is a member of the Atos Executive Committee. Adrian takes over from UrSULa MOrGeNSTerN who has been appointed Global Head of Consulting & Systems Integration and Global Executive Vice President, Cloud and Enterprise Software, for

Atos. Ursula is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the business and managing the operations to ensure high quality service delivery and continued business growth. Ursula is a member of the Atos Executive Committee, which reports to the Atos main board. She is also an Advisory Councillor at the French Chamber.www.atos.net

Hello / Goodbye

New Main representatives

2 neW Patron MeMBerS

CHrISTIe’S - Auction houseRepresented by eDMOND FraNCey, Head, Post-War & Contemporary art, London | wwww.christies.com

Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries, providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. With a global presence of 54 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world, Christie’s offers around 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine and more, with prices ranging from $200 to over $100 million.

HavaS - Global advertising, media & communications agencyRepresented by yaNNICK BOLLOré, Chairman & CeO | www.havas.com

Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups. Founded in 1835 in Paris, the Group now employs 16,000 people in over 100 countries. Havas is committed to being the world’s best company at creating meaningful connections between people and brands through creativity, media and innovation. Havas is also the most integrated Group in its sector, with most of its creative and media teams sharing the same premises, the Havas Villages, designed to increase synergies and creativity for all its clients and agencies. Havas is organised into two divisions: Havas Creative Group and Havas Media Group.

1 neW CorPorate MeMBer

DIaL-ONCe - Innovative visual customer care solutions | Represented by CHarLeS DUNSTON, CeO | www.dial-once.comDial-Once works with organisations operating across the telecom, financial, insurance, energy and logistic industries. They have large volume of inbound calls and three core issues: (1) They struggle to bring their users onto a digital journey in a non-disruptive manner; (2) They are worried by the detrimental impact IVR have on their brand (press1, press 2… is never well received); (3) There is no correlation between the cost of an incoming call and the value these calls. We help these organisations digitalise their traditional customer calls and achieve branding, financial and digital enablement objectives.

Baloise Luxembourg - Insurance www.baloise.luRepresented by Nicolas Palmitessa, Country Manager France

Doctors of the World UK - International humanitarian organisation www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk Represented by Ruth Baker, Head of Fundraising

Kidzania - The UK’s first educational entertainment experience www.kidzania.co.ukRepresented by Isobel Finlayson, Industry Partners Account Manager

rFr Property Limited - Property Private Office www.rfrproperty.com Represented by Tram Ahn Nguyen, Consultant

rosenblatt - Law firm rosenblatt-law.co.ukRepresented by Bruno Fatier, Partner

Science ethic Limited - Specialists in the development and choice of educational materials for science www.sciencethic.com - Represented by Zahed Bahna, Director

Slimpay - Financial service support: a payment solution linked to banks between countries www.slimpay.comRepresented by Jérôme Traisnel, CEO

The exhibitionist Hotel - 5-star boutique hotel www.theexhibitionisthotel.com

Represented by Xavier Ors, Sales Manager

Wassa - Design of mobile innovative solutions www.wassa.fr

Represented by Sébastien Szymkowiak, Business Manager

Wisembly - Collaboration software for meetingswisembly.com - Represented by Andrei Vestemeanu, Founder

10 neW aCtiVe MeMBerS


ChAMbER hAppEnInGS - nEw MEMbERS

New members

Ain’t no stopping us now...


After the customary Champagne reception, the Chamber’s 132nd gala dinner began with a welcome from Estelle

Brachlianoff, the new President of the French Chamber. She thanked the French Ambassador and the French Embassy for their strong and longstanding support for the Chamber, and welcomed guest of honour Carolyn McCall OBE. ‘As a distinguished Director of our Board since 2012, please think of tonight as a dinner party among friends – 350 friends!’ she said. She also thanked the sponsors and partners that had made the evening possible – main sponsors EY, HSBC and Safran, supporting sponsors Accor Hotels, Colas Rail, EDF Energy and PSA Peugeot Citroën, and wine and Champagne partners Perrier Jouët Champagne, Le Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion, Les Vins de Graves and Les Vins de Pessac Léognan, and Chanel, which for the 21st year running had presented a gift of perfume to each and every guest.

A charity partner had been chosen as a beneficiary of the 25 auctioned lots, kindly donated by Chamber member companies, and Leigh Daynes, Executive Director of Doctors of the World, said a few words on behalf of the charity that is part of the Médecins du Monde global network. He spoke about the work the humanitarian organisation does to provide medical care and build sustainable, accessible healthcare systems in over 70 countries affected by conflict, natural disaster, disease and poverty, and encouraged guests to donate and bid generously in the

silent auction of luxury items generously donated by member companies, which they did, raising £18,500 on the evening.

HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK, then took to the stage. She expressed delight at being at her first Chamber gala dinner, an ‘important event for the Franco-British business community’, welcomed new President Estelle Brachlianoff and paid tribute to the work of her predecessors Richard Brown and Arnaud Bamberger. ‘I am pleased to be speaking alongside one of the UK’s most dynamic and influential women,’ she said of Carolyn McCall. ‘You’ve taken up so many challenges, including that of showing the role women leaders can play as heads of major businesses.’ Noting the business easyJet does in France and its stake in Airbus with the world’s largest fleet of Airbus planes, the Ambassador highlighted France’s increasing attractiveness for strategic investment, particularly in the areas of innovation, creativity and technology. ‘The future of Europe and France is innovation,’ she said.

ChAMbER hAppEnInGS - RECEnT EVEnTS

Annual Gala Dinner - 2 July

One of this year’s high points, the 2015 Gala Dinner was celebrated by over 350 guests at the Landmark London Hotel, with Carolyn McCall OBE, CEO of easyJet as guest of honour


GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS

Guest of honour Carolyn McCall OBE began her speech by observing that as a low cost airline, easyJet does not join many things that charge it to be a member. ‘Whatever we join has to really add value to what we do and I have to say that the French Chamber under the very energetic, brilliant leadership of Florence Gomez delivers real added value and it’s been a pleasure sitting on the board as well. It is probably one of the best Chambers in the world – a dynamic and vibrant organisation and I think there is an awful lot more that’s to come. It’s been a real privilege being part of that.’

On the broad subject of ‘the issues facing business today’, Carolyn said that although her observations were made through the lens of CEO of easyJet, being a CEO requires the same skills and qualities wherever you are. ‘Leaders have to absorb a high degree of uncertainty because the pace of social and technological change is so accelerated, and yet still provide vision, clarity and direction,’ she said. ‘All the old certainties, norms and truths that companies had been led by for many decades no longer apply, and any company that does not recognise this becomes obsolete very quickly. ’ She spoke of the importance of getting people to believe in your vision, getting the right people into the right jobs and developing resilience. ‘Some of the things we’ve tried to do at easyJet could be applied to lots of businesses,’ she went on. The first is ‘getting the basics right’ – doing what you are there to deliver rather than trying to do clever things, second, clear brand positioning and third, innovation, which should not be confined to one area of the business, and should not be done for innovation’s sake.

Touching on France, she said it was easyJet’s second largest market after the UK, with a higher percentage of business travellers than its network average, and over 50% of its French corporate sales deals made with CAC40 companies, 15 million passengers and five bases. Observing that none of this would have been possible without deregulation and the opening of the skies in Europe, she stated that it was very important for Britain to stay in Europe. ‘Aviation is a very good example of the benefits of the EU, which I don’t think many consumers understand,’ she said. ‘Because of the EU, people can travel and businesses can trade very freely across Europe in a way that was unthinkable for previous generations, cities and regions have links they have never had before, which stimulates trade and tourism and provides platforms for economic growth. It allows businesses to access an economy worth $18 trillion, and outside of Europe, Britain could not access that in the same way. There can be no complacency from businesses and government about the issue of Europe.’ She concluded with some observations on partnerships, which, she said, are hard to work at with other companies or countries, but could be successful if, like any relationship, there was mutual understanding and an agreement on shared goals.

The entertainment of the evening came from Revelation Avenue, a gospel choir that was a semi-finalist in Britain’s Got Talent, whose joyous, energetic singing of Halo, Hear Me Roar and Ain’t No Stopping Us Now had people clapping, swaying and then standing up and dancing – a first for any gala dinner! By the time they finished with Happy, the ballroom was on its feet and the evening ended on an exuberant note. I KF

All the old certainties, norms and truths that companies had been led by for many decades no longer apply, and any company that does not recognise this becomes obsolete very quickly

Top right:He Ms Sylvie Bermann, French ambassador to the UK addressing Dinner guestsTop far right:Carolyn McCall OBe chats with the Chamber’s President estelle Brachlianoff Bottom left:revelation avenue rocks the room



Breakfast with Nicolas Petrovic - 19 June

I’m sure you are all customers of Eurostar in one way or another,’ Nicolas Petrovic began, ‘and you know the service at

least as well as I do, maybe better!’ CEO of Eurostar since 2010, Nicolas acknowledged his former boss, Richard Brown CBE, then President of the French Chamber, who had introduced him. ‘Everything I do well today, Richard taught me. The rest is unfortunately my own style!’ he joked, setting the tone for an amusing and engaging talk about Eurostar – its achievements in the 20 years of its existence, the issues it currently faces and its ambitions.

Twenty years ago, people were sceptical that Eurostar would work,’ he reflected. ‘Trains were considered to be for losers, and not cool for business travellers.’ How wrong they were! Eurostar has since conveyed 150 million passengers, and has kept growing every year despite the financial crisis. ‘We are a living bridge between three cities,’ he quipped, ‘and we have become part of your life!’

Eurostar’s success, Nicolas observed, was because right from the start key decisions were taken to be customer focused, and to segment the market with a wide range of services and pricing. ‘We have been able to modify these over the years to reflect the changes to the market,’ he said, noting that by doing so, Eurostar had not only gained market share from the airlines but had also created a new market, allowing people to do what they would never have dreamed of 20 years ago, such as popping over to Paris for the opera of an evening.

What is important now for Eurostar, is the next 20 years and Nicolas outlined what it is doing to meet, as he put it, ‘the pent-up demand for integration between our two countries’. Despite this, the market is the most competitive it has ever been: low cost airlines are more efficient than ever, the flagship carriers

are catching up, high speed rail is coming into its own and even car-sharing is taking off, at least in France. It has never been so good for the consumer. In response, Eurostar is positioning itself as the best quality short haul operator in Europe. However, it faces the challenge of increasing volume while retaining its personal touch. As Nicolas put it, ‘at the end of the day this is a service business, it is all about human contact.’ Twitter is one of its tools, as customers like the idea of there being a human behind the tweets, and Eurostar’s Twitter team is all under 25. But this is just one piece of ‘the jigsaw’, as Nicolas put it, to make its service more individualised at every touch point.

Over and above that is the £1 billion investment Eurostar is making in its fleet, digital channels and stations within the next 18 months. ‘Customers will notice the difference with our bigger, wider trains that have wi-fi, but what is important to us is that there are more seats per train, giving us 20% more capacity by 2016,’ he said. New destinations are being added too – a service to the South of France has just been launched and within two years, trains will be running twice a day to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Eurostar is also investing in sustainability and people: it has made huge efforts to reduce its CO2 emissions by 35% and works with local communities in both London and Paris bringing educational programmes to children and young people that will help nurture the talents of the future. As for where Eurostar will be in 2035, Nicolas’s vision is of people living interchangeably in different cities, able to travel seamlessly between each thanks to transport providers such as Eurostar that allow people to ‘enjoy the best that Europe can give’.

The breakfast, for which PAUL provided delectable pastries, was held at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. I KF

New destinations are being added too... within two years, trains will be running twice a day to Amsterdam and Rotterdam

Running the living bridge between three cities


The significance of the Magna Carta to our present age

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the historic document that underpins democracy, human rights and the rule of law. But how did this ancient charter, signed by a medieval king under duress from his rebellious barons, come to be so significant in the modern age? This was the question that the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP, Attorney General from May 2010 to July 2014, chose to tackle as guest speaker at the third Annual Legal Lunch.


Annual Legal Lunch- 24 June

The significance of the charter is not so much its history as its role in creating a degree of national myth,’ Dominic said

as he sketched out the historical circumstances that gave rise to it. He observed that quite a few historians and lawyers were sceptical about the charter’s significance, but asserted that the charter and its legacy were key to understanding the limits of government and our rights as the Queen’s subjects today.

Firstly, it was really effective in reducing the monarch’s ability to raise money from arbitrary fines or levies, and this aspect of the charter has influenced every bit of our constitutional history ever since, and could be described as the seed of our parliamentary democracy.’

Secondly, the charter expresses an insistence on limiting the power of the king to control and dispense justice and to enforce law only for the benefit of his narrow self interest.

He noted how these tenets had been preserved in the coronation oath, and those taken by ministers, public officials, police officers and judges. ‘In the absence of a written constitution this is the only equitable foundation of the British state that exists,’ he said.

Dominic refuted the argument that the charter was a reinvention of the 17th century, citing evidence it was never forgotten or ignored, but acknowledged that it was readily taken up then in the dispute between king and parliament, giving rise to the 1689 Bill of Rights. ‘Since then the charter has been invoked on many occasions in connection with demands for legal and political rights, for example the Great Reform Act of 1832, the Chartist Movement which was associated with demands for universal male suffrage, equal constituencies, paid MPs and annual parliaments, and by the Suffragettes.’

The charter also went abroad, forming part of Maryland’s founding statute in 1638 and was the inspiration for the United

States Bill of Rights and parts of it travelled back to France in the Declaration of Human Rights. ‘This is a very different document from Magna Carta, rooted in humanist and abstract principles rather than the pragmatic realities of 1215, but there is a clear overlap when it comes to principles underpinning justice.’

However, he cautioned that although many in the UK believe that the combination of the Magna Carta, the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, the Bill of Rights of 1689, the Common Law and the Sovereign Parliament were sufficient to protect our liberties, there had been many violations, and that citizens were more likely to turn to the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Having given a detailed analysis of the history and work of the ECHR, he asserted: ‘The ECHR, which has a straight parentage back to Magna Carta, is probably the single most effective tool for the promotion of human rights on our planet.’

He concluded that the Magna Carta was not redundant. ‘We have to be grateful to those who drew on their vision of what they saw as the law of the land. Not only did they initiate a process which has created this discernible line of beneficial rights and liberties carried down in various forms to the present day, but it also offers us a mirror in which we can see today that the challenges we face promoting the rule of law are not new.’

In his role as Chair of the Legal Forum, Olivier Morel, Partner at Cripps, presided over the introduction, led the Q&A session and brought the lunch to a close. Our thanks to Dominic Grieve QC MP for his time, the Connaught for once again hosting the lunch, Vranken Pommery for the Champagne and Crus Classés de Graves for the wines. I KF


The General Election explained and what the future holds

At an exceptional Patron & Corporate event at the Connaught, sponsored by Credit Suisse for whom he is a

senior advisor, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major KG CH gave some thought-provoking insights into the UK General Election results and the political landscape it had left in its wake, as well as the UK’s current and future position within the EU.

Responding to questions put to him by Gaël de Boissard, CEO EMEA at Credit Suisse, Sir John, with wit, clarity and incredible wisdom, dissected the misreading of the polls, the harsh price paid by the Liberal Democrats and the collapse in the Labour vote that led to the unexpected Conservative victory. He predicted an evolution rather than about-turn in government policy, with EU negotiations taking centre stage in the lead up to the referendum.

Sir John said he expected Britain would vote to stay in the EU. A decisive yes vote would be better for Britain’s influence in Europe, and motivating young voters, with their outlook and understanding of the world, would be key to getting this.

Speaking on a wide range of topics put to him, from Greece and the Scottish referendum to terrorism and even Putin, Sir John demonstrated a formidable breadth of knowledge and grasp of the political machinations in all corners of the world stage. For all those present, it was a privileged opportunity to hear from a political master who once acted on it. I KF


Conversation with Sir John Major - 23 June

7 July

Summer Champagne Reception


Eating the Entente Cordiale

F or the second time, the summer edition of the Dîner des Chefs took place at Club Gascon hosted by Chef Pascal Aussignac. The Michelin-starred

restaurateur designed a unique five-course menu which he called ‘Entente Cordiale’, celebrating the particular Franco-British bond. This explosion of sensational colours and flavours was paired with delightful Champagne and cocktails offered by our sponsor Pernod Ricard UK.

Pascal Aussignac‘s vision is that gastronomy should bring together regional ingredients and traditional recipes from different terroirs and cultures. Guests enjoyed examples of his provocative association of flavours such as the ‘Roquefort Macaron’ and ‘Chocolate Millionaire, Olive, Lemon Thyme and HP Sauce’.

The refined gastronomy was complemented by the cosy, welcoming and convivial atmosphere of the venue provided by Chef Aussignac and his restaurant manager – Aurore Lagadec – who organised and hosted the event along with their fantastic team.

Pascal Aussignac’s flagship restaurant, Club Gascon, was awarded a Michelin star in 2002 which it has retained ever since. In 2007, it was awarded the ultimate peer group accolade of Restaurant of the Year by The Caterer Magazine. Pascal still cooks at Club Gascon every day, looks after the floral arrangements in all his restaurants (which include Comptoir Gascon, Le Cercle, Cigalon, and Chip + Fish, as well as bars Cellar Gascon and Baranis) and keeps surprising the London foodie scene. I MH


Dîner des Chefs at Club Gascon - 22 June

Vranken Pommery Champagne abounded but clichés about English summers were scarce as Chamber

members gathered at the Hurlingham Club in Southwest London on a balmy summer evening for the annual Summer Champagne Reception, sponsored this year by Banque Transatlantique, Berkeley Law and Frenger.

Epitomising the English tradition of private member’s clubs, the exclusive sports and social club with a waiting list of more than a decade, is set in 42 acres of beautifully manicured grounds bordering the Thames. The reception took place in the Quadrangle Room of the main clubhouse, a neoclassical mansion built in the early 1800s. A variety of sensual treats were on offer for guests – paintings by Marc-Antoine Goulard arrayed along the walls, Ligne Roset’s iconic seating and a table of sweet and savoury temptations from PAUL, but the good weather drew most of the 220 guests out of the French doors to the terrace, where Vranken Pommery Champagne and conversations flowed well into the long, light evening. I KF


FoRUMS & CLUbS - LUxURY CLUbLuxury Club Breakfast - 18 June

The gathering took place in an elegantly appointed dining room

with views over the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, hosted by Philip Marshall, Director of Business Development at the Royal Albert Hall, who gave guests an overview of the Hall’s history and activities. On this occasion, Tom Meggle, Managing Director of Louis Vuitton UK, Ireland and South Africa, was standing in for the Chair of the Luxury Club, Bertrand Michaud, Managing Director of Hermès.

‘The Internet of Luxury Things’ was the intriguing theme presented by Jonathan Chippingdale, CEO of Holition, a digital creative studio specialising in emerging technologies, which works with pioneering digital luxury organisations. ‘Technology is breaking through existing barriers of geography, religion, race, age, and joining together the world in a way that previous generations would not have believed

possible,’ he said. ‘As the French philosopher Paul Valery would have said,

“the future is not what it used to be”’. He explained how his company, set up by four people with backgrounds in the luxury industry, had set out to explore the role of technology in luxury, which at that time was not really interested in digital.

Jonathan picked out ‘wearables’ as an example of a disruptive technology making inroads in the world of fashion and luxury. ‘It’s all about trying to communicate bigger ideas, it’s not about the technologies,’ he said. He related how one French luxury brand has developed clothing that measures and maps pollution by changing colour. He spoke about a London Fashion Week project they had done in collaboration with a fashion student which produced a brain-scanning cape that changes colour and pattern to reflect the mood of its wearer. This year, Holition has been approached by the United Nations to produce a Big Data fashion item for COP21 in December, which will communicate the important messages about climate change to the general public in an attention-grabbing way. The idea is to have a fashion show with clothing that streams live feeds from the internet of data such as surface temperature, population shifts, polar ice

melt, ozone hole enlargement and such like, so that viewers can get a real time sense of how the climate is changing.

As exciting and groundbreaking as projects like these are, Jonathan did offer a word of warning about the limits of digital. ‘Digital can be a barrier between brands and consumers,’ he said. Consumers will back away if the user experience is not simple or the benefit not apparent. Another issue is that a lot of the technology is very new and therefore not quite good enough yet for luxury brands. For example, virtual fitting rooms for trying on clothes fall well short of the real life experience. ‘If technology does not hit this level it is more of a solution looking for a problem rather than a solution for a particular problem,’ he said. He also decried the use of too many screens in store, which can lead to a loss of brand personality. ‘This new immersive world is forcing people to look at the world through a tiny screen, rather than experience reality around them. Technology can get in the way.’

The breakfast event concluded with a tour of the Royal Albert Hall, giving guests a glimpse of some of the rarely seen areas of a building that was aptly intended for the continued promotion of the applied arts and sciences. I KF

The Internet of luxury things

The Royal Albert Hall’s Coda Restaurant is usually only open in the evenings, so it was a rare privilege for members of the Luxury Club to take breakfast there.


FoRUMS & CLUbS - hR FoRUM

The role of HR in CSR

What is CSR? Corporate social responsibility should be a business practice whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their business models. The problem is that many companies do not fully understand how by meeting their responsibilities to society they will also be benefiting themselves through increased profitability and reputation enhancement. CSR is sometimes viewed by companies as making sure they do no harm. But to do this it should be embedded within corporate strategies. It is not about a one-hit philanthropic action of ‘doing good’ in the community. Thus, CSR should not be viewed as how a company spends its profits; it is more about how they are earned. One current issue is that businesses are able to define what they believe is good CSR. However, they tend to look at this through the lens of what is most convenient to the business rather than what is most beneficial to society and the people who are impacted by their activities.

The benefits of CSR for the companyIf companies understand and define what CSR means for their business then it is possible to define the benefits. The reality is that through wider engagement with the company’s ‘stakeholders’ (workers, communities, suppliers, etc.) the company achieves a greater understanding of their needs and concerns. This enables greater trust to be built up with the company; and studies show that where stakeholders demonstrate greater trust there is greater profitability. Further positive impacts of a well-implemented CSR strategy are not only an enhanced reputation and positive corporate culture but also greater productivity, lower staff turnover and a reduction in the potential for value destruction through enhanced reputation risk management. The principle of CSR is that it works as a virtuous circle as good practice impacts positively on companies as well as on society.

The importance of human rightsCentral to any good CSR strategy is demonstrable respect for human rights. Companies need to understand their salient human rights issues; i.e. those human rights most at risk of

a severe negative impact. Once respect for human rights is translated into every day business terminology, it is important that companies manage and implement appropriate human rights policies into a wider business strategy and monitor their effectiveness. Helping companies understand the importance of respecting human rights is key not only for society but also for their own benefit.

Richard Karmel and his team at Mazars worked in collaboration with Shift on the creation of the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework (www.UNGPReporting.org), launched in February 2015. The framework provides advice and guidance on how a company can report on its human rights performance in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Human Rights. At one level, the Reporting Framework is exactly what it says: a framework to help companies report on their human rights performance. But more than that, it helps companies improve their management systems which will foster more effective management of human rights risks and impacts.

The key role of Human Resources In the past, CSR was often given to marketing and communication departments. However, those companies that have begun to understand its importance to its mainstream business models have moved it to a more central function. One function that already has that overarching position is that of Human Resources. Indeed, HR can be compared to an octopus as it is the main transcendent department with a privileged position of oversight of the whole company. Some of the core human rights can be tackled by HR such as health and safety, discrimination, fair treatment, working conditions and remuneration; however, the greater challenge for HR teams is to take employees’ personal values and converge them with the employer values. When employee and employer values are fully aligned the benefits are immeasurable.

Respect for human rights is fundamental to implementing a beneficial CSR strategy. The Human Resources departments could be fundamental for greater business-wide value generation. I

Richard Karmel, Partner and Global Headof Business and Human Rights at Mazars UK, gave a presentation on the importance of Human Resources for promoting CSR within the wider corporate strategy


FoRUMS & CLUbS - SME & EnTREpREnEURS CLUb

Social media for SMes: challenges and opportunities

We hear all the time about the way to promote businesses online via search engine optimisation and online

advertising, but all too often people forget that promotion is only a first step in the customer acquisition journey. You still need to convince your potential customers to buy your product. The thing is, consumers don’t trust brands anymore. We are exposed to an average of 600 ads per day and in this kind of environment, who still believes in a brand claiming that they have the best product on the market? In my opinion, building trust in your online strategy is the real challenge and will allow you to stand out from your competition. Here are four tips that can help you to achieve this goal.

1. Stop talking about you. Let your customers do it for you Don’t tell your brand story, let your customers share their experiences with your brand. The opinion of others about your brand and products will undoubtedly strengthen your sales pitch. There are multiple ways to activate your community to share content online.• Create a #hashtag linked to your brand that you can use during your marketing campaign. Your customers or advocates will use it when sharing thoughts, experiences related to you. The hashtag will allow you to find the content shared on social networks more easily and use it on your website and other communication channels.• Allow your customers to review your company or products after a purchase. Send them an email 2-4 weeks after the purchase asking for review of the product.• Organise an online competition and ask your community to share pictures linked to their brand experience.

2. Use the right tone when communicating onlineHumanise your online communication. Show emotion when

telling your story by using videos and pictures. Be authentic and don’t exaggerate when talking about your company and services. Better to focus on your unique selling point than to give 100 qualities of your product.Avoid broadcasting the same old-fashioned promotion about your product again and again. Be creative, display relevant information about your industry. Demonstrate that you are an expert in your field by creating and posting relevant and useful content.

3. Be social, make the most of web 2.0Don’t display, but interact with your audience. Answer questions on blogs and forums, comment on relevant content, give your opinion, thank others for giving theirs. Such interactions act as proof that your business is trustworthy and you care about your audience opinion. A good online service support will also highly increase your reputation and demonstrate that you are a reliable business.

4. your website, the foundation of your online reputationInvest in your website, build a modern and user friendly platform that leads visitors to explore further. Whatever the quality of your content, if your website takes us back to the nineties, potential customers will question the legitimacy of your company. Be concise, use images rather than heavy text. Keep your website up to date. Who trusts a company highlighting outdated content on their website such as their participation in an exhibition in 2012?

Next time you think about your online strategy, keep in mind people do business with companies they know, like and trust. I

Charles Van Overmeire, Head of International Development at Pictawall offers four digital marketing tricks to blow your competitors out of the water


Jean-PHiliPPe VerdierDeputy Chair of the Climate Change Forum

Interview

How did you come to be Deputy Chair of the Climate Change Forum?It is all down to the Chamber’s Managing Director, Florence Gomez, as always! Some four years ago, I shared with Florence my strong interest for the field of sustainability and climate change, which I studied as part of my Sloan masters in Strategy at the London Business School. I also had stints as consultant in a couple of renewable energy businesses. Florence and Richard Brown, the Forum’s Chair, invited me to join the Forum from its inception, and I have enjoyed contributing ever since.

How do you view your role within the Forum?The Forum is very cohesive and collegial by nature, and has greatly benefited from the involvement of every single participant, all of whom are eager to give and receive. My contribution is facilitated by this dynamic, supporting Richard, proposing topics for the year ahead, rallying guest speakers amongst my connections and promoting the Forum, all of this in concert with the Chamber.

Coming from the financial world, you bring a different perspective to the Climate Change debate. Can you explain what this is?The Forum benefits from the diversity of its members, senior executives of big and smaller businesses, energy companies, consultants as well as representatives of institutions and the French Embassy. My input inevitably has a strong financial taint, notably sharing the perspective of investors and markets.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issues that the Forum should address?The Forum is about sharing best practice, ideas, knowledge, contacts and opportunities across businesses and sectors with a view to promote business engagement on the topic of Climate Change. Based on the feedback from the survey we conducted amongst members of the Chamber, unlocking the financial and business case of climate change for their Boards is at the centre of our priorities. I KF

SME & Entrepreneurs Club - By application only Chair: Arnaud de Montille, Co-Founder of Merci Maman Personalised GiftsWhen: 22 September, 8.30am - 10.00am Theme: Changes in the labour lawsSpeaker: Gary Freer, Partner, Bryan Cave

HR Forum - By application onlyGuest chair: Michael Whitlow, Human Resources Director, Europe Region, International SOSAimed at: HR Directors and HR professionals When: 23 September, 8.30am - 10.00am Theme: Diversity in the workplaceSpeakers: Edouard de Broglie, CEO, Dans le Noir Ltd - Trade Connection and Vinay Kapoor, UK Head of Diversity & Inclusion, BNP Paribas

Legal Forum - By application only Chair: Olivier Morel, Partner, Cripps Deputy Chair: Ken Morrison, Legal Director, Eurotunnel When: 30 September, 9.00am - 11.00am Theme: Director’s DutiesSpeakers: Olivier Morel, Head of International Corporate Investment, Cripps LLP and a Partner from Ayache Salama TBC

Climate Change Forum - By application only Chair: Richard Brown, CBE, former Chairman and CEO of Eurostar, Vice-President of the French Chamber Deputy Chair: Jean-Philippe Verdier, Managing Director, Jefferies International.When: 20 October, 10.00am - 12.00pm Theme: Tidal Lagoon Power, a new landscape of energy in the UKSpeaker: Mark Shorrock, CEO, Tidal Lagoon Power

These sessions will all take place at the French Chamber

FoRThCoMInG FoRUMS & CLUbS


TraINING: PUBLIC SPeaKING & MeDIa INTervIeWSTrainers: Olivia Penichou, Founder & CEO of O2P and Etienne Duval, Director and Founder of NewTownVision Where: The French Chamber , London WC1V 7JH Cost: £290+VAT per person

After the success of the first training session in April, LiveSpeech (see article on p.20) is returning for another interactive session. Participants will learn how to improve their public-speaking and presentational skills whether for presentations, conferences, media interviews or corporate videos. Who should attend: business leaders, entrepreneurs, communication directors / spokespeople.

22Oct

09.00 - 13.00

LiveSpeech

reNDez-vOUS CHez PaULWhere: Le Restaurant de PAUL, Tower 42, London, EC2N 1HQ Cost: £20+VAT per person

A chance to experience PAUL’s brand new restaurant with a difference...

Contact Sonia Olsen at [email protected] or 0207 092 6644

21Oct

18.00 - 20.00

ChAMbER hAppEnInGS - FoRThCoMInG EVEnTS

BreaKFaST WITH WILFrID PeTrIeWhere: Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane, Hamilton Place, London W1J 7DR Cost: £30+VAT per person; £50+VAT – special price for two Dress code: Business casual

Wilfrid Petrie is the CEO of Cofely in the UK and supervises all International Facility Management Businesses within ENGIE. He is also a member of the Executive Board and Executive Vice President of ENGIE’s Energy Services business line. A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique of France, Wilfrid had various management positions in France, the US and the UK prior to his present position. He joined the Group in 1999.ENGIE is 8th largest overseas employer in the UK and has a significant established presence across the entire energy and services landscape, currently employing around 20,000 people.


09Oct

08.00 - 10.00

BUSINeSS CLUB COCKTaIL – S.T.DUPONTSpeaker: Alain Crevet, Chief Executive Officer, S.T.Dupont Where: The French Residence, W8 Cost: £30+VAT per person; £50+VAT – special price for two Dress code: Business casual

An opportunity to learn about S.T.Dupont and how it has remained at the forefront of the luxury sector through continuous innovation from Alain Crevet, CEO of S.T.Dupont.

S.T.Dupont was founded 143 years ago by Simon Tissot Dupont. His luxury leather goods and travel cases became renowned for their high quality, attracting the patronage of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. In subsequent decades, his customers included the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to name a few. S.T.Dupont’s link with royalty have continued, as the French government presented a contemporary

travel case to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge as a wedding gift. The heritage of the brand remains strong today with iconic collections and unique partnerships that produce exclusive limited editions such as those with The Rolling Stones and McLaren. A very special collaboration with James Bond is set to be launched in the coming weeks.


13Oct

18.00 - 21.00

reNDez-vOUS CHez arMOrIaLWhere: Armorial, 19 South Audley Street, London W1K 2BN Cost: £20+VAT per person Dress code: Lounge Suit


08Oct

18.00 - 20.00



WOMeN, INSPIraTION & LeaDerSHIP Guest speakers: Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and President of the French Chamber in Great Britain; Helena Morrissey, Founder of The 30% Club and Chief Executive Officer, Newton Investment Management Where: The May Fair Hotel, Stratton Street, London W1J 8LT

Cost: £40+VAT; £70+VAT special price for two Dress code: Lounge suit Sponsored by: CHANEL, which will be providing each participant with a bottle of perfume

Join us to hear from two exceptional women with extraordinary career paths, speaking about their experiences and routes to success. This inspirational evening will be followed by a cocktail reception.


03Nov

18.30 - 21.00

Estelle joined the Veolia group in 2005 as Special Advisor to the CEO of Waste Management. Prior to becoming Veolia Senior Executive Vice-President - UK & Ireland in 2012, she was in charge of Waste Management in the Greater Paris area and also the Facility Management

and Cleaning Services branch. She started her career heading a team managing major infrastructure projects and constructing highways and tramways within the Val D’Oise region of Greater Paris. She was then appointed as Advisor to the regional government in Greater Paris responsible for transport and development. Estelle also sits on the Veolia Executive Committee.Estelle is involved in the work of many influential organisations such as Business in the Community (BITC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). She heads up the Environment Leadership Team for the BITC and sits on the Infrastructure Board and President’s Committee for the CBI. Estelle was elected President of the French Chamber in Great Britain in June.

Helena joined Newton in 1994 as a fixed income fund manager and was appointed CEO in 2001. Newton manages over £50bn for pension funds, charities and through funds available to individuals. In 2010, Helena founded the 30% Club, a cross-business initiative aimed at

achieving 30% women on UK corporate boards through voluntary, business-led change. There are now 30% Clubs in the US, Hong Kong, Ireland, Southern Africa, Australia and Malaysia. In June 2014 Helena was appointed Chair of The IA, the UK’s industry trade body whose members manage £5trn.Recently, Helena has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. In 2013 and 2014 she was voted one of the 50 Most Influential People in Finance globally by Bloomberg Markets. She was appointed CBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list. A Cambridge philosophy graduate, she began her career with Schroders in New York.

aNNUaL FINaNCIaL LUNCHWhere: The Berkeley, Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL Guest speaker: Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Société Générale Cost: £100+VAT per person; £1,140+VAT for a table of 12


05Nov

12.00 - 14.00

CrOSS CULTUraL DeBaTeWhere: The French Residence, London W8 Guest speakers: Tanuja Randery, zone President UK & Ireland of Schneider Electric, Warner Rootliep, General Manager UK & Ireland, AirFrance KLM Moderator: Peter Alfandary, Chairman of the Cross Cultural Forum

Cost: £40 + VAT per person and £70 + VAT for two

Join us to hear two business leaders with successful and internationally-oriented career paths, approaching cross-cultural issues at stake in the UK and in Europe, and participate in this exciting debate. It will also be a great opportunity to network with senior executives of member companies, ranging from SMEs to blue-chip companies.

Contact Matthieu Alibert at [email protected] or 0207 092 6634

09Nov

18.30 - 20.30



Pa CLUB aT vraNKeN POMMery Where: Vranken Pommery, 128 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SA Dress code: Business attireOrganised exclusively for Personal Assistants - By invitation only – free of charge

Indulge in Vranken Pommery Champagne and network with your professional counterparts

Contact Anne-Claire Lo Bianco at [email protected] or 0207 092 6643

19Nov

18.00 - 20.00

THe FraNCO-BrITISH BUSINeSS aWarDS 2015 Where: The May Fair Hotel, Stratton Street, London W1J 8LT Cost for members: £100+VAT per person; £900+VAT – for a table of 10Cost for non-members: £160+VAT per personChampagne partner: Vranken Pommery

Wine partners: Le Conseil des Vins du Médoc, Les Vins de Graves and Les Vins de Pessac-Légnon Dress code: Black tie

The Franco-British Business Awards, organised by the French Chamber of Great Britain under the high patronage of the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the British Ambassador to France, were launched in 2000 to celebrate the bilateral trade and economic links between France and the UK. They acknowledge the accomplishments of French and British companies of all sizes, from start-ups to blue chip companies on both sides of the Channel, in two categories: SME/Entrepreneur Award and Large Corporate Award.

The awards will be presented during a black-tie dinner taking place on Thursday 26 November at the May Fair Hotel in London, which will bring together French and British businesses of all sizes and across all sectors.


To enquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Cécilia Gonzalez: [email protected]

26Nov

19.00 - 23.00

Supporting sponsors:Main sponsors so far: Press Partner:

FraNCO-BrITISH DIGITaL CONFereNCe: ‘SMaLL MeeTS BIG’ Where: One Great George Street, 1 Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA Members / non-members: £120+VAT pp / £190+VAT pp Dress code: Business attire

The third Franco-British Conference organised by the French Chamber of Great Britain in partnership with the French Embassy in the UK and the Franco-British Council aims to bring together blue chip companies as well as innovative start-ups in the digital sector to discuss digital transformation and the challenges of ‘making digital happen’. With the participation of HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to the UK; Axelle Lemaire, French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs; and Ed Vaizey MP, Secretary of State for Culture and the Digital Economy.


12Nov

08.00 - 17.00

Supporting sponsors:Main sponsors:

LONDON BRANCH

Patron Members of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain

Next-level learning for greater successThe Financial Times and IE Business School have formed the FT|IE Corporate Learning Alliance. It’s a powerful combination that gives business leaders and their companies a measurable advantage. This advantage is a unique blend of business theory, practical knowledge and powerful delivery methods.

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Real-world corporate learning

INFO Magazine - Focus on COP21 & the business of climate change

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Transcript of INFO Magazine - Focus on COP21 & the business of climate change