Building a Sustainable Future Together

For 75 years, Coface's primary mission has been to facilitate trade and support companies striving for growth. How? By providing companies with protection and assisting them in making sound credit decisions. Alongside this commitment to B-to-B development comes a fundamental responsibility, one that Coface has ingrained in its governance, operations, and communication strategies. We firmly believe in trade as a positive force in the world and strive to actively contribute to its advancement.

The Coface Group has long been dedicated to corporate, environmental, and social concerns. In 2003, we pledged our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact, aligning ourselves with its 10 guiding principles on human rights, international labor standards, and anti-corruption efforts within our sphere of influence.

Since 2018, Coface has been diligently mapping non-financial risks to bolster our responsibility approach and integrate it into our business practices.

Coface's CSR strategy: integrated into our development plan

"Our CSR strategy revolves around three primary priorities for Coface:

  • Being a responsible insurer: We strive to leverage our core business activities to contribute to the creation of a more sustainable world.
  • Being a responsible employer: Our aim is to foster employee engagement, support career development, and make a meaningful impact on society.
  • Being a responsible company: Our main objective is to actively reduce our environmental footprint.

Each of these three priorities is based on the same principle of ‘Driving the culture’, and together they constitute a fourth key area in their own right, where ethics, compliance and internal CSR governance are of central importance. Coface strives to organise its governance within the board of directors by assigning CSR to one of the advisory committees in the company itself as part of a CSR committee made up of members of the executive committee and CSR champions in all the regions. Coface keeps in regular touch with all our stakeholders via internal communications and special events. The commitment and awareness of every actor are vital to the success of our strategy." Carole Lytton, Group General Secretary

Coface has aligned its CSR strategy with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by prioritizing 11 out of the 17 goals. These priorities are chosen based on their relevance to Coface's business, employee management, and commitment to the non-profit sector.

Driving the culture

Promote transparency, compliance, and employee support through clear ESG governance, communication, and active engagement throughout the Group.

A responsible insurer: CSR objectives built into business activites

  • The Group’s environmental impact is included in Coface’s trade policy: Coface factors CSR into its assessment of country risks and the risk of default by its debtors. In addition, Coface is testing a methodology for measuring the environmental impact of the debtors making up its guaranteed exposure. This tool will enable Coface to steer its business towards more environmentally-responsible activities.
  • Coface has introduced a commercial exclusion policy, reflecting its determination to avoid non-ethical and/or non-responsible business activities. The company has made a number of commitments to stop or reduce its credit insurance, single risk and bonds business in the thermal coal sector.
  • Coface has decided to enhance its support for financing and executing long-term ESG projects through its single risk insurance solutions. The company aims to double the funding for ESG projects globally to at least €400 million in outstanding liabilities by the end of 2025, compared to mid-2022.
  • Coface is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its investment portfolio by 30% (listed shares and corporate bonds) by 2025 compared to 2020 levels for Scope 1 and 2 emissions. As part of this initiative, Coface joined the UN's PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) in 2023 and is preparing to join the UN-convened NZAOA (Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance). These steps are part of a structured approach towards transitioning the Group's investment portfolio and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Coface code of conduct

At Coface, whatever our activities or positions, we abide by the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct. Our Code of Conduct guides us in the way we conduct our business around the world.

Download our Code of conduct

Anti-bribery code

Coface is committed to operating in an ethical and responsible manner in all its activities throughout the world. We have therefore adopted a zero tolerance policy on corruption in all its forms.  

Our Anti-Corruption Code lists the challenges and principles to be respected in the prevention of corruption. It provides help for detecting risk situations and serves as a guide to how to deal with corruption in our activities.

Download our anti-bribery code

A responsible employer

  • Diversity and inclusion are fundamental aspects of Coface’s HR strategy. Our teams comprise individuals from 80 different nationalities across 58 countries. The Group actively implements various initiatives aimed at fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment for its employees, including equal pay and non-discrimination policies regarding gender, disability, and membership in the LGBT+ community.
  • Coface has also established a policy for attracting and retaining talent and, more broadly, engaging employees. Regular measurement of employee engagement and well-being allows us to continuously advance in these areas.
  • Furthermore, the Group is expanding its employee development programs through business academies, mentoring and reverse-mentoring programs, as well as international or internal mobility opportunities.

A responsible company determined to reduce its environmental footprint blablabla

  • In addition to assessing its carbon footprint, Coface has implemented a system to decrease this footprint, facilitating the company's transition to low-carbon operations. Developed collaboratively across Coface's various divisions, the reduction plan revolves around three key areas: investments, offsets, and operations. It is designed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
  • In terms of Coface’s operations, the plan will affect every department in the Group: in particular, we will start to toll out more responsible purchasing and digital practices. The plan will also focus on commuting, business trips, Coface’s fleet of vehicles… and even office space.
  • The company has already initiated several measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions, including improvements in vehicle fleet management, travel policies, and property management across the Group.