Group values
As part of its mission to serve the general interest and foster sustainable development, the AFNOR Group’s actions are guided by four values : teamwork, responsibility, trust and quality.
Trust. Laying the foundation for economic and social exchanges, trust results from proven processes that we have been implementing on an everyday basis since 1926. Our position as a trusted third party requires strong commitments in relation to the integrity of our employees, the transparency of our actions and the openness and involvement of the relevant stakeholders to ensure the impartiality and independence of our activities.
Quality. Quality is a constant requirement for AFNOR and every one of the men and women who work within the Group. Quality is a challenge that we share with our clients, our partners and a wide range of stakeholders, as part of an ongoing drive to achieve progress and stay ahead of the competition. We view quality as a timeless value that paves the way for the future.
Responsibility. Quality is a constant requirement for AFNOR and every one of the men and women who work within the Group. Quality is a challenge that we share with our clients, our partners and a wide range of stakeholders, as part of an ongoing drive to achieve progress and stay ahead of the competition. We view quality as a timeless value that paves the way for the future.
Teamwork. Encouraging teamwork and networking is part of our DNA. Supported by an associative structure, our Group draws on its resources to develop its activities to serve the general interest. As part of an extensive network of players, we encourage individual expression to build a better, shared outlook.
CSR Policy
The AFNOR Group strives to apply the rules of socially responsible conduct that it promotes in its various relations, whether social, economic or environmental. Following the NF EN ISO 26000 guidelines, the Group has decided to pursue improvement strategies in response to four key challenges:
Ethics and governance. As a source of trust since 1926, the AFNOR Group naturally embodies ethical values and loyalty across its governance, practices, and decision-making processes. This applies to both its general interest activities and those within the competitive domain. Consistent with the best practices outlined in the NF ISO 37001 standard, this framework is established, among other things, through our directors’ declarations of interest, our ethical charter, and our policy on preventing and managing conflicts of interest—all under the vigilant supervision of an ethics committee.
Our performance depends on our credibility and the trust that our clients, suppliers, and partners give us. Consequently, we are committed to implementing three principles: transparency, loyalty, and dialogue. This is particularly the case with our responsible procurement policy, which follows the principles of NF ISO 20400. We endeavour to clearly and truthfully communicate on all our activities and decisions, without exception, to all relevant stakeholders while ensuring information security and data protection through our NF ISO/IEC 27001 certification. We seek to prevent all forms of conflicts of interest, bribery, and unfair competition. We remain attentive to stakeholders’ expectations, fostering closer relationships with them.
Employee well-being. The AFNOR Group puts the expertise of its employees at the service of its customers and various stakeholders. Naturally, our employees’ well-being constitutes a major component of our Corporate Social Responsibility policy.
We are committed to creating conditions for good health and quality of life at work, promoting diversity and inclusion, and encouraging individual and collective development by managing employee skills and mobilizing management according to the principles of NF ISO 30400 series and CAN/BNQ 9700-800 standards.
This contributes to each employee’s job fulfillment, bolstering motivation and commitment within the AFNOR Group. The rapid rise of digital technology (post-COVID) necessitates updating work organizations, management methods, and learning models to meet employees’ adaptability and flexibility expectations.
A quality employee experience enhances social performance for our clients and stakeholders.
Environment and climate. The AFNOR Group commits to take part in continued efforts to address climate change and environmental preservation. We endorse the Paris Agreement, which aims to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C by 2100 compared to preindustrial levels. To achieve this, we develop solutions enabling our customers to be at the forefront of environmental protection; these include eco-labels, energy audits, certification of environmental management systems according to NF EN ISO 14001 standard, and methodological support for life cycle analyses, among others.
Internally, we are equally committed to limiting the environmental impact of our activities by reducing our energy consumption, improving our waste management system, preserving natural resources, and seeking to lower our carbon footprint.
Community development. We aim to engage with local communities in the areas where we operate. In addition to our headquarters in Plaine Saint-Denis, we foster close partnerships with local stakeholders at all of our locations in France and worldwide. This dialogue also extends to virtual communities that interact with us online.
We are committed to putting our expertise at the service of the communities where we are located, sharing it with new communities, and supporting stakeholders of social utility.