Heppner consolidates its commitment to corporate responsibility with the publication of its 4th CSR report

The Heppner Group, a creator of transport and logistics solutions, has published its 4th CSR report, detailing its achievements and commitments, and illustrating the group’s work to decarbonise its business, its capacity for innovation and the care taken to improve its employees’ quality of life. For several years now, the Group has been fully committed to an ambitious, inclusive project that encompasses all aspects of CSR and capitalises on its strong roots in its territories. Within this project, it has integrated CSR indicators in its regional branches and rolled out a network of CSR representatives in the regions. This new form of governance increases capillarity between local environmental, corporate and social initiatives and those of the head office. The objective is to share and deploy best practices to increase impact. And now we are seeing the results!

 

Heppner is now stepping up its commitment by engaging and mobilising its internal and external stakeholders

Heppner is resolutely pursuing its sustainable development agenda with an increased commitment to preserving the environment. As part of this commitment, the family business has launched the “climate fresk”, an entertaining collaborative workshop led by BPIFrance to increase awareness of climate risks among its employees and mobilise them to take action.

The company acts at all levels and, in addition to financial and material resources, the company’s human dimension is an essential resource for collective action. Thus, in addition to providing training in eco-driving for the Group’s drivers and subcontractors, an energy saving charter has been put in place so that everyone, at their own level, can contribute to reducing energy consumption.

With the goal of encouraging a responsible, locally based approach, Heppner has also decided to support its subcontractors in greening their fleets by choosing B100, a “100% locally sourced, plant-based” biofuel marketed by Centre Ouest Céréales. Its responsible purchasing policy, implemented by purchasers trained in good practices, is helping to create value in the regions in which the Group operates, as 68% of the Group’s purchases are placed with local SMEs. Combined with supplier assessments and satisfaction surveys, Heppner is further consolidating its presence through long-term business relationships.

 

An acknowledged industry player distinguished by recognised benchmarks

After receiving the EcoVadis Gold medal two years ahead of schedule, with a score of 68/100, Heppner has joined the club of the top 5% of the 100,000 companies audited around the world that have achieved this level of excellence in terms of commitment to CSR.

Environmental impact is the first action lever examined by the certifying body. The energy transition and energy mix actions undertaken by Heppner and its subcontractors during the last 10 years or more have produced excellent results: between 2018 and 2021, fleet-related emissions were reduced by 6% and the goal is to reduce them by 20% by 2025.

An ambitious plan has also been implemented to renovate buildings in terms of energy efficiency and monitor their energy consumption, in response to a territory-wide initiative seeking to reduce energy consumption by 14% between 2021 and 2022, which is equivalent to 119 tonnes of CO₂ not emitted.

In October 2022, as a further step in this policy, Heppner also joined the SBTi (Science-based Target Initiative), whose primary objective is to meet the goals established by COP 21. This methodology aims to refine each of the decarbonisation projects and obtain external validation of the climate goals announced by the Group.

 

A Group committed to its employees’ safety and well-being

 In recognition of its quality of life at work and ethical governance, the Group received Great Place to Work Certification, which is a true reflection of employee sentiment. With a score of 67/100 and a participation rate of 80%, Heppner is proof that a company can be responsible, inspiring and successful at the same time.

 Safety and quality of life at work are priorities for Heppner, and the “employee experience” is one of the pillars of its strategy. This is why SafetyFirst, an ambitious programme grounded on four essential pillars (induction, training, prevention and motivation), has been rolled out to increase the safety of all its employees, applying a comprehensive, proactive approach to occupational risk prevention. Each year, the Group organises a week devoted to quality of life at work, proposing a variety of activities to foster the well-being of all its employees. It is an opportunity to get together, interact, unwind and relax in an informal atmosphere, with the conviction that our employees’ well-being is what matters most.

 

Heppner increases charity activities, with participation from all levels of the company

 A true reflection of the Group’s values and vision, its commitment to CSR is an inseparable part of its history. For example, the collaboration spanning more than 10 years with Magie à l’Hôpital (Magic in Hospitals), focused on children with serious health conditions, mobilised employees throughout the Group to take part in a charity race that has raised 20,000 euros for this fantastic cause.

Or by organising the collection and shipment of humanitarian donations for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, or transporting more than 500 pallets of goods for different NGOs, Heppner has been able to put its expertise at the service of those who need it.

The company has also signed a sponsorship agreement with Emmaüs Défi, an NGO that combats social exclusion and isolation by helping people in vulnerable situations to find a job and somewhere to live. A firm commitment that seeks to be much more than a mere declaration of principles, as every employee at the Ile-de-France sites is allowed to devote half a day a year to a charity activity!

“Our CSR ambitions and track record strengthen and promote Heppner’s links with its entire internal and external ecosystem, at Group, regional and subsidiary level. We devote as much energy to this as we invest every day in our search for excellence. This ambition, shared with our employees, customers and partners, is the best driver for obtaining concrete results which, step by step, enable us to improve our CSR performance”, Cédric Frachet, Heppner Group’s Land Operations Manager, underlined.

 

About Heppner

Heppner is a specialist creator of transport and logistics solutions and an independent leader in international transport from and to France. Our robust, powerful overland transport networks connect more than 40 European countries, with deliveries in 24–72h to the main European cities. With strong international business connections, our exclusive partnership agreements also enable us to handle ocean and air transport to and from 157 countries around the world. With a turnover of almost 950 MEUR expected for 2022 and almost a century of accumulated business experience, we currently employ more than 3,570 people, 111 of them enrolled on work-study programmes, in close to 80 branches in France and 14 in Germany, with a direct presence in the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, United Kingdom and Senegal, and more than 10,000 customers. Every day, Heppner works to Foster the Enterprising Spirit of its employees, partners, customers and suppliers in all its areas of business. www.heppner-group.com

 

Press contacts

 Agence SHAN

Eve-Marie Laporte Tel. +33 (0)7 76 04 73 48 –em.laporte@shan.fr

Mohammed Azzaoui Tel. +33 (0) 6 16 04 64 33 mohammed.azzaoui@shan.fr