Sustainability at Thales

Our commitments

Protecting what matters, building a future we can all trust

As a global leader in defence, aerospace, cyber and digital technology, Thales plays a pivotal role in developing solutions that help address the major societal and environmental challenges of our time.

We are determined to play our part in building a safer, greener and more inclusive world by:

Helping nations protect their sovereign interests in the air, in space, at sea and in cyberspace
Enabling our partners to accomplish their critical missions more effectively and with more frugal use of resources
Harnessing our R&D and our capacity for innovation to develop new technologies in the most ethical and inclusive ways possible, and to improve human understanding of our planet.

The business case for our unyielding engagement with societal issues is the cornerstone of our strategy.

Our Protect programme: three pillars for a safer, greener, more inclusive world

Covering nine priority areas, our new targets for 2030 will guide our efforts in the years ahead and raise the tempo of our transformation.

Isabelle Simon - Senior Executive Vice President, Group Secretary and General Counsel

Society

Fostering a more responsible and sustainable society through technology

Business

The critical assets we defend on behalf of our customers help boost economic activity and spur progress in many areas of day-to-day life. As our cybersecurity business grows, so too will our positive impact on society.
Ethics

While AI will undoubtedly play a key role in meeting tomorrow’s challenges, it also raises important ethical concerns. Given that AI will increasingly be embedded in our systems and technologies, taking a responsible approach makes sound business sense.
Communities

Our goal is to raise public awareness about the importance of science and technology and to play our part in sharing knowledge as widely as possible.

2030 targets

major entreprises and governments cyberprotected by Thales solutions

100%

of our AI systems and solutions assessed against the responsible AI criteria of our Digital Ethics Charter

young people reached through our STEM for ALL initiatives

PROTECT: our impact on "Society"

Planet

Changing how we operate in line with the planet’s limits

Climate

In 2019, we rolled out our strategy for a low-carbon future. Aligned with the Paris Agreement, our targets were endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2023.
Resources

As part of our shift to circular practices, we are aiming to achieve a nonhazardous waste recovery rate of 95%. We are also applying eco-design principles to all our new developments as a way to help preserve resources.
Nature

As well as taking steps to protect biodiversity on and around our sites, we are targeting a 30% reduction in our water withdrawal intensity by 2030.

2030 targets

-50.4%

scope 1 and 2 emissions

95%

recovery of non-hazardous waste

-30%

water withdrawal intensity

-15%

scope 3 emissions

PROTECT: our impact on the "Planet"

People

Working together to build an inclusive and attractive workplace where everyone can develop into their best selves

Learning

As a technology leader, we understand the importance of maintaining our cutting-edge expertise and continuing to attract the best talent. We are introducing a skills maturity index to measure alignment between our employees’ skills and the Group’s business needs, drive the growth and development of our employees and support career mobility.
Diversity and Inclusion

At Thales, we are committed to fostering diversity and building an inclusive workplace culture in which everyone feels valued and respected.
Health and Well-being

We strive for each other’s safety and well-being. We intend to step up our efforts to prevent workplace accidents and to bring down the lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) to 1 or below.

2030 targets

70%

skills maturity

25%

of senior management positions held by women

1 or below

rate of lost time injury frequency

PROTECT: our impact on our "People"

A robust CSR governance structure

In 2022, Thales strengthened its CSR governance model, establishing a central, integrated CSR department reporting to the Group Secretary and General Counsel and a number of bodies dealing specifically with CSR matters.

The CSR department, which is supported by a Group-wide network of correspondents, includes three specialised offices. The first two – the Health, Safety and Environment Office, and the Social and Societal Responsibility Office – are staffed by experts who prepare Thales’s CSR roadmaps, oversee their implementation, and coordinate CSR networks within the Group’s Global Business Units, countries and central functions. The CSR Performance and Project Management Office, for its part, monitors CSR-related regulatory developments and ensures the Group has the tools and processes in place to stay compliant.

More about our CSR Governance in our latest CSR Integrated Report More about Thales's Corporate Governance

The Strategic CSR Committee, a specialised body of the Executive Committee, is tasked with approving Thales’s CSR strategy and policy, as well as the associated targets and indicators. The committee also ensures that the necessary resources are in place to deliver on the Group’s CSR aims and objectives. The Risk Management Committee approves the outcomes of Thales’s double materiality assessment and oversees the identified material impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs) on a consolidated basis.

CSR considerations permeate every level of the Group, cutting across its business activities (Global Business Units and product lines) and geographies (countries, regions and sites). The Corporate CSR Steering Committee is tasked with developing a shared vision of Thales’s key CSR priorities and initiatives and with periodically reviewing progress against the latest roadmaps and targets. The CSR Network Steering Committee oversees the implementation of CSR activities and initiatives, primarily from a strategic and operational standpoint.

These Group-wide bodies are supported by operational bodies covering specific businesses and geographies.