SPECIAL FEATURE
Let’s act for
a sustainable
future
p. 6
ACHIEVEMENTS
LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN,
A SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY ALLY p. 4
ENCOUNTER
BUILDING RESPONSIBLE
RELATIONSHIPS p. 10
June 2021
ON
AIR
Benoît Potier,
Chairman and
CEO of Air Liquide, explains
the Group’s ambitions regarding
low-carbon hydrogen at the
2021 Annual General Meeting.
The magazine for everyone interested in Air Liquide
Interview
This document is printed on paper
from sustainably managed forests and
controlled sources.
The ongoing health, economic and environmental crises
show the extent to which Air Liquide’s business and
molecules—essential for life, matter and energy—are
at the heart of human progress, and therefore at the heart
of the future. The Group is mindful of its corporate social
responsibility and how it impacts the future of the
economy and society alike. Benoît Potier discusses the
Group’s ability to prepare for the future while continuing
to perform in the present.
As this global pandemic continues, how does
the Group envision itself?
First, I would like to once again mention the Group’s solid
performance during this crisis period. Our results show the
strength of our business model, placing us in a perfect position
to keep growing while helping to build a sustainable future.
We need to continue seizing opportunities in the most dynamic
markets and in those that contribute to the common good.
We have decided to target three major markets: climate and
energy transition, healthcare, and technologies —which
include digital, space, deep cryogenics and quantum
computing. They are all essential, both in terms of driving
progress in society as a whole and building a more sustainable
and environmentally friendly society. These markets are
evolving rapidly and are synonymous with the future.
The Group has recently announced particularly
ambitious sustainable development objectives.
How do they fit in the company’s strategy?
Alongside governments and citizens, companies also share
the responsibility to build a sustainable future. Performance
and sustainability are both core to the Group’s growth strategy.
Our diversified and resilient business model allows us to keep
performing steadily now while preparing well for the future.
This means supporting our customers and patients while
addressing the climate emergency and societal transformation.
Our sustainable development commitments aim at going
further and making a meaningful difference. First of all, we
want to reach carbon neutrality, thanks in particular to the key
role of hydrogen in the energy transition. Beyond the climate
challenge, we also want to act for patients by contributing
to transform healthcare and thus better meet the needs of
patients around the world. In terms of corporate governance,
we continue to implement best-in-class practices in the way
we manage our business and interact with our stakeholders.
We are also making ambitious commitments to our
employees, who are key to the Group’s performance
and its ability to have a positive impact on society.
Exactly, employees are stakeholders in these
sustainable development objectives. How are they
involved and how can they contribute?
Employees are Air Liquide’s most important resource. All
employees can unleash their talents and reinvent themselves.
It is up to us to create an environment that allows them to
reach their full potential. We want to continue to provide them
with a safe, inclusive and engaging work environment, and
that’s why we set ambitious goals in terms of safety, diversity
and inclusion. We also want to provide employees with the
opportunity to engage in local initiatives in line with our
sustainable development objectives. Many actions already
exist throughout the Group. It is about opening this opportunity
up to everyone. These new sustainable development
objectives relate to all activities and business lines—both
operational and functional—and they involve all our
stakeholders, in particular customers and patients, but also
our suppliers and local communities. I am convinced that all
employees can, in their own way, make a difference and
contribute to act for a better future.
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Published by Air Liquide SA — Company established for the study and application of processes
developed by Georges Claude, 75 Quai d’Orsay — 75321 Paris Cedex 07, France, represented by Benoît Potier.
Publication Director:
Benoît Potier.
Editor:
Alexandra Rocca.
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Date of publication and legal deposit:
June 2021. ISSN in progress.
Photo credits:
in order of appearance, p. 1: Mourad Mokrani, p. 1: Florian Leger, p. 1: Creative Spirit, p. 2: A. Doyen/Capa Pictures,
p. 3: Pierre Jayet, p. 4: Air Liquide, p. 5: Franck Juery, p. 5: Vattenfall, p. 6: pio3/Shutterstock, p. 7: Thomas Cortesi, p. 8: S. Loubaton/
Capa Pictures, p. 10: Egbert Trogemann/Capa Pictures, p. 10: Julien Lutt/Capa Pictures, p. 11: Richard Humphries/Capa Pictures,
p. 11: Simon Bourcier/Capa Pictures, p. 11: Erik Forster/Capa Pictures, p. 12: Solar Impulse/Stefatou/Rezo.ch, RR.
HIGHLIGHTS
At the beginning of the year, Air Liquide
completed the construction of the first
two buildings of its Campus Technologies Grenoble
in France, as part of its renovation and expansion
plan. The buildings were designed to reduce
energy consumption and environmental impact,
in line with the Group’s sustainable development
approach. Alongside the Air Liquide’s five Innovation
Campuses, the Campus Technologies Grenoble will
continue to accelerate the design, industrialization
and manufacture of technological solutions
for the deep tech
(1)
and energy transition markets.
(1) Disruptive technologies based on scientific breakthroughs that can
fundamentally change design and production methods.
CAMPUS
TECHNOLOGIES
GRENOBLE
UNDERGOES SUSTAINABLE
TRANSFORMATION
1,200
employees
14 hectares
including 14,000 m
2
of tertiary
buildings, 20,000 m
2
of production
workshops and 1 test area
2022
Completion of the renovation project
Structure made
from local wood
Our achievements over
the past six months
France
A TRANSITION
TO LOW-CARBON
STEEL PRODUCTION
Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal
have signed a memorandum
of understanding to accelerate
the decarbonization of the Dunkirk
industrial basin, in the north of France.
The two companies are joining forces
to transform the steel production
process through the development
of innovative solutions involving low-
carbon hydrogen and CO
2
capture
technologies. This partnership
underlines Air Liquide’s commitment
to supporting its customers in
the decarbonization of their industry.
-2.85 M
TONS OF CO
2
EMITTED
ANNUALLY FROM
ARCELORMITTAL’S
STEEL-MAKING FACILITIES
IN DUNKIRK
Worldwide
LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN,
A SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY ALLY
Air Liquide is accelerating its low-carbon hydrogen production to meet
its customers’ needs. Four major achievements underline this shift in
pace in the large-scale hydrogen production.
▶
IN BÉCANCOUR, CANADA, AIR LIQUIDE HAS COMPLETED THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST PEM
(1)
ELECTROLYZER.
Supplied with renewable energy, this unit which produces up to 8.2 tons
per day of low-carbon hydrogen will help meet the growing local demand
for industrial use and mobility.
▶
AIR LIQUIDE HAS JOINED FORCES WITH SIEMENS ENERGY TO DEVELOP
THE PRODUCTION OF LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN AT A COMPETITIVE PRICE.
Both Groups’ technological expertise in electrolysis will drive
the development of the next generation of electrolyzers.
▶
THE GROUP HAS ACQUIRED A STAKE IN H2V NORMANDY
(2)
to support large-scale renewable hydrogen production in France
via the construction of a large-scale electrolyzer complex in Port-Jérôme
(Normandy).
▶
IN TAIWAN, THE GROUP HAS COMPLETED THE FIRST PHASE
OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS ELECTROLYSIS HYDROGEN PLANTS
in the Tainan Technology Industrial Park. These plants will meet the local
semiconductor industry’s demand for ultra-high purity hydrogen.
(1) Proton Exchange Membrane.
(2) Subsidiary of H2V Product Group, industrial company producing carbon-free hydrogen, based on water
electrolysis using renewable energy.
4
ACHIEVEMENTS
Air Liquide and Itochu
(1)
have signed
a memorandum of understanding
to develop the hydrogen mobility market
in Japan. This collaboration comes after
the announcement by the Japanese
Government of the Green Society
plan, aimed at helping the country
reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Both partners will develop hydrogen
distribution infrastructure for light
and heavy vehicles (trucks, buses)
in cooperation with public authorities.
This partnership will leverage
Air Liquide’s expertise and technologies
across the entire hydrogen supply chain,
as well as Itochu’s widespread presence
in the energy sector.
(1) Japanese Group present in diverse activities, including
energy production and distribution.
Japan
ANOTHER STEP
TOWARD
HYDROGEN
MOBILITY
Germany
CONTRIBUTING TO
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
“
Air Liquide has signed a new contract for the supply of oxygen and
nitrogen to one of leading chemical-player BASF’s largest European sites
located in Schwarzheide, Germany. Air Liquide will invest around
€40 million in the construction of a state-of-the-art Air Separation Unit
at this flagship site for the production of battery materials for mobility.
FRANÇOIS JACKOW,
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND
A MEMBER OF THE AIR LIQUIDE’S EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE SUPERVISING NOTABLY
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE
We are pleased to extend
our long-term relationship
with BASF. This new contract
illustrates the Group’s ability
to accompany leading
customers through its
technological know-how
and innovative solutions.
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Following long-term Power Purchase Agreements
for renewable electricity in the United States and Spain,
Air Liquide has signed its first agreement of this kind in
the Netherlands, with Vattenfall, one of the main European
energy suppliers. Thanks to this 15-year contract, the Group
will be able to supply some of its local industrial and medical
gases assets with renewable energy from an offshore wind
farm. This agreement will reinforce Air Liquide’s leading role
in the energy transition by supporting the development
of renewable resources for a low-carbon economy in Europe.
The Netherlands
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY:
A 15-YEAR POWER
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
SPECIAL FEATURE
Let’s act for
a sustainable future
Two years after setting the most ambitious climate
objectives of its sector, Air Liquide has announced
new sustainability objectives that enlarge its
commitments and take them further.
The aim
is to keep performing steadily now and
be well prepared for the future, addressing
the urgency of climate change and societal
transformations.
“The Air Liquide business has always
focused on inventing a better future.
But we need to do more and faster. That’s
why we want to ACT in three areas:
Abatement of CO
2
emissions leading to
a low-carbon society, Care for patients,
and Trust as the base to build upon
with all our stakeholders,” explains
Ashutosh Misra, Group Vice President,
Sustainable Development.
Acting for a low-carbon society
Deeply committed to the climate and
energy transition, and in line with the Pa-
ris Agreement, Air Liquide has set itself
the goal of achieving carbon neutrality
by 2050, with a significant milestone
of a 33% reduction in absolute CO
2
emissions by 2035 versus 2020 base-
line. To achieve this, the Group focuses
on low-carbon electricity purchase, CO
2
capture, energy efficiencies, and use
of renewable feedstock such as
biomethane. Air Liquide also helps its
industrial customers decrease their
own carbon footprints through inno-
vative technologies.
Hydrogen in particular plays a major
role in the energy transition, offering
tremendous potential as a competitive
low-carbon solution. Air Liquide will
invest approximately €8 billion by 2035
in assets, technologies and expertise to
produce this molecule sustainably at an
industrial scale. The Group has already
made progress in this area, recently in-
augurating the world’s largest mem-
brane-based low-carbon hydrogen
production unit in Bécancour, Canada
to serve growing demand from North
American industry. Powered by 99%
renewable energy, this unit can produce
more than 8.2 metric tons of low- carbon
hydrogen daily – enough to fuel more
than 2,000 cars, 275 buses or 230 large
trucks. This unit reaches yet another
milestone along the path to a low-
carbon society, and more projects will
follow (see our last achievements in this
field on p. 2-4).
Acting for patients
At the same time, Air Liquide will
reinforce its contribution to the
healthcare sector. “The pandemic has
highlighted the importance of resilient,
effective healthcare services” says
Dolores Paredes, Head of Markets,
Strategy and Innovation at Air Liquide’s
Healthcare business line. “With our
experience serving 1.8 million patients
and 15,000 hospitals worldwide, we
can keep making a difference.”
SPECIAL FEATURE
ABATEMENT OF CO
2
EMISSIONS: AIR LIQUIDE’S
TRAJECTORY TO ACHIEVE
CARBON NEUTRALITY
By 2025 (vs. 2015)
(1)
- 30% carbon intensity
By 2035 (vs. 2020)
- 33% carbon emissions
(2)
Hydrogen revenues X3
Our hydrogen revenues will at least triple
in size, increasing from 2 billion to more
than 6 billion euros.
~ €8 billion
invested in the low-carbon hydrogen
supply chain
By 2050
Carbon neutrality
(1) In kg CO
2
equivalent/euro of operating income recurring before depreciation and amortization at 2015 exchange rate and excluding IFRS16
for greenhouse gas emissions scopes 1 and 2, location-based.
(2) In the adjusted reporting framework, from a 2020 baseline of 32.5 million tonnes CO
2
eq (scopes 1 and 2), with scope 2 emissions in market-based.
7
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SPECIAL FEATURE
In particular, the Group will continue
working alongside patients and
medical professionals to improve
quality of life for people with chronic
diseases by promoting customized
care pathways through a combination
of personal support from our teams
and digital tools. The Group intends
also to facilitate access to medical
oxygen for rural communities in low-
and middle-income countries.
Through its Access Oxygen solution
and in collaboration with NGOs,
Air Liquide provides the equipment
and services needed for health
workers to administer medical oxygen,
which can be life-saving in the case of
respiratory diseases, in particular
pneumonia. In Senegal, Access
Oxygen currently serves more than
80 rural health posts or a catchment
area of 900,000 inhabitants.
Acting for trust, starting with
our employees
One of the Group’s commitments is to
provide a social common basis of care
coverage for 100% of its global work-
force by 2025. This is part of a wider goal
to develop a safe, collaborative and
inclusive workplace that empowers
employees to unleash their full potential
while supporting the Group’s sustai n-
ability efforts.
More generally, Air Liquide commits
to strengthening transparent and
continuous dialogue with all its
stakeholders, including customers,
patients, shareholders, suppliers, local
communities and authorities.
“ We earn trust – and profits – by treating
all our stakeholders in a responsible
manner,” says Ashutosh Misra. “Sustain-
ability and growth are two sides of the
same coin.”
Find out more about our
sustainability objectives:
airliquide.com/act
1.8 M
PATIENTS SERVED WORLDWIDE
8
DECODING
“I am proud to contribute,
however modestly, to professional
integration of young people from
priority districts, by taking part
in Air Liquide Foundation’s action.”
OF EMPLOYEES
will be able to benefit from a common basis of care coverage
by 2025, including life insurance, health coverage and new maternity leave policy.
Increasing our positive impact on society also means developing our employees’ ability to engage and go
the extra mile for customers, patients and society as a whole. We do this by creating a safer, more collaborative
and more inclusive work environment to enable them to unleash their full potential.
EMPLOYEES
took part in 2020 in virtual
training organized by Air Liquide University.
Air Liquide encourages career-long training. In 2021,
the program will focus on sustainable development
and the energy transition.
7,500
35%
100%
OF WOMEN AMONG MANAGERS
AND PROFESSIONALS BY 2025.
That is the aim
of Air Liquide, with the conviction that diversity
is a source of momentum, creativity and performance.
We encourage all our entities to develop local
initiatives to make their workforce more representative
of their local communities.
Training
Local development
Air Liquide offers to all our
64,500
EMPLOYEES
the opportunity to devote
time to a project or mission supporting
the Group’s Sustainability objectives
in their local communities. At Air Liquide,
we encourage our employees to engage,
in their own way, in society.
9
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9
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TRUST AS THE BASE TO ENGAGE
WITH OUR EMPLOYEES
Raphaël Grandeau, Employee at Air Liquide’s Hydrogen
Energy business line and the Air Liquide sponsor
for Sport Dans la Ville (France)
Safety
Diversity
SAFETY IS ONE OF THE GROUP’S
FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.
That is why
Air Liquide is committed to efficiently reducing
professional and industrial risks. In 2020,
the Group’s lost-time accident frequency rate
(1)
dropped to 0.9 — the lowest rate in 20 years.
Care coverage
A
ZERO
-AMBITION
ACCIDENT
(1) Per million hours worked.
10
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D
I
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S
P
O
N
S
I
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L
E
R
E
L
A T
I
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N
S
H
I
P
S
STAKEHOLDERS
Building a sustainable future means
building trust with all our stakeholders.
How do we strengthen the dialogue
to achieve our goal? Six Air Liquide
employees and stakeholders share
their insights.
Helping
patients
A major player in home
healthcare, Air Liquide
works with patient
associations to improve
support for people with
chronic diseases. The Group
has just collaborated with
the French association Aide
aux Jeunes Diabétiques on a
series of educational videos.
▶
Carine Choleau,
Director of Aide aux Jeunes
Diabétiques, France
“To educate teenagers with
type 1 diabetes
(1)
we have
created a series of videos
called ‘Génération Type 1’
on themes that are relevant
to them: playing sport,
exams to be carried out,
managing their diabetes on
holiday… With the aim of
looking after the best interests
of young people and their
families, we have worked in
partnership with Air Liquide
to make 20 episodes of the
series available on their new
platform, Making Diabetes
Easier
(2)
, accessible in several
European countries.”
To read the full interviews,
visit onairmagazine.airliquide.com
(1) Type 1 diabetes—or insulin-dependent
diabetes—occurs due to an insulin
deficiency.
(2) makingdiabeteseasier.com/uk:
information website dedicated
to diabetes.
Listening to
our customers
In line with our customer-
centric transformation
and ambition to make
every interaction valuable,
Air Liquide measures
customer satisfaction,
notably in terms of
sustainable development,
during annual surveys.
Today, the Group intends
to go further by asking
more in-depth questions on
societal and environmental
criteria.
3
Susanne Hart,
Business
Developer, Large Industries,
Germany, Austria and
Switzerland
“In the second half of
2021, we will integrate
targeted questions into our
surveys that are related
to our sustainability goals.
The results will then be
consolidated to create a
final indicator that will
allow us to annually track
our performance as a
responsible company.”
3
Thomas Münter,
Customer Experience
Manager Germany and CX
Coordinator at Air Liquide’s
Industrial Merchant Central
Europe Cluster
“By analyzing feedback
on sustainability issues,
we have developed, for
example, the Eco Chiller,
a sustainable solution that
helps our customers save
energy and reduce their
CO
2
emissions. Continuously
listening to our customers
helps us meet and exceed
their expectations.”
11
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ENCOUNTER
Exchanging with
our shareholders
Air Liquide was the first CAC 40
company to set up a Shareholders’
Communication Committee.
This Committee composed of
12 members who are representative
of our diverse group of individual
shareholders. It helps us strengthen
our close relationship with these
stakeholders.
▶
Bernard Vaysse,
an Air Liquide shareholder for 15 years
and Shareholders’ Communication
Committee member since 2019, France
“As a member of the Shareholders’
Communication Committee,
I consider myself an ambassador
for individual shareholders.
Exchanges with the Committee
members and insights on
Air Liquide’s strategy give us
a greater understanding of the
Group. It means that, as members,
we can give our opinion on the
way Air Liquide communicates
about its challenges to
shareholders. Thanks to my
expertise in healthcare and
disability, my personal contribution
is to help improve the Group’s
communication on care
management of patients
with chronic diseases.”
Creating more
value with our
suppliers
At Air Liquide, procurement
teams select the best-in-class
suppliers and then work in close
cooperation with them to ensure
continuous improvement,
particularly in the area of
sustainable development,
while helping them achieve
higher standards.
3
Karen Quah,
Senior Analyst,
Sustainable and Collaborative
Procurement for Air Liquide
Asia Pacific
“In the Asia-Pacific region,
one of our challenges is to
raise awareness of sustainable
development issues among
suppliers. Before registering
eg
a new partner, we assess their
sustainability performance.
Procurement teams work
closely with suppliers to
make sure they comply with
Air Liquide sustainability
performance requirements
em
such as ethics, environment,
human and labor rights.
hu
We ensure that our procurement
team and our suppliers have a
thorough understanding of their
responsibilities on those topics
by providing regular training
eg
to explain our challenges
to
and the evaluation process.
oc
Our approach allows suppliers
to improve their practices
ov
and create more value for
their own business.”
With our local
community
The Air Liquide Foundation
has teamed up with Sci-Bono
Discovery Centre, South
Africa’s flagship science center
and the largest in Sub-Saharan
Africa, to support vocational
Information Technology
training for underprivileged
youths.
3
Anele Davids,
Director at the
Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in
Johannesburg, South Africa
“Sci-Bono Discovery Centre
and the Air Liquide Foundation
are a perfect match. Our
organization encourages young
people to take up careers in
ee
the sciences and technologies,
and this is supported by
Air Liquide employees, acting
as mentors and who present
lectures to our youths and
communities on critical aspects
like zero CO
2
emissions and
sustainable futures. Our youths
can also visit Air Liquide
sites where gas solutions and
technologies are produced
and used so they can be more
familiar with its business.”
© Solar Impulse/ Stefatou/ Rezo.ch - Abu Dhabi, UAE, March 1
st
, 2015.
Solar Impulse 2 second test flight over Abu Dhabi.
Contributing to
a sustainable future
Our partner, the Solar Impulse Foundation,
has officially labeled 1,000 “efficient solutions”
that offer both profitability and sustainability.
25 of these innovations
were developed
or supported by Air Liquide! Each of them in their
own way are contributing to change the world.
To learn more, read our article at
airliquide.com/magazine