Ethics: We Are Committed To Exemplary Behavior

Georges Moreno at the Jubail refinery, Saudi Arabia. Georges MORENO à la raffinerie de Jubail en Arabie Saoudite.
Total operates in a large number of countries with diverse, complex economic and sociocultural environments. This situation can expose us to safety, security, health, environmental and ethical risks. For this reason, states and civil society have particularly high expectations with regard to our industry. Each and every day, we therefore rely on our values to guide our actions and relationships with our stakeholders, taking a collective approach to achieve our ambition of becoming the responsible energy major.

Our Business Principles, rooted in our values

We apply and comply with all national and international laws and standards in all of our host countries. Beyond rules, we have made our values – Safety, Respect for Each Other, a Pioneer Spirit, the need to Stand Together and a Performance-Minded attitude – the beacons that guide our actions day after day. 

Our two core values, Safety and Respect for Each Other, form the basis of our Code of Conduct.

Safety: untiring collective vigilance

Because we work in an industry that can never be completely risk-free, Safety is the cornerstone of our operational efficiency. Safety is also the foundation of our collective commitment to operate sustainably and establish relationships based on trust with our host countries. To meet our goal of zero fatal accidents, we need to enhance our risk management, both on work stations and in our facilities.

Safety is a daily battle that is waged with humility and vigilance. Safety rules always need to be followed, but people should also step in if they feel a situation is unsafe.

Safety is also an essential criterion in choosing our business and industry partners. We place particular emphasis on their ability to apply a policy equivalent to ours.
 

Respect for Each Other: central to our collective principles

For Total, exemplary behavior starts by listening to and respecting all of our stakeholders. It means showing unwavering integrity, but also respecting human rights in all circumstances and protecting the environment and human health.

Meeting the most stringent integrity standards

To ensure we exhibit exemplary behavior as a Group in all of our host countries, we need to be able to count on the integrity of each of our stakeholders.

This is why we have developed rigorous compliance programs based on zero tolerance towards fraud, corruption, influence peddling and failure to abide by competition law.

In particular, these programs make use of:

  • Risk analyses
  • Dedicated policies and procedures
  • Training and awareness programs on rules and best practices for preventing risks
  • Assistance in preventing and detecting risks
  • Analyses and feedback

> Read our Business Integrity Guide

Respecting human rights, a fundamental commitment at Total

We uphold the commitment to our stakeholders to respect human rights everywhere we operate. This includes:

  • Rights at work, through compliance with the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
  • Rights of local communities, through the implementation of grievance mechanisms in communities that are impacted by our activities.
  • Guaranteeing that the measures adopted to ensure the safety and security of our employees and our facilities do not hinder the fundamental freedoms of local community members.

> Read our Human Rights Guide

In July 2016, we were the first oil and gas company to issue a Human Rights Briefing paper. Based on the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, it shows our current approach to embedding respect for Human Rights in our operations.

> Read our Human Rights Briefing Paper, updated in 2018

Protecting human health and the environment, a pillar of our responsible development strategy

We are committed to protecting the environment by controlling the impact of our operations in all of our host countries. We promote efficient and responsible use of our energy sources and products.

At the same time, we strive to protect the health of people, whether our employees, our customers or local communities. We implement awareness and prevention actions on the various types of health risks. 

Our values, our reference standards and our collective and individual principles are set out in our Code of Conduct, which serves as our reference document. It is intended primarily for our employees and managers, who must adhere to it in their daily activities. We are convinced that our development is intrinsically rooted in the confidence and respect that exists between Total and our employees and among the employees themselves. 
 
Our Code of Conduct also sets out our commitments and expectations with regard to our other stakeholders, including shareholders, customers and suppliers, so that our continued growth benefits everyone while helping to drive economic and social development in all of our host countries.
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In order to become the responsible energy major, our conduct must be consistent with our values and above reproach in every aspect of our daily activities. Our stakeholders expect as much from a company such as ours.

Patrick Pouyanné
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Total

A major commitment to promote financial transparency

At Total, we are committed to rigorous transparency concerning the disclosure of revenues generated by our activities. We have supported the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) since it started in 2002 with the aim to report the payments by extractive industry companies to host country governments. We are particularly engaged in this voluntary, multilateral initiative, as it offers a framework for dialogue to everyone involved, including governments, oil, gas and mining companies, and civil society.

In addition to our commitment in favor of the EITI, we report the payments made by the Group’s extractive companies for the benefit of each government of states or territories in which Total carries out its activities. In our annual registration document, we break down the types of payment and totals by country, project and government.

Read our report on the payments made to governments

Our Ethics Committee: Ensuring Compliance With Our Principles

Since 2001, the Ethics Committee has been responsible for monitoring the application of our Code of Conduct. Importantly, it is also responsible for supporting and advising Total’s employees and stakeholders and for listening to their concerns.
 
Employees and stakeholders may contact the Committee to:
  • Ask a question or request advice concerning the application of or compliance with the Code of Conduct
  • Report any matter that poses serious risks in areas such as corruption, fraud, anti-competitive practices, discrimination, workplace harassment, workplace health, hygiene and safety, and environmental protection.

Speak up: an alert system open to all

Businessmen in conversation

Situations in the field can be complex, which means our employees may need advice. To support them every day, we encourage an environment of dialogue and trust in which each person can express his or her point of view and concerns. Our employees may contact their immediate supervisors, an HR manager, any other manager, their Compliance Officer or their Ethics Officer. Because ethics is everybody's responsibility, our employees and our external stakeholders may contact the Ethics Committee if they need advice, have a question or want to report any matter that poses an ethical risk at ethics@total.com.

Communicating And Promoting Our Ethics Policy

We ensure that all of our stakeholders understand, receive and apply our ethics policy through assessments and independent ethics audits. These audits enhance the consistency of our commitment to compliance and corporate social responsibility and help us continuously improve our policies and procedures by identifying best practices.
 
We work with several external organizations, including:
Lastly, we participate in various international forums with other companies and external stakeholders, with the goal of improving our community engagement performance by sharing best practices and contributing to the international dissemination of ethical principles.

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