How does AMA contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

What is the challenge behind the sustainable development goals?

The UN member states defined the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. They are the continuation of the 8 Millennium Development Goals which ended in 2015. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a reference framework for nations and companies to organize and accelerate the transition of our society toward sustainable development. SDGs fully cover the development challenges in each country, environmental issues such as climate, biodiversity, energy, water, and social issues such as poverty, gender equality, education, prosperity, and peace. Three essential goals pursued are: 

• Fighting against inequalities, exclusion, and injustice
• Facing climate change challenge
• Ending extreme poverty

What does “agenda 2030” symbolize?

UN member states have agreed to report on their progress every year, on a voluntary basis. 2030 is the deadline by which the objectives must be reached. This universal program, which constitutes the reference framework, has therefore been named "Agenda 2030".

The 17 SDGs are broken down into five pillars:

• Planet: fighting against the degradation of the planet   
• Population: eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring dignified and safer living conditions and equality between people
• Prosperity: reconciling economic, social, and technological progress with respect for nature
• Peace: fostering peace and justice
• Partnerships: building effective and inclusive partnerships to achieve the SDGs

Which role do these play in AMA's CSR strategy?

At a dedicated committee meeting, AMA's management team has selected 6 SDGs to follow, aligned with AMA's activity, values, and CSR commitments. These are the guiding principles for AMA's CSR coordinators when selecting which event to support, or which association to help. 

 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages

Thanks to XpertEye, isolated patients can have access to remote healthcare specialists. This is the case for instance for the follow-up of chronic wounds of patients who are vulnerable in terms of mobility, or for prisoners that need treatment outside the traditional hours of a physician's visit, or for patients in remote, difficult-to-access geographical locations such as islands.

Internally, the well-being of AMAmates is one of our CSR commitments. Whether it's participation in sports events, an extended health insurance plan for AMAmates' children, special attention to the equipment for greater comfort in the office, or friendly employee gatherings, AMA is taking care of it.

 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Equitable quality education
  AMA offers certain internship assignments and has created an AMA Academy for its Research & Development team. This concept allows those who wish to do so to be mentored to enhance their skills.
  One of the key use cases of XpertEye is remote training for the deskless workforce to improve knowledge sharing and develop skills rapidly.
• Promoting learning opportunities
  In France, AMA is working with the FACE association to promote tech careers to girls living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. In this context, we support the WiFilles program by connecting schoolgirls with AMA's female engineers. Their testimonials help them envision a career in professions that are still perceived as male professions.
  In Shanghai, AMA is working with a similar organization, i.e. "Ladies Who Tech". They are also committed to promoting the feminization of the tech industry. 

   Achieve gender equality and empower all women 

AMA signed a partnership with the ASFAD association in 2021. This NGO provides shelter for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. AMA is financially supporting the renovation of their reception area. 
Our AMAmates also collected toys for the 115 children of the association to bring a little cheer for Christmas. 

In line with its first CSR commitment, which is to preserve and develop the well-being of its employees, and in line with our commitments to the UN Global Compact community, AMA launched a major awareness campaign among its employees on the prevention of all forms of harassment. This is a joint initiative by management, the HR department, the legal department, and the CSR + CSE.

In the same spirit, the HR and CSR teams were made aware of the risks associated with discrimination by the FACE association, which fights against exclusion. The simulated interviews were a great success. 

AMA governance consists of a management team that is equally made up of women and men, and the first three independent members of the Board of Directors who joined AMA are women.

 
Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

With its external stakeholders, AMA is committed to responsible purchasing by increasing its local purchases (34%) and sharing its values and commitments in terms of labor rights through an ethical code of conduct with its suppliers. 

Dialogue with the company's stakeholders is carried out each year through a survey addressed to all. 

Internally, several actions aimed to promote decent working and living conditions, like

• The creation of a social committee to enhance social dialogue.
• Favor local employment in subsidiaries.
• Follow the gender equality index.
• Other programs such as those on the prevention of corruption, the annual estimation of our CO2 emissions, and the measurement of our digital footprint are carried out to ensure responsible growth.
  

At AMA, we focus on the innovation aspect of our business. And this starts with the recruitment of people who have the skills to innovate. Ensuring sustainable and responsible production means measuring our environmental impact, including the information system, and ensuring the purchase of eco-labeled IT equipment. 

Finally, in 2021 AMA obtained the ISO 27001 standard which concerns the requirements for information security management systems (ISMS). Workshops to raise awareness of good IT practices are held every year during European Sustainable Development Week.

The level of innovation of a company also depends on its ability to network with demanding and quality partners. This is why AMA joined the 5G-Tours group at its creation. Among our customers, AMA is perceived as an innovative solution to facilitate their digital transition.


 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

AMA has been estimating its environmental impact since 2020, by calculating its carbon footprint at group level. An action plan to reduce its CO2 emissions is in place. And by joining the Sciences Based Target community, AMA is affirming its desire to go beyond its simple reduction obligations on scopes 1 and 2. 

Internal awareness campaigns on soft mobility and a real mobilization on carpooling have been proposed which contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Clean-up and climate collage are workshops initiated during the highlights of the European Sustainable Development Week.

The management of our waste is being optimized. Paper is collected for recycling, electronic waste is given a second life by offering, for example, computers to NGOs. In Germany, the company is committed to a reforestation program, locally with PlantMyTree.

AMAmates are each year participating in the Green Marathon in Rennes (France), where for each kilometer run, a tree is planted. 

Finally, the Good Planet Foundation estimated that each XpertEye kit used avoids one ton of CO2 equivalent for our customers each month.

The actions undertaken by AMA are recent, and much progress remains to be made, but the projects are deployed and testify to our determination to be an actor and to take our share of responsibility. SDGs are truly great guiding principles to keep on improving and progressing.

SDG = sustainable development goals
CO2 = molecular form of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas
Sources = site un.org