ENGIE response to Evian letter outreach
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited ENGIE to comment on a letter that emerged from the 2025 Franco-German business meeting in Evian, France. We asked the following two questions:
- Is it ENGIE’s position to call for the full abolition of the CSDDD?
- If it is, has your company considered the human rights risks or impacts of taking this stance publicly, and subjected it to a human rights due diligence process? If so, what have been your company’s conclusions and any action plan?
ENGIE provided the following response:
We acknowledge receipt of your letter in reaction of the Evian letter of October 6. We would like to share some clarifications of ENGIE's position on European environmental directives.
During the meeting, business leaders agreed on the imperative to strengthen European competitiveness, among others through the simplification of regulation. The letter mentions an encouraging convergence among the participants along those principles.
In the meantime, ENGIE is fully committed to a process of dialogue with public authorities, reiterating that its consistent position is to favor simplification, clarification, and consistency in legislation, rather than its outright removal. As evidence you can consult the Group's response to the European Commission's proposal on the simplification of the CSRD, the CSDDD, and the taxonomy, which makes no mention of a request to withdraw European legislation. Furthermore, it should be noted that ENGIE also remains subject to the French law on the duty of care, which we have applied since its enactment.
Respect for human rights is at the heart of ENGIE's Ethics Code of Conduct. Moreover ENGIE remains a strong supporter of the objectives of the European Green Deal, including greater transparency on ESG issues. More broadly, the Group also remains relied on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights.