In 2020 despite pandemic, TDF maintained operations and made progress on its social, environmental and societal pledges.
As a signatory to the UN Global Compact in 2014, TDF publishes its 2020 Communication on Progress (COP) report. Progress was made on corporate pledges once again in 2020, a year dominated by the global pandemic, specifically involving steps taken to promote and respect human rights and international labor, environmental and anti-corruption standards.
Regional development to cut digital access inequality
In 2020 TDF met its pledge to help bridge the digital divide. Terrestrial TV/radio broadcasting held up well during the pandemic. French people call for free, anonymous and easily accessible Digital Terrestrial Television and FM and DAB+ radio, especially during repeated lockdowns. Meanwhile, TDF stepped up construction of new telecoms networks seeking to bring fixed and mobile coverage to mainland and overseas France, with a focus on rural areas.
Boost local jobs
Backed by its own training centers, TDF prefers to hire locally wherever it rolls out fiber. While initially planned in 2020, fiber vocational training courses had to be postponed due to lockdowns: TDF and its partners made every effort to keep going and reschedule courses depending on lockdown restrictions.
Ensuring staff safety and promoting gender equality
TDF’s top priority is to protect its staff. The Company kept managers constantly informed so that staff members could stay in touch with each-other, an all-important factor. What’s more, ever mindful of the public purse, TDF did not draw on government handouts or furlough schemes. 2020 also featured implementation of the gender equality staff agreement signed in 2019, which complies with the Parental Act. TDF people continued to welcome young trainees and sandwich course students and continued to support charities active in furthering gender equality and diversity.
Cut the Company’s carbon footprint
TDF drew conclusions from its 2019 solar panel trials and decided to install panels on a hundred telecom masts beginning in 2021. Such action is yet another step towards cutting the Company’s carbon footprint.
Training to combat corruption
TDF reinforced existing anti-corruption trainings, which were maintained by adopting online remote learning due to lockdown restrictions.
TDF Group CEO Olivier Huart said: “We continue our responsible journey to bring the everimportant digital coverage to the regions that local people concerned are crying out for. In 2020, our operations never stopped. We managed to introduce new ways of working so that our people could stay in touch with each other, customers, partners and suppliers, while ensuring everyone’s safety. Once again this year, I am proud to uphold TDF’s pledge to support the UN Global Compact’s 10 principles and to adopt them in our CSR policy and with our staff.”