ENGIE’s Combined General Shareholders’ meeting was held on 14 May 2020 in its headquarters under Jean-Pierre Clamadieu’s chairmanship, without the physical presence of shareholders in the context of the health crisis.

The Shareholders’ Meeting was broadcast live on the Group’s website. 15 246 shareholders voted remotely or by granting a proxy to the Chairman of the Meeting or a third party, representing 1,745,637,500 shares and 2,335,413,043 of voting rights. 74.9% of the voting rights were cast, for an approval rate of the resolutions between 77% and 99%.

Shareholders approved the Group’s purpose statement and its inclusion in the bylaws of the Company (article 2). ENGIE’s purpose statement was co-created through a robust consultative process with the Group’s employees, clients, partners and shareholders, as well as representatives of the civil society.

ENGIE’s purpose (“raison d’être”) is to act to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions. The purpose brings together the company, its employees, its clients and its shareholders, and reconciles economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet. ENGIE’s actions are assessed in their entirety and over time.

This purpose statement is notably reflected in the new concrete objectives of Social and Environmental Responsibility, as announced by the Group at the beginning of the year:
– greenhouse gas emissions resulting from production of electricity should be reduced from 149 Mt in 2016 to 43 Mt by 2030 (for 80 Mt in 2019);
– on gender diversity, the share of women in the management of the Group should increase from c. 23% in 2016 to 50% by 2030 (24% in 2019);
– the share of renewable energy in the power production capacity mix should reach 58% in 2030, compared to 20% in 2016 (for 28% in 2019).
During the meeting, the shareholders have reappointed, for 4 years, the terms of Fabrice Brégier and Lord Peter Ricketts of Shortlands, as independent Directors. With these reappointments the Board is composed of 13 members whose 6 are independent.

The other resolutions, including those regarding the financial statements and income allocation for the 2019 financial year, were also approved. The shareholders approved the Board’s decision to not pay a dividend for the 2019 financial year in a spirit of responsibility and prudence in this exceptional context due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During this General Shareholders’ meeting, Jean-Pierre Clamadieu said : “This Annual General Meeting, which was particular because of the pandemic, was held in a digital format that nevertheless made it possible to maintain a quality dialogue with shareholders.
I congratulate Fabrice Brégier and Lord Peter Ricketts of Shortlands for their second term reappointment as Board members. The shareholders also approved the integration of the purpose statement into the company’s by-laws. This is an excellent news as it sets a long-term direction for the Group. It will be very useful to us in the new era that is beginning, hopefully a period of global economic recovery through low-carbon investments. Our intent is to resume dividend payment, within the framework of the policy announced last year. The Board will decide on the dividend to be proposed at the time of the 2020 financial closing.
Finally, I want to say how proud I am to chair the Board of Directors of this Group, whose employees have demonstrated their ability to adapt and their spirit of solidarity during the crisis we are going through. Together, we have worked and will continue to work on the resilience of our company and its ability to seize opportunities for growth and development.”

The presentation and the results of the vote are also available on www.engie.com. A recording of the webcast and a written transcription will be posted online as soon as possible.

Next event :
– 31 July 2020 : Publication of the 2020 first semester results