Performing sustainably: in 2024, Air Liquide has progressed on all extra-financial indicators of its ADVANCE plan

With the publication of its Integrated Annual Report, “Performing with impact”, reflecting the Group's performance embedded in its strategic plan ADVANCE, Air Liquide details its 2024 sustainability results. In 2024, Air Liquide achieved a very solid year in terms of financial as well as on the extra-financial  performance, where all indicators are progressing.

Air Liquide’s sustainable development strategy is based on three pillars - for the Environment, for Health and for All.

For the Environment: In 2024 again, Air Liquide has been combining financial growth with better environmental impact by reducing its CO₂ emissions, while offering a unique range of solutions to support customers decarbonization, including CO₂ capture, low carbon hydrogen and air gases and other technologies. In particular:

• Air Liquide has reduced its Scope 1 & 2 CO₂ emissions by -11%, compared with 2020^[1], confirming the Group is ahead of schedule in achieving its inflection target by 2025.
• The Group’s carbon intensity has decreased by -41% compared to 2015, already surpassing the reduction target of 30% set for 2025.
• Air Liquide has accelerated its low-carbon electricity sourcing. The share of low carbon power (renewable or nuclear) purchased by the Group in 2024 reached more than 40%. We also secured low-carbon energy for the future, with a record volume of PPAs (2,500 GWh) signed.
• The Group has published its first climate transition plan, which details its strategy and the drivers that will enable Air Liquide to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and the path forward.

For Health: As a major player of medical oxygen and home healthcare services, Air Liquide’s ambition is to contribute to shaping the future of healthcare. Aging populations and evolution in lifestyles are leading to rising chronic diseases, with patients increasingly preferring home healthcare, while in low- and middle-income countries, giving access to medical oxygen remains the main challenge.

• In over 30 countries, Air Liquide is playing a role in transforming healthcare and contributes to improving quality of life to over 2 million patients living with a chronic disease at home. 57% of its patients benefit from personalized care plans.
• In low- and middle-income countries, the Group expanded the Access Oxygen^TM initiative to Mali, bringing the total population living in areas with facilitated access to medical oxygen to over 2.7 million people in South Africa, Senegal, Kenya and Mali, since the launch of the program in 2017.

For All: Addressing societal stakes, Air Liquide recognizes that long-term performance is based on the quality of its relationships with employees, customers, patients, shareholders, suppliers and local communities around the world.

• Safety first: The lost time accident frequency rate^[2] stands at a record level in 2024, down -32% compared to 2023, demonstrating the mobilization of the teams to make this priority a concrete reality.
• Common basis of care coverage for all employees: One year ahead of target, the Group has achieved full deployment to all of its 66,500 employees, including life insurance, health coverage and a minimum of 14 weeks paid maternity leave, regardless of local legislation.
• Diversity: Strongly accelerating in 2024, with 33% women among Managers and Professionals, establishing the industry standard, and advancing to our 35% ambition by 2025.
• Employee engagement in local initiatives: 87% of the Group’s employees now have access to volunteering opportunities through the global “Citizen at work” program, progressing towards its 2025 objective of covering 100%.

Diana Schillag, Executive Committee Member, supervising Sustainability said:

“Our commitment to performing with impact is unwavering. This commitment is embedded in the ADVANCE strategic plan, which combines both financial and extra-financial performance. In 2024, we delivered on all our sustainability commitments, confirming financial growth and positive impact can go hand in hand. Despite a fluctuating context, we remain focused on actions where Air Liquide can have the biggest impact for the planet and for society. On the environmental front in particular, the Group is actively driving decarbonization, leveraging its unique portfolio of solutions and technologies – from hydrogen and CO2 capture to low-carbon air gases – to support the global energy transition.”

Footnotes

1. ^{^} In tonnes of CO₂ equivalent for the Scopes 1 and 2
2. ^{^} Number of accidents with at least one day’s absence per million hours worked, involving Group employees and temporary workers.