Sodexo, a recognized Corporate Citizen

Paris, February 23, 2009 - Sodexo announced today the release of its 2008 Sustainability report, Corporate Citizenship in Action, the fourth consecutive year that the company has published a comprehensive report detailing its strategy and ambition in response to the challenges of sustainable development.

Sodexo's objective

Ensure a better Quality of Life for today's generation while preserving it for the generations of tomorrow.

Three priorities

In addition to providing examples of activities carried out by Sodexo teams in countries where it operates around the world, the report includes a particular focus on its three main strategic priorities:

• Nutrition, Health and Wellness - serving 40 million customers per day, Sodexo is committed to educating people about the long-lasting, beneficial effects of healthy eating.
• Local Communities - present in 80 countries around the world, Sodexo contributes real and sustainable improvements to the economic and social development of local communities.
• The Environment - although the Sodexo ecological footprint is small, it remains the Group's responsibility to reduce it further.

Distinguished for its constant sustainable development efforts, the commitment of Sodexo has been recognized numerous times:

• A double distinction in the Sustainability Yearbook 2009 by the SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) Group which identifies the best combined economic and sustainability performance among 2,500 companies worldwide:
  • SAM Sector Leader
  • SAM Gold Class, identifying the best performing companies among Supersector Leaders
• Inclusion in the FTSE4Good classification since its inception in 2001.
• Inclusion in the ASPI Eurozone index (VIGEO) since 2004.
• Selected for the January 2009 Socially Responsible Investment ECPI Ethical Index Euro.
• Chosen for the Top 100 in 2007, for a third consecutive year, by the Business in the Community (BITC) Corporate Responsibility Index, with a distinction of TOP 100 Silver.
  

The 2008 report awarded with the Golden TOP COM

Sodexo was recipient of the Golden TOP COM award in the publications category for its 2008 Sustainability report. Selected by the jury from among 20 reports, the panel praised the willingness of
Sodexo to reduce the amount of paper used, its integration with other print and on-line communications and an efficient communications style**.

Sodexo also respects the pursuit of Human Rights

As a company of women and men who provide services to others, Sodexo bases its commitments to corporate citizenship on human values.

Four ethical principles are central to our philosophy:

• Loyalty - A foundation of trust between Sodexo and its clients, employees, and shareholders.
• Respect for people - Sodexo is committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of race, origin, age, gender, beliefs, religion, or lifestyle choices.
• Transparency - A major Sodexo principle and a constant with all stakeholders: Clients and consumers, employees and shareholders.
• Business integrity - Sodexo does not tolerate any practice that is not born of honesty, integrity and fairness, anywhere in the world where it does business. Sodexo clearly communicates its position on this issue to its clients, suppliers, and employees, and expects them to share its rejection of corrupt and unfair practices.

Sodexo is committed to respecting the principles of human rights as decreed by:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• The ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy;
• The United Nations Global Compact.

An international company present in 80 countries, Sodexo recognizes its responsibility to promote and ensure the respect for human rights as expressed in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In its further commitment to this important issue, Sodexo formalized the company's Human Rights policy, which is published on the company website. (www.sodexo.com)

* The SAM Group's 2009 Sustainability Yearbook can be downloaded at: www.samgroup.com/yearbook 
** The full report as well as additional information and news on all Sodexo activities (Food and Facilities Management services; Service Vouchers and Cards) is available on the company website www.sodexo.com

 Press release in PDF

About Sodexo
Sodexo, founded in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, is a world leader in Food and Facilities Management services, with more than 355,000 employees on 30,600 sites in 80 countries. For Fiscal 2008, which closed August 31, 2008, SODEXO had revenues of 13.6 billion Euros. Listed on Euronext Paris, the Group has a current market capitalization of 6.1 billion Euros.