2024, a year of intense activity for the Foundation

Contents

2024 in figures / Research projects / Jobs integration projects / Solidarity projects / Employees involvement / Fundraising / Governance

Since its creation in 2008, the Air Liquide Foundation has supported nearly 600 projects in 52 countries.

Examples of projects supported

Research: support for 5 new projects

These 5 research projects on human respiratory health, led by renowned French research institutions. Since 2020, 36 fundamental research projects have been supported, 20 of which are still active.  Most of these are medical research into protecting the body against viral, bacterial or environmental aggression. By way of example, projects were launched in 2024 in the following areas:

• Support for a research team at the Institut Pasteur de Lille studying the impact of air pollution - particularly particles penetrating deep into the respiratory tract - on the pulmonary immune system and the development of respiratory infections. It focuses on the role of specific cytokines in this process, using various experimental models (in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo) to better understand the mechanisms involved and identify potential therapeutic targets.
• Support for a research team at the Université Rouen Normandie / CHU Hôpitaux de Rouen to create a lung model in the laboratory using lung tissue from asthma patients. This will make it possible to study the impact of viral co-infections on asthma in a complex environment virtually identical to that of the patient's own lung. The results of this research could lead to improved prevention and the creation of personalized treatments to combat this disease.

Jobs integration, support for 10 new projects

These projects have been sponsored and evaluated by Group employees, who will work with the Foundation team to see them through to completion. Most of them are supported for one year. Two of this year's projects are multi-year, with a specific commitment plan for Air Liquide Group employees. For example :

• In France, renewal of a 3-year partnership with the Fédération des Ecoles de Production, with a safety acculturation project at 23 Production schools using industrial gases (mainly for welding activities). To improve the safety and employability of young people, the program includes the setting up of safety committees, safety training and the financing of appropriate equipment. Air Liquide France Industrie actively supports this program through the involvement of employees at various sites in the Production School network.
• In Austria (Vienna), the Foundation supports the Caritas organization's preWork project, which helps young people aged 15 to 21 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) to enter the job market. PreWork offers a 9-month program combining practical training in workshops (wood and digital), individual coaching and preparation for the job search. The aim is to improve young people's employability, stabilize their situation, motivate them and facilitate their access to employment. PreWork contributes to the economic autonomy and social integration of young people, while combating the shortage of skilled labor.

In all, the Group has supported more than 80 projects to help young people and adults who are far from the job market gain access to the job market since the initiative was launched in 2019, benefiting several thousand people.

Solidarité support for 15 new projects, including 1 for Urgence Mayotte

In 2024, Air Liquide supported 14 new solidarity projects with the Foundation. These projects were sponsored and then evaluated by Air Liquide Group employees, who will monitor the projects with the Foundation team until their completion. At the end of the year, following cyclone Chido in Mayotte, the Foundation launched a specific action to help the inhabitants of the archipelago.

Solidarity projects include

• The "Dessine-moi la High-Tech" association in France, which uses new technologies (virtual reality, robotics, drones) to brighten the daily lives of children with cancer hospitalized at the Gustave Roussy Institute. This project will enable 200 children to benefit from fun and innovative workshops throughout the 2024/2025 school year.
• In Poland, the "No Limits!" project run by the Ognisko charity was founded in 1992. Through workshops, it aims to combat the social and professional exclusion of some forty beneficiaries with mental disabilities, by developing vocational skills and appropriate behavior for a variety of jobs. The project offers training in occupational activity, personal care, safety, communication and domestic/professional skills, tailored to individual needs. Participants receive certificates to help them pursue their careers.

Involving Air Liquide employees in its projects remains a key focus for the Foundation

The involvement of Group employees in projects supported by the Foundation is now a key criterion in project selection. A guide to opportunities for involvement has been created to support project leaders and associations and facilitate employee participation. This approach is part of Air Liquide's "Citizen at Work" program, which encourages employee volunteering. In 2024, more than 100 people were involved in projects supported by the Foundation.

In 2024, Group shareholders and employees continue to support the Foundation

Since 2021, the Foundation has been able to receive donations from Group shareholders and employees during fundraising events, under the conditions laid down by regulations.

At the end of 2024, the Foundation invited the Group's shareholders and employees to once again join in the financial support of its projects with a fundraising event in favor of professional integration, via its donation platform. Shareholders and employees responded to this appeal, contributing 35,000 euros, which will be used for work-integration projects from 2025.

The Air Liquide Foundation also demonstrated its ability to mobilize in the context of an exceptional solidarity program in support of the population of Mayotte. The contribution of Group employees in France to help the people of Mayotte following cyclone Chido enabled the Air Liquide Foundation to act quickly. More than 30,000 euros were collected. This sum will be matched by an overall envelope of 100,000 euros dedicated to this cause by the Foundation.
As early as the end of December 2024, the Foundation provided initial financial support of 15,000 euros to the Protection Civile, which used these funds to send drinking water, baby food and other essential materials that benefited around 28,000 people. The Foundation will continue its medium- and long-term support for projects focusing on education, health and solidarity.

Governance

This year, the Foundation welcomed a new Chairman and a new Managing Director (Louis-François RICHARD and Henri CHEVREL). With over 30 years' experience within Air Liquide, both of us bring an excellent knowledge of the Group and complementary and diversified experience in France and abroad. They both have personal commitments to associations. These are invaluable assets in carrying out their mission.