VINCI commits to an energy conservation policy

22 September 2022 - 8:41 am - Sustainability - France

• A long-term energy savings plan, implemented in the short term
• 15% reduction in gas and electricity consumption in offices and for concession activities
• A strategy to drastically limit industrial activities during peak hours by early 2023
• An approach in line with the Group’s environmental transition plan

As part of its annual Environment Day event on 22 September, VINCI announced that it will be implementing in the short term a long-term plan to save electricity and natural gas. This energy conservation plan is aligned with the Group’s CO₂ emission reduction targets, which include a pledge to reduce its carbon footprint by 40% by 2030 for Scopes 1 and 2 and by 20% for Scope 3¹.

 

To help limit the risks threatening France’s electricity and natural gas supply, the Group will step up deployment of energy efficiency technology and take further steps to streamline its consumption. For example, at its concession activities and in its offices in France, VINCI pledges to reduce its annual consumption of natural gas and electricity by about 58,000 MWh, i.e. 15% of its consumption in 2023. That comes out to about the annual consumption of a city with 33,000 residents.

 

This reduction will mainly be achieved through eco-conscious practices adopted by VINCI employees, who have fully come on board with the environmental transition plan. For example, whenever possible, offices should not be heated to temperatures above 19°C, and even 17°C at airports; air conditioners should not be switched on below 26°C; LED bulbs should continue to be installed, especially in public lighting on motorway concessions; and lighting and equipment in standby mode, such as screens and photocopiers, should be programmed to switch off completely.

 

Some buildings, such as VINCI’s head office l’archipel, featuring sophisticated control systems will be subject to more advanced testing. Reductions in consumption will be quantified and monitored, and surveys will be conducted to solicit feedback from employees and users. This feedback will be used to formulate additional measures that can ramp up the long-term action plan. VINCI’s industrial activities, which mainly involve roadworks, have already begun deploying an energy saving strategy.
Initiatives include covering material stocks to reduce energy consumption due to materials drying out; producing warm instead of hot asphalt mixes; implementing management tools that contribute to eco-friendly facility operation; and optimising the process to limit energy consumption due to the launch of operations. These actions have been supplemented and underpinned with investments in solar self-generation capacity, continued insulation works at production sites, and innovations in products and at facilities.

 

In addition, a load shedding scheme is planned for these industrial activities in France and is currently being discussed with government authorities. The total impact of this scheme is estimated at about 25,000 MWh.

 

Along with this long-haul energy conservation plan, VINCI entities are taking action, alongside RTE and Ademe, the French environment and energy agency, to provide its employees, concession users and partners with information on best practices set out in the EcoWatt scheme. Today, VINCI is signing the EcoWatt Charter.

¹Scopes 1 & 2 cover direct emissions from the Group’s operations, while Scope 3 includes indirect emissions, i.e. upstream emissions mainly relating to materials used and downstream emissions from operating structures built and from using transport infrastructure managed by VINCI. The targets for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 have been approved by the Science-based Target initiative (SBTi).

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.