These discussions are pursued within the Group through the meetings of the European Works Council. Following the signing of the environmental guidelines in November 2020 (see paragraph 3.1.1.2 below), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee met in March and October 2021 to contribute to the deployment of the Group’s environmental ambition.
The Environment Committee, overseen by VINCI SA with representatives from each business line, coordinates the three key areas covered by the Group’s environmental actions. This committee brings a response to global issues by defining the components of VINCI’s environmental ambition and by leading cross-business projects, while ensuring that Group companies adapt the measures introduced in line with the new goals to their local context. Alongside this, several working groups have been set up, comprising operational experts from each business line, such as the Biodiversity Task Force and the Circular Economy Task Force, as well as special focus groups created to implement climate change action plans.
For business lines, the environmental strategy is approved at the highest executive level and taken up by all of the operational departments. Each day, they help drive forward this environmental ambition, through actions aligned with realities on the ground. They rely on a worldwide network of over 800 correspondents who are in charge of managing environmental risks, developing action plans to protect the environment and supporting their implementation.
Incorporating environmental issues within the Group first requires a strong grounding in regulatory risk, environmental risk and incident prevention. But it also involves anticipating these issues and creating environmental, social and economic value in the medium and long term. The environmental risk management processes and measures are detailed in the Group’s duty of vigilance plan, in paragraph 4.4, “Duty of vigilance with regard to the environment” (page 250).
Looking beyond the main focuses of the Group’s new environmental ambition and compliance with regulations, VINCI companies develop and maintain continuous improvement processes to better understand the local context and attitudes about the environment. The environmental guidelines signed in November 2020 by VINCI’s Chairman and CEO and the Secretary of the Group’s European Works Council illustrate the approach adopted. This document provides a framework for reducing environmental impacts and risks associated with the Group’s activities. It applies to all Group companies, enabling them to improve and adapt their environmental actions, aligned as closely as possible with the realities on the ground. All subsidiaries are responsible for ensuring that corresponding actions are also taken by subcontractors and joint contractors throughout projects (see paragraph 4.4.3, “Tailored actions to mitigate risks or prevent serious impacts”, pages 254 to 257).
VINCI encourages its subsidiaries to obtain environmental certification such as ISO 14001 to improve the effectiveness of their environmental management system. For example, the three concession companies at VINCI Autoroutes with operations activities are ISO 14001 certified. In 2021, 37 VINCI Concessions entities, including 23 airports, obtained this certification. By 2030, VINCI Airports aims to achieve ISO 14001 certification for all of its airports handling more than 100,000 passengers each year. The proportion of revenue generated by certified entities increased at VINCI Energies and VINCI Construction. For the first time in 2021, Sogea-Satom was reviewed and certified by the French national organisation for standardisation for its quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety (ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001). The business operations of 19 offices in Africa and the head office are covered by these three certifications, which show that its overall approach is working.
| ISO 14001 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (as a percentage) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | Indicator | Geographical scope |
| Motorways in service | 100 | 100 | 100 | Kilometres | France |
| VINCI Airports | 89 | 77 | 63 | Percentage of revenue | World |
| Other concessions | 26 | 25 | 19 | Percentage of revenue | World |
| VINCI Energies | 50 | 47 | 48 | Percentage of revenue | World |
| Eurovia | World | ||||
| Production from quarries owned | 56 | 53 | 50 | Tonnes | World |
| Production from coating plants owned | 63 | 38 | 60 | Tonnes | World |
| Production from binder plants owned | 54 | 64 | 68 | Tonnes | World |
| Revenue from the works activity | 36 | 26 | 27 | Percentage of revenue | World |
| VINCI Construction (excl. Eurovia) | 86 | 85 | 80 | Percentage of revenue | World |
Several internal labels have also been developed at the initiative of VINCI Construction companies. These labels are awarded to candidate sites based on an internal audit to ensure that the Group’s environmental commitments are effectively taken into account at these sites, to challenge teams and to provide a guarantee for customers:
