As projects built and managed by VINCI have a direct or indirect influence on natural environments, preserving these environments plays a key role in the Group’s design, construction and operations processes. Throughout the project life cycle, the Group’s priority is to have as little impact as possible on natural environments, while adapting to emerging ecological and climate challenges. The Group already provides solutions that address these issues, such as water management (water treatment plants and processes), and ecological restoration and transparency (reconfiguring stream and river channels, wildlife crossings, etc.), but VINCI takes steps to continue to develop and innovate. Drawing on external local experts, the Group develops staff expertise so that they can bring its projects relevant, effective solutions in all stages of a project.
To this end, by 2030 VINCI pledges to:
In 2021, all VINCI business lines built road maps that take the specific issues they face relating to natural environments into account. For example, VINCI Immobilier has undertaken to achieve “no net land take” by 2030, thus 20 years ahead of the target set by the Climate and Resilience Law in France. To support them in these endeavours, some VINCI companies have forged partnerships with the scientific community and non-profit organisations (see paragraph 3.1.4, “Dialogue with stakeholders”, page 209). A governance approach for biodiversity preservation has been in place for several years to coordinate the Group’s commitments (see paragraph 3.1.1.1, “Internal governance”, page 204). A Biodiversity Task Force, comprised of about 80 ecology experts and environment managers from VINCI’s different activities, meets two to three times a year. It is primarily responsible for monitoring the regulatory environment, developing scientific expertise, analysing risks, promoting initiatives and sharing best practices.
In 2020, VINCI continued its support for the voluntary initiative act4nature international (https://bit.ly/35VHFNk), initiated by the French organisation Entreprises pour l’Environnement and many other partners. The Group is one of the 57 companies to be part of the coalition, which aims to integrate biodiversity issues into all business strategies and models, and at every level in an organisation. VINCI’s action plan covers five main points (https://bit.ly/35VHFNk) and was approved by the act4nature international Steering Committee (https://bit.ly/3a5da94), made up of representatives of environmental NGOs, scientists, government authorities and business networks. Progress on road map implementation is reviewed regularly and publicly disclosed (https://lc.cx/niEcUF). , in French only). Several Group entities are also involved in act4nature programmes at the national level. For example, ANA, the company that manages the airports in Portugal, became a signatory to act4nature Portugal (https://bit.ly/3iwMDFt), an initiative from the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) Portugal. Eurovia France is a recognised member of the Entreprises Engagées pour la Nature – act4nature France programme, supported by the French Office for Biodiversity and the Ministry of the Ecological Transition for its action plan to promote biodiversity (https://bit.ly/2MbRVKf). in French only). Also a member of the Entreprises Engagées pour la Nature network, VINCI Construction Terrassement earned AFAQ biodiversity certification, becoming the second company in France, and the first in the construction industry, to obtain the certification, in addition to its ISO 14001 certification.
Group businesses take steps to prevent environmental incidents, reduce noise and light pollution and improve air quality in both the construction and operating phases. VINCI’s duty of vigilance plan, in accordance with regulations (Law 2017-399 of 27 March 2017 on the duty of vigilance of parent companies and subcontracting companies), details the structures in place to prevent any harm to the environment (see paragraph 4.4, “Duty of vigilance with regard to the environment”, page 250). All Group business lines also conduct employee training and awareness initiatives (see paragraph 3.1.3, “Employee training and awareness”, page 208).
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Environmental management plan Performance indicators
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Training Performance indicators
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As the Group’s business activities could be responsible for pollution and environmental incidents, its environmental ambition aims to prevent these events by systematically implementing an environmental management plan. Procedures and measures planned in case of an environmental incident are outlined in the duty of vigilance plan (see paragraph 4.4, “Duty of vigilance with regard to the environment”, page 250).
On sites (motorways, airports, quarries, etc.), retention ponds are created to allow suspended solids in run-off and pumped water to settle, and to limit the potential impact of any accidental pollution. For example, on VINCI motorways in France, 98% of salt piles are covered and 90% of motorways in service have been equipped with either natural water protection systems or engineering structures that address potential problems to prevent accidental pollution in the surrounding natural environment. At worksites, a range of systems can be deployed depending on needs (impermeable loading areas, anti-pollution kits in machinery, temporary retention ponds, etc.).
