2021 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

3.4.2 Optimising water consumption

3.4.2.1 Actions to optimise water consumption

VINCI businesses need water, and this can have direct and indirect impacts on natural environments. In addition to preventing water pollution, water resources must also be optimised. To address these issues, VINCI’s environmental ambition aims to prevent pollution and incidents, but also optimise water consumption, especially in areas of water stress.

VINCI responded to the CDP Water Security questionnaire for the tenth time in 2021 and is thus today among the 13,000 companies worldwide that take part in this disclosure initiative supported by 590 global investors. In 2021, the Group achieved a B score, thus maintaining its level of performance. This result also highlights the Group’s strong management of its water resources and effective analysis of its water supply risks compared with other companies in its sector.

• Monitoring water consumption

Group entities monitor both water consumption from local water systems and water taken from natural environments (water table, waterways, etc.).

Consumption of water purchased (in cubic metres), with change

In 2021, total consumption of water purchased was up 14% relative to 2020, returning to a level similar to that seen in 2019 (decline of 1%). This was the result of the resumption of operations, the integration of new entities and improvements in data collection. In the Concessions business, VINCI Airports reduced its water consumption by 10%.

Despite progress made every year, monitoring needs to be improved for water taken from the natural environment. Measuring this water use is complex, especially at worksites, which are by definition temporary and sometimes draw water from several sources (provisional ponds to collect rainwater, the water table, waterways, canals, etc.). Water taken from the environment is used for a range of operations (hosing down work areas, producing materials, cleaning sites, etc.). In some cases, water is released in a location that is different from where it was taken. For example in earthworks, groundwater is sometimes used to hose down work areas and therefore reduce dust. The water flows back directly to the natural environment but in a different location. Some activities collect rainwater and use it to clean sites or manufacture materials for plants. For foundations operations (tunnels, metro lines) and solid rock quarries, drainage water (seepage) is pumped before being immediately returned into the water table, released into natural environments or used as part of operations. 

As concessions sites are managed over a longer period, this water consumption can be measured more reliably. That is why to date, only data on water taken from natural environments in the course of concessions activities has been consolidated and presented in the table below. For VINCI Autoroutes, the increase in the consumption of water taken directly from the natural environment resulted from the rise in the level of use, directly linked to the public health situation, as well as various maintenance operations (cleaning of retention ponds, purging of drainage systems, etc.).

Consumption of water taken directly from the natural environment (in cubic metres)