A study was launched in 2021 on the climate change resilience of the South Europe Atlantic high-speed rail line using the methodology described in the paper “Vulnerability and risks: transport infrastructure and climate change”. The climate scenarios applied in the study were RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The results of the study showed the railway line’s physical and operational vulnerabilities, particularly to future weather events, such as drought, heat, flooding, wind and storms. Based on this work, an adaptation plan was created to determine the medium- and long-term actions to be taken. In the shorter term, fire prevention and fire-fighting actions (especially to protect power substations) are a priority, particularly in light of the events of the summers of 2021 and 2022.
For the Athens–Patras motorway in Greece, a study based on IPCC scenarios identified the physical, operational and maintenance risks, caused by floods, heatwaves and rising temperatures, which are expected to increase in frequency, intensity and duration in the years to come. The conclusions highlighted the most serious vulnerability points (including water drainage systems and electrical equipment) and the motorway sections exposed to the highest risk.
VINCI Autoroutes has conducted a criticality analysis of its national network. This study assesses changes in weather parameters in the medium term (2035) and long term (2085) and their impact on motorway infrastructure. It is based on two climate scenarios, RCP 8.5 (trend-based) and RCP 4.5 (ambitious policy to reduce GHG emissions). The results suggest focusing on two main threats: flooding/severe floods and fires, with most risk areas along the Mediterranean. VINCI Autoroutes is participating in testing Ademe’s ACT Adaptation method, which measures companies’ ability to adapt to climate change.
Lastly, VINCI Construction’s Road activities are continuing with their work to assess the resilience of their fixed sites in relation to new investments. For example, the hurricane resilience of a new plant in Orlando was measured as part of the construction project. These analyses involve a study of the site’s climate context, as well as the recurrence and severity of extreme weather events, so that the structure can be adapted to withstand these events.
The Group plans in advance for any necessary changes to cities and their energy, communication, transport, water and sewer infrastructure, by incorporating eco-design into its projects, an approach that studies the structure’s whole life cycle. VINCI plays a central role in making new and existing structures more resistant to extreme weather events, ensuring long-term resilience and providing innovative construction solutions. VINCI companies are developing expertise in technical improvements: to strengthen sea walls, based on scientific scenarios predicting a 50 cm rise in sea levels by 2100, according to the IPCC; to handle heavy rainfall, by building in areas with a flood risk prevention plan, building lift pumps to drain water, or applying porous asphalt to absorb water (Drainovia); to cope with high temperatures, building equipment for a wind farm in the Algerian desert that can withstand temperatures of 50°C, or using light-coloured asphalt to reduce heat from roads (SMA, Lumi+, Ecolvia Déco, Puma solution). VINCI companies are often called on following extreme weather events to restore the normal operation of transport and energy infrastructure.
Kansai International airport in Japan was selected to receive the Japan Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award for the airport’s natural disaster resilience plan. Completed in just three years, the construction works carried out in the wake of Typhoon Jebi (2018) have contributed to the development of the country’s coastal areas and infrastructure.
Climate change adaptation approaches gave rise to several construction projects in 2022. In New Zealand, HEB Construction (VINCI Construction) was awarded a contract for the design and construction of 4.5 km of coastal paths for pedestrians and cyclists, with completion scheduled for 2026. The project also includes the construction of 2.7 km of embankments and 800 metres of seawalls to protect against storm events and sea level rise. On the High Speed 2 (HS2) project (the United Kingdom’s second high-speed rail line, which will cross floodplains), VINCI Construction is studying the topography to promote natural management using a catchment-based approach (storage ponds, restoration of meandering rivers, etc.) rather than floodplain replacement storage areas.
In 2022, VINCI Construction launched its Revilo® solution for combating urban heat islands. The system formalises the expertise gained through dozens of “Oasis” schoolyards in Paris, the work on the Marcel David school in Échirolles, the Jardin de l’Ars in the Euratlantique district of Bordeaux and the new park in Toulon’s La Loubière district. Green surfaces and seepage water treatment provide a cool island effect and also allow for carbon capture. Equo Vivo, a VINCI Construction brand specialised in development projects, is dedicated to restoring biodiversity, and designing and maintaining ecological connectivity. Key achievements in 2022 include the hydromorphic restoration of the Ru de Gally, a walled stream in the La Bassée floodplain area of the Seine river basin upstream from Paris, to protect the capital from a massive flood.
The Sixense teams (VINCI Construction) conducted the 3D survey of the cliffs of Saint-Jean-de-Luz on France’s south-west coast. This project is part of a nationwide project to adapt to the receding coastline. Consolidating the data over time will enable the Communauté d’Agglomération Pays Basque regional authority and the city of Saint-Jean-de-Luz to compare geomorphological changes in the cliffs and take appropriate and preventive measures to manage the coastal erosion (definition of a safety perimeter, reinforcement measures).
Omexom (VINCI Energies) is developing the climate resilience of electricity grids for RTE, by widening forest trenches, installing pylons with anti-toppling protection systems, and burying network equipment if necessary to protect it from storms.
In recognition of the current threats to ecosystems and the increasing scarcity of natural resources, some of which are essential to its activities, VINCI aims to limit the environmental footprint of its business lines by moving them toward a circular economy approach. Implementing circular economy principles means rethinking the way resources and waste are consumed, produced and managed, by improving design and production processes, reducing the extraction of virgin raw materials, and promoting reuse and recycling as well as more efficient techniques and practices.
