VINCI’s business activities also undergo internal controls on a regular basis. Group companies measure the environmental footprint of their projects and activities and report on the internal and external resources implemented to protect the environment. Regardless of whether these activities are performed by VINCI or its subcontractors, regular inspections are carried out by the environmental correspondents.
At Group level, environmental issues are a core part of VINCI’s risk assessment criteria, which were reinforced in 2020 and 2021 (see paragraph 3.4.3, “Procedures related to commitments and the VINCI Risk Committee”, of chapter D, “Risk factors and management procedures”, page 184).
When certain worksites present a high risk of environmental impact, in particular with regard to local biodiversity, environmental managers partner with ecologists (specialised design offices, research institutions or non-profit organisations) to increase monitoring. VINCI Construction Terrassement has rolled out an initiative called Actons la Bionécessité which provides for an initial environmental assessment of every site before work begins and the monitoring of all impact management action taken.
Additional analyses and various controls may be carried out at the subsidiary or project level.
| Business line | Examples of internal controls |
|---|---|
| VINCI Autoroutes | VINCI Autoroutes Examples of internal controls
|
| VINCI Concessions | VINCI Concessions Examples of internal controls
|
| VINCI Energies | VINCI Energies Examples of internal controls
|
| VINCI Construction | VINCI Construction Examples of internal controls
|
| VINCI Immobilier | VINCI Immobilier Examples of internal controls
|
As indicated in paragraph 2.2.1, “Group-wide approach to promote responsible purchasing”, of the “Social performance” section, page 214, the responsible purchasing task force developed and shared a process to evaluate how suppliers and subcontractors manage the following environmental risks: climate change, depletion of resources, loss of biodiversity and pollution. For purchasing categories that significantly impact revenue or carry high social or environmental risks, a separate analysis is performed and a specific CSR questionnaire is used to assess suppliers. Based on the results, a supplier may be excluded from a tender process or be invited to set up an action plan, complete with measures to verify its implementation. The Group or some of its entities may also carry out audits of their suppliers, focusing on specific purchasing categories, often selected because of the associated risks. In 2022, VINCI used this methodology for three tender processes launched for purchases in the strategic categories of temporary employment, worksite equipment leasing and hardware and amounting to annual expenditure of more than €700 million.
For local purchases, special attention is paid to materials suppliers, in particular by asking them to provide information on their environmental footprint, such as their carbon impact or the use of bio-based materials, during the selection process. Increasingly, preference is given to suppliers that integrate environmental protection in their practices, and suppliers’ practices are regularly audited in this respect, particularly when contracts are up for renewal. In the Building France Division, environmental data modelling tools for construction materials have been developed in collaboration with engineers from the École des Ponts ParisTech to assess the exact environmental footprint, especially the greenhouse gas emissions, of the concrete used in its projects. The aim is to be able to generate data that its teams can use for their life cycle analysis calculations.
