Water taken from the natural environment (incl. water from boreholes and pumped water)
| in cubic metres) | 2023 | 2022 (*) | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concessions | Concessions20231,148,913 | Concessions2022 (*)639,599 | ConcessionsVariation+80% |
| VINCI Autoroutes | VINCI Autoroutes 2023224,425 |
VINCI Autoroutes 2022 (*)351,074 |
VINCI Autoroutes Variation(-36%) |
| VINCI Airports | VINCI Airports 2023920,807 |
VINCI Airports 2022 (*)286,590 |
VINCI Airports Variation+221% |
| Autres concessions | Autres concessions 20233,681 |
Autres concessions 2022 (*)1,935 |
Autres concessions Variation+90% |
| VINCI Energies | VINCI Energies2023- | VINCI Energies2022 (*)- | VINCI EnergiesVariation- |
| Cobra IS | Cobra IS20232,980,220 | Cobra IS2022 (*)- | Cobra ISVariation- |
| VINCI Construction | VINCI Construction202338,931,820 | VINCI Construction2022 (*)34,382,182 | VINCI ConstructionVariation+13% |
| VINCI Immobilier | VINCI Immobilier2023- | VINCI Immobilier2022 (*)- | VINCI ImmobilierVariation- |
| Total | Total202343,060,953 | Total2022 (*)35,021,781 | TotalVariation+23% |
| Total excl. Cobra IS | Total excl. Cobra IS202340,080,733 | Total excl. Cobra IS2022 (*)35,021,781 | Total excl. Cobra ISVariation+14% |
(*) Data for 2022 that were partially estimated for publication have been replaced with actual data at 31 December 2022 on a like-for-like basis relative to 2023.
At the end of December 2023, the reporting scope for water taken from the natural environment covered 86% of the Group’s activities (see “Note on the methods used in workforce-related, social and environmental reporting”, page 291). Total consumption of water taken directly from the natural environment amounted to 43 million cu. metres, a volume that breaks down into 32 million cu. metres of pumped water and 11 million cu. metres of water from boreholes. This represents a 23% increase from 2022 (14% excluding Cobra IS). Water is generally pumped for use in foundations operations (tunnels, metro lines) and solid rock quarries before being immediately returned into the water table or released into natural environments. The volume of pumped water can vary significantly between worksites, depending on the project phase. Water from boreholes is used for a range of operations, such as hosing down work areas, cleaning materials and cleaning sites. The increase in volume compared with 2022 primarily stems from the new airports in Brazil and Mexico that were included in the reporting scope in 2023.
Reducing water consumption
Group companies have taken a variety of measures to reduce water consumption depending on their business activity and the entity’s environment. VINCI Concessions has set a target to cut water consumption per unit of traffic in half by 2030 (see “Overview of the main commitments by business line”, page 223). After implementation at the Porto, Lisbon and Nantes Atlantique airports, in 2023 VINCI Airports introduced a process to recycle water from fire-fighting operations at Belgrade and Salvador Bahia airports. Meanwhile, the Salvador Bahia and Manaus airports have set up rainwater and air-conditioning water collection systems, which saved more than 17,000 cu. metres of drinking water at Salvador Bahia airport. To raise user awareness about water conservation, Porto airport has set up a water collection system before the security checkpoints. Once through security, users can fill their bottles at fountains.
VINCI Airports is rolling out smart water meters throughout its network. The 126 water meters already installed enable each airport to monitor consumption in real time and be notified of any irregularity.
The Cobra IS subsidiary Tedagua developed a certified methodology that meets Water Footprint Network (WFN) standards for calculating its blue, green and grey water footprint for all its activities in 2023.
VINCI Autoroutes has pledged to reduce its water consumption by 10% from 2018 levels by 2030, which it aims to achieve by closely monitoring equipment and through optimisation strategies, while setting a water consumption cap at its major worksites. Leak detection programmes have gone into operation with the installation of remote reading water meters, representing 15% of all meters on the network (100% at Escota), making it possible to monitor water consumption in real time. In 2023, these meters detected 84 leaks on the network, enabling corrective action to be taken rapidly. Water conservation solutions are being tested at Cofiroute’s sanitary facilities, including the installation of dry urinals and, at some sites, Toopi Organics®, a system that collects urine from urinals for use as fertiliser.
VINCI Construction has created a water management working group. This group has compiled best practices to manage and reduce water consumption (rainwater harvesting and use at worksites, closed water loops on recycling platforms and quarries, use of weather stations to adapt hosing practices at quarries, etc.). Instruments and tools are increasingly used on sites to continuously monitor water consumption, including the Qualisteo solution introduced at VINCI Construction worksites and quarries. Water meters with a flow switch (leak detection on water supply line) are also installed, particularly on all sites applying for BREEAM® certification.
VINCI Construction’s Major Projects Division uses the Aqua Eco sprayer boom at its worksites, resulting in water savings of 40% compared with traditional booms and of 80 cu. metres per day and per boom. On the Santiago airport expansion project, an assessment was carried out of the storage conditions of grey water (from showers and sinks) in reservoirs for reuse, especially for hosing down runways.
Several VINCI companies develop solutions to conserve fresh water resources, such as the Sogea Environnement delegation within VINCI Construction’s Networks France Division. In the Greater Paris Housing delegations (VINCI Construction’s Building France Division), several environmental markers were formally identified for customer projects in 2023, including the installation of rainwater collection tanks for watering, planting of local species that require little or no water, or, for interior spaces, the routine installation of showers in new or renovated housing and water conservation systems in all homes. In addition, all residents are offered an awareness session on eco-friendly practices when they move in.
