Cobra Infrastructuras Hidráulicas is designing, building, supervising and controlling the civil engineering works for the Salto de Chira pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, located in Arguineguín on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Designed by Red Eléctrica de España (REE) and promoted by the Council of Gran Canaria, the plant will enhance the security of Gran Canaria’s water supply and further integrate renewable energy into the system. By 2026, Salto de Chira is expected to increase production from renewable sources by 37%, reduce CO2 emissions by 20% and create 3,500 jobs. Verde Alagoas (Cobra IS) is implementing a water supply and sanitation project for 27 municipalities in the Brazilian state of Alagoas.
Consorcio Agua para Gamboa, a consortium formed by Tedagua and Cobra IS, is carrying out the study, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Gamboa water treatment plant, located in Colón Province, Panama. The treatment plant is promoted by the Panamanian government through Idaan, the national water and sanitation utility, and will strengthen the hydraulic ring systems of the Occidente II line, guaranteeing round-the-clock water supply to a population of more than 235,000 citizens.
Initiatives adapted to local environmental issues and the duration of the project are taken on long-term sites operated and managed by Group companies as well as worksites. VINCI has entered into specific commitments in this area as part of the act4nature international initiative. As Group businesses operate locally over long periods, a number of educational initiatives are implemented to support regional actors (see paragraph 3.1.5, “Dialogue with stakeholders”, page 232).
| Actions taken in France | Performance indicators | |
|---|---|---|
| Zero use of phytosanitary products | Zero use of phytosanitary products Actions taken in France
2030 Ambition: zero phytosanitary products used at all VINCI sites by 2030 (except where required under contracts or regulations) |
Zero use of phytosanitary products Performance indicators
|
| Action plans, tools and approaches | Action plans, tools and approaches Actions taken in France
2030 Ambition: no net land take by VINCI Immobilier in France |
Action plans, tools and approaches Performance indicators
|
| Offsets and green works | Offsets and green works Actions taken in France
|
Offsets and green works Performance indicators
|
The Group implements a wide range of measures to reduce environmental impacts at both its fixed sites and its worksites.
VINCI Immobilier is focusing its strategy to preserve natural environments, aiming to meet a “no net land take” target in France by 2030. Its approach involves the use of a calculation method defined on the basis of existing work to measure soil sealing before and after projects. The “no net land take” target is measured using two key indicators: the percentage change in land take (ΔDA) and the need for land take (see paragraph 5.4.4 of the “Note on the methods used in workforce related, social and environmental reporting”, page 292). To meet the no net land take target, both of these indicators would have to be zero for the entire scope. As the first nationwide property developer to make this commitment, ahead by more than 20 years on the target set by France’s Climate and Resilience Law, VINCI Immobilier is a member of the biodiversity working group led by the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building under a mandate from the Department of Housing, Urban Development and Land Management under the Ministry of the Ecological Transition.
At 31 December 2023, the percentage change in land take for the year came to 6%, and the need for land take was 0.06.
This continuous improvement approach has also helped to accelerate the consideration of biodiversity matters in property development operations. A simple and systematic assessment of biodiversity issues is now carried out on land where VINCI Immobilier plans to develop a housing project. This assessment, which includes a calculation of the percentage land take and a field survey, systematically uses the BIODI Bat mapping tool. This aid in operational decision making is essential for implementing VINCI Immobilier’s environmental strategy and strengthens its commitment to biodiversity. It also ensures that a consistent approach is applied across all development operations.
Operators of linear infrastructure concessionsare primarily concerned with limiting the fragmentation of natural habitats during operations as well as construction work and with reducing land use. Their efforts focus on the ecological transparency of their infrastructure, the reversibility of barriers, and the restoration of sensitive environments and ecological connectivity. This includes building and restoring wildlife crossings, making improvements to hydraulic structures, restoring and enhancing sites of ecological interest, seeding and replanting slopes, sustainable roadside grass mowing, and so on. As they design and operate infrastructure over the long term, concession companies can develop expertise and use their networks under concession for field surveys and educational initiatives. All structures that restore ecological connectivity on the VINCI Autoroutes network are regularly monitored to check that they are functioning properly and are being used by wildlife. In 2023, the number of wildlife crossings increased compared with 2022, with the inclusion of 16 new crossings, of which four overpasses on the Cofiroute and ASF networks.
