2.3.2 Circular economy strategy (policies, objectives and action plans)
VINCI’s circular economy strategy includes three levers to address the material impacts, risks and opportunities identified by the Group:
- promoting the use of construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources (see paragraph 2.3.2.1, “Promoting the use of construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources”, page 228) to fight resource depletion;
- improving waste sorting and recovery (see paragraph 2.3.2.2, “Improving waste sorting to implement waste recovery more widely across the Group’s businesses”, page 229) to limit the impacts of waste generation, especially by creating recovery systems and building user awareness;
- increasing the supply of recycled materials and processing facilities (see paragraph 2.3.2.3, “Increasing the supply of recycled materials and processing facilities”, page 231).
To implement these levers, each business line has made its own commitments and established action plans in accordance with its operational priorities (see the overview of the main commitments by business line and by focus, pages 200 to 202). However, a network of experts from VINCI’s business lines coordinates their initiatives, sharing best practices, feedback, regulatory intelligence and project management tools across the Group.
The estimated total CapEx and OpEx required to implement these action plans was deemed immaterial in relation to the Group’s total CapEx and OpEx.
2.3.2.1 Promoting the use of construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources
Policy for promoting the use of construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources
At Group level, the activities that consume the most resources are construction activities, which mainly use concrete, steel, bitumen, aggregates and wood (paragraph 2.3.3, “Performance monitoring”, page 232). These resources are defined in paragraph 5.4.5, “Resources, waste and materials”, of the methodology note, page 292. The desire to secure access to these materials and ensure sustainability tracing are core to VINCI’s circular economy policy. The policy, which prioritises construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources, is applied by all business lines and focuses on the following actions:
- reducing the consumption of virgin materials;
- using bio-sourced materials;
- advancing reuse solutions.
The engagement of stakeholders, especially suppliers, is a key element of this approach, with the support of a network that coordinates responsible procurement across the Group (see the presentation of the Group’s responsible procurement policy in paragraph 3.2.2.1, “Human rights and health and safety issues for procurement and subcontracting”, page 269).
VINCI Construction also implements this policy in a more operational manner, in several ways. It requires suppliers to complete environmental and social questionnaires and conducts audits to monitor their performance, engages in specific discussions with suppliers of high environmental-impact products (concrete, equipment, site supplies, transport), and certifies its activities under internationally recognised standards (ISO 14001, EcoVadis, etc.).
Actions to promote the use of construction techniques and materials that economise on natural resources
Reducing the consumption of virgin materials
VINCI Construction’s reduction target for upstream Scope 3 emissions
By incorporating reclaimed asphalt pavement into the production of new mix at asphalt plants, the Group has decreased its consumption of virgin aggregates and bitumen. The reclaimed asphalt pavement takes the place of new aggregates, and the binder it contains continues to fulfil its role in the new asphalt mix.
Using this recycled asphalt is a priority for the Concessions business (see paragraph 2.3.2.2, “Improving waste sorting to implement waste recovery more widely across the Group’s businesses”, page 229). In 2025, several VINCI Construction road maintenance worksites used reclaimed asphalt pavement. On the A7, from Saint-Rambert-d’Albon to La Galaure (Drôme), recycled asphalt makes up 50% of the road’s binder and base layers and 10% of the surface course. For the Karlovarská Street renovation project in Prague (Czech Republic), a cold-in-place recycling process was used: aggregates and bitumen were recovered from the existing road pavement and directly reused in applying a base layer and a new 20 cm-thick asphalt layer. This is one example of the innovative solutions being implemented to extract less aggregate material and produce less waste.
To reduce the consumption of aggregates in road maintenance operations, VINCI Construction has developed the Refresh® solution. It is an in situ resurfacing process for use on local roads. A thin layer of the pavement is removed, recycled in situ with emulsion and directly re-laid. Refresh® is a cold-in-place method that requires no added materials and avoids greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing process or the use of trucks to transport the product.
Regarding concrete, one of the first solutions used to reduce the associated use of virgin materials is sufficiency, which means not consuming more concrete than is necessary for the job. The Civil Engineering France Division of VINCI Construction is promoting an innovative hollow beam solution, called Optipoutre, that can reduce the consumption of concrete by up to 40%, while ensuring the same technical properties as a traditional concrete beam. In 2025, it was employed for the worksite to build Nogent-sur-Marne’s new covered market. Elsewhere, Taylor Woodrow and its partners diminished the volume of concrete used for the upgrading of a train depot in the United Kingdom by 53%, which they achieved by using smaller-diameter, high-density piles and reducing their overall number.