Sustainable development

VINCI Construction Grands Projets is committed to protecting the environment at its worksites by:

• protection of natural sites, plant and wildlife at all our worksites, by identifying and limiting significant impacts at the design stage
• active pollution prevention
• improvement to the comfort level of neighbouring populations by limiting nuisances caused by our building activities
• better communication with stakeholders (populations near installations, the public, administrative authorities)
• awareness-raising and training for all company employees to promote our environmental protection approach
• integration of subcontractors to support our environmental protection approach
• dissemination of innovations and best practices to promote continuous improvement in environmental protection

Each worksite builds its own environmental protection plan, defining project objectives and targets

These targets include those of VINCI Construction Grands Projets:
• proper waste management
• proper wastewater management
• managing our CO₂ emissions

A recycling solution at the M1 central reservation worksite

A cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution is being implemented as part of the work carried out on the central reservation of the M1 motorway in the United Kingdom. This innovative solution recycles 100% of road planing material, which often contains tar, by neutralizing it in the extruded concrete (poured in slip forms) in the sub-base. This material-optimization process has led to a 16,000-t CO2 equivalent emission reduction.

Water recycling on the Duplex A86 worksite

At the Duplex A86 worksite in France, water used in industrial processes is recycled at a sanitation plant built specifically for the worksite and tunnel-boring operations. Following an initial round of traditional treatment processes, the water is subjected to additional sanitation measures that are exceptional for such a worksite: pH regulation, filtration at a granularity of 50 µm, and effective turbidity control). The quality of recycled water is monitored on a continuous basis by a team of specialists.

CO₂CRETE IMPACT™: concrete’s carbon footprint

The Engineering and Technical Capabilities Department at VINCI Construction Grands Projets has developed a new tool, CO₂CRETE IMPACT™, in collaboration with VINCI Construction France, Eurovia and its main suppliers. Using a small set of simple data, the tool can evaluate the carbon emissions of concrete with relation to its formulations and installation processes.

CO₂CRETE IMPACT™ can also be used as a design tool that compares concrete’s technical variations to reduce its impact and optimize its cost-effectiveness. It is compliant with the carbon offset charter in effect at ADEME (the French environment and energy management agency).

Managing our CO₂ emissions has become a key element of our commercial strategy.

VINCI Construction Grands Projets has decided to launch a federative programme – CO₂ Attitude – which shall involve all the company’s employees. Our first objective is to save 20,000 tonnes of  CO₂ equivalent within the next 2 years, i.e. around 7% of our emissions:
- by improving the design of our projects,
- by improving the way we work at the construction phase,
- by changing our attitudes on a daily basis.