23/01/2020 - Environment
Our sustainable development policies are regularly recognized by the extra-financial rating authorities.
At the end of 2019, we received an accolade from EcoVadis, which has awarded us their "Gold Medal" for CSR performance. On this occasion, the Group distinguished itself particularly in the environmental category with a score of 90/100, placing us in the top 1% of the best-rated companies, well above other firms in our sector.
This score is the result of a dynamic approach we adopted years ago in relation to CSR. As early as 2013, Vallourec set targets to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment as part of our overall strategic plans. We're now reaping the benefits of the commitments all our teams have shown. We need to continue on this path to further improve our performance and anticipate the effects of climate change on our facilities. It's still our priority today!
Jean-Louis Merveille Group Sustainable Development Director
A structured approach
Our performance, particularly in the three key areas of sustainable development - energy, water and waste management - makes us a responsible player in our sector.
Below is a brief overview of our commitments, results, and actions, which all illustrate the Group engagement on the issues, and that of our teams. They also highlight our ongoing challenges, such as continuously devising new solutions to limit the impact of our activities on the environment.
Environment at Vallourec: commitments for the future
The Group is a low emitter of greenhouse gases compared to international benchmarks.
In fact, it benefits from the Brazilian forests, which act as carbon sinks, as well as its industrial model. In 2018, for example, 80% of internal steel production came from electric steel mills (Jeceaba and Youngstown).
Since 2009, the Greenhouse project has been in place to reduce our gas and electricity consumption by 20% by 2020. Many of our mills, representing 40% of our production, have achieved the Iso 50001 certification.
Furthermore, 38% of the energy consumed comes from renewable sources!
Vallourec intends to pursue this path and is now implementing a 2025 action plan to contribute to a low-carbon economy by continuing to reduce our CO2 emissions.
To achieve this goal, we're committed to:
Introducing new waste recovery initiatives
Waste management is a major economic and environmental challenge for the Group.
It involves focusing on 3 strategic areas - reduce waste generated, reuse it, or else recycle. In particular, this involves hazardous waste in line with reducing chemical risk. In 2018, our waste recycling rate was 95.5%.
At the same time, local teams have opened up new ways of managing waste and have generated additional revenue streams by implementing various initiatives, for example:
Better water management by limiting withdrawals
Our water footprint is remarkable given withdrawals have been in decline over the last 10 years and reached a historic low in 2018.
Limiting withdrawals also means recovering rainwater, and that's exactly what has been introduced at a number of our sites. For example, in Montbard/France, a rainwater system is being used to reduce pumping in the Burgundy Canal. Risk management in relation to the use of water and its treatment, before being released into the environment, is being given special attention in all our regions.
And in 2020?
Vallourec ranks in the prestigious “A List” of the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) published on January 20, 2020. Of the 8,400 companies evaluated worldwide, the Group stands out alongside 179 other companies (22 French companies including Danone, Saint-Gobain, Air Liquide, PSA, Engie).We are thus rewarded for the quality of our commitment in the fight against global warming, our expertise in environmental risks, our promotion of good practices and awareness-raising among our employees as well as our transparency in terms of environmental policy.
We are proud to be included in the “A List” of the CDP ranking. This recognition symbolizes our commitment in the fight against global warming and in favor of a low-carbon economy. It rewards the motivation and the resourcefulness of our teams in the search for technical and innovative solutions striving to push our limits in terms of carbon footprint. Finally, it encourages us to go further and to mobilize ourselves to contribute, at our level, to the achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Philippe Crouzet Chairman of the Management Board