Working Towards a Green Economy

The third United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20 which took place during June 2012, discussed the topic of the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. Data gathered by UN experts have shown the world’s current growth model is contributing to scarcity of natural resources making it untenable in the long term, both for the planet and its people. The transition to a new genuinely sustainable paradigm that fully integrates economic, environmental and social issues is therefore vital.

The new paradigm is the green economy, the implementation of sustainability in business activity based on two principles: easing human pressure on natural environments and improving human well-being and social equity.

A report has been published to highlight Veolia’s strategic role in supporting the transition, by providing a range of integrated solutions in fields central to the green economy: water, waste management, energy services and transportation.

A summary of the report has been provided below which indicates the key aspects in which Veolia is committed to improving people’s lives while protecting the environment.

• Veolia considers sustainable urban development a major green economy issue, a core focus of its work is to design a sustainable, more resilient, smarter city as a “globally local” partner of public authorities.
  
• Veolia helps offset any unwanted impact on the planet, both through its specialist solutions designed to reduce pollution and restore the environment and through its policy of systematically assessing and managing the impacts of its activities. “Turning waste into a resource” is a core strategic focus of Veolia Environmental Services which recovered 40.4 million metric tons of waste in 2011, to produce 7.4 million MWh of electric and thermal energy.
  
• In addition to constantly reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions, Veolia strives to shrink the carbon footprint of its customers. Veolia helped to bring about a total reduction in worldwide GHG emissions of 27.5 million metric tons of carbon equivalent in 2010. 
  
• Veolia actively supports the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the UN. That is why, working with authorities under delegated management contracts, it conducts programs that ensure access to essential services for communities lacking water, wastewater or power services.
  
• Veolia helps to create a fairer society through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments, especially its initiatives to promote equal opportunity: finding jobs for young people without diplomas, employment programs and stakeholder education.