Low-carbon strategy and biodiversity

    The climate emergency and the collapse of biodiversity are two major societal and environmental issues. In 2020, Spac embarked upon a strategic reflection process to consider those issues, and it resulted in the construction of a low-carbon and biodiversity roadmap. The Colas Group and its subsidiaries, including Spac, have announced two ambitious emission reduction goals that are compatible with the Paris Agreement*:

    • 30% reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions (scopes 1 and 2)
    • 30% reduction across the entire upstream value chain (scope 3a), accounting for 85% of the Group’s total emissions

    * Well below 2°C in line with the recognised methodology of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) 

    Integrating climate change issues into our strategy

    Climate change impacts Spac directly in its markets, reducing the proportion of some traditional activities and opening the door to new business opportunities.
    A risk and opportunities analysis around climate change for the whole of Spac has been undertaken in order to incorporate these first elements into the strategy and the Business Development roadmap.
    It is therefore vital that we raise awareness among all employees to support this strategic transition - and that is done via competitions, webinars, and environment days.

    Implementing actions to reduce the intensity of our direct emissions

    One of Spac’s goals is to achieve a 30% reduction in our direct CO2 emissions by 2030. To get to that point, we are working on reducing consumption, improving energy efficiency, and on achieving the transition to lower carbon energy (transition towards a low-carbon fleet). We also innovate through new and lower carbon manufacturing processes that include the use of alternative fuels, innovation development - and we support behavioural change.

    Developing and promoting low-carbon solutions and techniques

    The reduction of our carbon footprint will primarily be achieved through the introduction of low-carbon products and techniques that have been developed, characterised by R&D. Examples include an increase in the use of recycled materials, and the use of low-carbon concrete (alternative fuels, and organically sourced binders and flux for example).
    This reduction will be made concrete via the roll-out of these products and techniques via marketing initiatives and proposals to customers – thanks particularly to eco-variants.

    Optimising the carbon accountability of business activities

    The introduction of carbon accountability based on physical flows is currently being put together at Group level, and likewise the roll-out of tools and methodologies to calculate the carbon footprint of our worksites. This will make it possible for us to then measure in advance the carbon impact of each site. 

    Contributing to carbon neutrality and reducing the emissions of our customers/users

    There are business opportunities to be realised in surveying CO2 storage and harvesting, as well as decarbonated transport and mobility.
    Spac is really keen to integrate into its R&D activities climate warming considerations, making use of devices for water treatment, management of polluted soil, and also ecological engineering.

    Integrating issues related to biodiversity collapse into our business activities

    We are today witnessing a continual destruction of nature, and it’s because of that that the drive towards the creation of a different world is now under way. Climate change is one of the main causes of the destruction, and the drive around that focus area for Spac is about contributing to the preservation of biodiversity through what Spac does – not just at the point of its fixed installations but right across the full gamut of what Spac does, through these targeted actions: 

    •   Being an actor in the preservation of species and environments: actions in favour of biodiversity
    •   Launching an information and awareness-raising programme
    •   Carefully managing the pollution of water, soil and air
    •   Carefully managing the propagation of invasive exotic species
    •   Responding to challenges around artificialisation of soils