An interview with Sven Saura from Veolia
Veolia is present in many international markets. What are the challenges of operating on such a large scale, and how has the company managed to become a leader in natural resource management?
Veolia is definitely operating at large scale worldwide but in each of this geography Veolia is one actor among others of comparable: the challenge is to be able to adapt technically and economically our operations to the local regulatory environment keeping our own internal environmental and health & safety standards.
Veolia has a strong commitment to sustainability. What specific initiatives is the company pursuing in this area, both globally and locally?
Veolia has defined its Raison d’Etre which includes a set of principles including for example:
Globally:
Circular Economy: Veolia is pursuing a global circular economy strategy, aiming to transform waste into new resources. This includes initiatives for material recycling, water reuse, and energy recovery from waste for example.
Climate Change Mitigation: The company has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations and for its customers. This includes increasing the production of renewable and alternative energies as well as energy efficiency.
Biodiversity Protection: Veolia has global programs to assess and reduce the impact of its activities on ecosystems, as well as initiatives to promote biodiversity at its sites.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The company aligns its strategy with the UN's SDGs, particularly focusing on clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and responsible consumption and production.
Locally:
Water Management: In various localities, Veolia implements advanced water treatment and distribution systems to ensure access to clean water and efficient wastewater management.
Waste Management: The company tailors waste collection and treatment solutions to local needs, often introducing innovative recycling programs in different cities.
Energy Efficiency: Veolia works with local municipalities and industries to implement energy-efficient solutions, such as district heating networks or cogeneration plants.
Community Engagement: The Veolia Foundation supports local projects related to environmental conservation, workforce development, and social inclusion in areas where the company operates.
Adaptation to Local Contexts: Veolia adapts its global expertise to address specific local challenges. For example, in water-scarce regions, they might focus more on water reuse and desalination technologies.
These initiatives reflect Veolia's commitment to "Resource the world," aiming to design and implement solutions for water, waste, and energy management that foster the transition toward a circular economy. The company's approach combines global strategies with locally tailored solutions to address specific sustainability challenges in different regions.
Veolia works with a number of companies and governments in the area of the circular economy. What partnerships are key to achieving global recycling goals?
Veolia is acting in a sector where essential services are part of government responsibility when it comes to water supply and sanitation, waste management and to a lesser extent energy production.
Partnerships with local entities (municipalities, local governments, etc.) are key to develop our services such as waste collection and sorting but also water supply and treatment for reuse or back to the environment solution.
This also applies to the industrial sector which is also subject to the applicable regulation on many of their material and energy streams or to internal policies with regards to recycling goals. We see a lot of private actors fixing their own standards often exceeding legal requirements to maintain their corporate set of rules.
Of course this also implies a close connection with all local stakeholders such as local suppliers, technology providers and research centers as well as the whole ecosystem involved when implementing an infrastructure (banks, local associations, NGOs, etc…).
