Our sustainable development roadmap 2023-2027

Sabrina-Soussan-Chief-Executive-Officer

SUEZ is today setting out its pledges with a fresh new ambition around climate change policy and social responsibility, also including ambitious goals in terms of preservation of biodiversity and natural resources.

Sabrina Soussan-Chairman and CEO of SUEZ

Our ambition

Moving beyond our natural contribution

Our businesses and expertise contribute by nature to preserving the environment and provide essential services. Our sustainable development roadmap aims to strengthen and amplify this contribution by structuring our actions around a strong common ambition wherever we operate. It details the Group's new sustainable development orientations based on 3 pillars and 24 commitments.

3

pillars

Climate - Nature - Social

24

commitments


Climate pillar

Contributing to decarbonizing energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting our most exposed sites to climate change

For the climate, we are developing a global approach based on 3 levers:
Contributing to energy decarbonization
Decarbonizing SUEZ value chain
Adapting all priority and vulnerable sites to climate change

Our key commitments

  • By 2030, 70 % of the electricity that we use worldwide will be sustainable, increasing to 100 % in Europe
  • As of 2023 in Europe and throughout the duration of the plan, we will be electricity self-sufficient: we will produce more electricity than we consume
  • We will lower 39 % of our greenhouse gas emissions from our Water activities by 2030
  • We will decrease 26 % of our greenhouse gas emissions from our Waste* activities by 2030 and invest 40 M€ in R&D dedicated to carbon capture and storage
  • By 2027, we will cover 100 % of our priority and vulnerable sites with a specific action plan to adapt to climate change

* excluding energy from waste

Nature pillar

Preserving biodiversity and natural resources wherever we operate

Our commitments for nature address the 5 drivers of biodiversity decline identified by IPBES 1 and are structured around 3 levers:
Preserving resources
Growing nature regeneration capacities of SUEZ
Addressing the pressures on biodiversity

Our key commitments

  • By 2027, every year, we will double the area of land we restore to reduce the land artificialization pace
  • 100 % of new drinking water contracts could have a water savings plan by 2027 to save up to 10 % of consumption
  • By 2027, we will end the use of phytosanitary products on the green spaces of our operating sites worldwide 
  • In all our new wastewater plants construction contracts, we will propose, whenever possible, solutions to eliminate microplastics and micropollutants
  • Starting 2025, we will systematically integrate local species in our land restoration and development projects
Social pillar

Strengthening the positive impact of our activities to ensure the responsible development of communities 

Together with our partners and customers, we are committed to reconciling human and economic development as well as increasing the positive externalities of our businesses, through 3 levers:
Guaranteeing sustainability with universal values
Growing skills and fostering employee engagement
Contributing to the sustainable development of communities, everywhere we operate

Our key commitments

  • We target zero serious accidents in the area of occupational health & safety
  • By 2027, we will enable 5,000 people per year to benefit from vocational integration programs
  • We will increase the proportion of local suppliers to contribute to the development of the communities in which we operate
  • We will increase the employees shareholding in our capital to 10 % by 2029 to build engagement among our employees
Governance
In line with the Group's strategy, we defined these targets through a review of stakeholder expectations, outlining the most important issues, and close dialogue with subsidiaries as part of the development of their medium-term plans. The targets were revised by the Executive Committee and CSR Committee prior to final approval by the Board itself. They were then presented before the European Works Council. The above commitments are reviewed on an annual basis by the CSR Committee. The latter also sets targets for the next year, overseeing alignment between the resources allocated and their deployment. In addition, 20% of SUEZ executives’ long-term compensation is indexed on the attainment of these targets, with a focus on health and safety, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and equal opportunities. Sustainable development and strategy are inextricably linked. The Group strategic review includes reporting on sustainable development commitments. This enables us to monitor the correct implementation of the company’s medium-term plan.