SUEZ, partner of the One Health Summit, reaffirms its essential role in protecting human and environmental health
- SUEZ is proud to support the first edition of the One Health Summit, an international event bringing together governments, scientists, international organisations and civil society to raise awareness of the interdependence between human, animal and environmental health, held in Lyon from April 5 to 7, 2026.
- As a leading player in circular solutions for water and waste, SUEZ contributes through its activities to protecting public health and the environment, in line with the “One Health” approach promoted by the One Health Summit.
- The Group goes further by developing innovative solutions to improve health surveillance using wastewater and waste, and to restore natural environments and biodiversity for healthier ecosystems.
Essential services that protect public health
The “One Health” concept is based on the interdependence between ecosystem quality and human and animal health. For more than 160 years, SUEZ has contributed to protecting human health and the environment through its drinking water and wastewater treatment, and waste collection activities. In 2024, SUEZ produced 4.5 billion m³ of drinking water and treated 3 billion m³ of wastewater in the areas where it operates, providing 68 million people with access to high-quality water and preventing the spread of infectious pathogens.
Today, in response to the growing presence of micropollutants in the environment, SUEZ is developing advanced technologies to analyse, characterise, and treat these substances in drinking water and wastewater. Drawing on the expertise of its researchers, the Group is able to identify more than 60 PFAS in drinking water, three times the number of substances targeted by European regulations. At the Ternay drinking water plant, in the Rhône chemical valley corridor, SUEZ has deployed continuously renewed activated carbon technology to remove PFAS and deliver safe, compliant drinking water, helping protect public health and reducing exposure to micropollutants.
The waste sector is also a critical lever for protecting health. In 2024, SUEZ treated 32 million tonnes of waste and provided collection services for 13 million people, thereby limiting pollution risks in the environment.
Cutting‑edge scientific expertise to strengthen health surveillance
Beyond its core water and waste activities, SUEZ invests in research drawing on wastewater and waste streams to improve knowledge and surveillance of circulating pathogens, and to identify consumption patterns that may pose risks to human health.
Wastewater analysis can be a strategic tool for public health surveillance. In Europe, the new Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive provides the possibility of monitoring relevant epidemiological parameters, with a particular focus on antimicrobial resistance. SUEZ is a member of the PROMISE network dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance, which brings together 120 partners across human, animal and environmental health. As part of this effort, SUEZ leads an AFNOR working group to standardise wastewater surveillance indicators to identify the most relevant antibiotic resistance genes. In parallel, through its international research centre, CIRSEE, SUEZ contributes to the national OBEPINE+ research consortium, which aims to develop an early‑warning and monitoring strategy for infectious diseases based on wastewater analysis. This work includes assessing the infection risk of emerging viruses to better anticipate the management of potential future pandemics.
In addition, SUEZ serves as an early‑warning sentinel for public authorities and civil society, drawing on insights from waste collection and management to highlight emerging consumption patterns that may pose risks to human health. Most recently, the Group raised awareness of the sharp rise in nitrous oxide misuse as a recreational gas, evidenced by the growing number of canisters detected in processed waste streams.
Restoring ecosystems to improve environmental health
Finally, SUEZ deploys nature‑based solutions to improve water quality, restore natural environments and biodiversity, reduce pollution and strengthen the climate resilience of local areas. Among these initiatives are vegetated discharge zones such as the Zone Libellule® (a French acronym for “Biological freedom and the fight against emerging pollutants”), made up of a series of water basins, each planted with different local species and associated microorganisms selected for their natural capacity to absorb certain pollutants. Creating Zone Libellule® areas provides a complementary step to wastewater treatment at treatment plants, protecting receiving environments and supporting the development of local biodiversity.
More broadly, the Group continues to expand activities that help preserve the environment and support the circular economy, with the goal of reaching 43% of revenue from nature‑positive solutions by 20301. This objective is part of SUEZ’s Sustainable Development Roadmap, which is structured around three inseparable pillars—climate, nature, and social issues—that reflect the “One Health” approach at the Group level
For more than 160 years, our businesses have played an essential role in public health. Access to safe drinking water, wastewater treatment and pollution reduction form a first line of prevention. Thanks to the scientific and technical expertise of our teams, we go further and offer our customers robust solutions to treat micropollutants, manage hazardous and non‑hazardous waste safely, and promote the reuse of treated wastewater while controlling risks. We also provide solutions to protect nature and regenerate biodiversity. Our presence at the One Health Summit reflects our conviction that an integrated approach is indispensable to address the shared challenges of human, animal and environmental health.Xavier Girre , CEO