Combining digital sobriety and ecological transition of cities
Sustainable development has been a priority for the city of La Rochelle for over 40 years. The Agglomeration wishes to reinforce its commitment with La Rochelle Territoire Zéro Carbone, a project that expresses the pledge made by all the urban area’s stakeholders to meet their environmental challenges, fight climate change and preserve quality of life.
The mission
Supporting La Rochelle in developing a responsible digital strategy
The last decade has been marked by a massive development of digital technologies that have opened the way to multiple innovations and applications, but whose environmental impact is far from neutral...
Growing energy consumption, record greenhouse gas emissions, increasing consumption of raw materials and rare metals, use and pollution of water resources... The impact on the environment is not negligible and could increase as our use of these digital technologies grows.
Alongside the La Rochelle Urban Community and the city of La Rochelle, the SUEZ Consulting teams are working with their partners* to develop a strategy for responsible digital technology. Fully aligned with the La Rochelle Territoire Zéro Carbone (La Rochelle Zero Carbon Territory) ambition, the strategy aims to reduce the territory’s digital impact considerably.
Growing energy consumption, record greenhouse gas emissions, increasing consumption of raw materials and rare metals, use and pollution of water resources... The impact on the environment is not negligible and could increase as our use of these digital technologies grows.
Alongside the La Rochelle Urban Community and the city of La Rochelle, the SUEZ Consulting teams are working with their partners* to develop a strategy for responsible digital technology. Fully aligned with the La Rochelle Territoire Zéro Carbone (La Rochelle Zero Carbon Territory) ambition, the strategy aims to reduce the territory’s digital impact considerably.
4
%
yearly global greenhouse gas emissions generated by digital solutions, a figure that could double by 2025
01/2021
The French Senate adopts a draft law aiming to reduce the environmental footprint of digital technology in France
2019
Commitment by the La Rochelle urban district council to achieve carbon neutrality through the La Rochelle Zero Carbon Territory* project
Our solution
Responsible digital technology for resilient and attractive regions
To make digital solutions levers for the territory, combining a better quality of life and the performance of urban services, our teams have established a 3-step strategy:
- Measuring the impact of digital technologies with different tools: assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, digital tools life cycle analysis, a close collaboration with the Institut Numérique Responsable (INR) and tools development such as WeNR, a solution based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of carbon footprint and responsible digital maturity
- Raising citizen and stakeholder awareness about the environmental impact of digital technology through conferences, workshops and interviews in order to raise collective awareness
- Co-developing a road map with concrete actions minimising the impact of digital technologies
* : SUEZ Smart Solutions, Greenspector and Digital4Better
-75
%
the territory aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
20
years
to achieve a zero carbon footprint
* : SUEZ Smart Solutions, Greenspector and Digital4Better
