Transition to low carbon
Transition to low carbon
In order to reduce the impact of its activities and to support its customers in the search for low carbon solutions, the Ortec Group has set up an ambitious climate plan.
Reduce our impact on the environment, prevent risks and ensure compliance with regulations.
It is paramount that we reduce the impact of our activities. In addition to the means we deploy to comply with the law, we are implementing a proactive policy to reduce our emissions and consumption.
We want to align our emission reduction targets with those defined by the Science Based Target initiative to limit global warming and stick to a path of below 2°C.
In order to do this, we undertake to:
• Work with our customers in controlling environmental impacts;
• Limit the impact of our activities and facilities;
• Respect all environmental laws, rules and codes, a commitment made by the Group and by all of its employees;
• Ensure the exemplary nature of our classified installations for environmental protection (CIP). They are the benchmark in terms of best practices, shared among all our installations, including those that are not classified;
In addition to the regulatory obligations to publish reports on greenhouse gas emissions every 4 years on the ADEME website (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), the Ortec Group has set up strong actions in response to the climate emergency.
In 2021 the Group’s General Management chose to accelerate its initiative by implementing a low carbon strategy based on two key areas:
• Rally the teams and define reduction targets
• Support our customers and provide them with low carbon solutions
To this end, we have been working with the GreenFlex, a company specializing in energy, environmental and societal transformation, to assist us in this process.
Furthermore, to implement our low carbon strategy, we have chosen the ACT method – Assessing low Carbon Transition® –- developed by ADEME in association with the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).
Ortec Climate Plan
The Ortec Climate Plan is realistic but ambitious, which is why we have chosen to co-develop it by integrating the participation of the Group’s employees through workshops; but also by collaborating with our customers through interviews to better integrate and understand their issues, their expectations and their goals.
Approach
RALLY THE TEAMS AND DETERMINE THE REDUCTION TARGETS
• Review of Ortec’s carbon footprint and assessment of the maturity of our low carbon capacity
• Organization of professional workshops on the principal emission sources identified
• Identification of strategic orientation in the short, medium and long-term for each source of emissions and definition of reduction targets
• Drafting of a short-term action plan to reduce GHG emissions from Ortec activities
ASSIST OUR CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE LOW CARBON SOLUTIONS
• Performance of sectorial reviews listing the short, medium and long-term carbon issues for each sector assessed
• Organization of sectorial workshops to put together a vision for the future of the sector in a low carbon world and identify the threats and opportunities for Ortec
• Ortec customer interviews to learn about their expectations concerning carbon issues
• Development of a strategic plan by sector to support clients in their decarbonization
Concrete actions developed at our VALORTEC sites
- Since 2019, we have been carrying out carbon assessments for our two waste treatment sites, Valortec Rognac and Valortec Berre, on scopes 1, 2 and 3. This was the starting point for our transition to low carbon initiative
- In 2020, with the support of ADEME and the Low Carbon Association, we qualified a Carbon Emission Factor for the liquid fuel that we manufacture at VALORTEC The aim is to demonstrate the value of using VALORTEC alternative fuel produced from recycled carbon in the energy mix in France, making it possible to avoid a significant amount of CO2 emissions related to the production of new hydrocarbons.
- In 2021, a change of fuel on our boiler: since March 2021, we have switched from natural gas to 100% biomethane, enabling us to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% per year on this site (source: ADEME).
- In 2022, a change of fuel for our heavy trucks: as of April 2022, our heavy collection trucks will run on 100% biofuels, allowing us to reduce our carbon emissions by 66% per year on this activity (source: ADEME).
Other actions will follow in the coming months and years!
What does carbon neutrality entail?
Carbon neutrality as seen by France:
Carbon neutrality implies a balance between carbon emissions and the absorption of carbon from the atmosphere by carbon sinks. To achieve zero net emissions, all greenhouse gas emissions throughout the globe will need to be offset by carbon capture and storage.
A carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and the oceans. According to estimates, natural sinks eliminate between 9.5 and 11 gigatons of CO2 per year. Annual global emissions of CO2 reached 38.0 Gt in 2019.
To date, no artificial carbon sink exists that is capable of removing carbon from the atmosphere on a scale sufficient to counteract global warming.
Carbon stored in natural sinks, such as forests, is released back to the atmosphere through forest fires, changes in land usage or logging. This is why reducing carbon emissions is essential to achieving climate neutrality.