National Sustainable Development Strategy

2010 > 2013

Towards a fair and green economy

& BUSINESSES

October2011

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The 9 challenges of the NSDS1/ Sustainable consumption

and production

2/ Knowledge society

3/ Governance

4/ Climate change and energies

5/ Sustainable transport and mobility

6/ Conservation and sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity

7/ Public health, risks prevention and management

8/ Demography, immigration and social inclusion

9/ International challenges for sustainable development and global poverty

The objectives in figuresFor each of its nine challenges the NSDS provides a reminder of some of the objectives in figures.These objectives are the commitments made byFrance at a national, European or international level.

The performance indicatorsFour indicators reflecting the economic and socialcontext, fifteen headline indicators and thirty-fivebackground indicators were selected to help mea-sure the impact of the NSDS. They were all chosencollaboratively with the actors concerned. Theaction of each company has an impact on the ten-dencies of these indicators. When you register youraction in the framework of the NSDS, you contributeto the progress of these indicators and to meetingthe objectives of the NSDS. Certain indicators haveparticular relevance for companies, such as thesenior employment rate, the number of women ingovernance, or research and development.

The NSDS and its indicators can be downloaded at:

www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/SNDD

companies to anticipate changes to the law, grasp thelevers for growth offered by the quest for a green,socially-just economy, mobilize their workforce,improve their brand image… The ISO 26000 standardand the NSDS are two coherent tools that can helpcompanies implement a CSR policy.

ISO 26000 is one of the international standards (1). Itincites companies to define the scope of their societalresponsibility. It is hinged upon seven central issues:governance, human rights, working relations andconditions, the environment, legal compliance, consu-mer issues and societal commitment.

> The NSDS concerns all businessesTo increase knowledge of the NSDS, the CGDD(General Commission for Sustainable Development)and its partners are providing here some concreteexamples and accounts illustrating the pertinence ofsustainable investing and giving an idea of the impactit has on businesses. a1 There are several international standards (Global Compact, OECD

Guidelines, IWO conventions etc.)

What if sustainable development was the best way toguarantee the growth of your business, and hence itscontinued existence!? Paradoxical? On the contrary,large numbers of business owners have already 'takenthe plunge' and are using sustainable development asa competitive trump card for their businesses. Whenit is an integral part of a business strategy, sustainabledevelopment can prove to be a true lever for growth.Today, new markets linked to a green economy arebeing developed in the building, transport and energyindustries, but also in the services sector. Your custo-mers, increasingly aware of the challenges of sustaina-ble development, are looking for eco-friendly, sociallyresponsible products and solutions. If you harnesssustainable development to serve your company'sinterests, you will also give yourself the power toimprove your brand image and build a better socialclimate. There are numerous benefits, but it's up toyou to invent your company's sustainable develop-ment.

> NSDS, ISO 26000, CSR.How do they all fit in?How can the NSDS be of use to you and how does ittie in with existing standards? By reaching out to busi-nesses, local authorities, associations, public bodies,the government… the NSDS provides all of the coun-try's actors with a motivating common framework.Because your company has an economic, social andenvironmental impact and because your decisionsbecome its business commitments, your involvementin sustainable development matters. The NSDS helpscompanies better understand how sustainable deve-lopment can benefit their businesses, provides infor-mation on national orientations and a way to take partin the construction of a greener, fairer economy. TheNSDS is fully compatible with existing measures (theISO 26000 standard, Corporate Social Responsibilitypolicies…). CSR, which is also a voluntary initiative,entails the integration of social and environmentalissues into everyday business operations. It enables

Sustainable Development: a Trump Card for Businesses

OUR PARTNERS

Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing

www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr

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Investing in sustainable production is no longer an expense today; it is an investment and a source of income. The experience of a printing business.

Where did the decision to make sustai-nable development the key to yourgrowth come from?In 2004, ADEME chose us along with one hundredFrench companies to take part in an operationcalled "Target -10% waste". We then wanted todo more and better, with no particular strategicaims, just because it corresponded to our valuesand search for quality.

Did it mean investing heavily?We invested about 10 million euros in all, onethird for the machines, one third for the HQE buil-ding and one third for the land. For waste wesoon realized that the cost, which was €24,000in 2004, rapidly turned into a resource. Since2006 we have been selling our waste, and ma-king €110,000 a year! That's a net margin.

And the price pressure in a sector wherecompetition is very tough?Customers are more and more demanding interms of ecological quality, and so are we withour suppliers. Compared at equivalent prices withour competitors, the only possible added value isenvironmental and social value. The choice ofsustainable development has thus become a stra-tegic choice. In 2004 we won one in seven callsfor tender; today we win one in two.Productivity has increased by 25% with the newHQE building, which is a larger, lighter space forwhich an ergonomist helped us to speed upworkflows at the same time as improving thecomfort at work. Between 2009 and 2010, theturnover gained 26%. The results are there.

mal insulation, heat recovery system recoveringheat from machines, photovoltaic solar roof, 99%of waste recycled…). The strict sourcing policyonly retains eco-responsible suppliers. All waste islimited (less wasted paper, less ink, less solvents,less energy consumption, less noise, less aqueousemissions…). A carbon assessment is carried outevery year and shows a 16% decrease in CO2emissions over three years.

And as more is company, Marise Dematté, the co-founder of Pure Impression, has created "SOECO", a group of fifteen businesses in theMontpellier region committed to similar initia-tives: the way to exchange good practices in termsof sustainable development and to measure in anextremely concrete way, from one company toanother, the economic impact that these actionshave on the companies' balance sheets. Creatingvalue while giving meaning to everyday actions:in this case that is the fruit of a successful pollina-tion of ideas. a

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The objectives in figuresuBy 2012, double the sales volumes of ecola-belled products.

uBy 2012, recycle 75% of business waste(excluding construction and agriculture).

uBy 2018, reduce the use of pesticides contai-ning substances of high concern and with nosubstitution option by 50%.

Two out of three printing houseshave gone out of business in thehard-hit printing industry. Initiallyselection was based on prices, then onquality. It is now based on the excellence ofthe environmental strategies. The French lea-der of 'green', responsible printing, PureImpression discovered new resources when itvoluntarily based its strategy on sustainable deve-lopment strategy. Its survival was on the line, itfound sustainable growth.

> When less makes moreAfter chasing labels and certifications to gain reco-gnition for what they were already doing throughconviction, Pure Impression went even further.With the help and support of ADEME, theChamber of Commerce and Industry and WWF,this company based in the Languedoc region witha workforce of around fifty workers decided tomake profound changes to its productionmethods. The aim was to reduce the environmen-tal impact as much as possible while taking anapproach to human resource management basedon respect and empowerment. All of the com-pany's processes were examined with a fine-toothcomb: a patient, strict and systematic hunt, oftenhighly innovative, that was an integral part of aglobal initiative. A building of 4,800 m2 was des-igned and built in compliance with a stringentHQE (High Environmental Quality) approach. Allof the premises are eco-efficient (reinforced ther-

3 QUESTIONS FORMarise DemattéDirector of marketing and communicationat Pure Impression.

www.pure-impression.frFOR MORE INFORMATION :

The virtuous circle of eco-investment

SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTIONCHALLENGE 1

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Ministère de l’Écologie, du Développement durable, des Transports et du Logement

From the perspective of sustainable development, citizenship means working at all levels for equal rights, for equal employment opportunities, for the protection of well-being and human dignity. The Extramuros company, on its own scale and in a small niche, has given equal importance to environmental and social investments.

www.extramuros-paris.orgFOR MORE INFORMATION :

Social responsibility builds sustainable value

DEMOGRAPHY, IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL INCLUSIONCHALLENGE 8

Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing

Extramuros thus has an innovative grip on thetwo essential challenges of sustainable deve-lopment. The environmental challenge,by using an ever-changing raw mate-rial, and the social challenge by sup-porting an ambitious occupationalinsertion project, with a highlevel of technical qualification.

With an annual progression of25% the turnover ofExtramuros still shows a realpotential for development,even if the small companywith its three employeesdoes not want to exceed acertain threshold as its acti-vity consists solely of bespokework and is therefore by defini-tion a cottage industry.

The people who buy these uniquecreations are also happy with theresult. "These objects," concludesNicolas Mangione, "tell the story of amateriel that often comes from the client'scompany. Whether it is La Poste, SNCF orVeolia, for all of them, purchasing objects thatcome from their production tool gives a strongmessage in terms of social and environmental res-ponsibility." a

It is said that art affects everything… It's true. Orat least, it leads to everything. It can even some-times feed business initiatives, recycle waste, sup-port citizens' commitments, provide employmentfor victims of social exclusion and, in the case ofthe young Extramuros company, create 'the infi-nite object'…

Everything started in 2005 when Rosanna delPrete and Isabelle Pujade, two designers highlydedicated to sustainable development, founded asmall company called Extramuros. A voluntarilysmall-scale initiative that involves manufacturingeveryday objects (furniture, decoration, bags,accessories...) from waste (textiles, protective can-vases, wood, metal...). Each object is unique. Thecompany's most faithful clients and suppliersrarely change: La Poste, PSA, Veolia, SNCF andGenerali. And, we should not forget to say, nume-rous local authorities.

>A strong message for buyersThe Extramuros adventure takes on its full mea-ning in 2008, when the company puts into practiceanother essential dimension of sustainable deve-lopment, the social dimension. In the spirit of theeighth challenge of the national development stra-tegy, which notably addresses the issue of socialinclusion. For even if the fabrication of each objectdemands a high level of manual technical skill, aseach piece of waste to transform is a unique objectin itself, why not take advantage of this to createjobs for the socially excluded ones (?) and givepeople with no qualifications a step on the ladderof employment after rigorous training in the tech-niques used by Extramuros: welding, sewing,woodwork etc.?

"The employment support contract is a two-yearcontract," explains Nicolas Mangione, who is incharge of development. "It enables recruits to trainfor a technical qualification and prepares them forlong-term employment in the future."

YOUTH ANDEMPLOYMENTYouth access to employment and training is dimini-shing. In 2009, 13.1% of 16-25 year olds wereunemployed and had no recent training. This per-centage rose significantly after 2008, under the ef-fect of the economic crisis, and returned to the samelevel as the mid-nineties. In France, which has thelargest population of young people in all of Europe,the question of their access to employment hastaken on a strategic dimension. The social inclusionof all is now largely dependent on the developmentof a green economy.

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The objectives in figuresuBy 2020, renovate the 800,000 council housesthat consume the most energy.

u Include 6% disabled workers in businesseswith more than twenty employees.

uBy 2012, reduce poverty in France by one third.

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The radicality of the energy transformation to be initiated is as great as the dangers weighing on the planet. Each and every sector of human activity is concerned.

Energy diagnoses are more and more frequentand are to become systematic in all fields of acti-vity. Energy methods, indices and assessmentswill be mainstreamed so as to be shared, andactors in the public sector will be expected to beexemplary.

As of 2012, all service sector buildings are to berenovated to improve energy efficiency. To helpcompanies rise to the challenge of this transforma-tion, there are already many incentives and sup-port mechanisms in the form of training courses,information, innovation incentives, the develop-ment of certification systems and ecolabels, aswell as the statutory objectives for buildings. a

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The objectives in figuresu In Europe, reduce greenhouse gas emissionsby 20% by 2020 in relation to 1990 levels.

u Increase the proportion of final energyconsumption from renewable sources to 23% by 2020.

u In the overseas departments, produce 50% of energy from renewable sources by 2020 and achieve total energy independence by 2030.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the subjectof global, European and national commitments.The bottom line is that the problem is perfectlystraightforward. The continued emission ofgreenhouse gases at current rates will lead, in thiscentury, to a complete disruption of the planet'sclimate system, putting it in the most serious ofdangers. But to limit global warming to 2°C,world GHG emissions must be stabilized by 2020and halved by 2050.

Given the scope of the challenge, the strategicchoices had to be far-reaching. The NationalSustainable Development Strategy has groupedthem under five main focal points for work:

- Promote leaner behaviours and productionmethods;

- Provide information, to guide collective andindividual choices;

- Support innovation to encourage growth that isenergy efficient and limits GHG emissions;

- Adjust businesses and communities to climatechange;

- Address social consequences of energy policiesso as not to increase inequalities.

Industry, transport and construction businesses,traders are directly affected by these issues.

Global mobilization

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGIESCHALLENGE 4

GREEN OFFICE,INNOVATION IN CONSTRUCTION With Green Office, a positive-energy buildingconcept, Bouygues is using innovation to rise toone of the biggest challenges of the century. Thefirst building of this kind is being completed inMeudon (department of Hauts-de-Seine). Theprinciple of the project is revolutionary: over ayear, produce more energy than is consumed. Butit is also designed to meet every possible envi-ronmental criterion, by anticipating the differentimpacts it may have.For maximum reduction of energy consumption,Green Office is first adjusted to the site's biocli-matic characteristics (climate, sun exposure,orientation). Choice of materials, waste manage-ment, public transport services: the environmen-tal demands are cross cutting. Green Officeincludes the building's running costs (heating,ventilation, lighting...) and the users' everydayconsumption (computer systems, office equip-ment...) in its energy consumption calculation.Each user contributes to the effort to reduceconsumption with simple gestures and retainscontrol over his or her own 'footprint'. With nolosses on the comfort front: optimized naturallight, fully-controlled thermal and acoustic insu-lation, intelligent ventilation…Thanks to this global approach, the building'sconsumption has been limited to 62kWh/m2/year. With its renewable energyproduction of 64 kWh/m2/year this givesa positive energy result. It relies on a bio-mass combined heat and power genera-tor powered by rapeseed oil, whichpermanently supplies 55% of the buil-ding's requirements. In addition, a pho-tovoltaic array linked to 4,200 m2 of solarpanels provides electricity that will besold to the contracted utility company andfed into the national grid.More information at: www.green-office.fr

© Graphix Images, Augusto da Silva

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Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement durable, des Transports et du Logement

Commissariat général au développement durableDélégation au développement durable

3 Place de Fontenoy, 75007, ParisTél. : 01.40.81.34.99

www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr

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