French construction and infrastructure concessions firm Vinci says it is committed to an energy conservation plan that will cut the company’s carbon footprint 40 percent by 2030.
To offset risks to France’s electricity and natural gas supplies, Vinci will focus on an acceleration of energy efficiency measures and reduction on energy consumption. A near-term strategy is to dramatically limit industrial activities during peak demand hours by early next year.
Vinci also will limit heating in offices to temperatures 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) or lower, even 17*C (63*F) at airports. In summer, air conditioners will not run below 26*C, and LED bulbs will be installed for public and motorway lighting.
Overall, Vinci plans to reduce natural gas and electricity by 58,000 MWh in its French offices and concession areas (such as roadway and utility infrastructure). This would amount to about 15 percent reduction in consumption.
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“Some buildings, such as VINCI’s head office l’archipel and featuring sophisticated control systems, will be subject to more advanced testing,” the company announcement read. “Reductions in consumption will be quantified and monitored, and surveys will be conducted to solicit feedback from employees and users.”
The goal is the 40 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 (direct and immediate indirect) greenhouse gas emissions, and 20 percent for Scope 3. The latter are the indirect emissions in the value chain, including suppliers, while Scope 1 and 2 are the direct company operations and the emissions in electricity and other energy purchased by the company, respectively.
France imports natural gas from Norway, Russia and other nations. The reduction in Russian gas throughput to Europe has put several nations into near-term energy crisis planning.
