Climate: what is Avril's decarbonization strategy?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 (versus 2019) is one of the commitments Avril has made as part of its purpose, Serving the Earth. This target is on a par with the climate change we face. All Group business lines are actively involved and have rolled out initiatives.
Climate, a priority commitment
To tackle climate change effectively, Avril is committed to supporting the agricultural world in its decarbonization, as illustrated through OleoZe, the platform that remunerates farmers for their sustainable agricultural practices. The Group is also taking a number of steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by its activities.
On the mobility front, in 2021, the Group undertook to reduce its CO2 emissions from road transport in France by 60% by 2025. Several Group business units, including Lesieur, Sanders, Terrial, MixScience, and Saipol have also joined the FRET21 program. The aim: to better integrate the impact of transport into their sustainable development strategies.
As such, thanks to the 100% renewable Oleo100 plant-based energy, Saipol fuels its truck fleets with French rapeseed.
To tackle greenhouse gas emissions on its industrial sites, Avril has set up biomass boilers on several of its sites. This investment on the Saipol site in Sète, France, has led to a 90% emission reduction.
To promote investment in low-carbon projects, Avril’s Executive Committee decided to double the in-company carbon price. Thanks to this initiative, the carbon footprint of projects is now a decisive criterion in Group investment choices.
Governance as close to the field as possible
In 2022, Avril set up a dedicated body, its Climate Steering Committee, bringing together financial, purchasing and operational teams, led by the Group CSR team. This Committee, comprising 8 permanent members, including 3 ExCom members, manages the Group’s climate strategy. It consolidates greenhouse gas assessment data at Group level, monitors targets to ensure they are met on time, and provides the support required to business units for rolling out their initiatives and reducing their emissions.
An approach that's bearing fruit
Last summer, the Group’s greenhouse gas emission reduction plan was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an international body that certifies that companies’ decarbonization strategies comply with the latest scientific climate data.
This recognition of the Group’s efforts is an incentive for the approach, which is already bearing fruit. In 2022, Avril obtained a B score in the “climate” questionnaire from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), benchmark body that assesses companies’ environmental performance. This score places Avril above the average for its sector, as such highlighting the Group’s action in tackling climate change.
Avril will receive the new result of this assessment at the start of 2024.