Serving the Earth: Setting an example in carbon emissions.
On the occasion of the International Climate Day, Jean-Philippe Puig, CEO of Avril SCA, shares a concrete example of the Group's action to decarbonize, echoing its purpose of serving the Earth and the commitments associated with it.
Author
Jean-Philippe Puig
CEO of Avril SCA
On International Climate Day this 8 December, I’m proud to launch the first installment of a new series: “Serving the Earth: putting our purpose into action.” As Group CEO, I want to provide all those who follow what’s going on at Avril with regular updates on the dedicated commitments our staff are working to deliver.
“Serving the Earth” is the concept that guides our strategic decisions via the filter of our six commitments, and is transposed into tangible measures that are put into action on a daily basis. The decarbonization of our business operations is among these, with the ambition of reducing our direct and indirect emissions by at least 30% by 2030.
As such, a few months ago I decided to accelerate our progress trajectory by doubling the value of our internal carbon pricing, from 50 to 100 euros per metric ton of CO2. The goal was to help us make investment decisions that lean more toward renewable energies, clean technologies and sustainable practices.
This voluntary mechanism, which monetizes the economic cost of GHG emissions, was implemented within the Group in 2022. It has since proven its relevance in terms of orienting our investments toward less carbon-intense solutions. Over ten of our main industrial investment projects, representing a total of around €125 million, have so far been evaluated using this criterion. This was notably the case for the Oleon site in Houston (USA), as well as Grand-Couronne, Lezoux and Sète for Saipol.
With regulatory changes on the horizon, there’s no sense in waiting around: this decision anticipates the future implementation of recommendations from the European Union and France’s national low-carbon strategy, which suggest a price of around €100 per metric ton of CO2, in alignment with the European Union’s emissions trading policy and global climate objectives.
Because Serving the Earth is not just our mission, but a call to action for the 7,500 individuals who work at Avril: every day, we innovate in order to offer sustainable solutions in support of the agricultural, food and environmental transitions. Check back soon to find out about a new initiative from the Group!
Jean-Philippe Puig, CEO of Avril SCA.