Bureau Veritas rewards internal initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions
In the framework of its internal CSR strategy, Shaping a Better World, Bureau Veritas is committed to being a role model for the industry, notably in carbon footprint reduction and biodiversity protection, according to Bureau Veritas's release.
With a strong ambition to achieve 2 tons of CO2 emissions1 per employee (per annum) by 2025, Bureau Veritas wants to be exemplary in order to Shape a Better Environment.
This month, the Group recognized outstanding people and teams who have implemented meaningful initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, through a global internal campaign aligned with COP 27.
Almost 60 initiatives were submitted from across the company, illustrating the commitment of all BV Trust Makers.
Prizes were awarded for the Most Impactful Initiative, the Most Engaging Initiative, the Most Innovative Initiative and for three special projects.
In the Most Impactful Initiative category, the winner is a solar project in Australia. Bureau Veritas Australia & New Zealand has taken a significant step toward sustainability by utilizing solar power at its largest operating sites. To date, three sites have completed installation, totaling more than 1600 solar panels. Use of renewable energy will significantly reduce the sites’ carbon pollution, cutting over 712 tons of CO2 emissions per year. This is the equivalent of powering more than 610 houses with clean, sustainable solar energy, or planting 4,070 trees. Roll out of solar installation at further sites is planned for 2023.
The Most Engaging Initiative is won by a Canadian team for their “Stop, think and implement” project. In 2022, teams in Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario brainstormed ways to reduce their CO2 emissions. Some of these ideas can be implemented throughout the lab, in each department and even in people’s personal lives. The team passionately discussed ideas that would not only reduce CO2 emissions, but also be cost and time effective. Many of these ideas revolved around sustainable business practices, from using renewable energy sources to power the building, to eliminating paper copies of sampling instructions. Through this initiative, the team will reduce CO2 emissions and increase production efficiency while ensuring that Laboratory operations remain cost effective.
In the Most Innovative Initiative category, the winner is a vehicle fleets project launched in Spain and Portugal. In 2019, a device has been implemented to improve the driving performance for every fleet and vehicle type. It helps drivers and fleet managers achieve a greener, safer and more efficient fleet. The solution includes GPS Hardware (self-installation in vehicle), a mobile application for employees and a web application for fleet managers. The device displays the recommended speed limit based on optimized fuel use and road safety, as well as real-time fuel consumption and efficiency. It also helps anticipate and influence driving style, and reduce fuel consumption. Since 2019, this project has resulted in a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Special prizes were awarded to three projects:
In Canada’s Mississauga Lab, the team stopped using petroleum solvents to clean lab equipment and installed Bio-remediation sinks instead, providing a Green and environmentally safe cleaning solution.
In Japan, an eco-friendly lab was opened in 2021. The lab’s electricity is obtained entirely from renewable or non-fossil sources. Its optimized design does not only support CO2 emissions reduction but also production efficiency, as well as health and safety practices.
In North Africa, the team participated in a study with a major multi-energy company to install photovoltaic panels on the roofs of laboratories.
