2019 Activity Report
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2019 ACTIVITY REPORT Development AID Environment and humanitarian Book Prize 28 06 emergencies PAGE PAGE SOCIAL INCLUSION Student Solidarity through work Awards and social links 16 30 PAGE PAGE The world is in the grip of a serious and unprecedented health crisis. Given our mission, our Group is doing everything it can to ensure the continuation of the essential services we provide for individuals Environmental and health systems. Veolia is introducing changes to limit the virus’ Projects and Veolia CONSERVATION propagation and maintain drinking water, wastewater and waste sponsors and energy services while also protecting its employees, especially and biodiversity 22 32 those working in the field. PAGE PAGE We have a higher level of responsibility than some other companies because the services we provide are essential for everyday life. This epidemic has struck Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, indeed everywhere we are present, and our employees are committed to shouldering their responsibility. Our clients are counting on us, hospitals are counting on us, end users and public authorities are counting on us. Since 1853, we have shown that we are able to counter adversity. Almost 170 years since its foundation, our company has relied on its unique expertise and unfailing commitment to deal with extreme crises, provide solutions and take action where an emergency needs OUR ACTIONS TO SERVE THE SUSTAINABLE us most. DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG) In this report, you will see that our purpose is defined by our Responsible usefulness. More than just words, day after day, we must prove just Use of renewable Fighting poverty consumption energies how useful we are, whatever the situation. Our people work to this and production end each and every day, strengthened by what this global health Building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industry Fighting hunger Combating crisis is revealing: new forms of solidarity, pragmatism and that benefits all and encouraging climate change innovation innovation, and effective solutions that are in place to assist each of us and protect the health of all. Access to healthcare Reducing inequalities Life below water Clean water Sustainable cities Partnerships to and sanitation and communities achieve the goals ANTOINE FRÉROT CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF VEOLIA Veolia2019 Foundation 1 “Contributing to human progress by adhering strictly to the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations to build a better and more sustainable future for all – this is the purpose that guided Veolia’s action in 2019.” ANTOINE FRÉROT, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER This purpose guides both our Group’s business activities in water, waste management and … THE VEOLIA energy to serve cities and industry, but also its non-commercial activities, notably those carried out by the Veolia Foundation. Indeed, … the Foundation illustrates the very purpose FOUNDATION of our company in extreme situations where natural disasters have destroyed everything in their path, where the negligence of human nonprofit and financial partners. Their fidelity The Foundation supports community-oriented, beings has caused severe pollution of land, corresponds to that of the Foundation and its nonprofit projects contributing to sustainable development, air and water or where hopes of finding vocation. It also reflects its effectiveness in France and abroad. Its priority areas of action are employment have dwindled to almost – there is no right to error when lives are at nothing. stake due to lack of safe drinking water or humanitarian emergencies and development aid, employment electricity and when every hour counts. and social links, and environmental conservation and In each of its fields of activity – humanitarian Because we cannot trick nature – sooner or biodiversity. It takes an original approach by having each emergencies, environmental conservation and later, it turns against those who pollute it or project supported by a Group employee acting as sponsor and integration through work – the Veolia plunder its resources. Foundation makes its own contribution to by encouraging skills sponsorship, which gives its partners achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. What is perhaps less known is that – nonprofits and institutions – access to the know-how of its A tiny contribution on the scale of the world’s the Foundation is also a testbed for Veoliaforce network of employee volunteers. needs, but an important one for the people experimentation and innovation. Every year, Since its creation, in 2004, the Foundation has supported who benefit from it, as in Mozambique, it invents new equipment better adapted where it restored drinking water supply after to the needs of humanitarian emergencies; more than 1,500 projects and carried out more than cyclone Idai; in the Great Lakes region in Africa, new approaches for polluting less and 200 skills volunteering missions. where it fights cholera epidemics; and in recycling more, for teaching human beings France, where it helps the unemployed move to use our planet’s resources responsibly back into the world of work. and without damaging it, new forms of solidarity to bring together even more skills Against the tragic calculations of natural and expand its field of action. Since its disasters and human suffering, against creation, the Foundation has been acting ecological disasters that illustrate both to combat poverty and precariousness. It does mankind’s power and its impotence, the the same thing through innovation, an ideal Foundation quietly continues its work through way of demonstrating our solidarity with numerous concrete projects that give new those without access to essential services, hope to our anxious societies and open up with nature, which is both beautiful and a future that looked to be closed. To do this it fragile, and with future generations. True, relies on a network of experienced volunteers the future requires renewable energies available, if necessary, to travel at very short and recycled waste, digital technology and notice to the other end of the world to save the circular economy – but what it needs human lives, and on a chain of faithful even more is solidarity. Veolia2019 Foundation 3 What do you see as the main highlights structures in which they are accommodated? for treating river water to produce safe of the Foundation in 2019? How can we improve facilities for refugees drinking water and a small water distribution and displaced people whose number is network in the village of Saal, in Senegal. The Thierry Vandevelde: Our priority constantly increasing? How can we improve system has recently begun operating without emergency intervention in Mozambique in health conditions and reduce the negative any Veolia volunteer in the field – the challenge the aftermath of tropical cyclone Idai. Several impacts that these huge gatherings of people is for the population to take ownership of the thousands of people had lost their homes can have on their immediate environment? system, manage it and meet its operating and we had to react rapidly to have a chance These are all questions for which we are and maintenance costs. of curbing potential epidemics of waterborne seeking solutions, with our partners. They also diseases. The Foundation was contacted by inspire our quest for research and innovation Closer to home, the Foundation is the Foreign Affairs Ministry and its partners in the field of humanitarian intervention. supporting Médecins du Monde in its health THIERRY VANDEVELDE, Médecins sans frontières (MSF), the French monitoring work in unofficial migrant Red Cross and Solidarités International to work The main United Nations agencies are camps in the Paris region. How did this EXECUTIVE OFFICER together in the field and deploy the mobile looking at the question of “greening” example of collaboration start? OF THE VEOLIA FOUNDATION water treatment units – Aquaforce 2000 and humanitarian action. What is your reaction Aquaforce 15000 – designed by our experts. on this point? T. V.: In Aubervilliers, where Veolia’s head office is located, the Foundation was keen to How has the persistence of the emergency T. V.: This concern was formally expressed respond to the concerns of many employees led to changes in your missions? during the first World Forum on Refugees about the living conditions of migrants living “THE FOUNDATION IS organized in Geneva in December 2019 by in wasteland around the Paris ring road. We AN IMPORTANT PART OF T. V.: Crises tend to persist over time and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. The started by supporting Médecins du Monde emergencies can become permanent. Foundation can propose solutions to minimize in its emergency medical assistance missions THE GROUP’S PURPOSE, However designing facilities for the longer the environmental footprint of refugee camps. with refugees. Then, in December last year, term is not always taken into account – as can With the NGO Solidarités International, the NGO came to talk to Group employees. WHICH IN TURN VALIDATES be seen, unfortunately, in refugee camps in particular, on the Sittwe site in Myanmar, The employees then spontaneously came OUR APPROACH: CO-BUILDING across the world. How can we adapt the Veoliaforce experts intervened to improve together around the idea of collecting operation and double the capacity of the toiletries and sanitary products – a citizen INNOVATIVE MODELS, wastewater treatment plant serving the initiative that mirrors the DNA of our Group! refugee camps. Our partnership with THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS Médecins sans frontières on innovation in And in 2019, the Veolia Group defined THE BIG PROBLEMS humanitarian work is more topical than ever. its corporate purpose. In what way is this MSF is already well advanced on this point approach consistent with the Foundation’s FACING OUR SOCIETY.” and is a pioneer in taking into account the missions? environmental impact of its activities. For our part, we provide assistance in management of T.: V. The Foundation is an important part the waste generated and utilities (wastewater, of the Group’s stated purpose.