PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Danone and Veolia (Paris:VIE) today announced an innovative strategic partnership focusing on the water cycle, waste management, sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency. Aim: meet the challenge of climate change. This unique global partnership is part of the climate policy announced by Danone which calls for a zero net carbon footprint by 2050 for sites under the company’s direct, shared and expanded responsibility.
Danone and Veolia, both large French corporations and leaders in their respective markets, believe it is essential to transform consumption and waste management practices, and transition into a circular economy. The two companies are joining forces to share their expertise and, in so doing, explore the full range of innovative solutions in four major areas: water cycle management, waste management, sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency.
This unique alliance is built on a genuinely collaborative approach in which complementary skills contributed by each partner are harnessed to create shared value.
Priorities include securing access to water resources and sustainable management of plastic packaging—issues that offer a perfect fit with the long-term goal of zero net carbon emissions in Danone’s new climate policy.
Specific projects have already been identified in France and other countries for the alliance to be rolled out company-wide at Danone starting in 2016. Deployment will be gradual, building on lessons learned in a first round of pilot projects.
Some of these projects involve developing “zero liquid discharge” plants to ensure optimum recycling of water resources, and the creation of production units for recycled plastic to secure supply source. Other circular economy projects are also in the pipeline. They include producing biogas by combining factory bio-waste with manure from local farms and optimizing energy consumption by making expert use of alternative energy sources.
Emmanuel Faber, Danone CEO, said: “With this alliance, Danone continues to innovate in the social and environmental spheres by encouraging the emergence of entirely new forms of cooperation that promote change. By teaming up with Veolia, we are ensuring a secure source of strategic resources and optimizing their utilization, since our climate policy is an integral part of our mission and our business.”
“Both the form and the goals of this alliance make it a truly unique initiative in creating economic, social and environmental value,” said Antoine Frérot, Chairman and CEO of Veolia. “We are working with Danone to help them reach their 2020 goals while benefiting from major scope for business development. Our expertise is being invested to optimize water, waste and energy management across all of their processes.”
Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 179,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them.
In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service, produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.4 billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com
(*) 2014 pro-forma figures, including Dalkia International (100%) and excluding Dalkia France.
Dedicated to bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone
is a leading global food company built on four business lines: Fresh
Dairy Products, Early Life Nutrition, Waters and Medical Nutrition.
Through its mission and its dual commitment to business success and
social progress, the company aims to create shared value for all of its
stakeholders—its 100,000 employees, consumers, customers, suppliers and
shareholders.
Present in over 130 markets, the company generated
sales of €21.1 billion in 2014, with more than half in emerging
countries. Danone's brand portfolio includes both international brands
(Activia, Actimel, Danette, Danonino, Danio, Evian, Volvic,
Nutrilon/Aptamil, Nutricia) and local brands (Prostokvashino, Aqua,
Bonafont, Mizone, Blédina, Cow & Gate, Dumex).
Listed on
Euronext Paris and on the OTCQX market via an ADR (American Depositary
Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading social
responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes,
Vigeo and the Ethibel Sustainability Index. Danone is also ranked no. 1
in the 2013 ATNI index
