Renault Group places its environmental and societal strategy at the heart of performance

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• As a driver of performance and innovation, a new environmental and societal strategy is incorporated into the Renaulution strategic plan. 
• This strategy adapts the Group’s Purpose into an operational roadmap; it helps the company through its transformation by ramping up the ecological transition, enhancing the #safety of customers on the road and employees in the workplace, and acting in favour of social inclusion. 
• As part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, #renault Group presents its first climate report* detailing its methodology for action and the means of achieving carbon neutrality in Europe as early as 2040.      

Boulogne-Billancourt, April 26th, 2021. With the backing of the Board of Directors, #renault Group outlined its CSR policy roadmap and the role it will play within the Renaulution strategy at the Annual General Meeting on Friday, 23 April 2021. An ambitious policy, based on the rolling out of new mechanisms, it will help the Group realise its transformation strategy and reach its performance objectives. The policy builds on three major pillars that are deeply integrated into the company’s business: the ecological transition, the #safety of customers on the road and employees in the workplace, and inclusion by improving employability and having more women in the workforce. 

"We consider our environmental and societal responsibility as one of the chapters of Renaulution. Our commitments to reduce our carbon footprint, to the #safety of #people who use our vehicles and of employees in the workplace, and on inclusion meet our strategic challenges and support value creation. Developed with the company’s teams, and according to our values of innovation and solidarity, this action plan is supported by a group of executive committee members and will be fully integrated into our activities. These commitments embody our Purpose while contributing to the Group’s transformation."
Luca de Meo, CEO of #renault Group. 

The ecological transition as an integral part of the whole value chain 

In addition to commitments made on vehicle electrification, with electric vehicles accounting for 65% of sales by 2025, and 90% in 2030 for the #renault brand in Europe, the Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe in 2040 and worldwide in 2050.  

Since 2005, the Group has been committed to reducing the environmental footprint of its vehicles throughout their entire life cycle and is ramping up efforts to become carbon free with measurable targets for 2025 and 2030*. New ecological transition initiatives include: 

• The Group commits to reducing its procurement carbon footprint by focusing efforts on six components (steel, aluminium, polymers, electronics, tires, and glass) that currently account for 90% of the procurement carbon footprint. Carbon pricing will be put in place to encourage the entire ecosystem to produce more sustainably. By 2030, the Group is aiming to reduce the carbon footprint associated with its purchases by 30% (as CO2 per kg of material). 

• Assembled in France with carbon free energy, the 2025 roll out of the R5 will include more sustainable batteries that boast a reduced carbon footprint of at least 20% (compared to ZOE in 2020). Beyond this one target, the Group is working to secure a responsible and sustainable supply of minerals. This parallels the partnership with Veolia and Solvay for the recycling of metals found in batteries in a closed loop (cobalt, nickel, lithium, etc.). 

• On the manufacturing side, the Group aims to reduce emissions from facilities by 50% worldwide (compared to 2019). To reach this target, the company will invest €20 million in its industrial facilities, thereby generating up to €90 million in savings, through reduced energy bills and avoided penalties for excess emissions. Electro-Northpole facilities will be carbon neutral by 2025, with remaining facilities in Europe following suit by 2030. 

• Vehicle dismantling and part recycling – including batteries – at the Re-Factory in Flins and #renault Environment subsidiaries will generate more than €1 billion in sales by 2030. 

* Renault Group is currently issuing its first climate report. The report outlines the Group’s ambition for carbon neutrality, with key actions and commitment milestones for 2025/2030. It applies guidelines issued by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Access to the full document here

The #safety of customers on the roads and employees in the workplace 

To help reduce the number of road accidents, the Group provides a clear response based on two key aspects: preventing accidents and assisting emergency services. The preventive safety program operates in three areas:  

• Detect: The ‘Safety Score’ will analyse driving data using sensors located on the vehicle to encourage safer driving. 

• Guide: the “Safety Coach' will process road and traffic data to inform drivers of potential risks on their route and will give real-time warnings on danger-prone areas. 

• Act: A fail-safe mechanism will trigger automatically in the event of a clear and present danger (a far too dangerous turn, loss of steering wheel control for a prolonged period, drowsiness, etc.). Thanks to the 'Safe Guardian', the vehicle will then slow down and return to a safe driving mode.  

As of 2022, the Megane-E will come equipped with an automatic speed limit adjuster, set by default. The vehicle's top speed will also be capped at 180km/h. The speed will also be capped on #renault and Dacia models, and will not exceed 180km/h.

Lastly, to reduce emergency response time and give emergency services easy vehicle access in the event of an accident, the Group has also developed two major innovations, which will be rolled out on all future releases in Europe: 

• The ‘Fire-fighter access’ helps fire-fighters put out accidental battery fires. It considerably reduces response time (from nearly 2 hours to only a few minutes). Already a feature on electric vehicles, it will be added to all future hybrid rechargeable and electric models the Group releases. 

• The ‘Rescue Code’ is a QR code to help first responders identify a vehicle and access its structural information, and in the event of a serious accident, to reduce by roughly 15 minutes the rescue time for passenger. #renault Group has trained fire-fighters in 12 countries in Europe on how to use the code, while also donating several hundred vehicles to be used for training purposes. 

The #safety Plan also includes commitments to Group employees:  

• An objective of zero work-related accidents and illnesses: as part of the Group’s HSE policy, the Group endeavours to have zero workplace accidents and illnesses across all industrial and tertiary sites.  

• “Health for all”: the Group’s ambition is to achieve optimal health coverage for all its employees worldwide. 

• Raise employee risk awareness: with the Group's health officers at the helm, there are two preventive health campaigns in the works, the first of which will kick off 2021. These campaigns will focus on diseases for which being informed and aware can make all the difference: women’s cancer and cardiovascular diseases. 

Further information in the press release to download