In 2019, Veolia defined its purpose in a text that clearly highlights the values that unite the entire Group. This text explains why and how we take action and embody our ambition: to be useful to society by reconciling human progress and environmental protection. We have set this purpose in motion by committing our stakeholders alongside us, delivering a sustainable and multifaceted impact – economic and financial, commercial, human resources, social and environmental – and transforming our processes.
"Our purpose is a roadmap for turning Veolia into the benchmark company for ecological transformation. It is an operational tool that guides our strategy and is steered at the highest level of the company. It is a standard that determines our commitments and progress targets, which are measured by precise indicators. It is a framework for understanding and action that feeds into all our geographies, business functions and levels of our Group."
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia
Our purpose mobilizes and involves our employees, and more broadly, all of the Group’s stakeholders
Decarbonizing, economizing and regenerating resources, depolluting: this trio of ecological transformation, written into our purpose, serves the clear goal of improving the health and quality of life of communities. This is the major ambition that drives our 218,000 employees in the businesses of water, waste management and recovery and energy.
What is the purpose of a company?
Our purpose strengthens internal cohesion by offering shared insights into the company and the meaning behind its actions and ambitions, develop and deploy solutions that are useful to the greatest number, with and for its stakeholders. It is reflected in the decision to incorporate its stakeholders: Employees, Clients, Shareholders, Society, Planet, into its governance, thanks to such initiatives as "+1, the ecology turned into actions".
Our purpose commits us to a sustainable and multifaceted impact
We give the same level of attention to all our stakeholders by setting clear performance objectives in 5 areas: commercial, economic/financial, environmental, human resources and social, supported by a committed and robust governance mechanism. This is what we refer to as multifaceted performance.
To implement this multifaceted performance, the Group has defined 15 progress objectives for the duration of the strategic program, as well as 15 corresponding key indicators, for which the Group has committed to specific targets by the conclusion of the program. They are regularly audited by independent organizations. We adapt and scale up our actions in terms of decarbonization, resource economies and regeneration and depollution in light of these objectives.
million metric tons of CO2 eliminated from the carbon trajectories of our customers in 2022
million m3 of water saved in 2022 compared with 2019, or the equivalent of Singapore’s annual water use in 2022
Our purpose drives and supports the transformation of our processes
Our purpose forms the backbone of our Group and guides our operation and the management of our activities. It has been incorporated into the processes of all our divisions: implementation of a compensation policy for Top Management based on the multifaceted performance objectives and progress indicators, as well as investment project assessments according to the key multifaceted performance criteria.
Veolia leads a performance dialogue between its business units, geographic zone and head office. Its purpose is to ensure that each business unit is doing its part to achieve the Group’s multiyear plan across every dimension of multifaceted performance, or if necessary, to define and implement corrective measures.
The Group defined a sustainable procurement program with the aim of aligning its procurement strategy with its purpose and multifaceted performance model. It is based on four thematic pillars: decarbonizing the supplier chain, promoting the circular economy, rolling out the compliance program and protecting human rights, creating value for our regions and encouraging inclusive sourcing, and a cross-functional pillar to support our buyers and partners and share best practices.
Our purpose is also incorporated into our training tools like the “Ecological Transformation Fresco”, which has been aligned with Veolia's business functions to enable employees to understand the ecological transformation challenges, the solutions to be put into practice and the way in which they can personally contribute on a daily basis.
The governance and management of our purpose
From its creation through its implementation, our purpose is supported and steered at the highest level of the company. A source of inspiration and a tool for steering the Impact 2023 and GreenUp 2027 strategic program, it is widely publicized and shared throughout our entire Group.
The Board of Directors approved the text, objectives and multifaceted performance indicators, while monitoring its proper application, notably by means of a dedicated purpose committee.
The Executive Committee and the Management Committee oversee its effective implementation. In 2022, the topic of stakeholder relations was specifically allocated to one of the executive committee members. The goal is to innovate and support the business units on this topic.
The Committee of Critical Friends, composed of high-level experts, is regularly asked for its opinion with the aim of "challenging" the company and helping it stay on course.
The purpose monitoring committee, composed of executive committee and functional department members, is responsible for coordinating and driving the approach throughout the Group.
The strategy and innovation department steers Veolia's strategy with a view to achieving multifaceted performance in line with the Group’s purpose.
The network of “Purpose Officers”, created in 2021, is responsible for strengthening the implementation of the purpose and multifaceted performance across all Group geographies by sharing best practices and monitoring the progress of the approach within their perimeter.
You wish to learn more:
