On the occasion of Veolia’s "Deep Dive Energy", an exclusive event held in London on January 11, 2024, the Group announced an unprecedented investment of 4 billion euros by 2030 in local decarbonizing energy, aimed at revolutionizing the global energy landscape. Spearheaded by Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia's Chief Executive Officer, this approach is part of the fight against energy waste and the optimal exploitation of untapped local reservoirs, offering considerable potential to meet the challenges of decarbonization and energy self-sufficiency. Veolia's vision and its unique positioning in the energy value chain position the Group as a driving force for ecological transformation, calling for global action on a local scale to meet and exceed the COP 28 targets.
A response to the energy transition’s challenges
At a time when the global energy landscape is changing, Veolia is taking the lead with a massive financial commitment of 4 billion euros between now and 2030 to the development of decarbonizing local energy. Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, emphasizes the importance of this initiative:
"We can no longer afford to waste or lose energy."
These investments thus support Veolia's ambitions for local decarbonizing energy production.
Veolia, already a major player in water, waste and energy, is positioning itself as a key catalyst in the transition to local decarbonization of energy. The Group has estimated that Europe alone already has over 400 GW of untapped local energy reservoirs, offering considerable potential to meet growing needs while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Veolia's ambitions for 2030 in local decarbonizing energy
By 2030, the Group's ambition is to become number one in heating networks in Europe, number one in energy efficiency services in Europe and the Middle East, while increasing Veolia's bioenergy and renewable energy capacity by 50% to 8 GW. Finally, the Group plans to increase its flexible capacity by 50% to 3 GW.
Veolia's three pillars in decarbonizing local energy:
BIOENERGY & RENEWABLES, FLEXIBILITY & ANCILLARY SERVICES
Decarbonizing local energy
Green energy supply
DISTRICT HEATING AND COOLING NETWORKS
Urban energy infrastructure
ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY
Energy performance contracting
The Group will respond to growing customer demand by increasing its capacities in the three key areas identified by Veolia. With its significant financial commitment as leverage to attract further investment, the Group is positioning itself as a driver of ecological transformation, helping to radically change the game in water, waste and energy management.
A call to concrete action
With the local decarbonizing energy market estimated at 500 billion euros, Veolia intends to play a leading role in accelerating the development and implementation of crucial local energy decarbonization and greening solutions. Estelle Brachlianoff points out: "this untapped resource could cover the consumption of a country with a population of around 50 million, or significantly reduce the European Union's dependence on imported fossil fuels."
With already over 10 billion euros of sales in the energy sector by 2022, the Group is setting ambitious targets to increase this share, with a focus on value-creating projects. Estelle Brachlianoff emphasized the need for regulatory support to maximize the impact of these initiatives, saying, "At Veolia, we already have the capacity to achieve ambitious targets and grow our portfolio, but with facilitating regulatory support, we can do even more." She calls for collective action to exceed the ambitions of COP 28 and stresses the urgency of global action at the local level.
> Find out more about Veolia's commitments announced at COP 28:
"With 400 GW of untapped potential that could save us from importing fossil fuels, we're accelerating the development and implementation of local energy decarbonization solutions. At Veolia, we already have the capacity to meet ambitious targets and grow our portfolio, but by breaking through regulatory barriers, we can do even more. The time for global action on a local scale has come". Chief Executive Officer, Veolia.
Read the latest issue of Veolia's "PLANET" magazine, dedicated to innovation and energy within the Group.
