Renault Group is seeking to promote biodiversity at its sites through diagnostics, protection measures and the dissemination of best practices. It also takes part in collective programmes for environmental protection and restoration.
The purpose of this approach is to reduce the impact of our production activities and supply chain on soil health, air and water quality, and water consumption. Our efforts have been recognised by the Act4nature initiative, which brings together companies, environmental NGOs and scientific bodies. Find out more about them in the document.
Our actions to promote biodiversity
To reduce the impact of its operations on biodiversity, Renault Group deploys action plans to introduce a more ecological approach to managing environments. In fact, 80% of the Group’s industrial sites have their own biodiversity action plan, and their advancement towards achieving their goals is monitored regularly. Examples include differentiated management of green spaces, maintenance without phytosanitary products, and the identification and monitoring of invasive alien species.
Renault Group analysed the impacts and dependencies of its activities throughout its value chain on biodiversity and ecosystems, using the WBCSD tool. As at the end of 2023, 24 models had undergone a life cycle assessment. These assessments measure the environmental impact of vehicles, from the extraction of the raw materials needed for their manufacture to their end of life. The impacts are expressed in global warming potential, resource depletion potential and pollution potential (acidification, eutrophication). As at the end of 2023, a biodiversity assessment had been carried out for 28 of the Group’s industrial sites.
We have implemented policies and guidelines to preserve biodiversity on our sites, accompanied by best practice guides starting in 2023. At the same time, 100% of our suppliers have received the Green Procurement Guidelines, ensuring their commitment to biodiversity protection.
We minimize pressures on nature by reducing pollutant emissions into natural environments and limiting our water withdrawals, in order to protect surrounding ecosystems.
We work with stakeholders as part of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Alongside Michelin, we are supporting an agroforestry project in Thailand which aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers while reducing the impact of natural rubber cultivation on biodiversity.
Bio-sourced materials: reduce not destroy
In 2022, Renault Group adopted a policy for bio-based materials to ensure that the expected carbon footprint reductions do not have adverse effects on humans and ecosystems, such as food competition, deforestation, sea and land biodiversity loss, and pollution. We ask potential suppliers to demonstrate that risks have been identified, assessed and controlled. Each proposal for bio-sourced materials must now be approved by a specialized internal committee before being used in cars. In any case, to avoid contributing to food competition, Renault Group’s policy is to refuse bio-sourced materials containing biomass.