Fighting for the environment and the climate
In addition to enforcing regulations within the Eramet Group, Aubert & Duval's French sites are all certified under ISO 14001 (Environment), and the two largest sites under ISO 50001 (Energy).
These sites are implementing numerous initiatives designed to limit their environmental impact and reduce their climate footprint:
- In Puy-de-Dôme, at the Les Ancizes site, a solar panel project was launched in 2019 in partnership with Quadran (Total Group). The goal: to install 2,000 panels on the site by June 2020. The electricity produced would enable them to save 785 tons of CO2 a year, equal to the average power consumption of 2,000 residents.
- Since 2019, the Pamiers site in Ariège has been re-circulating the wooden pallets used to package parts, which had previously been single-use. This recycling initiative is designed to conserve resources, and should save 3,500 pallets a year—enough to save 200 trees! 38 tons of wood have already been saved since the start of the project.
- Aubert & Duval is also one of the first French companies to use high-power forklifts. At the Issoire forge in Puy-de-Dôme, the traditional diesel forklifts used to transport parts are being replaced by lithium-battery forklifts, which are safer and more environmentally friendly.
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Since 2018, whenever Aubert & Duval replaces or renovates its natural-gas combustion furnaces, it focuses on buying equipment that either runs on electricity or comes with waste-heat recovery systems.
Since 2019, the company has been gradually equipping all of its furnaces with Big Data-driven energy monitoring systems. As a result, it is now possible to assess any deviation in energy performance in less than 24 hours, and recalibrate consumption in order to optimize it.
The objective: to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 14,000 tons a year by 2023, while maintaining the same level of production. -
Another objective: by 2021, traditional lighting at all Aubert & Duval sites will be replaced by LED lighting, which will reduce energy consumption by around 70%.
Eco-grazing at Aubert & Duval
In partnership with local associations and livestock farmers, certain Aubert & Duval sites located out in the country are using eco-grazing. In 2019, for instance, Aubert & Duval Heyrieux allowed ewes to come graze on its 10,000 sq. m of land, while the EcoTitanium site brought in horses. A zero-emissions and zero-waste alternative to traditional methods of landscape maintenance.
The Aubert & Duval Foundation: forging bonds and creating local opportunities
Under the auspices of the Foundation for the University of Lyon, and in accordance with the Group's strategy and the major pillars of its CSR roadmap, the Aubert & Duval Foundation provides aid to its nearby communities in order to:
- Stimulate local development : we support nearby associations that primarily develop projects benefiting the young and the disabled
- Cultivate local talent : we support initiatives that facilitate professional integration, training, education, employment, entrepreneurship, and skills development for the communities close to our industrial sites in France
To this end, the Aubert & Duval Foundation financially supports meaningful projects and initiatives in several areas:
- Education and charity : the Foundation supports local associations and initiatives, such as Les Restos du Cœur in Pamiers (equipment procurement), Amicale Sapeurs-Pompiers in Pamiers (training assistance for young volunteer firefighters), a robotics project at the Sévigné Institute in Issoire (promotion of engineering occupations to students), and the Job dans la Ville program in Firminy (social and professional integration through athletics).
- Athletics and health : the Foundation supports local athletic clubs, including Étoile Sportive de Saint Jean du Falga and Union Sportive de Saint-Georges-Les-Ancizes, which create diverse, intergenerational bonds built on camaraderie and togetherness.
- Culture and heritage : the Foundation supports and assists schools and associations that facilitate access to art and culture in rural settings, such as the Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Ville d'Imphy, the Union Musicale en Combrailles, and the École de Musique de Vic-le-Comte. It also supports heritage preservation initiatives, including the renovation of the Carthusian Monastery of Port-Sainte-Marie in Les Ancizes
- The environment, biodiversity, and the climate : the Aubert & Duval Foundation also supports associations that develop biodiversity preservation and sustainable mobility programs. Toward this end, it has supported urban transport planning projects, as well as educational programs that work to restore ecosystems vital for the regulation of waterways and the management of riverbanks. These associations and projects include: La Gaule Manzatoise (which trains people to fish and encourages a healthy respect for nature), the Shell Eco-Marathon at the Collège Pierre Bayle in Pamiers (which is building a fuel-efficient automobile prototype), and the solar bike project at the Sévigné Institute in Issoire.
Key figures
- 2020: 10th anniversary of the Aubert & Duval Foundation
- €4m donated to associations since 2011
- 60 projects supported since 2011
- 26 projects supported in 2019
