Through this commitment, the EDF group is also part of the “Race To Zero” initiative run by the United Nations and has joined the “Climate Ambition Alliance”(1) alongside more than 120 countries, 450 cities, 45 investors and 1,000 companies.
In 2020, the EDF group set new targets to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, covering both its direct emissions (Scope 1) and its indirect emissions (Scopes 2 and 3).
On 7 December 2020, these targets were validated as part of a “Well Below 2° C ”trajectory by the Science Based Targets initiative(2). The EDF group has therefore committed to the following 2030 targets:
In keeping with these targets validated by SBTi, the EDF group has decided to set the following additional 2030 targets: 25MtCO2 for Scope 1 emissions in 2030,
35gCO2 /kWh for the carbon intensity of the electricity and heat generated by theGroup in 2030, a 28% reduction on 2019 levels of the emissions of the entire Scope 3 by 2030.
In order to reach these targets, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction trajectory has been developed for the three Scopes of the EDF group. This trajectory contains a 2023 milestone, with the following interim targets:
These 2023 and 2030 targets for the Group’s direct and indirect emissions are implemented through emission trajectories for all the Group’s business lines and entities.
As part of its CAP 2030 strategy, it has committed to a target of more than doubling its net installed capacity in renewables (including hydropower) between 2015 and 2030, to reach 60GWe in 2030.
Since 2017, EDF group has been engaged in the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), which promotes the phasing out of coal in EU countries by 2030 and in the rest of the world by 2050 in the wake of the Paris Agreement. In 2019, the EDF group has set itself as a goal to stop coal power generation by 2030 in all geographical areas.
Further details on climate risks and their potential impact are summarised in section 3.9.4 “Summary of EDF group climate risks”.
The challenges of carbon neutrality go hand in hand with the protection of biodiversity, one of EDF’s long-standing commitments. In 2020, the Group renewed its commitment to biodiversity through two voluntary schemes supported by the French government: “Entreprises engagées pour la biodiversité – act4nature France”,a corporate biodiversity scheme run by the Office français de la biodiversité (French Biodiversity Office) and “Act4nature International” run by Entreprises pour l’environnement (Epe). The action taken by the Group is structured around the following priorities: reducing the contribution of its operations to major biodiversity pressures, recreating spaces and conditions promoting biodiversity, improving and sharing knowledge, strengthening governance and raising awareness of biodiversity-related issues (see section 3.2.1 “Biodiversity”).
An optimal use of the natural resources consumed through its value chain is a key part of the Group’s corporate responsibility policy. The Group therefore promotes a circular economy approach (based on a region or a sector) focusing on three priorities: eco-socio-design, functionality economy and industrial ecology. The Group prevents and optimises the production of conventional waste by promoting reuse, recycling and recovery initiatives for products/equipment throughout its value chain: a customised “waste plan” is produced for all new construction sites to avoid the production of conventional waste and promote recycling and recovery. The Group makes every effort to eliminate or replace any substances that may be harmful to the environment or individuals with more environmentally-friendly products and is implementing a programme to eliminate or replace certain substances (PCBs, chemicals) with more environmentally-friendly products by 2021, in accordance with local regulations.
When it is technically feasible, in order to reduce the pollution risks, the Group’s entities have also implemented a programme to eliminate or substitute certain chemical substances with more environmentally-friendly products. This work focuses as a priority on CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction) substances or those considered extremely worrying (see section 3.5.2.5.5 “Management of environmental risks”).
Nuclear safety is the Group’s top priority and a major, ongoing concern for the Group throughout the entire cycle, from fuel supply to decommissioning and waste management. It is based on technical and organisational specifications aimed at preventing a nuclear accident, and in the hypothetical case of such an accident, at limiting the consequences thereof (see section 2.2.5 “Specific risks related to nuclear activities”). The Group takes full responsibility for radioactive waste and, in France, uses procedures to decommission closed nuclear power plants that are completely safe and protect the environment. It optimises and manages the radioactive operating and decommissioning waste for which it is responsible and develops treatment processes to reduce the volume of stored waste (see section 3.2.4.4 “Taking responsibility for radioactive waste”).
Hydropower safety comprises all the measures taken when designing and operating dams and plants to reduce risks and hazards to people and property associated with water and the presence or operation of facilities (see section 2.2.4 – 4B – Hydraulic safety risks). Responsible use and sharing of water are governed by EDF’s sustainable development policy (see section 3.2.3 “Sustainable and integrated water management”).
To prevent and mitigate risks of serious harm to the health and safety of its employees, suppliers and subcontractors working on its sites (see section 2.2 – 4C– “Occupational health or safety violations (employees and service providers)”), the Group relies on a Health and Safety policy further strengthened by the endorsement signed on 23 April 2018 by the Chief Executive Officer and all of the Executive Committee members. This policy is supported by a roadmap and defines the framework for consistent policy and action plans in the various subsidiaries (see section 3.3.1.3.1 “Health & Safety Policy”).
The Health and Safety policy sets down as an absolute priority the elimination of fatal accidents (see 3.3.1.3.2 “Eradicating fatal accidents”), followed by the reduction in the number of accidents, as well as absenteeism. The risks identified are used for information campaigns. The Group entities are rolling out the 10 “Essential Rules” specifically defined by EDF to prevent the occurrence of serious, and particularly, fatal, accidents. High Potential Events (HPE) are shared and analysed to foster experience-based feedback. Group entities conduct self-assessments using a shared reference framework called “BEST: Building Excellence in Safety Together”, compiling best practice for health and safety improvements.
(1) Alliance created in September 2019 during the Climate Action Summit of the United Nations General Secretariat by the President of Chile Sebastián Piñera.
(2) Initiative launched following the Paris Agreement in 2015 by the following four organisations: CDP, UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute and World Wild Fund.
