On June 5, nearly 50 members of the “+1, ecology turned into action” group met on the occasion of World Environment Day on the premises of the Terra Academia ecological transformation school and accelerator in Paris, alongside its Chairman, Jean-Michel Blanquer. The event gave Veolia a chance to announce its ambition, as part of its GreenUp strategic program, to double the number of “+1” stakeholder groups across the entire Group in order to speed up collaboration on ecological transformation topics.
"+1 Green Transformation in Action" is a program that facilitates dialogue on green transformation at the community level (Veolia employees, business community, civil society, environmental activists, academia, etc.) in order to identify, implement and cooperate to develop innovative sustainable solutions and facilitate the exchange of ideas that contribute to sustainable development or reconciliation of progress with nature. This program also provides an explanation of Veolia's lines of action integrated into the Green UP strategic program.
The results of the second edition of Veolia’s Ecological Transformation barometer, developed in partnership with the market research and consulting firm Elabe, are unequivocal: for the global population, ecological inaction will cost more than action. Laurence Bedeau, an associate from Elabe, explained to the “+1, ecology turned into action” group in France that for 66% of the global population, the costs associated with the impacts of climate change and pollution will be higher than the investments needed for ecological transformation.
On the international level, citizens are becoming more aware of the dangers of environmental challenges and health threats, especially for the most vulnerable. 64% of the global population feels exposed and vulnerable to health risks. These issues are no longer seen as a challenge to “save the planet”, but rather to save humanity. And respondents expect mobilization from all stakeholders: individuals, governments, local authorities, businesses and global bodies.
Cooperation is seen as an absolute precondition of the ecological transition.
Laurence Bedeau, ELABE associate
To implement ecological transformation, it is essential to change the relationships between the various stakeholders in order to tackle the key issues in a global and systemic way. This will be achieved through cooperation, a value deeply rooted within the Veolia Group. As part of its GreenUp strategic program, the company has a strong ambition: the "+1, turning ecology into action" groups will be doubled from 12 to 24 stakeholder groups, united around an ecological transformation issue on the scale of a contract, project, region or country..
By 2027, the Group will train all its managers in dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders. Cooperation was identified as one of the key areas for implementing depollution, decarbonization and resource regeneration solutions in regions.
Find the key moments of the event “+1, we’re taking it to the next level!”
Two key examples serve to illustrate the +1 approach
- The "Eco d'eau" initiative, launched by the +1 group in France to kickstart a unifying dynamic around water sobriety. Certified by the French government, it has already mobilized 600 partners – local authorities, businesses, federations, organizations, NGOs, schools and the media – and has informed 10 million people in France about eco-friendly actions.
- Opening the governance of the contract for Arianeo, the waste recovery center of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area, to regional stakeholders.
The Arianeo industrial facility is located in the heart of Nice's Ariane district. We have set up a High Environmental and Social Committee that brings together a dozen stakeholders, including neighborhood committees. We are also going to open a third-space facility for associations and local residents.
Romain Ascione, Director of Development France for Veolia Zone France and Special Waste Europe
Terra Academia, an ecological transformation school and accelerator
Terra Academia, the ecological transformation school and accelerator created by Veolia, aims to train people in new, ecology-related professions and skills by offering programs tailored to the needs of each region, with campuses located in 15 French regions by 2030 as sites for innovation, hands-on training and interaction with local ecosystems.
Learn more about Terra Academia
In 2024, “+1, ecology turned into action” is:
- 12 groups created across 8 different geographies, from Australia and Japan to Ireland and Colombia
- 300 stakeholders brought to the table at least 30 times
- 120+ hours of collective dialogue organized