Orano - Annual Activity Report 2024 93 RISKS, CONTROL AND DUTY OF VIGILANCE PLAN 3 Duty of vigilance plan In 2023, for example, the Malvési site replaced the burner of one of its boilers with new a piece of equipment called Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO), designed to treat the gaseous effluents from the furnaces in the hydrofluorination workshop. This replacement resulted in a reduction of 2,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Overall, the various initiatives at the Malvési site have led to a 97% reduction in its GHG emissions over the last 20 years. At the Orano la Hague site, numerous actions have been taken to considerably reduce the site’s carbon footprint for scopes 1 and 2, in particular through the implementation of an Energy Performance Program (EPP). This includes the replacement of fuel-fired boilers by electric boilers, leading to a 39% reduction in GHG emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) in 2024 compared to 2019. Additionally, an action plan has been set up with partner companies on the reduction of scope 3 and on eco-mobility issues. Eco-mobility is regularly promoted on the site with the introduction of free buses for all employees of partner companies in 2024. These various initiatives have enabled Orano to reduce its scopes 1 and 2 market-based carbon footprint by more than 70% since 2004, the date of the first commitments made by AREVA, and by more than 40% since 2019, the reference year used by the group. In 2023, the group set itself a target of reducing its scopes 1 and 2 footprint by -25% by 2025 compared to 2019, a reduction aligned with the Paris Agreement and the “1.5°C” trajectory according to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) framework. Furthermore, the group undertook various actions on scope 3 emissions with its suppliers, designed in particular to identify contributing factors. In 2024, questionnaires were sent to the group’s suppliers with the highest carbon footprint to assess their decarbonization trajectory. 80 suppliers, representing a significant share of Orano’s upstream scope 3 emissions have committed to a decarbonization pathway by 2030 or 2050, including their scopes 2 or 3. Most of these suppliers have also implemented at least one other action to limit their impact on the environment (biodiversity protection, the use of recycled materials, renewable resources, or waste recycling, etc.). More generally, in 2024 as in previous years, the fight against global warming and the anticipation of its impact on its activities were among Orano’s top priorities. This is reflected in particular through actions such as projecting climate scenarios for various sites, anticipating potential vulnerabilities, and defining the adaptation actions to be planned in the short, medium or long term. These actions are grouped into an adaptation plan, which is reviewed annually with all of the group’s companies, led by the Health, Safety and Environment Department. Adherence to the French Business Climate Pledge The group reaffirms its commitment to climate action by adhering to the French Business Climate Pledge, a voluntary commitment by companies based in France, initiated by the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF). This collective mobilisation brings together companies based in France to take concrete action to build a low-carbon economy and to develop low-carbon solutions, technologies, products and services. For more information on the group’s Climate strategy, see Section 4.2.1. Preservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of resources Orano pays attention to the preservation of biodiversity and includes it as a priority to ensure compatibility of its activities with the environment. It attaches particular importance to the responsible use of resources in its activities and has set itself a goal of minimizing its environmental footprint. Preservation of biodiversity The deployment of the group’s activities in new areas could contribute to the local erosion of biodiversity, particularly due to mining operations in sensitive regions. Overall, the prevention of risks to fauna and flora is taken into account and integrated from the design phases of new projects, via the implementation of the best available technologies, then throughout the operating phases of the facilities, and finally during site remediation. Orano is committed to taking action to avoid and reduce impacts and offset when necessary, and adopted a biodiversity strategy in 2022. This strategy is built around three key pillars: ● preserving current biodiversity; ● living with the biodiversity present at Orano sites; and ● promoting biodiversity. These pillars involve strict compliance with carbon commitments as well as increased knowledge of the biodiversity present on the relevant sites through numerous detailed inventories. They have been implemented at main sites with biodiversity challenges in France and abroad, and resulted in a three-year preservation of biodiversity plan. Furthermore, an environmental impact study (EIS) is conducted for each new project or whenever a major modification to industrial facilities is expected. It incorporates an Avoid-Reduce-Compensate (ARC) analysis of biodiversity, and aims to characterize the potential effects of the facility’s discharges and dangers on health and the environment. EIS take into account the specific features of the local environment (geology, hydrology, meteorology, natural and human environment, etc.) as well as the possible presence of protected species or habitats. Impact studies are reviewed (and updated if necessary) during the ten-year review of the facility in France or in accordance with local regulatory requirements abroad. The impact studies carried out by the group are supplemented by regular local inventories with, for instance, standardized rating methods to monitor and assess the impact of activities on biodiversity. The group has thus set itself the objective of having recent inventories (less than ten years old) for all its sites in operation by the end of 2025, in particular for its mining sites. In France, the main redeveloped sites are subject to specific monitoring by environmental experts. These inventories are used to update knowledge on the issues associated with local biodiversity in order to ensure better monitoring.
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