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Resourcing the WorldVeolia UK Sustainability Report 2013

UNITED KINGDOM – 2013 ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2

Our approach Environment Marketplace Workplace Community Innovation

ContentsWelcome to our 2013 Sustainability Report. Veolia is changing the landscape of resource management and helping to shape the circular economy of the future.

Our approach

Marketplace

Community

Environment

Workplace

Innovation

Our approach 3On the road to a circular economy 4A unique business 7Our vision and strategy 9Talking points: cities of 2050 12Commitments and progress 13

Stakeholder engagement 16Governance and sustainability management 20Awards and recognition 22Assurance 22Global Reporting Initiative index 24

Changing the landscape of resource management 38Talking points: view from a customer 39

Putting customers first 40Innovation 43Markets of the future 44Responsible procurement 47

Creating value for communities 58Talking points: putting a price on social value 59Getting communities back to business 60

Connected with our communities 62Supporting good causes 65

Preserving resources 25Talking points: working for a carbon-positive business 26Tackling climate change 27

Energy recovery 30Biodiversity 32Environmental performance data 35

A culture of innovation 49Talking points: why different perspectives mean better business 50

Health, safety and wellbeing 51A great place to work 53Learning and development 55Inclusivity 57

Reshaping the future for all 67From idea to reality 68Fuel from food waste 69Powered by biscuits 70

Preserving peatlands 71Reusing water again and again 72Green energy from wastewater 73



Our approachSustainability is not part of our business – it is our business. We are shaping a better future as part of our strategy to create access to resources, and preserve and replenish them for generations to come.

With 160 years of expertise in the areas of water, energy and waste, Veolia applies its know-how to address some of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. To make the switch from use and dispose to use and recover in today’s circular economy, Veolia creates and implements innovative solutions up and down the UK.

Resourcing the world is an ambitious idea. We’re doing it because being responsible is not just the right thing to do; it’s the best thing to do for our business. Throughout this report, you will see examples of how this strategy is adding value to our business, to the environment and to society.

Our resource management services touch

half the UK population

Since 1990, we have invested £1.2 billion in

UK plc, creating 34,000 jobs

Veolia has won the Queen’s Award

for Enterprise in Sustainable

Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success



How is Veolia changing the landscape of resource management? 2013 was a tipping point on our journey to become a re-manufacturer, renewable energy provider and architect of the circular economy. This makes us stand out from the crowd and positions us as the champion of sustainability. It also benefits our customers through increased efficiencies and cost savings, and helps them to meet their sustainability targets. With customer partnerships lasting up to 35 years, going the extra mile for them is really fundamental to how we operate.

No challenge is too great for us. We are converting food and beverage waste into renewable fuels and compost, transformed wastewater to a level of purity that it could be used in manufacturing, and even extracted green energy and plastics from what was left over. Veolia is also working on the front line of North Sea gas rig decommissioning as our country moves towards a more sustainable economy and we are proud of the work we’ve done alongside partners like IBM and the London School of Economics to develop intelligent water networks and smart cities of the future. We’re serious about these future markets and invest over £50 million a year worldwide in researching and developing some of the world’s most efficient resource infrastructure technologies.

What are the benefits to the UK and what challenges does Veolia face?Since 1990, our capital investment in UK Plc has resulted in the creation of 34,000 jobs and £3.4 billion of economic benefits and we will invest a further £1 billion by 2018. As a business that reaches over half the UK’s population, we are making a real, tangible difference to society and the economy.

Winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success, is testament to our approach as is our contribution to tackling some of the most critical challenges of our time – rapid urbanisation, rising energy costs and climate change.

We are proud of this contribution, particularly during a challenging economic year for our sector which continues to feel the austerity measures affecting our public sector customers. At the same time, the commercial collection and treatment business environment remains extremely competitive.

An interview with Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland

On the road to a circular economy

Estelle Brachlianoff

Veolia Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland



And what about the natural environment?Our vision, ‘Resourcing the world’, means creating access to resources and preserving them for future generations. Despite being the UK’s leading resource management company, we now only operate nine out of the UK’s 500 landfill sites – demonstrating how our business model is focused on converting yesterday’s waste into tomorrow’s resource. When it comes to climate change, Veolia is one of the few net carbon creditors in the UK government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. This means we extract more carbon from the atmosphere than we emit – a bit like a forest!

You talk about a circular economy. Can you tell us more about that?The resource industry has a major role to play in ensuring that all materials are reused not once, but two or three times. The circular economy is one where consumed materials can be put back into the production chain to become green products and green energy. This use and recover approach is what Veolia is all about. In 2013, we created enough energy from refuse to power nearly 200,000 homes via the national grid, while in Southwark our district heating system warms 2,500 homes with energy from their own waste. Veolia’s contribution to this new circular economy is self-evident – it now represents about 20% of our business.

These are big challenges. Can Veolia do this alone?Collaboration is fundamental when we’re talking about shifting our entire economic system. We work very closely with government, customers, suppliers, non-governmental organisations, industry and academics. You will see examples of these partnerships throughout the report and in our stakeholder engagement highlights.

What role can Veolia’s 14,000- strong workforce play in this?We rely on an inclusive workforce in order to remain at the top of our game. For example, during the year I called for an end to the ‘glass ceiling’ for female employees and I am proud to say that at Veolia 30% of our Board is made up of women.

This isn’t about ticking boxes for us. It’s about securing a workforce that thinks creatively – and we believe this comes from a diversity of perspectives and backgrounds. The contribution of those who have experienced homelessness or prison is equally as important as the contribution of those with university degrees.

I am delighted to report that Veolia was named Vocational Qualifications Employer of the Year for England, showing that we value the development of our employees. Above all of this, the safety of our people remains our top priority and I am pleased to see a 12% reduction in workplace accidents. Going forward, we pledge to create 28,000 more jobs for local people from our investment programme by 2018.




How is Veolia bringing value to its communities?We have attempted to put a price on the social value that a business like Veolia can bring to people in the surrounding area. Working alongside our client, the London Borough of Southwark, we estimate that every £1 spent by Veolia in our waste management services contract will deliver £2.09 worth of social value. This value comes from the services we provide with an additional £28.05 resulting from every £1 we spend on community projects such as supporting social enterprises, working with community groups and giving recycling education lessons to pupils from local schools. Through the Veolia Environmental Trust, £4.7 million was awarded to community and environmental initiatives up and down the country.

We’ve been getting more people than ever in our neighbourhoods ‘back to business’ through our suite of work and training initiatives that focus on those at the margins of society. We filled 81 work placements for ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed, while our apprenticeship programme went from strength to strength, supporting 354 apprentices, exceeding our target of 300.

So what’s next?Our strategy to resource the world is ambitious and long term. We will explore even more untapped markets where we can apply our know-how to mega resource challenges; we will build on our own culture of innovation and facilitate consumer behaviour change towards a more circular mindset. There’s much to do but we are driven by our clear vision for a smarter, more sustainable world.


http://www.veoliatrust.org



Our services

£1.7bn2013 TURNOVER

Recycling and waste management

Water and wastewater management

Veolia is the UK’s leading recycling and waste management company. From refuse collection to recycling, waste treatment to street cleansing, we provide services to thousands of businesses across the UK.

Veolia Water provides water and wastewater management services throughout the UK. As water experts, we understand how to manage the water cycle and can meet the challenges associated with providing and reusing water.

WE PROVIDE

The UK leader in environmental solutions, Veolia provides a comprehensive range of water and waste management services for a wide spectrum of public and private customers. Last year saw us merge our water and waste businesses, enabling us to go even further as one UK operation.

It is estimated that 20% of our turnover is already a result of a growing portfolio of ‘circular’ products and services and this will increase as we become an environmental solutions provider that is resourcing the world.

Our aim is simple – to help our customers reduce costs and improve resource management. In doing so, we are helping approximately half the UK population see production and consumption differently.

A unique business



Where you’ll find us

of the UK population

employees

SERVING

Headquartered in London

%

14,000

SINCE 1990, WE HAVE

By creating access to resources, and preserving and replenishing them for generations to come, we will support the UK’s journey towards a circular economy – an economy that

is predicted to generate £330 billion across Europe, creating 160,000 new jobs.

Invested £1.2 billion

in UK plc

Created 34,000 jobs

Generated £3.4 billion in economic

activity

BY 2018we will invest a further £1 billion

A unique business



We see a future in which end-of-life resources are transformed back into products that enrich our lives and can power our homes and industry, and in which production and consumption go hand in hand. We call this the circular economy.

Our vision and strategy

In today’s linear economy, we are missing opportunities to create new products and clean energy from consumed materials.

MAKE USE DISCARD

We all face challenges of rapid urbanisation, rising energy costs and climate change. Yet our society continues to consign precious materials to landfill.

Why do we need a circular economy?Linear economy



In a circular economy nothing is wasted

What is Veolia doing?Veolia’s role in the circular economy will be as a re-manufacturer, energy supplier, innovator in the green economy and supporter of the natural environment.

Our strategy to resource the world is based on manufacturing green products and energy, and helping our customers and suppliers reduce their carbon impact by providing solutions for the most complex challenges they face.

As a country we must look at alternative energy and heat sources; energy from waste is one that is still not fully realised. We could produce 10% of the UK’s renewable energy through this technology.

To make the switch from a resource consumption rationale to a use-and-recover approach in today’s circular economy, Veolia designs and implements solutions aimed at improving access to resources, while protecting and renewing them.

Resourcing the world


Circular economy



To show we are serious about this mission, we’ve made public commitments both financially and with regard to our societal and environmental impact, with accountability at the highest levels of Veolia.

A different kind of strategy

OUR COMMITMENTS

We will diversify our business to offer high value resource

management solutions to customers

We will partner with businesses that align

to our vision

We will invest in growth markets and

industrial clients

We will help society see production

and consumption differently

We will establish a culture of innovation

to secure a diverse range of talents




Talking points: cities of 2050

“More collaborative consumption will be achieved as technologies are implemented by piggy-backing on existing consumption mechanisms in urban environments.”

Dr Savvas Verdis

Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Infrastructure Economist at Siemens

Our cities are slowly unlocking themselves from unsustainable consumption and spatial development patterns. To transform our economy into a circular one, investment is needed to reduce the payback periods of water, waste and energy technologies, and plan dense urban spaces on which these technologies can thrive.

We are still locked in lifestyle choices that are cheap in the short run but expensive in the long run. To kick-start our transition to a circular economy, technology and infrastructure investments will need to be made, and these are more likely to succeed in urban areas that benefit from economies of scale.

By looking at two very different scenarios for the cities of 2050, our joint report with Veolia argues that more collaborative consumption will be achieved as technologies are implemented by piggy-backing on existing consumption

mechanisms in urban environments. For example, running a waste-to-heat district network or creating transport-sharing schemes in densely populated areas.

Markets alone cannot deliver this change, as the business-as-usual scenario is still cheaper than the proposed technology-driven one. Strong government intervention is required to incentivise new spatial development patterns as well as penalising polluters at the point of origin. An example of thinking outside the box and into the future, the Imagine 2050 report explores how the delivery of collaborative consumption technologies can be accelerated.



Our performance during the year reflects the initial benefits of our transformation plan and we are proud to have achieved or exceeded most of what we planned to. However, we are also clear that the vision of moving our business,

and our economy, towards a circular economy calls for targets that push our innovation to new limits. Therefore, we have not achieved some of our objectives and this means we can keep challenging ourselves to do more.

Our strategy is already delivering tangible business benefits as we work towards becoming a sustainability champion. We’re a better business for it.

Commitments and progress

PEOPLE

Marketplace Workplace Community

Commitment Performance Commitment Performance Commitment Performance

Maintain > 75% brand awareness

79% Reduce the number of accidents in the workplace by 30%

11% reduction 40 grant applications for the Environmental Trust sponsored by our people

47 applications

Reduce Environment Agency compliance classification scores to <1

Achieved

Create one plan to improve organisation diversity in management per region

Achieved

2013 commitments and progress



PLANET



Implement 5 innovations focusing on environmental efficiency and leadership

5 innovations Maintain carbon performance ratio above 1

1.03 CPR Implement biodiversity action plans at 95% of significant sites

100%

Sell 60,000 (30 litre) bags of compost

63,501 bags Achieve a 5% increase in saved emissions

2.8%

Export 10,000 ‘biscuits’ – solid fuel from waste

5,126 biscuits

Sell 25,000 litres of ‘soup’ – liquid fuel from waste

27,003 litres

PERFORMANCE



Achieve £134.7m operating income

£129.9m Achieve employee engagement score of 71%

62% Generate 120,000 MWh of energy for district heating schemes

133,651 MWh

Achieve £-7m free cash flow

£22.5m Achieve employee leadership score of 70%

64%

Employ 300 apprentices

354 apprentices

2013 commitments and progress




Marketplace Marketplace Community

PEOPLE Achieve 85% brand awareness

Reduce Lost Time Injury Frequency rate by 10%Increase employee diversity score by 2% (baseline 2013)Increase employee engagement and leadership scores by 2% (baseline 2013)

50 grant applications for the Environmental Trust sponsored by our people

PLANET Sell 10 million litres of ‘soup’ - liquid fuel from food waste

Ensure our Environment Agency compliance classification scores are <1Sell 174,000 (30 litre) bags of compostBecome a net carbon positive busines

Implement and maintain biodiversity action plans at 100% of significant sitesGenerate 11,550GWh of energy and 130,000MWh of heat from waste for communities

PERFORMANCE Achieve £196.2m operating cash flowAchieve £27.2m free cash flowAchieve supplier satisfaction (tier 1) of 64%

20 new ideas submitted to the innovation forum (5 piloted to market)Increase energy production at Seafield wastewater treatment plant by 20%

2014 commitments

The 2013 targets and records of progress do not include Veolia Water, which merged with Veolia Environmental Services in 2013. The 2014 targets incorporate Water and Environmental Services as one organisation.

We deliver on our commitments through rigorous policies and governance structures. We’ve publicly set company-wide targets, which are linked to employee remuneration systems. And as part of our stakeholder engagement, we’re also setting sustainability targets for suppliers, and helping customers measure and manage their impact.

While the numbers keep us on track, our performance is best told through the stories of real people and places, which you will find throughout this review. For our work in integrating sustainability throughout our business in 2013, Veolia won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success. We also came second in Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index.




Our stakeholders are helping us become a better business. We are working with government, customers, non-governmental organisations, industry and academics to address the UK’s challenges around water, energy and waste.

Having a regular dialogue with our stakeholders helps to build lasting relationships, opens a forum for constructive debate, and challenges us to do better. We try to wield our influence on social and environmental issues as a force for good through our position papers.

Examples of engagement• Back2Business work placements and training for those marginalised or excluded from mainstream

employment including ReStart for the long-term unemployed, Welfare to Work partnerships, and rehabilitation for ex-offenders and homeless clients

• Participated in the Speakers for Schools and Inspiring the Future programmes, which offer career insights for young children

• Waste campaigns, for example Love Food Hate Waste

• ‘Tiger Tracks’ support with Save the Wild Tigers at St Pancras station, London

• £4.7 million awarded to community projects via the Veolia Environmental Trust

• Partnered with social enterprises at 55% of our household waste and recycling centres

Outcomes• Filled 54 placements for the long-term unemployed through our ReStart programme

• Facility Open Days attracted over 3,800 visitors across the UK

• We have engaged over 110,000 pupils and 66,000 members of the public on waste and water awareness and environmental issues since 2010

To focus on the issues that matter most to our business and to our stakeholders, we undertake an annual assessment of the environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities – a materiality review. In 2013, we asked 273 stakeholders where they believed we should be focusing going forward. These areas included long-term thinking and environmental compliance; innovation and customer satisfaction; health and safety; and apprenticeships and engaging schools.

Stakeholder engagement

Getting to know our neighbourhoods

Communities




Examples of engagement• Position papers on key issues facing our society and the environment, available to all

• Provided evidence to the House of Lords EU Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment and Energy as part of their inquiry into the EU’s contribution to food waste prevention

• Member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation; active participant in its Project Mainstream on the circular economy

• Worked with a cross-party parliamentary group to create a standardised Social Value framework

• Two graduates seconded to Defra to work on the Red Tape Challenge

• Through PolicyConnect, we are an active member of the Sustainable Resource Forum and of the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group

• Developed solutions to help the government tackle challenging waste streams such as radioactive waste and the decommissioning of oil rigs and shipyards

Outcomes• We offered our perspective on the Social Value Act: “Calculating social value will be problematic as

there is currently no recognised model to measure it. With this in mind, we urge government to set up a task group to develop such a model.” MP Hazel Blears is now working with us to move this forward

• Working with The Sustainable Business Partnership to calculate the social impact of our activities within the London Borough of Southwark has enabled us to consider impacts and outcomes across project activities, which we can further use in ongoing bids

Sharing with government and civil society

Government


http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/



Examples of engagement Customers:• Created London’s first energy from waste district heating network

• Customers have shown significant interest in our ‘soup’ and ‘biscuit’ facilities

• Circulated e-newsletters and held webinars

• Improved how we listen to customers

• Held a technology day for private finance customers

• Partnered with IBM on smart cities technology

Suppliers:• 30 audits of high-risk/high-spend suppliers using Ecovadis

• Quarterly review meetings, supplier questionnaires and action plans

• Free workshops in sustainability and setting CO2 targets

• Shared best practice at ASDA Question Time panel

• Re-certification by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply accreditation

• One of the first companies to sign Business in the Community’s Access Pledge for a fair and transparent supply chain

• Free, no-obligation site audit to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) minimise waste production

• Shared our experiences at The Prince’s Seeing is Believing programme for responsible procurement

Outcomes • Brand awareness increased by 3% to 79%

• Companies like McDonald’s and Superdrug have all benefited from our better listening training

• Supplier satisfaction scores (tier 1 suppliers) 66%

• CO2 baselines calculated for 10 tier 1 suppliers

• 68 attendees from 61 supplier businesses at our SME sustainability workshop. Over 90% of attendees identified themselves as CR advocates afterwards

In touch with customers and suppliers

Marketplace


http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/access-pledge



Examples of engagement • Employee engagement survey

• Intranet and internal blogs on sustainability

• Board roadshows and Board member site visits

• Poster campaigns and ‘Toolbox Talks’ on health and safety

• Green office programme – increase recycling, improve energy efficiency and reduce water usage at all our sites

• Innovation forums to capture employee business ideas

• Well-established apprenticeship programme

Outcomes • Interim employee survey revealed 61% rated Veolia as being on track for delivering on our

engagement plans

• Veolia won Vocational Qualifications Employer of the Year for England

• 354 positions for apprentices

In dialogue with our people

Workplace




We stand by our belief that a fairly governed business is a successful business. Veolia maintains its standards of excellence when it comes to effective governance. Operating with honesty and transparency is fundamental to our licence to operate.

Governance and sustainability management

Kevin Hurst

Marketing and Communications Director

Marguerite Ulrich

HR Director

Robert Hunt

Chief Corporate Officer

Richard Kirkman

Technical Director

Steve Shine

Chief Executive Officer - Water

Our Executive CommitteeThe Executive Committee is made up of senior-level employees whose skills and experience reflect many of the issues in this review.

Sustainability has visibility at the highest levels of the business and we embed it in our culture through robust policies and procedures. The Executive Committee, the highest governing body, agrees sustainability targets annually as part of our strategy.

Veolia Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Estelle Brachlianoff, who has overall responsibility for our strategy, leads the Committee. Personal development objectives of Committee members are linked to our environmental and social performance. An Advisory Board, made up of academics, politicians and charities, independently measures progress against targets and provides guidance on any conflicts of interest.

Estelle Brachlianoff

Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland

Pat GilroyC.O.O Industrial Customers UK & Country Director Veolia Ireland

David Gerrard

Chief Financial Officer

Celia Gough

Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary

Gavin Graveson

Chief Operating Officer - Public and Commercial



RiskWe keep a close eye on the risks our business faces. We define risk as any event that could influence the achievement of our objectives – for better (opportunities) or worse (threats). For example, we need to ensure that our facilities meet the requirements of current environmental legislation (technological risk) and that they can process a certain amount of wastewater over an extended period (operational risk). We also monitor financial risk for every contract, taking into account costs arising from expenses incurred in the complicated planning process, infrastructure build costs, operational expenses and plant maintenance including diversion costs during shutdowns. Veolia’s financial report gives further examples of risks and how we manage them.

Our comprehensive risk register details well over 100 risks that we monitor, ranging from employee safety and customer due diligence to carbon quotas and supplier default. These are mapped onto a matrix depending on their likelihood and the impact they would have on the business.

Policies and management systemsOur codes of conduct and policies set out Veolia’s values and ethical obligations. Our policies and processes help us identify, mitigate and manage operational risks. These policies are reviewed regularly to ensure continual improvement. We involve stakeholders in this review process, including our trade unions, our staff council and organisations such as Stonewall that reviewed a selection of our employee policies for suitability for lesbian, gay and bisexual members of staff.

We collect data and monitor our impacts using an integrated management system. This captures data on environmental, quality, and health and safety performance, as well as procurement, finance, fleet and human resources data. All of our waste management sites are accredited to ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001, demonstrating not only our commitment to compliance, but also to continually improving our quality, environmental, and health and safety performance. We will ensure our water sites are certified by 2015.

Governance and sustainability management



Resourcing the world is not about raising our profile; it is our business plan. However, gaining recognition from expert organisations helps us drive momentum and challenge ourselves to do more.

Awards and recognition

“It is an honour to be recognised by Her Majesty the Queen for the work we have done over the last five years transforming the business. This award highlights the work all 14,000 members of staff have undertaken to continue to drive the business forward – for us sustainability is not part of our business, it is our business!” Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland



In 2013, our creativity and innovation inspired others to think beyond waste, and helped us to win awards. These included:

Queen’s Award

For Enterprise in Sustainable Development

Vocational Qualification Employer of the Year

The Edge Foundation

Four-star rating and second overall

Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index

Big Ticks

Workplace Talent and Skills, Business in the Community Climate Change

Estelle Brachlianoff receives...

...CBI’s First Women Business of the Year Award

Partnership Initiative of the Year

Water Industry Achievement Awards

Four sites achieved...

...Wildlife Trust Biodiversity Benchmark certification

Gold

Transport for London’s Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme

Awards and recognition

Estelle Brachlianoff receives



The Veolia Sustainability Report follows the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 Guidelines. GRI has verified that the report is prepared according to the GRI Guidelines, at Application Level B. To view the Standard Disclosures and what Indicators we have reported, download our Global Reporting Initiative index.

Global Reporting Initiative index

This Sustainability Report summarises our performance for the 2013 calendar and financial year. The report covers all Veolia water, recycling and waste management operations across the UK.

The report has used the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines – Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to Application Level B+. To view the Standard Disclosures and what Indicators we have reported please see the Global Reporting Initiative index.

Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd (LRQA) was commissioned by Veolia to assure its web-based 2013 Sustainability Report for the calendar year 2013.

In 2013, the scope of this reporting expanded to cover Veolia Water, which merged with the business in 2013.

Assurance

http://www.veolia.co.uk/sustainabilityreport/our-approach/gri

http://www.veolia.co.uk/sustainabilityreport/our-approach/gri



Preserving resourcesVeolia is finding new ways to create access to resources, and preserve and replenish them for generations to come. The precious materials we recover can be recycled, reprocessed and reused, again and again.

From providing monitoring systems that save drinking water to protecting threatened habitats and wildlife, Veolia’s creative solutions mean that customers can cut their use of fossils fuels and water, and reduce their waste. This is a vital contribution to the UK’s journey towards a circular economy and sustainable development.

By operating fewer landfill sites than our competitors (despite being the market leader), we are making a vital contribution towards the UK’s target to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 35% of 1995 levels by 2020. To make this happen, we’ve made commitments on pollution, natural resource preservation, biodiversity, combating climate change and raising awareness of environmental issues. In 2013, we made our voice clear on key policy issues such as the Industrial Emissions Directive, air pollution control and recycling incinerator bottom ash .

We save more carbon than we

emit, making us a carbon-positive

business

Converted over 1.8 million

tonnes of waste into enough clean

energy to power nearly 200,000

homes

4 more sites have achieved The

Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark certification

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/Industrial-Emissions-Directive/

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/Air-Pollution-Control-Residential/

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/Incinerator-bottom-ash/



Talking points: working for a carbon-positive business

“Agreement of a new global climate treaty will help facilitate the delivery of a low-carbon circular economy, and Veolia will be part of this journey.”

Charlotte Kyle

Senior Environmental Officer, Veolia

While working at the forefront of carbon and environmental issues over the past eight years, I have become increasingly aware of the urgency of reducing emissions, saving resources and protecting the environment. The climate is changing before our eyes, with extreme weather events already affecting the communities in which we live and impacts set to increase significantly in the coming years. We need to act now to create a safe and sustainable world for future generations. The clear and present driver for industry is to save on energy costs, which will deliver this carbon reduction.

This is an important time, and an exciting one. There is an opportunity to help build a new low-carbon world where nothing is wasted and everything is a resource, reducing the pressure on the finite resources available to a population that will reach over 9 billion by 2050. I am proud to work for a business that displaces more carbon than it emits thanks to our unique approach to energy and material recovery. It’s also great to play a part in how we streamline our own operations and those of our customers to be more carbon efficient.

I’m optimistic about the future and hope that a new global climate treaty can be agreed between countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2015 to drive forward the required reductions in carbon emissions. This is slowly gathering momentum as the UK has strengthened its carbon targets by cancelling 36 million tonnes of unused carbon allowances in its first carbon budget (2008–2012), and the US plans to reduce carbon emissions from power plants by 30% over 2005 levels by 2030 – this is paving the way for significant global progress. Agreement of a new global climate treaty will help facilitate the delivery of a low-carbon circular economy, and Veolia will be part of this journey.

Let’s make value from sustainable business and protect our finite environment along the way.



It will also reduce our own exposure to fluctuating energy prices. By working at the heart of the water–energy–waste nexus, we are helping to tackle climate change. We remain one of the few net carbon creditors in the UK government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, achieving net emissions of 269,000 tonnes CO2 – emissions saved from the atmosphere as a result of our circular economy approach.

Our carbon footprintOur direct emissions (excluding Veolia Water, which merged with Veolia Environmental Services in 2013) decreased in 2013 mainly due

to a 17% reduction in methane emissions from landfill. Indirect emissions from electricity consumption remained steady, despite an 8% increase in the overall waste managed. We avoided a further 8% of emissions thanks to more efficient recovery of materials including glass, plastics and metals.

The Water operations generated 48,500 MWh of renewable energy from biogas and biomass, reducing its direct and indirect emissions by over 15,000 tonnes CO2e and exporting some of the electricity to the national grid.

Our business strategy to become a re-manufacturer, clean energy provider and innovator will reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Tackling climate change

“Veolia is a business that thrives on helping other companies to reduce their own environmental impact, so it is great to see them continue to hold the Carbon Trust Standard in 2013, which was first achieved by Veolia in 2010.”Darran Messem, Managing Director – Certification, The Carbon Trust



2011 Veolia Environmental Services*



2013 Veolia Water**

Direct emissions (scope 1) (tonnes CO2e)

1,159,905 1,202,345 1,133,663 5,428

Indirect emissions (scope 2) (tonnes CO2e)

26,416 31,837 32,766 36,613

Avoided emissions (tonnes CO2e)

1,069,245 1,168,953 1,202,780 134

Direct ‘scope 1’ emissions are those associated with fuel consumption and positive emissions of carbon (for example from vehicles, the operation of materials recovery facilities (MRF) and fugitive methane emissions from landfill).

Indirect ‘scope 2’ emissions are those associated with electricity consumption at facilities.

Avoided emissions are due to recovering materials for recycling at MRFs, recovering electricity and heat for export at Energy Recovery Facilities, and recovering electricity for export from landfills.

*Veolia Environmental Services’ footprint has been restated for all years to account for material changes to the conversion factors provided by Defra for company reporting purposes.

**These are the baseline emissions since the regulated part of the business was sold in June 2012. Future annual emissions will be compared against this baseline.

For more environmental data, please visit our environmental performance data page.

Greenhouse gas emissions (tonnes CO2e)

Veolia Environmental Services*

Veolia Water**

Direct emissions (scope 1)

Indirect emissions (scope 2)

Avoided emissions

2011

2012

2013

2013

0

0

50,000

50,000

100,000

100,000

150,000

150,000

200,000

200,000

250,000

250,000

1,159,905

1,202,345

1,133,663

5,428

26,416

31,837

32,766

1,069,245

1,168,953

1,202,780

13436,613




Recovering methane from landfill sitesWe have adopted technologies to capture methane generated from landfill sites, achieving a capture rate of 86%. In order to capture more methane emitted, at the majority of our internally operated sites we have deployed systems which automatically vary the rate of extraction depending on the quantity and quality of methane being emitted.

2011 2012 2013

Carbon performance ratio 0.90 0.95 1.03

What’s the difference between CO2 and CO2e?On this page you’ll see references both to CO2 and to CO2e. CO2 is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas emitted as a result of burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. However, carbon dioxide isn’t the only greenhouse gas, so CO2e – or carbon dioxide equivalent – is used to measure emissions of other greenhouse gases.

Making carbon savingsWe are proud to report that the carbon emissions saved from recovering materials and the export of energy has exceeded those emitted in all of our recycling and waste operations in 2013. We are continually striving to optimise efficiencies in order to improve our carbon footprint, and this is demonstrated by the improvement in the carbon performance ratio from 2011 to 2013.

20110

1.0

0.5

2012 2013

0.90 0.95 1.03

Carbon performance ratioThe carbon performance ratio (CPR) is the calculation of avoided emissions divided by direct + indirect emissions. When the CPR is greater than 1, the carbon emitted is offset by the carbon avoided.




Households heated by their own wasteVeolia has partnered with Southwark Council to launch London’s first energy from waste district heating network. Energy generated from the South-East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP) facility provides heat to 2,500 homes in Bermondsey, Southwark.

1 Black bags of refuse are collected from Southwark homes.2 Black bags are taken to the Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility.3 Recyclables are extracted from black bag waste. Remaining black bag waste is decomposed to create

a fuel for energy recovery. 4 Fuel is taken to SELCHP.5 Energy recovered by burning the fuel is used to heat water. The rest of the energy in the fuel is made

into electricity and exported to the National Grid where it powers homes and businesses.6 Hot water is piped to Southwark homes near SELCHP.

The pioneering scheme presents a viable alternative to traditional gas-fired boilers and will provide sustainable and secure heating for the five estates in Bermondsey. The network will reduce carbon emissions by 8,000 tonnes each year, the equivalent of taking 2,700 cars off the road. This will equate to long-term energy cost savings to residents.

Our eight Energy Recovery Facilities transform waste into electricity. In 2013, we converted over 1.8 million tonnes of waste into clean energy and sold sufficient energy to the national grid to power nearly 200,000 homes. This is the circular economy in action.

Energy recovery

Southwark District Heating

Process35

4

1

26



£7 million investment in the project

1–2 weeks is the time needed to turn the black bag waste into fuel for energy

recovery

8,000 tonnes of CO2 saved every year

1.2 miles is the distance from

Southwark to SELCHP

2,500 Southwark homes benefit from secure, sustainable

long-term heat

2 miles is the length of the pipe network

that is used to transport hot water

to homes

District heating by numbers

Find out more about how we are recovering energy from waste in our animation.

Clean energy for Scottish WaterWe’ve been working closely with Scottish Water at Seafield, which treats the wastewater for nearly 1 million people in Edinburgh. The plant is now around 75% self-sufficient in electricity from biogas with the aim of reaching 100% in 2014.

Energy recovery

http://www.veolia.co.uk/media/media/videos#read



Many of our operating sites offer important habitats for wildlife. Using our own tried and tested tools, we are implementing biodiversity action plans at all of our sites with significant ecological interest.

Our approach emphasises working in partnership with local environmental associations and communities. A collaborative approach enables us to target the most threatened species, work more efficiently and add credibility to our efforts. For example, we continued our long-

standing partnership with The Wildlife Trust and distributed biodiversity kits containing bee ‘hotels’ and beetle logs, as well as ladybird towers and bird boxes, to schools around the UK.

In 2013, we identified sites around the UK on which to use our own biodiversity diagnostic toolkit. From this, we have created biodiversity action plans to ensure that flora and fauna flourish at our sites.

Biodiversity

“We are pleased to award Biodiversity Benchmarks to four of Veolia’s sites. They demonstrate true commitment to protecting and enhancing fauna and flora in the areas where they operate, which is vital if we are to have an environment that we can all enjoy long into the future.” Colin Preston, CEO, Shropshire Wildlife Trust



Bees and other insects pollinate the majority of our fruit and vegetables. Without them, it is estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their crops.

We are helping to protect bees by installing beehives at our facilities, such as the six hives located at our facility in South-East London, and our hives in Pitsea.

This helps with the vital conservation of bee populations, providing a safe haven for bee colonies while providing us with some Veolia honey!

Beehives installed at Veolia sites

Buzzing about new team members

Power stations use large volumes of water as boiler feed. This water has to be produced to an even higher standard of purity than drinking water. Veolia has designed, built and maintains a system to take treated wastewater from a nearby sewage treatment plant and clean it to the level that is needed for boiler water feed. With financial benefits for the sewage works, the power station and Veolia, this innovation is a triple win. It also reduces discharge into the local estuary, supporting this fragile habitat.

Wastewater used in power stations

A triple win for estuary habitats

Biodiversity



Four of our sites, Pitsea, Coalmoore, Smalley Hill and Croft Farm, have achieved The Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark certification. This is awarded to companies that manage land to the highest standard to ensure that it attracts a diverse range of wildlife. Veolia hosts free tours for specialist groups and local schools to see wildlife such as water voles, great crested newts and lizards.

We’ve installed a green roof on our wastewater treatment works in Peacehaven, in partnership with Southern Water. Equivalent in size to three football pitches, this is the UK’s largest green roof and one of the largest in Europe. It is planted with grasses to help it blend into the surrounding landscape.

Our Chineham Energy Recovery Facility in Hampshire was also designed to blend in with its local surroundings. The roof features heath plants that attract local wildlife, including insects and butterflies, which in turn attract birds.

Standards of excellence in wildlife conservation

Attracting wildlife and soaking up carbon

More biodiversity benchmarks

UK’s largest green roof

Biodiversity



All data in this section is for Veolia Environmental Services since the water business became part of Veolia in 2013. The exception to this is the emissions data which incorporates data from the water business.

CO2 is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas emitted as a result of burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. However, carbon dioxide isn’t the only greenhouse gas, so CO2e – or carbon dioxide equivalent – is used to measure emissions of other greenhouse gases.

Energy

Direct energy consumption (CO2e) 2011 2012 2013

Diesel fuel used in fleet 112,200 110,242 106,325

Diesel fuel used in plant 23,558 22,737 22,968

Indirect energy consumption (kWh) 2011 2012 2013

Electricity consumed - non-renewables

23,290,660 27,021,020 27,219,610

Electricity consumed - renewables

35,145,740 42,186,190 46,333,210

Total electricity consumed 58,436,400 69,207,210 73,552,820

Environmental performance data

Our carbon footprint has been restated for all years in order to account for material changes to the conversion factors provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for company reporting purposes.

Emissions

Emissions (tonnes CO2e)2011 Veolia Environmental Services*



2013 Veolia Water**

Direct emissions (scope 1) 1,159,905 1,202,345 1,133,663 5,428

Indirect emissions (scope 2) 26,416 31,837 32,766 36,613

Avoided emissions 1,069,245 1,168,953 1,202,780 134



CO2 is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas emitted as a result of burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. However, carbon dioxide isn’t the only greenhouse gas, so CO2e – or carbon dioxide equivalent – is used to measure emissions of other greenhouse gases.

Air (tonnes) 2011 2012 2013

Landfill gas captured for flaring and gas utilisation

358,709 369,915 388,057

Capture rate of landfill gas 83.7 84.68 87.65

Direct ‘scope 1’ emissions are those associated with fuel consumption and positive emissions of carbon (for example from vehicles, the operation of materials recovery facilities (MRF) and methane emissions from landfill).

Indirect ‘scope 2’ emissions are those associated with electricity consumption at facilities.

Avoided emissions are due to recovering materials for recycling at MRFs, recovering electricity and heat for export at Energy Recovery Facilities and recovering electricity for export from landfills.

*Veolia Environmental Services’ footprint has been restated for all years to account for material changes to the conversion factors provided by Defra for company reporting purposes.

**Baseline emissions since the regulated part of the business was sold in June 2012. Future annual emissions will be against this baseline.

Veolia Environmental Services has been reporting the carbon footprint for all its activities since 1999, and Veolia Water since 2008. The carbon-footprint methodology is based on the Veolia measurement and reporting protocols, which are consistent with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative, the International Accounting Standards of international financial reporting, the greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement and reporting transport protocol developed by Entreprises pour l’Environnement and Veolia Environnement, the International Panel on Climate Change methodologies and the GHG Protocol of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Where applicable, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s conversion factors for company reporting have also been used.

Waste

Waste handled (tonnes) 2011 2012 2013

Total waste collected 4,475,500 4,848,337 4,705,110

Total waste received at composting facilities

165,940 194,170 203,470

Total waste received at incinerators

1,679,310 1,861,840 1,864,870

Total waste received at landfills

4,651,930 3,312,060 4,108,000

Total hazardous waste treated

337,680 339,970 338,090




Recovered materials (tonnes)* 2011 2012 2013

Paper and cardboard 438,650 500,540 481,400

Plastics 59,550 69,750 94,730

Glass 145,390 160,970 197,400

Ferrous metals 45,990 36,940 39,500

Non-ferrous metals 5,490 5,740 6,190

*Output from sorting and transfer only

Collected recyclables (tonnes) 2011 2012 2013

Solid source separated materials collected by municipal contracts from households

780,130 932,500 915,040

Solid source separated materials collected by commercial contracts

168,350 258,130 290,150

Water

Water (cubic meters) 2011 2012 2013

Potable – mains water 1,028,358 1,200,422 1,220,606

Non-potable – groundwater

12,546 21,507 7,924




Changing the landscape of resource managementRapid urbanisation, rising energy costs and climate change are three of the greatest challenges of our time. Our strategy as re-manufacturer, clean energy provider and innovator is helping customers tackle these issues, shaping a circular economy for all.

We work alongside our suppliers, customers, stakeholders and some of the country’s best research talent in a marketplace that touches the entire UK population. Our know-how in water, energy and waste is creating a new perspective on production and consumption.

Our strategy focuses on helping clients with complex resource management challenges by giving them bespoke solutions that are profitable and environmentally sound. These solutions increasingly focus on energy and re-manufactured products, which already represent about 20% of our revenue.

Brand awareness up to 79% (against our

target of 75%)

Veolia’s know-how spans the entire

water cycle, from providing

water services to cleaning wastewater

and harnessing green energy

We invest over £50 million a

year worldwide in researching and developing some

of the world’s most efficient resource

infrastructure technologies



Talking points: view from a customer

“We were looking for a partner we could trust to enable our sustainability vision and be a key player in helping us find solutions to a range of complex challenges.”

Dr Forbes McDougall

Global Solid Waste Leader, Procter & Gamble

Many types of waste can be put to good use. It’s what we call ‘worth from waste’ and is part of Procter & Gamble’s long-term sustainability vision to cut the consumer and manufacturing waste we send to landfill – to zero.

When Veolia became our waste-management contractor for our manufacturing sites’ distribution centres in the UK in 2010, we were looking for a partner we could trust to enable our sustainability vision and be a key player in helping us find solutions to a range of complex challenges. Back then P&G’s beneficial reuse rate (reuse, recycling and recovery) for waste materials stood at a respectable but uninspiring 66%, and we wanted Veolia to help us raise the bar and realise the true worth of all waste streams across all of our sites. There were many different materials and waste streams involved. In partnership with local P&G sites, Veolia reviewed and analysed all of them and recommended potential solutions. At the Reading aerosol manufacturing plant, for example, it was essential to be able to recycle every component of the aerosol cans. The solution is comprehensive – the propellant gases are extracted, the metal

cans are recycled and the organic liquid is processed for secondary liquid fuel, which can be used as an alternative fuel source in the energy-intensive cement industry.

Used cardboard boxes were another material that was seen to have potentially more value than simple materials recycling. Veolia sourced a supplier to sort, palletise and transport these boxes to enable the recovery of more value via P&G’s reuse programme. For other types of waste, it helped that Veolia had the capability to recycle or recover energy from materials through their own network of local facilities.

The result of our collaboration and innovation is that P&G’s Reading manufacturing facility has achieved zero waste to landfill status, as have most of our UK sites, and our overall beneficial reuse rate for all UK sites this year is 97%. Veolia was a key enabler of this – providing a comprehensive service that considered all waste streams and investigated environmentally friendly and innovative alternatives to disposal.



Ensuring our customers always come first is fundamental to our growth strategy. New-business wins, customer retention and industry awards are testament to the innovation and seamless service we offer. In 2013, Veolia Environmental Services achieved an overall 3%

increase in our independent brand-awareness study. Our scores for innovation and corporate responsibility both increased by 5%, indicating an improved public perception of us as an innovative environmental service provider.

Putting customers firstVeolia brings pioneering resource management solutions to customers up and down the country. These infrastructure services are highly specialised and often the first of their kind.

“Veolia continues to provide a reliable and effective level of service across London Luton Airport. Their in-depth knowledge of the history and infrastructure is invaluable in providing support in many areas across the site.” London Luton Airport, Veolia client



In 2013, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK threw away £463 million in landfill tax by sending waste that could have been recycled to landfill. Working together with these businesses, Veolia offers a free, no-obligation site audit to show how to minimise waste production, what materials a business can recover and how to increase recycling participation, as well as identifying resale or reuse opportunities for recycled materials.

Water management is part of London Luton Airport’s climate change strategy but across the airport the capacity, condition and serviceability of water assets and infrastructure, as well as water quality and usage, were largely unknown.

Our contribution? Our work included a comprehensive programme of maintenance and asset management, responsibility for the customer service and billing of around 100 tenants and meter points, flood risk mitigation and environmental compliance.

Unaccounted-for water, including leakage, has been reduced from more than 40% to around 12%. We now forecast shortages in system capacity and respond immediately to any network problems. Customer enquiries, complaints, technical support requests and emergency response have also improved.

Giving smaller businesses a hand

Water savings taking off

Working together in 2013

Helping SMEs cut their landfill tax

London Luton Airport: water and wastewater services

Putting customers first



Our contracts with customers have lasted up to 35 years. We work side by side with them to develop sustainability goals and identify areas for improvement, helping meet or exceed targets ahead of time with help from our tailored behaviour-change campaigns.

Working collaboratively with each customer through a ‘consultancy’ approach is critical to enabling us to deliver bespoke, tailored solutions, as laid out in our vision. Customers like McDonald’s Restaurants and Superdrug have all benefited from these bespoke services. See more stories from our customers.

In partnership with customers

Partnerships built to last

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) needed an uninterrupted supply of 1,200m3 of drinking water and 960m3 of filtered seawater to serve our Armed Forces. The original plant had become too hazardous to access and the bespoke plant required a new location. Security and quality of water supply were of paramount importance.

Our contribution? Veolia designed and constructed a new seawater desalination plant in a gorge next to the existing plant, allowing easy access and integration with the infrastructure. This long-term project provides the MoD with a sustainable water supply that complies with environmental regulations as well as their own strict security and reliability criteria. The recovered energy has been increased by 40%, giving the MoD a significant cost saving.

Ensuring a secure, quality water supply

Ministry of Defence (Gibraltar): seawater desalination

Putting customers first

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Documents/Publications/Main/Proud%20Case%20Studies%20-%20August%202014.PDF



Inventing new ways of bringing green products, clean energy and water to our customers requires thinking outside the box. Veolia invests over £50 million a year worldwide in researching and developing some of the world’s most efficient resource infrastructure technologies.

Our customers benefit from our creative thinking – whether it’s decommissioning an oil rig or providing technical services, our innovative technologies maximise the value that can be extracted from precious resources and give them a new lease of life so they can be used again and again. Veolia’s know-how spans the entire water

cycle, from providing water services to cleaning wastewater and harnessing green energy.

Our experts collaborate with industry on ideas to reduce costs and improve efficiency. From airports and retail giants, to local shops and small businesses, Veolia’s culture of innovation is making a tangible difference to our customers and society.

Looking ahead, we aim to use our innovation forum to put new innovation projects into practice each year. This will enable us to develop solutions for more complex issues for our customers.

Innovation

Food peelings can be transformed to liquid fuel

HOWjWE’RE INNOVATING

Renewable power with every flush

HOW WE’RE INNOVATING

Recycling every last drop


Veolia is demonstrating that it is possible to bring waste back to life


Anyone at Veolia can submit an idea to improve our business


Pro-Grow is helping preserve fragile peatlands




Resourcing the world means scanning the horizon for opportunities to create access to new resources while preserving existing resources. Anticipating future challenges and responding innovatively means we can offer the latest specialist technologies to our customers and access growing markets of the future.

Our business strategy is based on accessing high-value resource management opportunities, including complex and sensitive waste streams. Some of the ideas that enable us to target new markets derive from employees across the business through our innovation forums.

Markets of the future

The UK decommissioning market for redundant North Sea gas and oil rigs is worth £16 billion. This market is a true test of Veolia’s technical and industrial capability. We have an impressive track record both in the North Sea and Africa and we have existing contracts to decommission and recycle over 60,000 tonnes of materials from redundant plants.

The scope of the project is huge and requires careful planning and engineering to move, safely dismantle, recycle and dispose of the structures, in line with Environment Agency expectations.

A sustainable new market

A new life for oil and gas rigs



Have you ever imagined living in 2050 and how the world may look? We know that, by 2050, 70% of the world’s 9 billion population will be living in cities, and so it’s important for us, the UK’s leading sustainable business, to understand these challenges and to provide future solutions.

We joined forces with the London School of Economics to create our own ‘tale of two cities’ based on collaborative and individual approaches to the future city. Our technology team imagined the home of the future and came up with innovative ideas for daily life, including taking ultrasonic baths, living in binless homes and growing our own plastics!

To find out more watch our animation or see our talking points.

Cities and networks of the future will constantly communicate with each other. These networks will be Veolia’s future marketplace.

We’re working alongside IBM to produce innovative tools and services for our water utility customers. Our smart network technology, Veolia Integrated Intelligent Operations (ViiO), manages the network ‘intelligently’, predicting and identifying problems before they affect customers or the environment. By developing and installing ViiO in our own networks at Tidworth, Wiltshire, and those of our clients in Lyon, France, our partnership with IBM is helping to create a greener, smarter world.

Cities of 2050

A new offering for water customers

Future gazing

Intelligent networks for smart cities


http://www.veolia.co.uk/media/media/videos



We offer incineration services for low-level radioactive waste and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) produced by the decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear licensed facilities and from on- and offshore facilities in the oil and gas sector.

Permitted to accept a full range of alpha, beta and gamma radionuclides, our state-of-the-art, High Temperature Incinerator at Ellesmere Port offers the best overall environmental option for the clean and complete thermal destruction of these materials.

Applying our know-how to sensitive waste

Radioactive waste




We want to bring others with us on the journey towards a sustainable, circular economy. With an annual procurement spend of £769 million to over 7,700 suppliers, our corporate responsibility extends far beyond our own operations.

We will only work with suppliers that meet our social and environmental standards, as laid out in our procurement policy. Where a supplier is particularly high risk, we carry out a rigorous audit of its environmental, social and ethical policies. In 2013, we carried out 30 such assessments through a specialist sustainable supply chain auditor, the highest number of audits to date.

Wherever possible, we do business with small, local suppliers. We work collaboratively with them to develop action plans to improve their environmental, social and business performance.

During 2013, our team worked with 10 tier 1 suppliers to calculate their CO2 baselines and to estimate cost savings of ‘greening’ their products or processes.

Working side by side with suppliersOur annual corporate responsibility supplier workshop in 2013, attended by 61 supplier businesses, demonstrated that sustainability can be a cost-neutral or cost-positive strategy. Following the event, over 90% of participants identified themselves as advocates of corporate responsibility (CR).

We continue to be registered with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s corporate certification scheme, testament to our robust processes, strategies, policies and procedures.

Responsible procurement

Supplier satisfactionLevels of supplier satisfaction have been gradually rising and exceeded our target of 64% in 2013.



Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) currently comprise over 89% of our supplier database and receive over 49% of the £769 million we spend each year. We prioritise working with local SME suppliers in the areas where we operate in order to boost local economies.

We want anyone, anywhere, to be able to do business with us. Veolia was one of the first companies to sign Business in the Community’s Access Pledge for a fair and transparent supply chain for smaller businesses.

A special relationship with social enterprisesSocial enterprises are businesses that reinvest their profits back into the business or the local community. They have a strong presence in the UK’s most deprived communities with half the enterprises employing people who are disadvantaged in the labour market. We form long-term partnerships with these organisations in order to support them and extend the positive impact they have on local communities.

For example, we provide materials to Elixir Group in Merseyside, which trains vulnerable adults to reprocess plastic materials and electrical equipment. In Birmingham, we supply everything from furniture to bicycles to the Jericho Foundation so they can be remade, restored and resold by people who have experienced homelessness and long-term unemployment. We are currently partnering with social enterprises at 58% of our household waste and recycling centres and we plan to increase this in 2014.

We shared such experiences with other large businesses at The Prince’s Seeing is Believing programme, which brought together procurement professionals to look at new ways of making supply chains more open to SMEs and social enterprise. Going forward, we will be calculating the number of social enterprises throughout our supply chain, and discovering how we can support them further.

Supporting smaller, local businesses

“Veolia’s innovative two-way approach has encouraged us to make changes to our practices, helping us become more competitive – last year the business grew by 27%.” Veolia supplier John Dickson, Managing Director of NBC Environmental Services Ltd

http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/princes-seeing-believing

http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/princes-seeing-believing



A culture of innovationEvery day 14,000 people at Veolia work together to create smart solutions to resource management. Building an inclusive culture of innovation begins in our communities and continues through our renowned learning and development programmes. By encouraging people from different backgrounds to join our workforce, we can become more responsive to future challenges and opportunities.

We lay out our commitments as a fair and responsible employer to our workforce in our position statement. Our people strategy shows how we will become an employer of choice by up-skilling employees, driving a culture of performance and having a customer-focused agenda.

Our longstanding work on skills is rooted in our community investment and is fundamental to our vision of an inclusive workplace with a diversity of perspectives. We engage our people at all levels through our learning opportunities and we never compromise when it comes to their health, safety and wellbeing.

Vocational Qualifications

Employer of the Year for England

12% reduction in workplace

accidents

354 apprentices in placement,

against our target of 300

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/Employment---our-position/



Talking points: why different perspectives mean better business

“Veolia’s holistic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion puts it in a good position to capitalise on the skills and perspectives of its people.”

Richard Chapman-Harris

Diversity Advisor, Business in the Community

Working with Veolia it is clear to me that valuing its people and attracting the best talent is fundamental to competing in the future. Veolia’s holistic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion puts it in a good position to capitalise on the skills and perspectives of its people.

Diverse businesses are successful businesses. As Veolia has focused on changing its core business model to become more innovative, it has positioned diversity and inclusion at the core of these developments. By prioritising areas requiring attention, such as the representation of women across the company, Veolia supports the entire workforce. In a recent YouGov survey, 33% felt that greater job flexibility would make them more productive and 43% said that it would help them with stress.

Benefits such as these will help Veolia stay ahead of the game in thinking ‘outside the box’ as it develops technologies to transform waste and wastewater into products and energy. Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, welcomes change and positive

development, highlighting the value of “new faces and ideas”. Marguerite Ulrich, the Human Resources Director, is passionate that “people come in different colours, shapes, sizes and have very varied beliefs and values. But this is what is so exciting as each individual person brings something unique to a business.”

Through Veolia’s membership with Opportunity Now, Business in the Community’s gender equality campaign, we are supporting the worldwide Diversity and Equal Opportunity action plan, which focuses on four priority employee categories: women, older workers, ethnic minorities and disabled people. With Opportunity Now’s focus on gender equality and female representation throughout the workforce, we are proud to be guiding Veolia towards gender equality through our gender and race benchmarks. Veolia is engaged in our benchmark to audit and assess the work it is carrying out and this will help shape future, collaborative action.

http://opportunitynow.bitc.org.uk

http://opportunitynow.bitc.org.uk



As we are the country’s leading resource management company with a range of waste, water, energy and industrial sites, health and safety plays a fundamental role in how we operate.

In 2013, we saw a 12% reduction in workplace accidents. We are proud of this but we want to see zero accidents. With over 90% of workplace accidents caused by unsafe actions, our approach goes far beyond compliance to changing behaviours and attitudes. Each year we run a number of initiatives to raise awareness including ‘toolbox talks’ which are held regularly at depot level, and seasonal campaigns to address key issues like ‘slips, trips and falls’ every winter. We are also training employees in behaviour observation techniques to encourage colleagues to be safety aware. Going forward to 2016, WorkSafe, our workplace behaviour campaign, will highlight safe behaviours to all employees.

We partner with expert organisations on this. For instance, in conjunction with Transport for London and Cycle Confident, we have delivered safe urban driving training to over 600 drivers across the London region. The course focuses on vulnerable road users, including cyclists, and is the first accredited course in the UK to include practical, on-road cycle training for drivers. It also counts towards the 35 hours of Certificate of Professional Competence training that professional lorry drivers need to complete in 2014.

Health, safety and wellbeing



12% reduction in workplace

accidents

38% reduction in Lost Time

Incidents

34% reduction in the number of days lost due to

individuals being injured at work

36% reduction in RIDDORs

(Reporting of Injuries, Diseases

and Dangerous Occurrences)

“The energy and enthusiasm demonstrated by Veolia and their active involvement at board level demonstrate true partnership working.” The UK Government Health and Safety Executive

Helping smaller enterprises in site safetyOur approach to health and safety extends beyond our own employees to support other businesses in our neighbourhoods. Veolia is proud to be an active board member of the government’s Estates Excellence (EE) initiative.

EE targets industrial estates with poor accident histories, ill-health statistics or high fire risks. Its collaboration of businesses ‘adopt’ small and medium enterprises for six weeks to benchmark their performance, and provide training in

site safety and occupational health support. Participation is entirely voluntary and all services, including training, are provided free of charge.

Employee wellnessWe run wellness programmes, available to all our people, to encourage healthy lifestyles. These include a cycle2work discount scheme, access to a confidential helpline for personal or work-related issues, our welfare clinic including physiotherapy services, and a health check which gives employees the opportunity to have their pulse, blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked.

Health, safety and wellbeing



Our employees work most effectively in an open, dynamic and stimulating environment, where individual progression and personal welfare are prioritised.

Veolia engages employees by offering inclusive learning and development opportunities and creating safe and healthy workplaces. Although there was not a full employee engagement survey in 2013, we carried out a ‘temperature check’ survey to ensure that we are moving in the right direction in four key areas: diversity, leadership, continuity, and health and wellbeing. We have created action plans based on the responses, which came from over 62% of employees, to ensure improvements are in place at site level.

Why talent is key to business growthAt Veolia, we see all employees as talented and we do everything we can to nurture these talents. Tapping into the strengths that motivate and energise our people is how we ensure engagement and business growth:

A great place to work

Create a culture of high performance

Deliver the best service

Develop employee skills

Build a customer-focused agenda



In 2013, employee satisfaction continued to rise but we saw declines in engagement levels and leadership scores. Employees are telling us we need to listen more, celebrate our successes and move more quickly on responding to changes. We will be focusing on these areas in 2014, with a view to meeting our target of increasing our employee engagement and leadership score by 2% relative to 2013.

A culture of innovationLeading the way towards a circular economy requires a culture of innovation at Veolia. We have dedicated Change Leaders to make this happen around the business, as well as Innovation Managers to enable employees at all levels to share ideas. We give all our employees the opportunity to pitch ideas through our Innovation Forums.

A great place to work



Being a re-manufacturer and innovation leader means applying the right skills to do an outstanding job. By bringing out people’s true potential, we are better able to serve our customers, improve employee retention and become a more attractive employer.

Our commitment to learning and development is clear in our position statement and in our results. In 2013, Veolia was named Vocational Qualifications Employer of the Year for England, with 59% of employees undertaking at least one day’s training (up 2% from 2012) as a result of over £5 million of investment.

Our suite of Back2Business initiatives begins in the community and supports those from marginalised groups. We are particularly proud that our apprenticeship programme helped 354 people gain accredited vocational qualifications in 2013, our highest figure to date. Recruiting apprentices not only offers employment and skills development opportunities to address youth unemployment and skills development at a national level but also helps build an inclusive and innovative business.

Learning and development

http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/Main/Blogs-and-Podcasts/Veolias-view/Learning-and-development---our-position/



Veolia comes out on topCampus Veolia is our dedicated centre for staff training, learning and development. Upholding our continued commitment to the government’s Skills Pledge, a key focus for the Campus is providing qualifications and training to all Veolia employees.

In 2013, 1,166 employees completed or were in the process of completing a qualification, bringing the total awarded NVQs to date to more than 8,000

employees. We are on track to reach our target of all our 14,000 employees being trained to at least NVQ Level 2 by December 2014.

Education charity The Edge Foundation named Veolia Vocational Qualifications Employer of the Year for England in 2013, testament to our long-standing commitment to developing our people.

144,640 hours of training given

to employees

354 apprentices in placement,

against our target of 300

ApprenticeAfter a successful interview, I was offered a position on the apprenticeship scheme. My training began with a three-day induction at Campus Veolia, which led straight into two years working at the training facility in Ratcliffe Power Station combined with study at Loughborough College and time on site.

Since starting the scheme I have gained a double distinction in a BTEC National Diploma Level 3 in Mechanical Engineering, a Performing Engineering Operations Level 2 in Electrical Maintenance and I have almost completed my NVQ Level 3. I have enjoyed all aspects of my apprenticeship training, and I am really enjoying my time working with the team and learning new skills.

I left school at 17 after deciding that A Levels were not for me. I knew nothing about Veolia until I spotted an advert in a newspaper promoting apprenticeships. I had always wanted to get into engineering.

Ben’s story

Learning and development



At Veolia, diversity does not mean simply ticking boxes. We believe that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and experience will help us build a more innovative and responsive business.

Veolia has made inclusivity one of its key strategic priorities, starting at the executive team level. Our Executive Committee currently comprises 30% female and 16% Black Asian and Minority Ethnic members. We want to improve these ratios and are working with partners like Stonewall, the Employers’ Network for Equality and Inclusion, and Business in the Community’s gender campaign, Opportunity Now (see our talking points on this).

The Fortune 500 reveals that businesses with the highest representation of women in management are among the highest financial performers with returns on equity of over 35%. So we are proud that 38% of graduate applications and 31% of apprenticeship applications are now from women, and 83% of women at Veolia stay in employment after maternity or adoption leave – all well above the industry average.

We employ people from over 90 nationalities, some of whom may have come from marginalised pockets of our communities through our Back2Business programmes. Inclusivity is championed by our Executive Vice-President, Estelle Brachlianoff, who has promoted careers within the industry on platforms as diverse as Responsible Business Week, the Institute of Civil Engineers and the London Business School. We want the sector to become more attractive to new recruits from all backgrounds, as it is viewed as the innovation-driven catalyst for the circular economy.

In 2014, we will be focusing on the quality, depth and diversity of our management team. We are also working towards a plan to improve diversity and inclusion at a regional and national level.

Inclusivity

30% female Board

members

16% Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Board members

“Despite significant workforce challenges such as a large non-office-based workforce, Veolia is committed to finding innovative solutions that work for its business and people.” Hayley Parker, Client Account Manager, Stonewall





Creating value for communitiesDoing business in healthy communities makes our business stronger. It means a more productive workforce, a future pipeline of skilled individuals, a resilient supply chain and a thriving customer base.

Creating opportunities for all individuals in society, regardless of background and skills, is a responsibility we take very seriously at Veolia. This isn’t simply about being a good neighbour and providing a good service to our clients. We go further – through skills development in the wider community, support for local projects and volunteering by employees.

In 2013, we worked with our customers to put a price on the value we add in our communities. The results were impressive.

We estimate that for every £1 spent

by Veolia in our contract for waste

management services in

London Borough of Southwark, we

deliver £2.09 worth of social value

81 placements for ex-offenders

and the long-term unemployed

£4.7 million awarded by the Veolia

Environment Trust





Talking points: putting a price on social value

“Our approach is not yet perfect but it’s a start in showing that it’s possible to measure social value, which we hope will inspire others to do the same so that we have a positive impact in our communities.”

K evin Hurst

Marketing and Communications Director, Veolia

We work hard to maximise the social value we create both directly, as a major employer and taxpayer, and indirectly, as a result of our infrastructure projects. Measuring that value is not always straightforward and we need a consistent way to do it.

So we welcome the Public Services (Social Value) Act, which came into force in January 2013. We think it will help local authorities consider economic, social and environmental wellbeing when commissioning and procuring services.

But we believe that more needs to be done. There needs to be a consensus on how to measure these kinds of impacts, so that like-for-like comparisons can be drawn. That’s why we worked with Hazel Blears MP to co-ordinate a parliamentary roundtable on the issue.

We’ve also started putting our ideas into practice alongside the London Borough of Southwark, one of our customers. We discovered that for every £1 spent by Veolia, we deliver £2.09 worth of social value for Southwark residents. On top of this were indirect benefits (through community projects), bringing an impressive £28.05 of social value for every £1 spent.

This is the first time that a major infrastructure project has tried to measure its social impact in such detailed financial terms. Our approach is not yet perfect but it’s a start in showing that it’s possible to measure social value, which we hope will inspire others to do the same so that we have a positive impact in our communities.





To help society see production and consumption differently, our business strategy relies on people who think differently. We are committed to finding and supporting those individuals from our communities, regardless of their backgrounds.

There are over 2.3 million people unemployed in the UK, of which 900,000 are aged between 16 and 24. We are playing our part in addressing

this alongside other societal challenges like rehabilitation of ex-offenders, homelessness and student employability. Our contracts provide employment and training for over 14,000 people. As part of our plans for growth, we pledged in 2013 to invest £1 billion by 2018 – which will indirectly create 28,000 more jobs for local people.

Getting communities back to business

Our approach

OUR INITIATIVES IMPACT

Supporting skills

development of young

people

Getting people

into work

Rehabilitating communities

Boosting the economy





ApprenticeshipsAccredited vocational qualification for job seekers, including school leavers and those not in employment, education or training.

ReStartA 2–8-week work experience programme for long-term unemployed and those not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

HomelessnessWorking closely with social enterprise groups and charities like Business Action on Homelessness to boost life chances – through work placements that aim to grow confidence, introduce new skills and improve prospects.

54 positions filled

in 2013

354 apprentices taken on

exceeding our target of 300

RehabilitationPermanent employment opportunities for ex-prisoners.

27 positions filled

in 2013

Veolia’s Back2Business initiatives

As well as providing jobs, Veolia’s Back2Business strategy aims to attract and develop the skills Veolia needs now and in the future:

Getting communities back to business

DarrenDue to a family break-up tied up with losing his job as a painter and decorator during the downturn, Darren found himself suddenly without work and living in a tent for seven months. It was only when he spotted a Business Action on Homelessness leaflet that things started looking up.

After a two-week placement with Veolia, Darren’s impressive commitment to the job eventually landed him a full-time position at one of our recycling facilities. “It certainly worked for me,” smiles Darren.

Veolia’s Back2Business initiativesAs well as providing jobs, Veolia’s Back2Business strategy aims to attract and develop the skills Veolia needs now and in the future.





We want to have a positive and welcoming presence in our communities. From open days at our sites to classroom sessions in schools and employees giving their time – there are many ways we connect with our communities.

We deliver education and outreach programmes to the local community. Since 2010, we have given recycling education lessons to over 110,000 pupils from local schools as well as a further 67,000 members of the local community.

In 2013, Veolia employees contributed over 9,200 hours to local community projects. Our volunteering policy gives employees the opportunity to take a paid half-day volunteering with a community or environmental project of their choice. Not only does this equip our people with transferable skills such as project management, communication and teamwork, it also gives a helping hand to local neighbourhoods.

22 open days at our sites

across the UK, attracting over 3,800 visitors

9,200 hours of employee

volunteering

Connected with our communities





Paint is counted as hazardous waste and yet every year roughly 50 million litres end up in landfill or are incinerated. We encourage residents to bring their unwanted tins of paint to our Household Recycling Centres so they can be redistributed to families, charities and community groups. The Dulux Dog opened two new Community RePaint schemes this year. Since RePaint launched in 2010, more than 16,000 litres of free paint have been given to families and groups in need.

The Dulux dog launches RePaint

Putting old paint back to use

Every year in the UK we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food. If we all stopped wasting food, it would have the same environmental impact as taking one in five cars off the road. To engage people on this issue, we hold food waste awareness events across the UK. We invited local residents to a free Big Lunch at Bestwood Country Park in Nottingham. All 1,000 meals cooked for the challenge were prepared with surplus food from food banks, supermarkets and food markets, helping to raise awareness of the amount of perfectly good food that goes to waste each year.

Making 1,000 meals from surplus food

Helping people understand sustainabilityAwareness of food waste






Plastic takes up to 1,000 years to decompose. The UK uses over 5 million tonnes of plastic each year, of which an estimated 24% is currently being recovered or recycled. To highlight the issue, we commissioned artist Faith Bebbington to create a stunning tiger made from over 300 recycled plastic milk bottles. It prowled St Pancras International station and raised funds to save tigers in the wild.

Visualising plastic waste

Tiger tracks

Almost a third of the clothes in our wardrobes haven’t been worn in the last year and 350,000 tonnes of clothing goes into landfill in Britain every year. We supported Estethica, the British Fashion Council’s initiative for sustainable fashion by sponsoring an upcycling mentor programme. The winner was Liora, a young fashion graduate who produced an upcycled capsule collection made from old Veolia uniforms. Additionally, at Brighton’s Sustain Fashion Show, we sponsored the graduate section showcasing recycled work by new designers.

Upcycling hits the catwalk

Supporting sustainable fashion






We target our community support at causes that are important to our employees. By funding projects through The Veolia Environmental Trust, we can also combine our resource management expertise with our financial giving.

We support sustainable community and environmental projects through our regional Trusts and the Landfill Communities Fund. By using landfill tax credits provided by us, they fund community groups and organisations who are undertaking projects to improve community facilities and create new ones, and protect and enhance the environment.

The Veolia Environmental Trust was established in 1997 and since then has awarded over £58 million to more than 1,700 community and environmental projects. In 2013, the Trust’s Board awarded a total of £4.7 million to 171 community and environmental projects.

In addition to the Veolia Environmental Trust, we also run the North Thames Trust which provides grants for projects surrounding our Essex sites. The North Thames Trust awarded grants to 154 projects during 2013, to the value of £4.6 million.

We have also teamed up with Variety, our charity of the year, as voted for by employees. In 2013, we raised over £30,000 to support Variety’s work in providing practical help, specialist equipment and educational activities for children. This amount was raised in a number of ways, from donating 50p to Variety for every employee survey completed to employee fundraising with treks through the Sahara Desert and a London to Paris bike ride. We have also made it possible for suppliers to donate to Variety by choosing to round up their invoices to the nearest pound and donating the difference if they wish.

Watch a short video about why Variety is our charity of the year

£4.7 million awarded

by The Veolia Environment

Trust

£30,000 to children’s

charity Variety

Supporting good causes


https://www.variety.org.uk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCyGMBTr2Xc&feature=youtu.be





Skateboarders, BMXers and scooter riders in the Bedfordshire village of Wootton now have a great new cast-concrete skate park, thanks to the Veolia Environmental Trust. Designed with an ‘urban feel’, it is suitable for all to use, from the novice to the professional.

The project was led by the Wootton Ramps and Riders, a voluntary group of young enthusiasts and their parents. The group worked with the parish council and the Trust to design the site and make their dream a reality.

Urban spaces with a difference

How the Veolia Environmental Trust is helpingA skate park for all

The Veolia Environmental Trust awarded £23,000 to help build a play area with a difference at Bristol’s popular Trinity Centre.

The centre welcomes all including refugee families, people from black and minority ethnic communities, the long-term unemployed and young people who have been disengaged from mainstream services.

The play area has been a huge success. Made from high-quality, sustainable materials, its unique design inspires and challenges children and young people, combining fun and exercise. This is part of a wider scheme to improve and increase Trinity Centre’s outreach to disadvantaged sectors of the community.

Sustainable play for the whole community

Playgrounds of the future

Supporting good causes



Reshaping the future for allAt Veolia, we’re always looking for new ways to save our customers time and money, and help others to resource the world. Our experts collaborate with industry on ideas to reduce costs and improve efficiency, but it’s not just specialists who come up with circular solutions, through schemes such as our Ideas Forum, all our employees have the chance to innovate and suggest ideas that could change the business – or even the world.



We make it possible for all employees to contribute ideas to global resource management challenges via our innovation forum, an incubator for creative ideas and talent. Anyone can submit an idea, and regional innovation and recycling managers help people to develop their suggestions.

Employees pitch their ideas to a panel of experts including our Executive Committee and representatives from customers like Procter &

From idea to reality

Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline. In 2013, the chosen theme was ‘manufacturing green products’. Ideas are funded, piloted and scaled up where successful – empowering our people to shape a better future.

In 2013, eight innovations were taken through to incubation. These ideas work to close the loop of our customers’ waste streams, using this waste to manufacture new products.



Seven million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK each year. To help to tackle this, we have identified a way of creating renewable liquid fuel, ‘soup’, from food and beverage waste that can be transformed into renewable energy and heat.

It is a sustainable alternative to energy crops or biomass, which displace significant areas of land for food production. In 2013, Veolia produced and dispatched 27,003 litres of soup, exceeding our target.

Getting to this position has involved overcoming a number of challenges, the greatest being the levels of contaminants, which we have overcome through refining our technologies towards our target of 98% purity. We are proud to report that the product now has PAS110 status for its quality control.

When fully operational in 2014, we aim to make 10 million litres of soup in 2014, enough to power over 500 homes.

Fuel from food waste



We’re always looking for new ways to make use of non-recyclable ‘landfill waste’ from our customers. In 2013, we created a fuel product that can be produced from waste – we call this biscuits.

Producing far fewer emissions than coal, oil and gas, this green energy helps to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. We are continually refining the process and overcoming challenges. For example, we have reduced the number of broken biscuits and are currently looking into producing square bales for ease of storage and transport.

In 2013, we exported some 5,126 biscuits from our Southwark and Basildon facilities, with very positive feedback from customers there. In 2014, we will be opening a new biscuit construction site in Durham.

Powered by biscuits



Veolia produces its very own nutrient-rich, peat-free compost from collected household garden waste. Preserving peat is vital to our future since it is a finite resource that helps support biodiversity, carbon storage and flood management. Pro-Grow is now available at a number of locations across the UK, and is an example of how Veolia has involved a range of internal teams to make innovation a success. For example, we have adapted our internal systems and created new marketing functions to embrace our new role as a manufacturer and retailer.

Pro-Grow is rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, vital for plant health and soil structure. It improves moisture retention, breaks down heavy clay soils, and adds humus to light or sandy soils.

In 2013, we sold 63,501 bags of Pro-Grow, exceeding our target of 60,000 bags. We have set ourselves a target of selling 1 million bags by 2016, representing £2.5 million of revenue to Veolia. We will do this by selling Pro-Grow through commercial retailers, as well as selling to consumers local to our composting sites (reducing distribution costs and carbon). We are also developing a baby Pro-Grow bag for customers to carry home in inner-city locations such as street flower markets.

Preserving peatlands



Working alongside a leading food producer in Kent, a region of water scarcity, Veolia has designed, built and maintains a water recycling facility. We treat and recycle 72% of wastewater used by the food factory to stringent potable water standards. We believe that recycling water to these standards for reuse in food production is a first for the industry.

As a result of this innovation, our customer has seen cost savings and has been awarded supplier of the year by Marks & Spencer, against 50,000 competitors. The project has also substantially eased strain on the water and trade effluent networks, becoming a flagship example of circular resource stewardship in increasingly drought-prone regions of the country.

Reusing water again and again



In the past, wastewater sludge has been seen as a problem material with no value. In fact, it can be rich in phosphates and the materials needed to make plastic. It can also be used as a fuel to generate green energy.

Our bio-refinery utilises Veolia’s know-how to turn sludge into renewable energy by creating an efficient ‘sludge stream’. We are already doing this on behalf of a number of water and sewerage companies across the UK.

As demand for these solutions increases, innovative developments in technology, people capability and processes will make these sustainability solutions a key part of the circular economy and more efficient.

Green energy from wastewater

www.veolia.co.uk/sustainabilityreport

http://www.veolia.co.uk/sustainabilityreport

Resourcing the World - Veolia UK · Water and wastewater management Veolia is the UK’s leading...

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