After releasing its climate strategy in 2019, the Crédit Agricole Group strengthened the scope of its Societal Project by making new commitments at the end of 2021. The first of these is to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2050, in particular by significantly reducingits operating environmental footprint by 2030.
The Crédit Agricole Group is therefore participating in the national movement to reduce energy use and has announced a plan to reduce its energy consumption.
In addition to the medium-term actions already launched to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings through more appropriate use (major renovation of head offices and branches), Crédit Agricole is stepping up its efforts to promote energy efficiency.
The Group will therefore implement the following principles through its businesses and companies, taking into account their specific characteristics:
- Crédit Agricole is committed as a consumer
- By adapting lighting: in the Group’s 7,400 branches in France, switching off illuminated signs and information screens from 10pm to 8am; adjusting periods of lighting in communal areas (e.g. car parks) and switching off lights in unoccupied premises; modernising and continuing to deploy LED lighting.
- By aligning temperatures with those recommended by ADEME: heating buildings to 19°C and setting air-conditioning to 26°C; reducing temperatures to 16°C in premises unoccupied for 48 hours.
These commitments to optimise energy consumption on its two largest campuses – i.e. 300,000m² – will enable it to target an overall energy saving of 14% over two years compared with 2019, broken down as follows: 7% achieved through operational actions and a further 7% through the involvement of its employees.
- Crédit Agricole is committed as an employer
- By disseminating best practices and implementing a programme to transform its energy consumption: in 2023, employees at the Group’s two largest campuses will be invited to take part in the French Energy Savings Championship, with the help of energy ambassadors in every building and company.
- By proposing measures adapted to each site, for more sustainable energy management: encouraging the recharging of equipment (PCs, cars, etc.) during off-peak electricity periods.
- Crédit Agricole is committed as a company
- By promotingeco-actionstowards its 27 million individual customers (e.g. information screens in branches, homepage of banking websites, etc.).
- By informing its corporate customers about the energy-saving solutions implemented by the Group.
- By accelerating the development of renewable energies by keeping on investing and financing in regions and by launching Crédit Agricole Transitions & Energies, which will gradually position itself in two complementary business lines:
- the advisory business line, which, in addition to the financing and service activities carried out by the Group’s businesses, has a broader role involving the search for solutions for customers that can improve their economic performance and contribute to a low-carbon economy;
- the renewable energy producer business line. Beyond the role of financing low-carbon production infrastructures, this is a question of taking a new step forward by also taking on the role of operator.
