In total, the Group generated 467 metric tons of waste in 2021, 312 metric tons of which were recycled.
Water use and supply in relation to local constraints
Edenred’s offices, most of which are located in cities, are connected to municipal sewage systems.
Water consumption totaled 32,312 cubic meters in 2021 and was down 11% Group-wide on 2020 due to the widespread implementation of working from home within the Group’s subsidiaries to fight the Covid-19 epidemic. Edenred continued its commitment to controlling environmental consumption.
Resources devoted to preventing environmental risks and pollution
The Group’s operations do not result in any soil or water pollution or significant air pollution. Subsidiaries are encouraged to use environmentally friendly inks for the voucher customization process. Edenred France, for example, uses non-toxic water-based inks that do not emit any volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Production sites are equipped with aeration systems to ensure that process dust is quickly removed from the air.
The environmental management program helps prevent environmental risks and pollution. The environmental budget of Edenred’s subsidiaries amounted to €320,298 in 2021. These expenses cover initiatives such as the organization of awareness-raising campaigns.
Measures to protect biodiversity
Animal welfare is not a material issue in the Group’s business operations. However, some Edenred subsidiaries have taken measures to protect biodiversity and contribute to some extent to animal welfare, such as by helping to replant trees in natural areas in Taiwan, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Turkey and Romania. Edenred Turkey organized a resource conservation awareness workshop for its employees. In France, Edenred’s subsidiary LCCC has been a partner to Reforest’Action, a non-profit organization committed to reforestation, since 2018. Further information on this initiative is available in section 5.3.2.1 of this document.
5.3.1.3 Key progress indicators
Calculation method
Edenred’s progress on this commitment will be measured annually based on the percentage reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions compared with 2013. GHG intensity is assessed for all Group countries that report their use of resources and measure the sum of scopes 1 and 2 from point sources per unit of surface area occupied. The methodology used is the GHG Protocol standard as well as emission factors derived from robust benchmarks. Whenever possible, local emission factors have been used to establish GHG emissions, and when this was not possible, international benchmarks were used. This global assessment also measures progress made on targets set using the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) sector-based approach, which defines an emissions reduction trajectory to meet the commitments in the Paris Agreement and limit the rise in global temperatures.
Performance monitoring
The Group’s GHG intensity emissions were significantly reduced in 2021, down 46% from the reference year (2013) and exceeding the overall reduction target of 36% by 2022. Edenred continued its reduction actions and initiatives in 2021. The 2030 reduction target is 52%.
5.3.2 Designing eco-services
Edenred’s businesses, whether Employee Benefits, Fleet & Mobility Solutions or Complementary Solutions, do not have a significant direct impact on the environment.
However, if its responsibility is extended upstream and downstream of the use of its solutions, Edenred could be considered to be facing an environmental issue due to the GHG emissions produced by its mobility solutions and the food waste resulting from its meal vouchers.
5.3.2.1 Priority issue: sustainable mobility
Mobility is an increasingly important issue for companies. Employee business travel generates costs and causes pollution. Corporate clients and employee users therefore have to find ways to optimize their travel in order to move toward a low-carbon economy. One such method is the development of the electric vehicle market. The transition to electric vehicles represents an opportunity for Edenred. As a supplier of Fleet & Mobility Solutions and Employee Benefits, Edenred offers its stakeholders solutions and services that encourage new forms of mobility and offer a choice in terms of more responsible consumption. These considerations are being factored into the Group’s ongoing Beyond Fuel strategy, which is aimed at offering additional services to clients by developing maintenance management, unified electronic toll and VAT recovery services for transportation companies.
Eco-friendly Fleet & Mobility Solutions
Some Edenred subsidiaries have developed services to bring ecological value to their mobility programs, enabling corporate clients and employee users to avoid the GHG emissions generated by travel.
