COVER SUEZ ANZ
Real sustainability goals for SUEZ The water industry faces sustainability, affordability, and infrastructure development challenges today. SUEZ Australia and New Zealand is here to support utilities and councils as they become more sustainable. “WE ARE TARGETING practical actions, which benefit the planet and future generations,” said Eric Garcin, Innovation and Performance General Manager at SUEZ Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). The SUEZ Group unveiled its sustainable development goals for 2027 and beyond earlier this year. As part of that, the company has 24 commitments and 43 key performance indicators (KPIs) that revolve around three pillars: climate, nature, and social.
6
INSIDE WATER July/August 2023
“Having discrete KPIs around energy and emission impacts is important for us to move forward,” said Garcin. “We are focusing on our sustainability roadmap and activities as well as assessing plans, actions, and measurements. It all starts from properly measuring the impacts of our activities.” Garcin has been with SUEZ for decades, starting from his original work experience position at the head office in Paris. Throughout his tenure, Eric has gained an excellent
SUEZ’s sustainability roadmap aims to rejuvenate the Australian landscape, fostering a thriving ecosystem within the local water industry.
understanding of the technologies SUEZ uses around the world. “Utilities and wastewater treatment plants worldwide face a range of challenges, each with different circumstances and solutions,” he said. “SUEZ has to consider the economic and regulatory drivers that will impact each project. Australia, for example, has a unique environment with a population spread out over large distances and a regulatory system changing across multiple jurisdictions. Built into structure The roadmap’s success hinges on SUEZ’s ability to structure its actions around a strong common ambition. The company can forge partnerships and collaborations that transcend geographical boundaries to achieve actionable outcomes by aligning its initiatives with this collective vision. Through these alliances, SUEZ seeks to maximise the impact of its sustainable practices, contributing to a more sustainable future on a global scale. “We have three main pillars in our sustainability roadmap,” said Garcin. “Climate is the first one. Nature is the second one – nature in the sense of biodiversity. The third is social or community. It looks at what we would have qualified under corporate social responsibility for communities.” One of SUEZ’s biggest challenges is navigating the fine line between affordability and outcomes. Garcin