Paris, October 12, 2023 - Having completed a demanding selection process, 50 key industrial groups are meeting today in Paris to launch the operational phase of the Decarb Fast Track program. The result of a partnership between METRON, DALKIA, BNP PARIBAS and Amazon Web Services (AWS), this program will deploy an innovative energy management solution at the selected industrial sites to achieve their shared ambition of saving 100,000 tonnes of CO2 by the end of the program.
Announced in November 2022, the Decarb Fast Track program aims to accelerate the decarbonization of industry, through:
- "Pioneer" industrial sites: 50 sites rigorously selected for their commitment to energy transition, enabling them to achieve a reduction of 100,000 tons of CO2 by the end of the 24-month program;
- Deployment of the innovative "METRON" energy management solution on their production sites, enabling real-time analysis and monitoring of consumption and emissions, to reduce both their energy consumption and their carbon footprint;
- Personalized expertise and support from the program's four initiators: AWS, BNP PARIBAS, DALKIA and METRON, to identify, implement and finance energy performance projects.
The selected manufacturers are meeting today at DALKIA's premises in La Défense to work together on their shared ambition to be decarbonization pioneers.
On this occasion, they reaffirmed their shared objective of being agents of the energy transition, and their enthusiasm for the innovative capacity of European companies to contribute to it. Throughout the day, they took part in expert roundtables to share best practices in their respective industries, and to discuss the financing of decarbonization projects, a crucial factor in the drive to take action. The event was brought to a close by Lionel Le Maux, Chairman of the Transition Forum, an association committed to the transition to a low-carbon future, of which METRON has been a member since 2022.
Vincent Sciandra, CEO of METRON, declared: "A year ago, we proposed to the European industrial sector to accelerate its decarbonization with the Decarb Fast Track program. Seeing these 50 industrial groups gathered here today around this common ambition gives full meaning to the efforts METRON has been making for over 10 years. We are proud to provide the industrial sector with innovative tools for a rapid and sustainable decarbonization of their activities."
Representing the vast majority of Europe's industrial sectors - food, pharmaceuticals, paper, packaging, glass, etc. - these pioneers are leading the way in the field of energy optimization. These include Zignago vetro, a world leader in the production of top-quality glass bottles for the perfume and cosmetics industries; Puig, one of the world's leading beauty and fashion companies, with a brand portfolio including Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul GAULTIER, Nina Ricci, Christian Louboutin, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and Laboratoires Dermatologiques d'Uriage and APIVITA; COFIGEO, whose brands William Saurin, Raynal et Roquelaure, Zapetti, Garbit and Petit Jean are part of France's culinary heritage; and Fertinagro, a company specialized in the production and marketing of fertilizers, which has been supporting the French agricultural sector for over 15 years.
A number of the Pioneers were keen to testify:
Aimeric MATHEY, Director of McCormick & Company's Carpentras plant: "We're delighted and excited to be starting this pioneer program. Thanks to these technological resources and the support of this team of experts, I'm convinced that we're going to see a major acceleration in the reduction of our carbon footprint in the future." [The McCormick food brand is the world leader in flavors, herbs and spices and condiments, and is renowned for its Ducros and Vahiné brands in France... The Carpentras industrial site is a complex site with 4 main activities (logistics hub, material processing, preparation and blending and packaging) employing over 250 people].
Benjamin OZANNE, Head of General Resources and Energy Manager for the Aptar Group: "Decarb Fast Track is a very positive thing for the French industrial sector, and a great opportunity for the Aptar Group to reduce its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. We joined Decarb Fast Track to be able to benefit from the power and community of other industrial companies, so that we can initiate energy-saving measures that we don't yet know about. Together, we're stronger." [The Aptar Group is a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, designing and manufacturing a range of drug and consumer product dispensing, sealing and active packaging solutions and services. The group has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, including having become the first industrial company in France to operate on 100% green energy].
Francesco BRAGAGNI, Marcegaglia's Energy Director: "We hope to play an active part in this important program to increase energy efficiency by making the consumption of the sites concerned more efficient, both for production cycles and for utilities/auxiliaries." [Marcegaglia is Italy's leading industrial group in the steel sector, in business for over sixty years. Marcegaglia is strongly committed to decarbonization, investing for example in H2 Green Steel, the world's first zero-emission steel mill. They have deployed 5 sites in the program].
