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Signing ceremony of the "Contrats de Transition écologique"
ACO France acts as host for the contract signing ceremony of the "Contrats de Transition écologique"

Structuring an "environmental transition", and defining the targets and measures, is what the "Contrats de Transition écologique (CTE)" is all about − the agreement for the "environmental transition". ACO France was the host for this nationally important agreement signing ceremony.

The CTE agreement was closed by the Normandy region together with the government and local businesses. ACO France is one of the pioneering companies which signed up to this agreement in autumn 2019. The next large agreement signing ceremony then took place in January 2020. ACO France was the official host for the event. The location under the overall management of managing director Francois Desebbe welcomed the guests, including minister Sébastien Lecornue, and minister Emmanuelle Wargon, the representative of the Seine Normandie Agglomération (SNA) region, and naturally, also the businesses who are also part of the agreement.

We interviewed managing director Francois Desebbe to find out what the agreement means for ACO France:

What does it mean for ACO France being part of the "Contrats de Transition écologique (CTE)"?
As a signatory, ACO France pledges to be a major and proactive player in the regional development of Normandy. Close co-operation on a partnership basis is involved. As a partner of the CTE, we can build up close relationships to the municipalities, with a view, for instance, of developing and presenting promising sustainable rainwater management systems. Partnerships of this kind can then be established at a local level with other municipalities in Normandy and across the whole of France, as well as bringing these ideas closer to the attention of businesses in the region, public bodies, and technical colleges, which are also involved in the CTE. These include, for instance, the Ariane Group (the European producer of launch vehicles) which has its factory in our region.

What are the next steps which ACO France will be implementing locally within the framework of this agreement?
After the signing ceremony, ACO France implemented its global approach for sustainable development:

  • Working groups between our experts and the competent authorities in various municipalities to discuss a range of topics, such as sustainable rainwater management and smart cities
  • Reducing energy consumption, and as a first step here, carrying out an inventory of our own site at Notre Dame de l’Isle
  • Implementing targeted programmes for the workforce (energy savings measures within the company, energy and me, waste, car sharing, etc.).

If our goal and our strategy is to be an increasingly environmentally-friendly technical business, and to provide solutions and products for sustainable water management, then it is absolutely essential that our own production site Notre Dame de l’Isle and its environmental footprint, are an integral part of this approach.
Every new investment programme concerning the location will now be analysed, taking into consideration the content of this agreement.

Even before the agreement was signed, you had already focused on developing the location in the sense of sustainability.
Which measures have already been implemented as part of this strategy?
ACO France has already begun to establish a sustainable energy savings programme (LED lighting and new, efficient radiator systems) and to boost biodiversity (beehives, new fruit trees).

Thank you very much for the interview!

The ACO Group harnesses the strengths and the expertise available in each country. These are bundled through close contacts and the exchange of experience to consolidate the company's international strength.