GRTgaz’s new Corporate Social Responsibility policy

The GRTgaz CSR policy 2021-2024 was designed taking into account the company’s extra-financial risks and with the involvement of both employees and external stakeholders (customers, partners, shareholders). This policy confirms GRTgaz’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, the fight against climate change and carbon neutrality, as well as access to clean, competitive and sustainable energy. GRTgaz has embarked on a transformation plan whose focus is a gas mix that is 100% carbon neutral by 2050, including hydrogen that is mostly renewable in origin. 

The new CSR policy has three strategic pillars:

• act to achieve affordable carbon neutrality;
• meet the challenges of the ecological transition with our employees, and;
• ensure that our operations and professions are carried out responsibly.

These three strategic pillars have 10 related commitments. Each commitment is subject to goals and action plans measured by publicly available indicators (New CSR policy).

CSR Director Christophe Delfeld states that: “GRTgaz’s new CSR policy forms part of a new governance that integrates the policy into the management system and ensures that each commitment is managed transversally within the different departments. The policy is coordinated by the CSR committee. It is monitored at the highest levels within the company and by the Board of Directors. A Stakeholder Council also assists with defining the policy and assessing its implementation.”

GRTgaz’s commitment to the energy transition takes shape through various objectives, especially in light of the climate emergency and COP26:

• Step up the energy transition by developing renewable gases. Working together with other sector stakeholders, the goal is to connect 12 TWh of biomethane production capacity to the French networks in 2024, and 40 TWh/year by 2030, i.e. the current equivalent of 1.8 million gas-heated households.
• Support our customers and the regions with the energy transition by implementing at least 20 projects and three pilots or demonstrators that contribute to decarbonisation and to proving the importance of solutions based on renewable gas and hydrogen. 
• Reduce our CO₂ emissions: building on results since 2015, GRTgaz’s growth pathway is in line the Paris Agreements. The company aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2024 compared with 2019, and by 40% by 2030*.
  *entirely in the case of scopes 1 and 2, and for the part under the company’s control for scope 3 (excluding emissions from production and transport upstream of France and natural gas usage).GRTgaz is also targeting a fivefold reduction in its methane emissions by 2024 compared to 2016.
• Protect the environment and biodiversity: this is a key issue considering GRTgaz's land footprint linked to 5,000 surface facilities and 32,000 km of easement strips. GRTgaz has set itself the target of “zero pesticides” for 65% of its surface facilities from 2021. The aim is to make this universal, with increased use of revegetation solutions.

GRTgaz’s sustainable development goal is based on changes to its investment policy. Alongside essential investments linked to the network’s maintenance and safety, 20% of investments will be dedicated to accommodating renewable gases and reducing our emissions by 2024, i.e. almost double the previous amount.

This goal is also based on the men and women who work for the company: GRTgaz’s HR plan involves the rollout of a responsible labour relations policy and objectives centred on skills development (80% of employees receiving training each year), diversity, employee commitment and workplace quality of life.