Fondation Nexans: 10 years of empowering underprivileged communities with sustainable electricity

As the Fondation Nexans celebrates its 10th anniversary, Nexans looks back with pride at the impact made in bringing electricity, education and sustainable development to underprivileged populations worldwide.

Over the past decade, the Foundation has supported over 145 projects across five continents, benefiting more than 2.2 million people. It owes this success to the dedication of its partner NGOs and the hard work of the Group’s employees.

In 2013, Nexans became the first player in the cable industry to establish a Corporate Foundation devoted to serving the public interest. Its creation was a natural extension of the Group’s commitment to professionalizing international initiatives for the development of electrification for underprivileged populations by placing them in a common perspective.

The Fondation Nexans has the following objectives:

• Support actions to provide access to energy for underprivileged populations worldwide by favoring organizations close to the field and reliable and sustainable solutions.
• Support the education and training of populations in technical, energy, and environmental fields.
• Support environmental studies related to electrification, including climate, energy sobriety, protection of resources, and biodiversity.

The Foundation is highly selective in its choice of projects, prioritizing those with the greatest social and environmental impact, particularly in bringing electricity to local communities.

Going even further

This year, the Fondation Nexans’ budget has been increased by 30%, which will enable it to expand its reach and support even more impactful projects in the future. With this strengthened impact objective, the Foundation will be perfectly in line with the Group’s strategy for sustainable electrification, accessible to all.

Liban Cables, a Nexans company, has inaugurated the extension of its 600kW peak solar power system at its Nahr Ibrahim industrial facility, leading to a total output power to 1.2 MW at peak with a first of its kind 500kW containerized battery solution.

This project will allow Liban Cables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,500 tons per year, which is equivalent to the weight of 750 cars, by replacing two of its six electric generators with photovoltaic panels.

The 3,020 photovoltaic panels installed at Liban Cables and connected to the plant with Nexans solutions will generate over 1,800 MWh per year. This renewable energy will cover over 18% to 20% of the electricity needed by the plant to produce a wide range of building, industry and infrastructure cables. This is the equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 434 Lebanese homes for 25 years.

The official unveiling took place under the patronage and in the presence of H.E Dr. Walid Fayad, Minister of Energy and Water and H.E Mr. George Bouchikian, Minister of Industry. Ms. Maria Lorente, Senior Corporate VP CHRO & CSR – Nexans, in addition to clients, distributors, partners and members of the press, also attended the launch event.

In 2017, Liban Cables had shown its Energy Transition pioneer position by installing a 600 kWp solar power system at its Nahr Ibrahim industrial facility. This was the first project to be completed within the framework of the Small Decentralized Renewable Energy Power Generation (DREG) Project by the United Nations Development Program and the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water.

Nexans, HEC Paris and the HEC Foundation have launched the “Orchestrating sustainable business transformation” chair to support companies on their journey to greater sustainability.

Back in 2018, Nexans, which designs and produces market-leading cabling systems and services, began its transformation to become a pure player in bringing safer, renewable and decarbonized electrification to all. Sustainability therefore naturally forms part of the Group’s values and today plays a central role in its strategy, permeating through every level of the company. This is reflected in myriad ways, such as its ambition to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2030, as well as its Foundation set up to improve access to energy for disadvantaged communities all throughout the world, blazing a trail in the industry.

At the same time, HEC Paris, with support from the HEC Foundation, teaches its students to tackle the major issues facing society, politics and the economy, today and into the future. The business school works alongside decision-makers in the public and private sector, as well as civil society, to develop innovative solutions to the major challenges of our time, in particular through its “Society & Organizations” Institute (S&O).

Driven by this shared ambition to bring about a more sustainable society, the three organizations have entered into a five-year partnership.

The “Orchestrating sustainable business transformation” chair will be headed by Sebastian Becker, associate professor of accounting and management control at HEC Paris.

It will in particular draft a report on the transformation journey undertaken at Nexans. The company will share its experience, its expertise, and its ideas about E3, – Economy, Environment, and Engagement – a performance management method which will be enriched by the research conducted by Professor Becker into sustainable transformation steering tools, knowledge as well as the academic and professional networks of HEC Paris’ S&O Institute.

The Group will also be involved in the various activities organized by the S&O Institute, including conferences, round tables, and discussion sessions between students and employees.

Nexans The Group will also be invited to take part in the certificates offered by HEC Paris around sustainability and the climate transition, such as “Inclusive & Social Business” or “Climate & Business Transition”, and present new teaching modules to raise awareness among HEC Paris students (internships in production plants, mini business cases, etc.).

Nexans is working in Ivory Coast alongside Fondem to support the emergence of productive uses of electricity through the ERUPIE project (rural entrepreneurship around innovative productive uses of electricity). This partnership, launched in March 2023, will positively impact the economic development, skills, health conditions of rural villages in the Marahoué region.

For the past decade, Ivory Coast has been pursuing an ambitious policy aimed at providing access to electricity for all the country’s populations by 2035. This is a key issue to ensure the economic and social development of the country.

Rural populations need support to enable access to electricity, but also to have a real leverage effect on the economic development of rural areas to reduce inequalities.

The objectives of Nexans’ actions, in collaboration with Fondem, are in line with the strategy of Côte d’Ivoire Energie to meet the needs of the Ivorian population in rural areas. As a reminder, Nexans has electrified about fifty villages within the framework of the PRONER project (National rural electrification program) in 2020 and 2021.

Fondem is being supported by the Ivorian NGO AMISTAD (Actions pour la Mobilisation des Initiatives et Stratégies d’Aide au Développement) in the implementation of the ERUPIE project.

Innovative workshops in Abidjan and Bouaflé to launch the ERUPIE project

The launch of the ERUPIE project took place in two stages:

• a launching workshop in Abidjan with institutional actors involved in the promotion of rural and women’s entrepreneurship and international organizations concerned by the theme;
• a launching workshop in Bouaflé, in the Marahoué region, with regional actors and local authorities.

Meetings aimed at informing all these actors of the start of the ERUPIE project and to introduce them to the partners of this project. An opportunity to exchange and discuss the various barriers to development in rural areas that have already been electrified and access to female entrepreneurship.

The ERUPIE project will provide technical and entrepreneurial training to seven women from the localities electrified after the PRONER project for their empowerment in business projects in 2023.

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has today launched Aluminium Forward 2030, a coalition of IAI’s 25 production members and 20 downstream and customer companies who have committed themselves to transforming the aluminium sector. The aim is to accelerate progress toward net zero emissions while working together on a roadmap that is inclusive of all the other UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change have become priorities for the aluminium industry. However, the sector needs to move comprehensively toward net zero carbon in a way that addresses all other aspects of sustainability. This is why the IAI has formed the Aluminium Forward 2030 coalition, which Nexans has already endorsed.

Nexans takes steps to use as much low-carbon aluminium as possible in product manufacturing. In addition, through our recycling solutions, the Group recovers all types of end-of-life aluminium and copper cables, thus making a positive contribution to the environment. Our customers and partners can also benefit from this cable waste recovery service.

The coalition aims to protect and enhance the societal value of aluminium in all its applications. It also gives members the opportunity to be part of a learning community that will transform the future of supply chains.

Nexans has been selected to join the CAC SBT 1.5° index, a new climate-focused version of the CAC 40 index launched by stock exchange operator Euronext in January 2023.

The launch of this new index salutes the voluntary approach of companies that have signed up to ambitious and specific emissions reduction targets and whose decarbonization trajectory is recognized as aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.

The CAC SBT 1.5° currently includes 38 companies within the SBF 120 that have defined clear greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Nexans, already fully aware of its responsibility for sustainable electrification, committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline year and to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 24% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline year.

Euronext will rely on the SBTi methodology, the leading label to assess companies’ greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments. This is a first for a stock exchange operator, which wishes to continue to support the demand for climate-friendly investment solutions.

The index was launched with the support of Amundi, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) and SBTi.

Throughout 2022, Nexans has been recognized for its performance in Corporate Sustainable Responsibility (CSR) and for tackling climate change, mainly thanks to its actions to reduce CO2 emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy.

From developing products and services with minimised impact on the environment to adopting stricter environmental norms and ensuring compliance with the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, Nexans has been reinforcing its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility through significant demonstrable actions and dedicated initiatives across the Group.

Nexans’ CSR performance is regularly assessed and recognised by its stakeholders, including non-financial rating agencies. In 2022, Nexans is proud to have maintained its top ranking by Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), confirming it’s A- rating for the second year in a row, and for the third time during the four past years, as one of the global leaders fighting against climate change by CDP. The Group remains among the 11% of leading companies in the sector of electrical utilities.

The CDP is a non-profit organization dedicated to studying the impact of the world’s leading companies on climate change. CDP assesses companies each year on the completeness of their declaration, their level of awareness and their management of environmental risks, as well as their demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as the definition of ambitious and relevant objectives. CDP’s annual score is widely recognized as the global benchmark for corporate environmental transparency.

Nexans is fully aware of its responsibility for sustainable electrification and intends to meet this objective, including at the operational level. This is why the Group has announced its commitment to contribute to worldwide carbon neutrality by 2030. Therefore, Nexans has been deploying a clearly defined roadmap, including an average annual reduction of 4.2% in its greenhouse gas emissions, particularly on scopes 1 and 2 as well as part of scope 3 (relating to business travel, waste produced, as well as upstream and downstream transport, as defined by the GHG protocol).

On top of Nexans commitments to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 from a 2019 base year, Nexans also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 emissions by 24% within the same timeframe through the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This reduction ensures that the Group carries out the work necessary to contribute to the objective set in the Paris agreements at COP21 (2015) to maintain the global warming trajectory at 1.5°C.

In addition to the CDP, Nexans’ CSR performance was recognised by a number of other non-financial rating agencies:

All these recognitions are an encouragement for the Group to continue its efforts and actions to meet the challenges posed by the sustainable electrification of the future.

It’s estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans if proactive steps throughout the plastics supply chain are not taken. Each year, 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastics enter the marine environment. One important way to reduce plastics from littering our planet is by substantially increasing the use of recycled plastics.

With only about 9 percent of today’s plastic waste recycled, transitioning to a circular economy throughout the entire plastics value change is critical. This is the vision of the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA), founded in 2019 in the Netherlands and supported by the European Commission. The overarching aim of the alliance is to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tonnes by 2025.

Nexans Buizingen site moves to 30% recycled plastic for all packaging

One of the key objectives of Nexans’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is to limit the consumption of resources. As the company transitions to a circular business model, the move to recycled plastics is a major focus. At Nexans’ cable drum and packaging center in Buizingen, Belgium, 30 percent of packaging materials now come from recycled plastics.

Nexans is leveraging its membership to the CPA to source recycled plastic packaging materials and is actively participating in the recycling of plastic materials with its wholesalers by collecting plastic packaging waste. This waste is being recycled via Nexans’ membership to the CPA. Once recycled, it is used in packaging for new products.

Nexans Netherlands to implement a circular plastic project

To further extend the company-wide sustainability initiatives, starting in early 2023, Nexans’ Netherlands will begin a proactive program with its partners to collect Mobiway plastic drums and packing materials. The collected plastic materials will be recycled and used for new uses, creating circular packaging that extends beyond plastics and includes cardboard packaging.

Sourcing recycled materials at Nexans’ sites in France

Beyond the circular plastics initiative in the Netherlands and Belgium, Nexans’ France is actively involved in sourcing recycled materials for its products and packaging at its site in Autun, along with extending the program to other locations in France.

These are just a few of the programs Nexans is putting forward in the following months and years. Through its membership in the CPA, Nexans is implementing best practices in circular plastics, from recycling, sourcing, and manufacturing to distribution, use, and resource efficiency.

Because the metals and mining industry will be at the core of enabling the energy transition, raw material scarcity – in particular that of copper, is at the heart of Nexans concerns: maintaining our metallurgical plants is key to support sustainable growth and circular economy, as well as being committed to responsible copper production.

As an active Copper Mark partner, since 2021, Nexans participates in the Risk Readiness Assessment revision process to implement responsible copper production practices and contribute to:

• Support the move to Circularity
• Respect Human Rights
• Contribute to Social and Economic Development
• Increase Transparency
• Enhance Climate Action
• Support Compliance.

In addition, Nexans is the only rod mill operator in the world to apply for the Copper Mark as part of a pilot project for its two factories in Lens (France) and Montreal (Canada).

Nexans has completed self-assessment Phase 1 of the pilot and has now entered Phase 2: Nexans sites will undergo a third-party assessment of their performance against 32 environmental, social, and governance criteria, conducted by a third party auditor. The assessment results will determine the Copper Mark award.

Through the Copper Mark Letter of Commitment, our two copper rod mills in Lens and Montreal commit to:

• Meet all Copper Mark Criteria within 24 months of signing this Letter of Commitment;
• Demonstrate conformance with the Copper Mark Criteria through participation in the Copper Mark Assurance Process
• Nominate and provide an appropriate level of support and resources to a contact person who will coordinate with the Copper Mark;
• Share information with the Copper Mark and the public as stipulated in the Copper Mark Assurance Process.

Joining the Copper Mark further demonstrates Nexans’ commitment to enabling the provision of sustainable energy throughout the world. In 2008, Nexans signed the Global Compact to respect and implement the ten fundamental principles in human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. Nexans is fully aware of its responsibility to electrification and is operationally committed to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2030.

If emissions targets are to be met, nearly everything that currently runs on fossil fuels will have to switch to electricity. As a result, demand for copper will grow at a rate never seen before in history.

That is why Indeco by Nexans, a leading electrical conductor manufacturing company in Peru, held the “Copper for Tomorrow” forum to discuss the role of copper in the new era of sustainable electrification and its importance in building a decarbonized economy.

Moderated by Journalist Jimena de la Quintana, the panel was comprised of industry leaders and experts such as Roque Benavides, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Compañía de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A; Julia Torreblanca, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde; Beatriz de la Vega, Tax Consultancy Partner and Leader of Energy and Natural Resources at KPMG; and Alex García, General Manager of Indeco by Nexans.

Julia Torreblanca commented that companies must prioritize the operational sustainability of their copper extraction if they want to be a responsible player across the entire value chain. Efficiency and commitment will translate from planning all the way to final sale. “While Peru is being asked to play a more active role, there is a need for policies that promote exploration in the country and for companies to focus on the distribution and transparency of timely information through innovative channels. The main objective is sustainability over time,” she said.

Furthermore, Beatriz Vega mentioned that the energy transition requires the automation of key processes, alignment with policies focused on corporate social responsibility, and digitalization of important data. In addition, optimizing human resources and taking advantage of business opportunities, such as entrepreneurship, will also improve efficiency. “There are regulations that must be complied with to continue working with copper. In Peru, businesses must allocate greater importance to climate change and sustainability, both of which will have a large economic impact in the long term.”

Expert Víctor Albuquerque, Director of Sector Analysis of APOYO Consulting, indicated that about 75% of the world’s copper consumption is destined for electric conductors and that the volume of copper used in electric cars will be the main impulse of demand in the long term.

Regarding the energy transition in Peru, he further stressed that the country will also need to adapt to the reduction of carbon emissions through power generation plants, such as the Punta Lomitas wind power plant, where Indeco by Nexans is in charge of the medium voltage network.

Víctor Albuquerque said in closing that currently in Peru, 70% of residential construction is informal, so much of the effort should focus on the customer and keep educating those customers on the importance of climate change and sustainability.