Translations Best practice in French version Best practice in English version

GRTGAZ systematizes the presence of an ecologist at every worksite

4. Environment

Biodiversity and sustainable resource management

Sector Energy / Water
Year 2010
Country France
Transmitter World Forum for a Responsible Economy

Context

With a natural gas transportation network extending more than 32,000 km and with 25 compression stations, GRTGaz is one of the largest natural gas transporters in Europe.
GRTgaz has always relied on the recommendations of government agencies, Regional Environmental Boards (DIREN), parks, botanical conservatories, and local naturalists in defining line routes that will be respectful of crops, landscapes, and protected areas. Routes have been delineated and worksite operations conducted so as to preserve environmental quality and disturb ecosystems as little as possible.
Nevertheless, implementation of these useful recommendations was not formally nor systematically monitored.  

Objectives

  •  Take measures to protect biodiversity throughout the life of a worksite.
  • Build constructive relationships with local stakeholders and those responsible for managing natural areas.

APPROACH

Insisting that an ecologist be present from design of a project through to restoring a site to its original state means organizing all of the work in such a way that biodiversity is preserved and worksite contracting companies implement recommendations to which they often give little heed.
At one site, an ecologist made the workers of partner companies aware of the environmental commitments of GRTgaz. Using illustrative posters, he explained what measures had been taken and why it was essential to stay out of damp areas that had been fenced off and protect the nests of Montagu’s harriers and colonies of yellow-bellied toads. When the work was completed, he presented a positive report to the Environmental Steering Committee, and the project team forwarded the plan for ongoing environmental protection to their colleagues who would be operating the system to perpetuate the biodiversity measures undertaken.
Since then, this example of having an ecologist on site and providing an ongoing environmental protection plan has been followed at all major GRTgaz worksites. 

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Because it had very positive immediate effects, this methodology of having a proposed environmental plan has become the example to follow. The manner in which the ecologist responded during meetings organized with landowners and agricultural interests defused misunderstandings about how, for example, competing concerns over saving butterflies and avoiding cultivated areas had been weighed. These exchanges also significantly reduced remarks made during the public comment process. 

Benefits

  •  Reconciles project development and protecting biodiversity. 
Turnover
1 478 millions d euros
Country
France

GRTGAZ

Courcellor 1 2, rue Curnonsky
75017 PARIS

Contact

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Mise à jour le 20/05/2016

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