Interview with Christelle Chichignoud Vice President Sustainability There is no silver bullet when it comes to energy transition and adapting This year, the Group continued with the rollout to climate change: SYSTRA needs to continue capitalising on the of its Climate Trajectory: what are the key areas experience it has acquired, listening to its clients and local communities. of progress that have been made? Christelle Chichignoud, SYSTRA’s Sustainability Vice President, looks back Our first Climate Conference in September marked a major turning point: it brought at a year during which sustainability became firmly rooted in our practices, the Group’s top management together and was evidence of momentum in the and details the priorities that will guide the Group in the years ahead. growing awareness of the challenges facing us, and of our responsibility and ability to take action within the framework of our practices. First of all, we set ambitious What are the key takeaways for SYSTRA targets in terms of our carbon emissions. The countries in which we operate are regarding sustainability in 2023? involved: they have all already shared their carbon reduction plans and their The year was all about reasserting our firmly held beliefs as a company: we can take best practices – all in a spirit of collective responsibility. The second area in which action, we need to take action, and we are taking action. For me, 2023 was about we can take action is sustainable design and construction. This isn’t the only the positive impact of our activities. This impact is real, first and foremost because solution, but it is an effective response to the challenges of mitigating and adapting of the nature of our projects: our employees acknowledge – and even proclaim – to climate change. The methodology and the indicators forming part of our the fact that working for SYSTRA is a way to help improve the circumstances in which sustainable design and construction framework enable teams to adapt it to the type communities and regions find themselves. As an engineering company specialised of project and specific local features, and highlight the positive impact regarding in mobility, we make a positive impact with initiatives to better manage both our biodiversity, materials, air quality and water management. environmental footprint and that of our clients – not just in terms of reducing carbon emissions, but also in terms of protecting biodiversity and facilitating societal progress. What will be SYSTRA’s priorities for 2024 regarding sustainability? What flagship achievements spring to mind? We need to maintain the momentum… and pick up the pace. As far as Diversity, We have been proud to witness the commitment of our employees to local Equity and Inclusion are concerned, we know that our employees have high communities, particularly through their involvement in aid projects. We have also expectations. We have defined a Charter which has been applied across stepped up our influence across the professional networks: in Australia and in the Group and put in place a governance system, and we are now working on the United Kingdom, for example, our employees have had the opportunity to discuss developing actions that are specific to local contexts, and on defining our expertise, particularly regarding digital innovation. In the field, projects delivered shared indicators. Furthermore, the challenge for 2024 will be to continue in extreme climates – such as Etihad Rail, which has encountered a wide range aligning the technical solutions used with the impacts of our projects and our of problems, including to do with managing materials and carbon – are particularly clients’ vision, factoring in local needs and standards. noteworthy. The Mwanza station project in Tanzania is also designed to provide users with a high quality environment while being profitable, practically and transparently, against a backdrop of difficult climate conditions. Our employees across-the-board will need to follow a quick training course in sustainable design and construction if we are to meet our new ambitious targets, with the support of a major network of ambassadors. 2 | SYSTRA