Optimising the carbon footprint of Groupama's forestry activities
Groupama is implementing tools to manage and monitor the forestry areas of the Société Forestière Groupama, in order to optimise its CO2 capture potential.
Main project's drivers for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy and resource efficiency
Energy Decarbonisation
Energy efficiency improvements
Improving efficiency in non-energy resources
Emission removal
Financing low-carbon issuers or disinvestment from carbon assets
Reduction of other greenhouse gases emission
Project objectives
- Identify initiatives to optimise forest management in terms of GHG capture.
- Monitor and further improve the GHG emissions assessment of Société Forestière Groupama's forests.
Groupama has implemented multifunctional forest management, combining the social, ecological and economic functions of forests.
The forests managed by the Société Forestière Groupama serve as carbon sinks. Each year, their increase in absorption capacity is assessed (volume of carbon sequestered as a result of the annual increase, in addition to the carbon already stored).
Emission scope(s)
on which the project has a significant impact
Scope 1
Direct emissions generated by the company's activity.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with the company's electricity and heat consumption.
Scope 3
Emissions induced (upstream or downstream) by the company's activities, products and/or services in its value chain.
Emission Removal
Carbon sinks creation, (BECCS, CCU/S, …)
Avoided Emissions
Emissions avoided by the activities, products and/or services in charge of the project, or by the financing of emission reduction projects.
Scope 1 –Emissions resulting from operation of the machinery at forestry sites
- Quantification :
SFG’s CO2 emissions for 2020: 336 tonnes of CO2e
Emission removal – Improved CO2 absorption (thanks to the new management system)
- Quantification : storage of 10.5 million tonnes of carbon in 2020 compared with 9.2 million tonnes of carbon in 2014
Avoided Emissions – Improvement in the sale of building timber from Groupama forests
- Quantification : 79,471 tonnes of CO2e for 2020 compared with 39,240 tonnes of CO2e in 2014
- The sale of standing timber, which enables economic stakeholders operating in the sector to reduce final CO2 emissions. The share of CO2 saved by using wood from forests managed by Société Forestière Groupama was 79,471 tonnes in 2020
- Storage of 10.5 million tonnes of carbon in 2020 compared with 9.2 million tonnes in 2014: increase of 1.3 million tonnes of carbon over 7 years.
Key points
Invested amount
Assets valued at € 160M
Starting date of the project
2015
Project localisation
France
Project maturity level
Prototype laboratory test (TRL 7)
Real life testing (TRL 7-8)
Pre-commercial prototype (TRL 9)
Small-scale implementation
Medium to large scale implementation
Economic profitability of the project (ROI)
Short term (0-3 years )
Middle term (4-10 years)
Long term (> 10 years)
Illustrations of the project
The carbon saved through the management of forest assets mainly contributes to the following SDGs:
- SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, through the wood sold and used by the sector,
- SDG 13 Climate Action : forests are managed sustainably and the way in which tree plantations are managed increasingly covers the challenges of climate adaptation (absorption and resistance to climate change) each year,
- SDG 15 on Life on Land, through sustainable forest management and consideration of existing ecosystems so that biodiversity can increase. The management methods also pay particular attention to ensuring a balance between forestry and hunting, as well as to the choice of species and the conservation of habitats.
Management of forestry assets adapted to climate change should be pursued.
Partnerships have been established with consulting firms EcoAct, If Consultants and Cabinet Gourmain Barthélémy.
Contact the company carrying the project :
gmaresponsabilitesocialeentreprise@groupama.com
