Politique Internationale — For a group like EDF, what does it mean to be associated so closely with the organisation of the Paris 2024 Games? Do you consider this commitment as a stroke of good fortune or just a new project that must be completed successfully?
Luc Rémont — EDF has been supporting French sport for more than 30 years through multiple partnerships with both sports federations and many athletes. It is therefore natural that we decided to become a partner of Paris 2024. But beyond sport and the values it conveys, it is Paris 2024’s desire to place the challenge of climate change and societal excellence at the heart of its project that convinced us.
For EDF, this is a unique opportunity to make its expertise in low-carbon solutions available to meet the challenge of more environmentally responsible Games. And since sport is a powerful lever for inclusion, especially for the younger generations, we also support all initiatives that promote the development of sport for all, with a focus on the better integration of people with disabilities. Through this partnership, EDF is committed to Paris 2024 to ensure that these Games become a popular, inclusive celebration and an accelerator of the energy transition. Our ambition: to give Paris 2024 the energy to shine!
P. I. — Is this the first time that EDF has accompanied a sporting event of this magnitude?
L. R. — EDF has already supported major international competitions: the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France, the London 2012 Games and, to go back even further, the IRB 2007 Rugby World Cup. These partnerships illustrate EDF’s ongoing commitment to sport, but also the choice of events with high societal value: the recognition of women’s sport with football in 2019, or a change in the way disability is viewed at the London Games.
P. I. — Can you give us an overview of the company’s actions relating to this event? By extension, does EDF have a sports policy? If so, what are its main guidelines?
L. R. — The actions implemented by the company are not limited to Games Time. They are organised around three main approaches: support for sport and the development of sports practice; sport as a lever for inclusion and professional integration; and finally, sport as a lever for the acceleration of energy transition. The first area is the one that underpins EDF’s historical commitment to sport. Alongside all athletes, and in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Games, EDF is mobilised to popularise and encourage sport for all, in line with its values of diversity, inclusion, performance and responsibility. Whether through clubs and sports associations or, more formally, through the sponsorship of three national federations (swimming, canoeing-kayaking and football), we encourage the development of amateur sport throughout the country.
We also support high-level sport with Team EDF, a group of 34 athletes, equally split between men and women, representing 28 Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, whom we accompany in the development of their sports performance. Nearly 30 of them are in a position to qualify for the Paris Games; this is a great source of pride. But, beyond their performances on the sports field, the women and men of Team EDF are committed to major social and environmental causes, in particular, through the EDF Sport Énergie app. This app encourages the practice of sport on a daily basis through personal challenges led by Team EDF athletes, the results of which are transformed into financial support for charities such as the Restos du Cœur (restaurants of the heart), the AFM Téléthon (musculary charity telethon) and, from 2023, charities selected by Paris 2024.
P. I. — What about the lever for inclusion?
L. R. — Sport is a powerful lever for inclusion and social recognition that develops autonomy, self-image and tolerance. This element is so important to us that we decided – and we are the only ones – to sign and represent our partnership with the Paris 2024 Games in our logo, highlighting the Paralympic Games. EDF thus puts itself forward as a Paralympic and Olympic partner. As a pioneer in the integration of people with disabilities within the company, the Group has broadened this commitment by supporting the development of sports for people with disabilities, notably through its partnerships with the French Federation for Handisport (FFH) and the French Paralympic Sports Committee. With the FFH, we have a shared 30- year adventure in giving impetus to the development of parasports, making them more accessible throughout the country and to all kinds of disability: 30 years of financial, human and logistical support; 30 years of innovation in the service of promotion, media-coverage and democratisation of sport for the disabled.
Team EDF takes part in this movement with our 15 muti- medallist Paralympic athletes with exemplary backgrounds, who go to meet young people in schools and high schools, during workshops and discovery of parasports. Launched in 2016 by EDF in association with the FFH, the ‘A Champion in My School’ initiatives have already made it possible to raise awareness of the issue of disability among more than 10,000 young people.
I would also like to highlight an action that is particularly close to my heart, the ‘Learn to Swim programme’ developed with the French Swimming Federation, the National Sports Agency and Paris 2024. This programme extends the package of measures to raise awareness among the young of an important societal element: learning to swim for populations who do not have easy access to the practice of sport, be it in the Seine-Saint-Denis department – the epicentre of the Paris 2024 Games – or in coastal cities such as Marseille. Knowing how to swim is an issue of inclusion, but it is also the way to save lives when we still count nearly 1,500 accidental drownings each year, more than a quarter of which are fatal. By 2024, we will have trained more than 100,000 young people.
P. I. — You mentioned sport as a lever for accelerating energy transition. In general, this is an area about which we think less …
L. R. — We are convinced that sport is a unique and inspiring platform for changing behaviour and attitudes on environmental issues: by developing energy-efficient infrastructures in the regions and organising sporting events with a reduced environmental footprint, EDF, a major player in the energy transition, is putting its expertise at the service of the Paris 2024 Games to make this ‘local’ event with a global reach a showcase for environmental responsibility. This is an opportunity to demonstrate EDF expertise and innovation capabilities in terms of low-carbon solutions.
P. I. — The Paris 2024 Organising Committee is promoting the notion of sustainable Games. Was this an indispensable condition for EDF’s commitment?
L. R. — The question did not arise in these terms. In the project proposed by Paris 2024, we have found ambitions that echo our own corporate social responsibility commitments: carbon neutrality and the climate, preservation of the planet’s resources, well-being and solidarity, responsible development. This is why this partnership goes beyond our historic commitment to sport. For us, it is the very demonstration of our raison d’être.
EDF and its subsidiaries are working alongside Paris 2024 to supply 100% renewable electricity and are also participating in the Solidéo (1) projects. The EDF group is present in the Athletes’ Village. In this area, which includes housing and an office building, energy consumption will be reduced thanks to intelligent energy management combined with photovoltaic electricity production on rooftops, which will cover around 20% of needs. EDF ENR – the renewable energy arm of EDF – brings its know-how on all photovoltaic operations. EDF is also proposing two demonstrators of solar solutions for Games Time: the installation of a solar shading system on the bus station, which will both protect athletes from the sun while waiting for buses to reach their competition venues and supply electricity to the International Delegations Centre; and a photovoltaic power unit on the Seine to supplement the production of renewable electricity needed for consumption during the Games.
This expertise is also at work at the future Aquatic Centre. The inverted roof vault will be covered with photovoltaic panels that will be installed by EDF ENR and will cover about 20% of the Centre’s electricity needs. In addition, Dalkia will run all the technical operations of the building and will carry out the commitment to energy performance. The building will thus be 90% supplied by renewable and recovered energies for thermal and electricity. Finally, IZIVIA is mobilised on the issue of charging the electric vehicles that will be used by the Games organisation teams by installing nearly 900 temporary electric vehicle charging stations.
P. I. — In your opinion, are EDF employees receptive to this commitment? Have you already started to raise awareness internally? Can it be said that the EDF company in its totality is mobilised for the Games?
L. R. — Valuing our expertise and know-how for more responsible Games means enhancing the daily commitment of EDF’s 160,000 employees to the group’s activities, as the world leader in low- carbon electricity generation, the leading renewable energy operator in Europe and a leader in energy services and low-carbon solutions. Our internal surveys show that our employees are massively behind this partnership. It reinforces their sense of belonging and cohesion within the group. It is an extremely strong factor of commitment. In addition, supporting the Paris 2024 Games and the development of sporting practice is a way of bringing sport into the company. We launched a vast programme to promote access to leisure sports practices for health and well-being, especially for employees who are not involved in physical activities or sports, and people with disabilities. In particular, we are very proud of the ‘Energy Games’ sports competition programme that has been launched at all our sites and which already involves nearly 25,000 employees. We are also keen to enable high-level athletes to combine their sporting and professional careers within EDF, with the implementation of Professional Integration Agreements. Three of the Team’s athletes benefit from this scheme.
P. I. — What for you would be a successful Games? Are there tangible criteria which must be fulfilled?
L. R. — Games that will delight the planet and create a more responsible world! Of course, spectacular Games, with unforgettable sporting and human performances, a festive atmosphere in Paris and throughout France to accompany the athletes and their coaches and welcome visitors from all over the world. These are also Games that keep their promise of being more responsible, both on environmental and social issues. Paris must demonstrate that major sporting events and environmental protection are not incompatible. It must also be a major step forward in terms of disability by making sport more accessible and changing attitudes.
P. I. — We see every day that the dimension of a sporting event goes well beyond the field of sport: is this inevitable?
L. R. — Sport has accompanied humanity for thousands of years: with the Olympic Truce, the Greeks had already given sport a political role … Paris 2024 takes the Games out of the stadium and puts them at the heart of the city, making them more accessible and festive, and opening them up to the concerns and realities of our time: climate change, inclusion, respect and solidarity. Yes, this event goes far beyond the realm of sport, and EDF is proud to support the ambition of Paris 2024.
(1) Solidéo is the public institution tasked with delivering Olympic structures.