The environment: act to protect it, or suffer the consequences?

L’Émission, Viaposte’s programme covering everyday challenges and concerns, returns for its third episode with a topic of particular public interest.

The programme, filmed during European Sustainable Development Week, shines a spotlight on guests who support practices that are respectful of both people and the planet.

Through their accounts, discover inspiring commitments and Viaposte’s approach to addressing the great challenge of environmental protection.

Raphaël de Casabianca: when travel leads to awareness

An iconic figure of the show ‘Rendez-vous en terre inconnue’ (Encounter in an Unknown Land) on the public television channel France 2, and later of ‘Nos terres inconnues’ (Our Unknown Lands), Raphaël de Casabianca shares the inspiring practices he has witnessed on his travels around France and across the world. He also prompts us to think about the human impacts on the planet associated with different ways of consuming, producing, and living.

“I had the opportunity to go and meet various indigenous people [...] These are people who depend on the Earth, and, if they don’t take care of it, they have to suffer the consequences, and their survival is called into question. They have practices and a philosophy closely tied to the living world, whereas we have become very disconnected from it!” explains Raphaël.

Raphaël invites us to rethink ‘purchasing power’ as our power to buy differently, to make a difference, and to consider the weight of our actions.

“I went to the Marais Breton marshlands, and, now, when I buy my salt, I think: I can either buy it directly from the producer, because I know his story, and I know the hours of work it entails for him, or I can buy it in a supermarket, with a transaction that is much more disconnected from human experience. Here again, we all have the power to reflect on what we choose to buy, and to protect those who are fighting to keep their profession alive,” he continues.

He points out that as a citizen, and as an employee of a large company, it is important to question the impact of small gestures. He adds that “Every little awareness is essential. We all have our part to play, and it is through the sum of all of our actions that we advance the cause.”

When asked, “How do you see attitudes changing today?”, Raphaël de Casabianca praises younger generations and their awareness: “Young people communicate differently now. To get messages out, they use tools that we simply didn’t have before. This more outspoken generation can really make things happen. I have faith in humanity. We need to showcase how people are getting together to work on these issues all over the world!”

Eric Descazaux, Brive Hub Director: at the helm of a committed team

Eric has been director of the Brive Hub since it was inaugurated six years ago. Environmental protection is a subject that has always interested him, and even more so since his arrival in the Dordogne-Corrèze region.

This environmental commitment is reflected in the way he carries out his work: “At Viaposte, sorting, recycling and valorizing industrial waste is a constant challenge! We work hard to sort by product and material type, together with our partners, including Véolia and Limoges Palette. The result: over 40,000 pallets recycled in 2024!” states Eric.

“The goal was to find new value in waste, with potential economic benefits. In economic terms, waste previously cost us 30,000 euros a year. By working on this, we reduced our costs to around 10,000 euros! We are even sometimes able to generate a profit, which we then reinvest in other impact reduction activities.”

While this process has clearly brought significant economic benefits, it stems from a genuine desire to protect the environment. Eric Descazaux points out other actions aimed at making quality-of-life improvements at Viaposte:

Conservation grazing: Local sheep are allowed to graze on the grounds of the Viaposte facility, with a view to reducing the need for motorized mowing. This leads to an average of 50% less mowing every year.

Beehives: set up on the grounds, these beehives are managed by a professional bee-keeper, who harvests the honey and distributes it to employees.

To conclude, the Brive Hub Director discusses some current and future prospects: “We have launched small actions to reduce both exterior and interior lighting, and to limit air conditioning. The next step? Two projects are currently being developed, the first involving setting up a composting system, and the second aimed at recycling our PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment.”

“Everyone is getting on board and making a contribution. That’s the strength of the collective; all of our employees are playing their part, and that’s what makes it all possible! It only takes a little effort from everybody, and it is extremely important!” concludes Eric Descazaux. 

Caroline Grandjean, Viaposte Managing Director: the environment at the heart of the company’s challenges

“As part of Viaposte’s business, we sort, store and transport parcels over long distances, and this generates significant climate impacts,” concedes Caroline Grandjean.

For Viaposte, environmental protection is an obligation for three main reasons:

• The company is part of the La Poste Group, which, as a mission-driven company, is deeply committed to the environment.
• Viaposte’s employees care deeply about environmental issues, and expect their company to champion the same values.
• For customers, this environmental commitment is differentiating factor.

We have therefore implemented multiple actions to address these concerns. For example, we have developed a Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, Roadmap, and have begun conducting awareness-raising campaigns. Already more than 130 employees have received training via a ‘Circular Economy Fresco’, a workshop focused on concrete actions and examples, which helps participants get a better grasp of the planet’s limits, and understand the individual actions our company is working to amplify,” continues Caroline Grandjean. 

In line with this approach, a CSR Score scheme has been rolled out across Viaposte facilities, allowing each to conduct a self-assessment based on 16 different environmental indicators. But that’s not all. Regarding transport, a very significant source of CO₂, a special transport plan has been developed to reduce mileage. Over the past few years, Viaposte has also established a wide-reaching decarbonisation policy with its partner carriers, for which Caroline Grandjean shares some results: “The target for 2025 was to decarbonise 13% of the total mileage. And, to date, we are already at 18%!”

Well, what’s next for Viaposte? Waste recycling, building energy management, and work clothing recycling.

Florian Berny, Field Maintenance Technician: a daily commitment

Florian Berny has been a maintenance technician at Viaposte for 4 years now, and has made the environment a daily battle for him, in both his personal and professional life. As a fervent defender of the environment, he has found a way to combine a leisure activity with a good cause: magnet fishing.

“Magnet fishing consists in using a rope and a magnet to pull up large objects that have no place in the water! In addition to being a fun activity, we are also cleaning up the environment. It also raises awareness, as we get plenty of curious passers-by asking questions!”

“What was the heaviest object we ever pulled up? A motorbike! We even recovered a safe that had been stolen from its owner, with her valuable objects still inside. We got it back to her, and so did a double good deed,” Florian continues.

This hobby really brings people together, with more and more enthusiasts now coming together to take part in this mission to clean up waterways.

“Sometimes, we also organise clean-ups along riverbanks. This not only allows us to scout out new spots for magnet fishing, but also to clean up pathways.”

Florian Berny is keenly aware of environmental issues also because he lives in a flood zone.

As a Viaposte employee, he is helping build a movement to raise awareness and reflection.

“At the sites where I work, plastic cups have been replaced by cardboard cups, with a dedicated recycling bin! I also see more and more posters raising awareness of environmental causes, more and more people using active transport, and more championing of green energy,” explains Florian.

He is clear on why he is in this fight: “The most important thing is what we are going to leave for future generations,” concludes Florian.

A final word from Caroline Grandjean

Climate change has a very strong impact on Viaposte’s activities, and on the well-being of employees.

“Some work in warehouses that are not very well insulated, others unload trucks left in the sun. As a company, we have a real responsibility and a duty to act. We are testing new cooling vests, working on improving ventilation and insulation, and installing misting systems. The goal is to improve the comfort of our employees, in both summer and winter,” explains Caroline Grandjean.

Ambitions for the future? Viaposte is pursuing ISO 14001 certification for its industrial activities, in order to establish a framework to ensure regulatory compliance, as well as to go further and invest in improvements for the future.

“This allows us to unite local efforts, turn them into focus areas for our work, and manage them in a certified manner. But that’s not all. Having a certification offers a greater assurance to our customers, and is a source of motivation and pride for our teams, with clear objectives and precise metrics.”

Watch this entire awareness-raising episode of L’Émission dedicated to the environment on our YouTube channel or LinkedIn page, and please comment and share!