Environmental commitments

In France, we have access to a good water supply with almost flawless potability. So we might think – wrongly – that water is a plentiful, almost infinite resource.

Our water networks are ageing and in general not sufficiently maintained. This means that more than one litre out of five returns to the natural environment without even reaching the consumer, which is ecological ‘non-sense’.

Yet the increasingly frequent episodes of hydric stress are now raising people’s awareness of the reality. People are now starting to see that water, as a resource, is as precious as it is finite. It has to be managed with all the care it deserves. This is the sense behind our actions.

Claire Group

Engaged by nature

As a corporate group, our mission is first of all to help find permanent solutions to preserve water as a resource, while remaining highly vigilant about the impact of our activities. 
 
When we lose significant volumes of water from our networks, we aren’t just wasting water - we are also wasting all the energy and the treatment processes used to make water fit for consumption. Preserving water is also about preserving that energy.  
 
Our teams design and build innovative, durable solutions designed to respond to the real issues facing water operators on the ground. Our objective is to improve network performance over the long term, so that all consumers can benefit from optimal, permanent access to water.

“Water is part of the nation's shared heritage. Protecting, valuing and developing water as a usable resource while respecting the equilibrium of nature, is in the public interest”.

Article L210-1 of the French Environmental Code.

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In practice

Our mission is to reduce and prevent the loss of water

Ageing pipelines, excess pressure and soil movement are some of the reasons why almost 1 billion m3 of potable water are wasted each year.  
 
Despite the performance issues, just 0.65% of network installations are renewed each year. To offer a response that can keep pace with the problems currently facing our water supply, this percentage would have to be doubled or even tripled.  
 
Claire Group intervenes at every stage in the distribution chain, from the moment the water leaves the treatment plants until it reaches the consumer and is then returned to the natural environment after purification. As specialists in connection and interconnection systems, Claire Group also develop custom solutions for metering, system monitoring and for the control of our drinking water networks.  
 
This positioning places us on the front line when it comes to finding concrete responses and contributing as effectively as possible to the preservation of our water resources. 

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‘‘We have a colossal responsibility towards the future generations. We owe it to them to really value, improve and renew the networks we ourselves received as a legacy. We want them to have access to quality water supplies that truly meet their needs, without having to sacrifice or ration basic usage.   ’’
Damien Verhée
President of Claire Group

Certified environmental system

Claire Group has chosen to adopt an ISO 14001 environment management system across all its sites. This voluntary commitment complements our procedures for customer satisfaction (ISO 9001) and workforce safety (ISO 45001). The Group also has the EcoVadis label, attesting to its CSR performance. 
 
These certifications allow us to structure and formalise our vision over the long-term, and bear witness to Claire Group’s strong desire for continuous improvement. The Group’s successful accreditation brings recognition and reward for our teams’ commitment to the environment. 

Claire Group was very quick to embark on the certification process, as it allows us to organise our way of working while giving our stakeholders concrete proof of our commitment.

Damien VERHEE
Damien Verhee President of Claire Group
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Eco-design is at the heart of our manufacturing processes

As our teams are in direct contact with the materials and work to preserve water on a daily basis, they are acutely aware of the value of each resource.. 
 
This is why, after almost 15 years, we apply the concept of eco-design on all our products. 
 
This systematic approach allows us to verify the optimal use of each resource in our production cycle, as well as the durability of our solutions.  

Designed to improve performance

We offer our network operator customers innovative, durable solutions to help them build and maintain high-quality networks designed to last. This not only enhances the network from a functional perspective but also boosts the economic performance. 
 
Having better knowledge of your network is vital, to improve its maintenance. This means that communities need access to accurate information about what is going on with their water network.  
 
This proactive approach can stop leaks occurring in the local ecosystem and can also help to prevent pollution or contamination during purification. 
 
By deploying our solutions, we aim to change the way that water networks are managed.

Objective: 75% recycling of waste

Claire Group is firmly convinced of the need for a rational, informed use of resources and since the outset has been committed to a policy of responsibly using, recycling and recovering raw materials.  
 
The mass of each part is optimised, and the bronze used to make our fittings generates no waste. It can be recycled infinitely! 
 
We use recyclable cardboard packaging and biodegradable bags. 
 
Our proprietary monitoring solutions are used to optimise our water consumption and detect leaks.

‘‘These recycling and reprocessing practices are applied to all our products. We also anticipate the end-of-life of our fittings. Electronic and electrical waste is collected and reprocessed by Ecosystem, a licensed electrical processor.   ’’
Arnaud Leclerc
Operations Manager at Ijinus, Claire Group

Thinking for the next 50 years and beyond

When you work with water supply networks, you have to plan for the very long-term. The concept of permanence is vital. A network has to be designed to last at least five decades. 
 
Product life cycle is therefore a central issue for our teams. We build equipment that is primarily designed to be resistant, and repairable. The technologies we use are designed to evolve and be upgraded rather than replaced. Each repaired component is checked and certified. 
 
By doing this, we aim to permanently reduce obsolescence and wastage of resources.