Bouygues Construction officially announces the launch of CarbonEco, a software package designed to establish a carbon audit of building and civil works projects. The Group is the first player to adapt the carbon audit methodology devised by Ademe ⁽¹⁾ for an operational context and for the diversity of the structures it constructs and renovates: housing, offices, schools, industry, engineering structures, tunnels, etc. The software can also be used during the operational phase of the structure, after handover.

CarbonEco, which was developed in partnership with Carbone 4 ⁽²⁾, provides owners with an accurate assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions that their project will generate, from the design phase through to demolition, including during the operational period. Upstream of every project, CarbonEco makes it possible to forecast its carbon footprint, so enabling owners to choose the best design and build options offered by Bouygues Construction.

Bouygues Construction has trained roughly fifty of its professionals in the Ademe's carbon audit methodology, and by extension in the use of the CarbonEco program. CarbonEco is being tested and used on approximately 30% of the Group's projects in 2009. As of 2010, practically all of them will be subject to carbon audits.

CarbonEco forms part of the strategy of eco-design and deployment of comprehensive carbon accounting across the entire Bouygues Group. Jointly developed with Bouygues Immobilier and Colas, it will facilitate the implementation of action plans for reducing the company's greenhouse gas emissions. The policy of cutting carbon emissions is being developed in two key areas: constructing "low carbon" projects (energy consumption of buildings, alternative construction methods) and reducing the carbon impact associated with support processes (IT, purchasing, etc.), including employee mobility (eco-friendly driving, company travel plans, etc.).

⁽¹⁾ Ademe, France's Environment and Energy Management Agency, is a public body under the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Ademe is involved in implementing public policies in the areas of the environment, energy and sustainable development.

⁽²⁾ Carbone 4 is the benchmark consultancy for French companies dealing with "carbon constraint" issues (climate change and of fossil fuel scarcity).

What is a carbon audit ?
A carbon audit is a method of accounting for greenhouse gas emissions on the basis of easily accessible data to achieve an accurate evaluation of emissions directly generated by or arising from an activity (e.g. an industrial or service sector business, a government agency, etc.) or a territory.