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13 Oct 2020 11:09
PRESS RELEASE
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October 13, 2020
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SAINT-GOBAIN steps up to accompany FRANCE'S
RENOVATION STIMULUS PLAN
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The French government has launched an ambitious recovery plan with a strong focus on energy-efficient renovation. It is now the responsibility of the private sector to step up its efforts and take part in the country's economic recovery and the fight against climate change.
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In this spirit, Saint-Gobain, a major player in the building industry, is today taking several concrete measures to create the right conditions for a fully successful plan.
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Trained craftsmen
Without effectively training the sector's trade professionals, there can be no high-quality energy-efficient renovation.
Starting this month, Saint-Gobain is rolling out a multi-channel training program for all the craftsmen in its network throughout France, called "Objectif RGE" (Target: Recognized Environmental Guarantor). Objectif RGE is innovative in offering craftsmen a real time-saver by allowing them to train remotely on their computer, tablet or smartphone, combined with a certification system in Point.P branches. The ambition is to have a further 10,000 craftsmen qualified RGE by the end of 2022, compared to 2,000 per year today. Beyond Point.P, all the Group's specialized brands involved in energy-efficient renovation, particularly Cedeo and SFIC, will be mobilized to make a success of the recovery plan.
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Clear and accessible information
In addition, to raise the awareness of the general public on the challenges of renovation, which sometimes wrongly appears to be a complex subject, all technical solutions for individuals will now be available on the completely revamped "La Maison Saint-Gobain" website. Unique and powerful, this integrated tool of inspiration and intermediation, visited by around 700,000 people a month, connects end-users' renovation projects to qualified professionals.
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An innovative and environmentally-friendly solution offering for public buildings and private housing
Saint-Gobain will also offer public authorities a service to measure and diagnose the comfort of the interior spaces of their buildings as part of an energy-efficient renovation project. This service will be carried out by Kandu, an in-house Saint-Gobain start-up, as capacities allow.
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In addition, Saint-Gobain is accelerating its development of bio-sourced solutions.
To this end, the Group, via its subsidiary Isonat, which specializes in wood fiber insulation panels, is committed to doubling the capacity of its manufacturing facility in Mably (Loire) by 2023. This will enable the insulation of the equivalent of 9,000 additional houses per year with this bio-sourced insulation, designed, sourced and produced in France.
Lastly, Saint-Gobain is mobilizing its capacities to promote innovation in renovation. Saint-Gobain Building Distribution France will launch a "Tour de France of ecological solutions" with its partner tradesmen, which will include the 1,500 multi-brand and multi-industry products that make up its bio-sourced offering. The "Saint-Gobain Solutions" internal organization, created in 2019, which brings together the combined expertise of the Group's various subsidiaries (insulation, plaster, mortars, glazing, services), is also fully mobilized to provide solutions for innovation in the building industry.
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Mobilizing Saint-Gobain employees in France
A corporate sponsorship program will be set up to allow Group employees who wish to do so to use up to four days per year to support initiatives relating to the energy-efficient renovation of buildings. In total, Saint-Gobain could offer its employees almost 100,000 hours.
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Saint-Gobain will also support 1,000 global energy renovation projects for its employees eligible for the new enhanced MaPrimeRΓ©nov' scheme by assuming the remaining costs not covered by State aid and energy saving certificates, for those below a certain income level.
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Through its investments and commitments, Saint-Gobain is leveraging its expertise and resources to remove barriers and contribute to the success of the objectives set out in the French stimulus plan. A study conducted by BVA at the end of September 2020 on the benefits of insulation among a representative panel of the French population who own homes and have carried out insulation work over the past five years shows that 93% believe that their insulation is effective, 76% that they have seen their energy bills fall and 70% that they have gained in comfort.
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The energy-efficient renovation of buildings is both a powerful driver for economic recovery, a central instrument of ecological transition and a means of combating energy exclusion.
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ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN
Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions which are key ingredients in the wellbeing of each of us and the future of all. They can be found everywhere in our living places and our daily life: in buildings, transportation, infrastructure and in many industrial applications. They provide comfort, performance and safety while addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, resource efficiency and climate change.
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β¬42.6 billion in sales in 2019
Operates in 70 countries
More than 170,000 employees
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For more information about Saint-Gobain
Visit www.saint-gobain.com
and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain
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