Audit Success for Somaca, Avtoframos Brings ISO 14001 International Certification to 100% of Renault Industrial Sites

29 May 2008 -- ISO 14001 certification (by the International Organization for Standardization) attests to a site’s commitment to continually improve its environmental management and reduce the ecological impact of its operations. Certification is issued on successful completion of an in-depth audit by independent accredited organizations (UTAC1 and SGS2, for Renault sites).

Highlights:
• Through wide-scale implementation of network-based environmental management practices, ISO 14001 certification now extends to 100% of Renault industrial sites and industrial subsidiaries worldwide.
• Somaca (Morocco) and AvtoFramos (Russia), which recently reached full capacity production, were the last two sites to be awarded ISO 14001 certification by accredited independent certification organizations
• With its Renault eco² signature, Renault undertakes to offer a range of affordable environment-friendly vehicles. Manufacture at an ISO14001-certified plant is one of the three criteria for obtaining the eco² signature.

The certification procedure involves several stages, starting with:
- In-the-field analysis of environmental impact
- Definition of objectives and targets
- Implementation of a regularly audited progress plan

This procedure presupposes that all site personnel are properly informed and fully mobilized.

To progress in environmental management, Renault carries out yearly internal site audits consistent with the ISO 14001 standard, merging specialist input from both site personnel and environment experts. This strengthens site personnel skills in environmental matters and stimulates networking across different sites.

Ten years of environmental management certification
Sandouville was the first Renault site to achieve ISO 14001 certification, back in December 1998. The same year, the powertrain plant at the Ayrton Senna complex in Brazil was designed to work under zero-industrial-discharge conditions, thus protecting the site surroundings, 60% of which are considered protected biodiversity areas.

Whenever Renault sets up a plant in a new country, it pays the greatest attention to economic, environmental and social development. A good example is the Pitesti site in Romania, which was consolidated under the Renault group in 2002 and obtained initial ISO 14001 certification in 2005.

Somaca in Morocco was consolidated in 2006, and the site obtained ISO 14001 certification in early 2008. Substantial human and material investments have been made here to reduce the environmental impact of operations. A new physical-chemical industrial effluent treatment plant will be started up at Somaca in 2008. Another significant example is the global waste management system, compliant with European standards, set up in 2007. And action plans on the manufacturing system brought energy savings per car of 15% in 2006 and 22% in 2007.

The AvtoFramos site in Russia came under Renault group consolidation in 2005 and became the last Renault group to obtain ISO 14001 certification, in April 2008. Efforts here focused primarily on personnel education in environmental matters.

Grassroots efficacy for environmental management system
Environment issues take a central place in the Renault Production Way. As early as 1995, Renault set up an environmental management system. It applies to all sites worldwide, but factors in the local specificities at each plant. The main feature of this system is that it is based on a group-wide network of ecology correspondents.

The originality of Renault’s environmental management system is that it involves teaching ecological principles to personnel in each manufacturing function, rather than teaching industrial processes to environment specialists. The result is a network of around 600 correspondents across all sites (18 different functions and 14 different countries). This arrangement is highly conducive to information and skills interchange.

Best environmental practices are effectively propagated throughout the group, collective skills are developed, and a culture of ecological responsibility is gradually built up across the whole workforce.

Conclusive results
Environmental management at Renault sites has yielded the following results over the last ten years:
- 25% reduction in energy consumption (kW per vehicle)
- 61% reduction in water consumption (m3 per vehicle), a saving of 10 million cubic metres in all

1 Union Technique de l’Automobile et du Cycle, official testing organization recognized by
European and worldwide authorities
2 SGS, world number-one in testing and certification

Source: Renault

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