This document discusses France's progress toward developing green and sustainable businesses and technologies. It provides several examples of French companies that have made strides in areas like renewable energy, clean transportation, and sustainable agriculture. It also discusses how hosting the COP21 climate conference in Paris raised awareness of sustainability issues and increased pressure on companies to develop more environmentally-friendly solutions. Overall the document presents France as a leader in developing a green economy and highlights innovative French companies that are capitalizing on the country's focus on sustainability.

1. FRENCH
FLAIR
SPOTLIGHT
Harnessing the
power of the sea
T
he COP 21 Paris
Climate conference
and the historic Paris
Agreement made
in December 2015
shone a spotlight
on France and
gave its firms a chance to showcase
their progress towards creating
a truly green economy.
French companies have made great
strides in recent years, helped by a
stringent regulatory environment
– France was one of the first countries
to set a long-term commitment to
cut greenhouse gases – combined
with cutting-edge technology in
everything from clean energy to
zero-emission vehicles, as well as
initiatives such as innovation clusters,
designed to promote research, skills
and competitiveness in strategic
sectors. Strong consumer interest
in sustainability and the sharing
economy has also been helping
drive companies to go green.
France accounted for only 0.9% of
global emissions in 2013-14, despite
generating 2.4% of global GDP. And
it is ahead on its greenhouse gas
emissions target under the Kyoto
Protocol, reducing emissions by
more than 10% since 1990.
Publisher: Business France • Contributing Editor: Helen Massy Beresford • Editor: David Williams • Design and layout: Sphère Publique • Illustrations: Carine Brancowitz • Printed on recycled paper • Circulation: 5,000 copies in English
03
NEED TO KNOW
How French cities
are going green
04
10%
FRANCE IS AHEAD – CUTTING
EMISSIONS BY MORE THAN
SINCE 1990
SUSTAINABLE
GROWTHMEANS
WEHAVETO
THINKBIG
Can we improve quality of
life, generate renewable
energy for all, feed the world
and have a cleaner planet?
Yes we can, but only if firms,
investors and citizens invest heavily in
science, research and development
with ambitious goals, rather than
indulge in PR campaigns; and only
if ecosystems take shape between
academic research, creative start-ups
and big business.
These vital ecosystems are not yet
up and running in energy, food, or
waste. The healthcare industry has
paved the way, generating mind-
blowing drugs, devices and vaccines
that help prolong life. Initially
expensive, they become cheaper
through generic competition.
Pharmaceutical companies invest
aggressively in R&D. Biotechs attract
investors and partnerships. Sanofi’s
R&D budget is 13% of revenues; 350
listed biotechs have raised US$30
billion since 2010.
By contrast, Total, Engie, EDF and
Veolia’s R&D budgets of 0.2 to 1%
of revenues are minuscule! Both
they and their foreign competitors
tend to focus on short-term,
marginal innovations because they
enjoy growing revenue with little
competitive pressure, so start-ups
and investors shy away. How can we
generate breakthrough energies,
feed 9 billion people in 2030
and clean up the planet without
investing in science and technology?
We cannot.
Once energy and utility firms realize
that R&D drives revenue-boosting
and highly profitable breakthrough
innovation, and governments put
effective pressure and introduce tax
incentives in these critical areas, we
might then enjoy renewable energy
and adequate food supplies on a clean
planet, as well as improved healthcare.
by PHILIPPE POULETTY
M.D., MANAGING PARTNER,
TRUFFLE CAPITAL (WWW.TRUFFLE.COM)
viewpoint
But the businesses holding the keys
to future progress know there is much
still to be done – and that growing
sustainably is the only way to grow.
From energy efficiency, smart data
applications and innovative renewable
technologies, French companies are
finding new ways to be sustainable.
Jeremy Fain, Co-founder and Chief
Executive Officer of Paris-based
software company Verteego, which
specializes in helping companies
analyze non-financial environmental,
energy and social data to help boost
their sustainability, says: “The
challenge of sustainable development
is integral to future business: in
today’s world, a company that would
increase its non-recyclable rubbish,
or its carbon footprint, accident rate
or absenteeism for an extra euro of
turnover could not be considered
sustainable. In our fast-changing
world, a company that found itself
in that situation would be forced
to change its growth strategy.”
Jérôme Michaud-Larivière, Founder
and Chief Executive Officer of
NewWind (see Portfolio), pioneer of
the Arbre à Vent wind turbine, believes
hosting the COP 21 conference may
have helped convince politicians
to look more closely at small-scale
solutions that, once added together,
can make a big difference.
GROWING
SUSTAINABLY
à la française
PORTFOLIO
A day with
NewWind
PORTFOLIO
Paris: sustainable
city of light
0605
PUBLISHED IN PARIS - SPRING 2016
#1

2. “Before France hosted the COP 21
we noticed that ordinary people were
much more open to our technology
than politicians. We’ve been showing
our trees for a year or two and we’ve
had a lot of interest, but politicians
have always been a lot more cautious
– they are looking for a universal
solution,” Mr. Michaud-Larivière says.
“This big event, a real example of
diplomacy, forced France to position
itself in such a way as to motivate
these leaders. I think it’s been really
beneficial for all the countries, as well
as for France, which managed to get
these 185 nations around the table.”
Jessica Cheek, UK Country Manager
for Prêt à Pousser, which makes
sustainable grow-at-home mushroom,
herb, vegetable and flower kits
believes that the COP 21 meeting
has also breathed new life into
consumer interest in sustainability.
“Businesses have always faced the
challenge of balancing economic
development with environmental
responsibility. The media attention
during the COP 21 conference in Paris
brought French consumers back into
the conversation,” says Ms. Cheek.
Prêt à Pousser founders Jérôme
Devouge and Romain Behaghel
were students when they first had
the idea in 2012 – they started
off growing their mushrooms in
discarded coffee grounds from Paris
cafés, but found that the mushrooms
grew better in sustainable, recycled
straw. Their team has since grown
to 10 people, and the business
has launched in Germany and the
French Flair02
United Kingdom too, as demand
for sustainable products grows.
“Interest in recycling and sustainable
development in France peaked
around 2013. This surge was
accompanied by a rise in new
French businesses and associations
promoting everything from urban
gardening to wooden construction to
delivery by boat within Paris.
The trend had started to level out as
consumers grew accustomed to eco-
friendly messages, but the COP 21 has
breathed new life into sustainability
projects,” says Ms. Cheek.
“Companies are now encountering
increased pressure not only from
the government but also from
ordinary citizens to rapidly develop
sustainable solutions,” she adds.
Serial entrepreneur and founder
of mobile phone-based payment
company Lemon Way, Sébastien
Burlet (see Portfolio) adds that the
sharing economy (see Autolib’ and
Vélib’, Portfolio) has an important
role to play: “France, the UK, Belgium
– they’re the place to be for the
sharing economy, with the success of
Deliveroo, Uber, Airbnb and so on.
IN DEPTH
continued from cover page
The sharing economy pays half the
salaries of our payment institutions.
It’s not just ideas – it’s business.”
Pierre Soler-My, Chief Executive
Officer of clean coal company
Carbonex, based in Gyé sur Seine
(Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-
Lorraine region), which wants to
bring its clean coal to the world,
says operating in a country with
strict rules and regulations has
also been an advantage for French
businesses. “Everyone knows that our
resources are limited, populations
are growing, and we will have to
share what we have on this planet.
French companies have an enormous
advantage in that the government
makes high demands of firms –
what was previously a constraint
has now become an advantage,”
he says, explaining that the French
companies that have been able to
flourish and survive in a challenging
regulatory climate are now at an
advantage as they see overseas
competitors being subject to tougher
rules too. “It’s like the flu – those
who come through it are vaccinated
against it – and they’re stronger.”
Business France: Schneider Electric’s business is
closely related to the broader drive towards
sustainability and energy efficiency – how well
do you think France and French businesses are
doing in this area?
We have the great advantage that a lot of CAC 40
companies, for example Vinci, Bouygues, Lafarge, Saint-
Gobain–andSchneiderElectric –areveryfocusedonthe
challengeofdesigningthecitiesofthefuture:smartcities.
France has always been an innovative country with a lot
of start-ups. The digital revolution of smart buildings and
smart cities makes it much easier to integrate renewable
energies–wind,solar,hydroorbiomass–intothenetwork
and manage to reduce consumption intelligently.
BF: Do you think hosting the COP 21 has
change attitudes towards sustainability among
French companies?
I think French companies have been lucky to be close
to the preparations for COP 21 for over a year. I think
they were already slightly more prepared than others
but this proximity to COP 21 has definitively convinced
them that they must come up with solutions to reduce
carbon emissions.
BF: How well supported are efforts to improve
energy efficiency in France?
Franceisacountryofregulation,inparticularenvironmental
regulations, which means French companies have got
usedtopublishingtheirenergyconsumptionandreducing
their consumption earlier than their peers.
BF: What are Schneider Electric’s priorities
for 2016?
Onepriorityismanagingtheintegrationofelectricvehicles
intothegrid–it’sabigsubject.Itwouldbecounterproductive
if drivers all charged their electric cars at peak times for
energyconsumption.Smartsolutionshelptomanagethis.
Worldwide, microgrids will help more people gain access
to electricity; for example remote villages in Africa or Asia
that will never be connected to the national grid.
BF: What are the next steps for energy efficiency
in businesses over the coming years?
At COP 21, many companies pledged to become carbon
neutral.Howwilltheydothis?They’llhavetoreducetheirown
consumption,makeuseofrenewablesandmatchsupplyand
demandascloselyaspossible–amicrogridcanhelpwiththis.
US$100billion
is the countries’
target for climate
finance by 2020
195nations
adopted the Paris
Agreement, the
first ever universal
agreement to
combat climate
change
15 MINUTES WITH…
Gilles Vermot-Desroches
NAME
Gilles Vermot-
Desroches
Sustainability Senior VP
COMPANY
Schneider Electric
With roots in the iron and
steel, heavy machinery and
shipbuilding industries,
Schneider Electric has over
170 years of history and
now develops connected
technologies to help homes
and businesses manage
their energy use efficiently.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
More than
160,000
worldwide
About
20,000
in France
COP 21
NEWS IN
NUMBERS
#1 - Spring 2016
“Companiesarenowencounteringincreased
pressure not only fromthe government
but also fromordinary citizens to develop
sustainable solutions.”
Jessica Cheek, UK Country Manager for Prêt à Pousser
1
is the key figure
below which the
countries aim
to keep a global
temperature rise
this century
2 °C
2
1.5 °Cabove pre-industrial
levels is a much
safer defense
against the dangers
of a changing
climate
3
5
will be the first
five-yearly global
stocktake on
progress towards
the goal
4
2023
©SchneiderElectric

3. French Flair 03
#1 - Spring 2016
SPOTLIGHT
FROM WINDS TO TIDES
HOW FRANCE IS CAPITALISING
ON ITS COASTLINE
W
ith over
3,400 km
(2,100 miles)
of coastline,
taking in the
English
Channel, the
North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the
Atlantic – nearly 5,000 km (3,000 miles)
if you count its overseas territories – it
makes sense for France to examine the
power of this vast natural resource when
it comes to sustainable energy.
The French government has a goal of
using installed marine energy to cover
3.5% of France’s electricity consumption
– or 6GWe of power – by 2020.
Sabella (see case study) is blazing a trail
when it comes to tidal turbines, but
others are stepping up to the challenge
too, with a variety of technologies.
Floating wind turbines, mounted on
platforms, are used in areas where the
depth of the sea means fixed foundations
cannot be installed, allowing operators to
take advantage of better wind conditions
offshore, while also limiting the visual
impact from the coast.
Below the surface, tidal energy projects
involve giant underwater structures
that can harness the power of the waves
and tides. These will become more
competitive as technologies develop
and economies of scale bring the costs
down.
Meanwhile, ocean thermal energy
conversion (OTEC) capitalizes on the
difference in temperature between
cooler, deeper water and warmer
shallower water to generate electricity.
“With over 70% of the planet covered
with oceans and two-thirds of the
world’s population living less than
200km (125 miles) from the sea, marine
renewable energies harbor significant
potential, through power generated by
waves, tides, offshore wind or ocean
thermal energy conversion,” says
Thierry Kalanquin, Energy and Marine
Infrastructures Director at DCNS.
The group, which started life as a
naval shipyard and until recently was
better known for submarines and the
systems and infrastructure needed for
naval bases, is now capitalizing on its
in-depth marine knowledge to make a
Companies are waking up to
the enormous potential of the
sea – and with thousands of
kilometres of coastline, not
to mention highly developed
engineering skills, France is
ahead of the pack.
name for itself in renewable energy.
“DCNS decided in 2008 to expand into
marine renewable energy. Indeed, while
examining this new sector, we discovered
that there were significant synergies with
naval defense, especially regarding the
key technologies and industrial practices
being used,” Mr. Kalanquin says.
The group now plans to make between
15 and 20% of its turnover in marine
renewable energies by 2024.
As part of this plan, DCNS is installing
two experimental tidal arrays in
France and Canada – the precursor to
commercial deployment.
It has also teamed up with another
French giant, Alstom, to develop a
6MW integrated floating wind-turbine
system by 2019.
“Globally, the market opportunities for
floating wind turbines are immense, three
times greater than the traditional offshore
wind turbine,” says Mr. Kalanquin.
“In the medium-term, global electricity
output from floating offshore wind
turbines could reach as much as 50GW
per year, the equivalent of 40 nuclear
reactors. France has the second-largest
potential in Europe, with possible
operations on the Atlantic and
Mediterranean coasts.”
DCNS is also exploring ocean thermal
energy conversion. “This might be an
interesting resource, but there are still
important technological challenges to be
met,” Mr. Kalanquin says.
DCNS’s Irish subsidiary OpenHydro,
which already has commercial projects
underway in Scotland, the Channel
Islands, Canada, Northern Ireland and
France, plans to tap into the potential
of tidal energy, which uses the strength
and speed of marine currents, is
regular and predictable, and has
minimal impact on seascape and the
environment.
“There are numerous high energy
sites globally where development of
tidal energy is most likely,
predominantly in the waters of the
UK, Canada, France and areas such
as Chile and North America,” Mr.
Kalanquin adds. DCNS companies have
almost a gigawatt of projects under
development. “We plan full delivery of
two of the world’s first grid-connected
tidal arrays in the coming months, in
France (Paimpol-Bréhat) and Canada
(Bay of Fundy), which will showcase
our technology on a commercial scale,”
Mr. Kalanquin says.
“W
e’re very happy with all the
agreements made during the
COP21,”saysJean-Christophe
Allo, Business Development Manager of
Sabella. “Now we’ll just need to wait and see
if all these agreements become reality.”
Sabella, meanwhile, is not hanging around.
The company is one of a number of French
businesses harnessing the power of the sea
to generate electricity.
After securing the funding it needs to expand
through a share issue in 2014, it installed its
innovative D10 turbine system off the coast of
Ushant in the English Channel and connected
it to the island’s grid in 2015.
Mr. Allo says that in contrast with its
competitors, the company drew on offshore
oil and gas expertise, including that of its
chairman Jean-François Daviau, to develop
an offshore, underwater system that would
produce energy, rather than modifying an
energy-producing technology to operate
underwater and offshore. The next step is to
install two further turbines at the Ushant site.
But that’s not all. France is now leading the
way with tidal turbine technology and Sabella
is making sure this French savoir-faire gets the
attention it deserves throughout the world.
Next on Sabella’s to-do list are two small
farms, producing around 5MW each, off the
coast of the Philippines and Indonesia.
“We’re quite happy with our philosophy
of focusing on remote grids and small
islands, because this is what we need to
convince investors,” says Mr. Allo. Because
of the specific conditions needed for it to
operate, tidal turbine power is never going to
account for a sizeable proportion of any large
country’s power – Mr. Allo estimates there is
the potential for about 100GW worldwide,
and in France, tidal turbines could eventually
generate from two to four percent of the
country’s energy needs. But for remote island
communities that are not connected to a
traditional electricity grid, the technology can
be a perfect solution. “We already cover from
10 to 15% of Ushant’s energy consumption.
That will increase to 50% with the next project.
On a national or continental scale it is not that
significant, but tidal turbines can bring a lot
of energy on a local scale.”
As for Sabella, as more orders roll in, the cost
of installing tidal turbines will come down, says
Mr. Allo. The company is hoping to open a
manufacturing plant in around 10 years’ time,
provided that it can first win a commercial
contract large enough to support production.
CASE STUDY
Brittany-based Sabellahas built on expertise in the oil and gas industry to become a pioneer in tidal turbine
technology that could transform how remote islands around the world generate their power. Now, with its first full-
scale turbine up and running off the Breton island of Ushant, the company is gearing up to make waves.
DID YOU KNOW ?
70%
OF THE PLANET IS
COVERED WITH OCEANS
AND TWO-THIRDS OF
THE WORLD’S POPULATION
LIVES LESS THAN 200 KM
(125 MILES) FROM THE SEA

4. #1 - Spring 2016
French Flair04
GREEN CITIES
NEED TO KNOW
C
ampaigners are hoping that France
will soon follow in the footsteps of
Toronto, Copenhagen and Zurich by
adopting a law requiring all new commercial
buildings to be partially covered by plants or
renewable technologies, such as solar panels
or wind turbines.
Although the French parliament voted through
a bill containing the ‘toits verts’ or ‘green
roofs’ clause last year, the senate later threw
it out – so campaigners are now trying again
to get the law adopted.
The idea behind the legislation is that covering
a roof with plants makes for a better insulated
building, requiring less energy for heating or
air conditioning. Meanwhile, the green space
above is not only good for city-dwellers’
souls but will also provide a home for birds
and insects, reduce problems with rainwater
run-off, and even provide crops of fruit and
vegetables.
A new law would give a boost to an industry
that is already in demand in France, where
there are already over a million square meters
of green roofs, as well as form part of a wider
drive for green cities. Many other schemes are
already changing France’s urban landscape
– and Paris is leading the way.
Lastyear,thecity’smayorAnneHidalgolaunched
ReinventingParis,callingforarchitectstopropose
innovativeurbanprojectstotransform23spaces
throughoutthecity.Thewinningdesignsinclude
a plan to transform the abandoned Masséna
railway station in the 13th arrondissement
into a wood- and plant-covered tower that
will be used to grow food, promoting urban
agriculture and a sharing economy.
An old public bathhouse in the 15th ar-
rondissement will be turned into apart-
ments and co-working spaces housed in a
wooden structure complete with a screen of
plants under another of the proposals, the
Bains-Douches Castagnary project.
Separately, the mayor’s office is calling on
green-fingered artists, designers, gardeners
and start-ups to put forward proposals for
turning 100 hectares of city space green –
through everything from hydroponics (growing
plants without soil) to vertical gardens and
even mushroom-growing. The city is getting
ready to unveil the 40 sites – including roofs,
walls and underground locations – that the
successful bidders, known as “Paris-culteurs”,
will be able to cultivate.
And if you know where to look, Paris is already
a green city.
TheQuaiBranlyMuseum(MuséeduQuaiBranly)
houses art and sculpture from non-European
civilizations in a purpose-built structure
designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, all
curved lines and earthy tones set in a lush
garden also featuring a living wall designed
by botanist Patrick Blanc. This vertical garden
is just one of several dotted throughout the
capital, including the BHV department store
in the Marais and the Pershing Hall Hotel.
The Institute of Islamic Culture (Institut des
Cultures d’Islam – ICI) in the Goutte d’Or
neighborhood of the 18th arrondissement
has installed beehives on its roof – and offers
workshops on beekeeping and using honey
in cooking and cosmetics.
Whileoverinthe11thand12tharrondissements,
the Promenade Plantée walkway begins at
Place de la Bastille and crosses the whole of
the 12th arrondissement, a colorful flower-lined
path along a former elevated railway track.
Elsewhere, the drive towards urban agriculture
is bearing fruit – literally: electricity grid
operator ERDF last year transformed 220
sq. m. of rooftop at its rue Aboukir site in
the second arrondissement into a vegetable
garden with the help of urban agriculture
association Veni Verdi.
LESSONS LEARNEDSerial entrepreneur Sébastien Burlet
started his first company in 2000,
creating more than 100 e-commerce
websites in France, before selling the
business in 2006. He then founded
Lemon Way, which uses the unique
ID of a mobile phone to make secure
payments, in 2007. The company
opened its first international office,
in London, earlier this year.
1
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER.
At school you learn about IT
platforms and processing
payments – not who your
customer is and what they have in
their pocket.
2
FIND YOUR NICHE.
When I started my first business
with friends in 2000 very few
companies knew how to deal with
e-commerce.
3
LEARN THE HARD WAY.
People often ask how I managed
to start a business without an
MBA. In the early days it was a lot
of late nights, beers and pizzas in
the office, and we learned things
no course could teach.
4
BE A LITTLE BIT CRAZY.
You can never be 100% sure your
idea will work. It’s a bit like being a
priest: you can never be 100% sure
that God exists but you have faith.
5
LOOK BEYOND YOUR BORDERS.
If you want to break into European
markets, my advice is to have an
office in London because it is the
best place for compliance and
currency exchange. But also have an
office in the euro zone – in France
we are open to Europe and the euro.
6
BE YOURSELF.
In London, there’s no need for
‘French bashing’ – don’t try to be a
Londoner, just be smart and natural.
Some French entrepreneurs try to
use French bashing to fit in, but
there’s no need.
VISIT
• www.quaibranly.fr/en/
• www.bhv.fr
• http://pershinghall.com
Check out some of Paris’s most famous
living walls at the Quai Branly Museum,
the BHV department store and the
Pershing Hall Hotel. This whistlestop
living wall tour also conveniently makes
for a superb tourist itinerary: start by
exploring the incredible collections
of African, American and Asian art,
sculpture, jewelry and masks at the Quai
Branly Museum, before moving on to a
spot of shopping at BHV, one of Paris’s
oldest and best-loved department
stores, before cocktails at the chic
Pershing Hall Hotel.
EXPLORE
• www.promenade-plantee.org
Walk the length of the Promenade
Plantée to get a real feel for urban
greenery – the lush, rose-lined haven in
busy Paris used to be a railway line.
DISCOVER
• www.institut-cultures-islam.org
The Institute of Islamic Culture
organises beekeeping workshops.
• www.larecyclerie.com
See first hand how an urban farm can
give a city breathing space – in the
densely populated neighbourhood of
Porte de Clignancourt La REcyclerie
has chickens, a vegetable garden,
fruit trees and a herb garden.
CLICK
• www.reinventer.paris/en/home/
Check out some of the weird and
wonderful architectural ideas that
could transform Paris – sustainably.
• www.paris.fr/parisculteurs
Budding urban gardeners, landscape
architects and designers can find out
more about the Parisculteurs call for
projects here on its website.
• www.adivet.net/en/
Adivet – the French association
for green roofs and walls – has
everything you need to know about
green roofs: why they make sense,
how to get started and where to find
a provider to install it.
• www.veniverdi.fr
Urban gardening association Veni
Verdi wants to get as many people as
possible involved in urban gardening
and is busy turning areas of central
Paris into spaces for growing crops.
READ
The Vertical Garden
by Patrick Blanc for
more on the botanist’s
vertical garden
projects around the
world.
• www.
verticalgarden
patrickblanc.com
HERE AND THERE
Colas
Transport
infrastructure
specialist Colas
has teamed
up with the
National
Solar Energy
Institute (Institut National de
l’Energie Solaire – INES) to develop
Wattway, the world’s first solar
photovoltaic road surface. Put their
infrastructure and solar power
expertise together and you end up
with clean energy and a road that
can handle any type of traffic.
Seven Hugs
This start-up will launch
a Smart Remote later
this year. The device
uses indoor localization
technology to control
any smart device in
the home. No need for
several remote controls
for different connected
devices. Seven Hugs,
founded by four dads
and named after their children,
taps into a smart home market
expected to amount to US$28
billion worldwide by 2019.
Taittinger
One of France’s
most famous
champagne
houses plans
to make a new
sparkling wine
– in England.
Yes, you read
that correctly.
Taittinger has bought farmland
in Kent and Domaine Evremond,
named after the man who helped
popularize champagne in the UK,
should be ready for bottling in
about five years.
Michel et Augustin
Michel et Augustin’s self-styled
kooky cookies are available
across the United States after
a social media campaign
#AllezHowardunCafé helped the
French company land a deal with
Starbucks.
FIND OUT MORE …
©JoachimBertrand
©SevenHugs
©MicheletAugustin
©Taittinger
DR

5. French Flair 05
EIFFEL TOWER
Last year, the Eiffel
Tower installed two
wind turbines with
an annual capacity of
10,000kWh, enough
to power the first
floor shop. The 7m
x 3m turbines are
cleverly camouflaged
against the ironwork
of the tower 127m
above ground level.
#1 - Spring 2016 - Portfolio
PARIS: SUSTAINABLE
CITY OF LIGHT
The French
capital’s
imaginative
answers to
sustainable city
living.
All photography © João Luiz Bulcão
I
n Paris, you don’t have to
look hard for examples of
sustainable development –
although the wind turbines
installed on the Eiffel Tower,
the instantly recognizable symbol
of the world’s most-visited city,
are designed to blend in with the
ironwork, so not easy to spot.
The Eiffel Tower, which welcomes
almost 7 million visitors a year,
has also been fitted with solar
panels and LED lighting to reduce
its environmental impact, just part
of the city’s efforts to be greener.
As part of ambitious plans set out
last year to become a Smart and
Sustainable City by 2020, Paris
aims to cut its energy consumption
needs by 25% compared to 2004.
Elsewhere, from trains to
office buildings, the whole
of Paris is on board.
Public transport operator RATP
is installing energy-efficient LED
lighting in its stations, while Autolib’
and Vélib’ zero-emission car- and
bike-sharing schemes have quickly
become an important part of how
Parisians and vistors get around.
Since 2001, nitrogen oxide emissions
from traffic have decreased by
30%, but the city wants further
reductions and plans to develop
clean public transport and promote
cycling and walking to help meet a
goal of cutting nitrogen oxide levels
by an additional 40% by 2020.
Plans to renovate Paris’s business
district, La Défense, meanwhile,
include more green space and
environmentally-friendly initiatives,
while the Clichy-Batignolles “eco-
neighbourhood” is set to include
35,000 square metres of solar panels.

6. French Flair06
#1 - Spring 2016 - Portfolio
ECO-QUARTIER
CLICHY-BATIGNOLLES/
QUINTESSENCE
Solar panels on the Quintessence
building are part of an ambitious
plan to install 35,000 sq. m. of solar
panels in the new Clichy-Batignolles
eco-district. They will produce nearly
3,500 kWh of electricity, enough to
cover about 40% of the electricity
needs of the Clichy-Batignolles
buildings.
RATP
Paris region public transport
operator RATP is switching
over to energy-efficient LED
lighting to save energy, improve
lighting quality and cut waste.
Montparnasse-Bienvenüe station,
the 150th to make the transition,
boasts colored LED lights on the
line 4 and line 12 platforms.

7. LA DEFENSE
The Grande Arche, which
dominates Paris’s western
skyline, is getting a makeover
as part of ambitious plans to
revamp La Défense, Paris’s
business district – alongside
new skyscrapers, developers
are also adding more green
spaces.
VELIB’
JCDecaux launched its first
bike-sharing scheme in Lyon in
2005 with the highly successful
Parisian version, Vélib’,
following two years later.
Vélib’ says 23,600 bicycles
are now available in Paris and
the surrounding suburbs, and
between 100,000 and 170,000
rentals take place every day.
AUTOLIB’
Electric car-sharing club
Autolib’ aims to cut pollution
and congestion, allowing
members to rent a zero-
emission vehicle from one of
hundreds of stations in Paris
and the wider Ile de France
region, and cutting down
the need for individual car
ownership.
#1 - Spring 2016 - Portfolio
French Flair 07

8. French Flair08
A DAY WITH:
NEWWIND
All photography © João Luiz Bulcão
9AM
TheNewWindoffices,inParis’s15tharrondissement,
are a hub of activity. There’s no such thing as a
typicaldayforastart-uplikeNewWind,sotheteam
of engineers and designers can organize their own
timeastheywish–somewillhavebeentoilingaway
for hours, while others choose to start and finish
late.
NewWind Founder and CEO Jérôme Michaud-
Larivière was walking through a park one day
when he noticed the tiny movements of leaves
fluttering on the trees and wondered what
would happen if those movements could be
captured, multiplied and used to generate
energy.
Thatwasfiveyearsago,justaftertheFukushima
disaster when energy security was a hot topic,
and Mr. Michaud-Larivière wanted to make a
contribution to finding a solution.
“I was motivated to try to find my own modest
solution, while we were waiting for the real
solution to come along,” he says. “I found that
there had been a lot of research in biomass,
solar and so on. One area that seemed to have
been overlooked was small wind turbines. I
started to wonder about these small sources
of energy and how they could be disguised,
and if they couldn’t be disguised then how
they could be made beautiful.”
Five years later, NewWind has a team of 15,
including designers and mechanical, electrical
and fluid dynamics engineers working on its
‘Aeroleaf Arbre à Vent’ (wind tree) as well as
related applications. Mass production of the
small-scale wind turbine, with its distinctive,
delicategreen-leafedstructure,isnowunderway.
11AM
Engineers spend their days analyzing data from
the seven prototype Arbres à Vent ‘planted’
in various locations in France, Switzerland
and Germany, comparing real wind flow with
simulations and fine-tuning the electronics
systems to make sure the turbines operate
smoothly and efficiently in all conditions.
The Aeroleaf Arbre à Vent, designed by
Geneva-based architect Claudio Colucci, has an
installed capacity of 5.4kW. It is 9 meters high,
7 meters wide and weighs just over 3 tonnes.
Over a typically windy year, it can generate
enough power to cover 83% of the electricity
needs of an average French household,
excluding heating, or power an electric car
from Paris to Sydney.
In the open plan NewWind site, Mr. Michaud-
Larivière is available for informal discussions
with his team, as well as more formal planning
meetings.
1PM
Lunch might be at the on-site cafeteria or in a
nearby restaurant. Either way, employees get a
chance to exchange ideas at weekly ‘good news
cafés’. These are a chance for team members
to share a piece of good news from their area
of work, helping everyone understand each
other’s roles and see the positive impact they
have on the company.
3PM
Frequent site visits, as well as meetings with
investors, suppliers or journalists, mean team
members are often out and about.
NewWind’s recently-expanded sales team is
fielding a huge number of expressions of interest
for the €45,000 turbines from local authorities,
companies and individuals. These have been
flooding in even more quickly since two were
displayed at the COP 21 conference last year.
“The Arbres à Vent were very well-placed,
they were on show right where the delegates
arrived and we were able to see that among
the 185 nations, whatever their culture,
background, level of resources, or use of
fossil fuels, they understood the concept,”
Mr. Michaud-Larivière says.
“We are only small – we generate kilowatts,
not gigawatts. But with this solution combined
with others, together we can do gigawatts.”
Company
R&D start-up NewWind was founded in
2011 by Jérôme Michaud-Larivière in Paris
and now has a team of 15 split between
a workshop and a design studio, working
on bringing the Aeroleaf Arbre à Vent to
the world.
Seven prototype Arbres à Vent have been
‘planted’ at various locations in France,
Switzerland and Germany.
www.newwind.fr
#1 - Spring 2016 - Portfolio
Number of
employees
15
in France