Valeo is dedicated to the design, the manufacture and the sale of components, integrated systems and modules for cars and heavy lorries. 3 Fields of Innovation for surer, cleaner and more comfortable vehicles.

Valeo is “green by nature”, in terms of both new product development and plant design and performance.

Taking action right from the product design phase

Valeo has long included criteria relating to energy consumption, weight, material selection and banned substances in its project assessment processes. In 2007, the Group formally implemented an "Eco-design standard", which applies to the development phase of all R&D projects. This standard requires project teams to assess the environmental impact of the product throughout its life cycle (the type, number and quantity of raw materials, production, packaging, transportation and maintenance, dismantling, recycling, reuse and disposal). Designers are provided with a checklist-type tool to help them include all these dimensions in a new product development project.
In 2008 this Directive was incorporated as a recommended guide for product development. All projects at the development phase are now conducted according to the recommendations of this Directive.

Reducing vehicle CO₂ emissions through innovation

A smart fortwo promoting Valeo’s StARS micro-hybrid system with Stop-Start technology in the streets of Paris in March 2008.

Many of the latest products developed in Valeo’s Powertrain Systems Business Group are designed to reduce fuel consumptionand CO₂ emissions. Valeo believes that the combination of its micro-hybrid technology, engine thermal management systems and clutch systems is capable of reducing emissions produced by existing engines by up to 45%. Products from all Business Groups also contribute to this goal through reduced weight and energy consumption.
In September 2009, Valeo published The Zero Emission Vehicle white paper, a document that outlines Valeo’s vision on the development of alternatives to the
internal combustion engine. The document explains that more progress and innovation will be necessary before Zero Emission Vehicles come into widespread use. All avenues of research must be explored and developed between now and then. This will mean:

• continue improving the efficiency of combustion engines, still installed on 90% of vehicles;
• further develop hybrid drivetrains, a high-performance alternative to the internal combustion engine;
• continue research on electric vehicles in order to change fundamental relations to the car and the way it is used in the city. 

Reducing the use of hazardous substances

The new painting line at the Valeo Wiper Systems plant in Skawina, Poland, conforms to European end-of-life directives with regard to recycling and the elimination of all banned substances.

A special steering group was set up in 2007 to oversee the implementation of the REACH* regulation. Following a preliminary survey of a number of pilot sites, the Group defined an inventory tool designed to keep records of regulated substances that has since been validated by the Product Families. The tool is already in the process of being deployed so that the Group can meet the deadlines imposed by the regulation for the pre-registration of substances. Measures have already been taken at certain sites. For example, trichloroethylene solvents are no longer used in the manufacture of clutch facings and a “hazardous products” campaign has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of sites that still use carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic chemicals.


* Adopted by the European Union at the end of 2006, the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of CHemicals) regulation requires all industrial manufacturers to list and register all the substances contained in the products they sell with the European Chemicals Agency and then to demonstrate that they are not hazardous. For more details, log on to http://echa.europa.eu.

Preventing the depletion of resources

The effluent treatment station at the Campinas plant in Bresil.

Valeo is committed to reducing the consumption of water, energy, raw materials and packaging at its sites. In 2008 the Meslin l’Evêque site in Belgium (Valeo Lighting Systems) entered into an agreement with the Wallonia regional government on reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases and improving its energy efficiency. The agreement targets a 14% reduction in the index of greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.

In 2009, the Isle d’Abeau site in France (Valeo Engine Electrical Systems) installed a forced warm air duct over the production lines in order to recover energy from its compressors. The resulting reduction in gas consumption should prevent the emission of 255 tons of CO₂ per year.

Numerous sites have taken action to conserve energy by regulating illumination. At Angers in France (Valeo Lighting Systems), interior lighting is regulated according to the level of natural daylight and the site is also recovering heat energy emitted by a production line incinerator.

The Sainte Florine site in France (Valeo Engine and Electrical Systems) switches work areas to low-energy lighting depending on activity. At the Toluca site in Mexico (Valeo Climate Control), 30% of shop floor lighting has been replaced by low-wattage lighting, reducing unit consumption from 1,000 watts to just 300 watts. The Daegu site in South Korea (Valeo Transmissions) has installed translucent panels on the roof, an innovative solution that enhances visual comfort and reduces the need for artificial lighting.

The Campinas site in Brazil (Valeo Wiper Systems) has focused on treating and recycling its effluents on-site and on drawing water from local artesian wells. These efforts help to limit the volume of effluents to be transported to treatment facilities and the volume of water that must be brought in by truck, yielding an expected 90% reduction in transport-related emissions.

The generic plant concept

Valeo has defined a “generic plant” standard to ensure that all new construction and refurbishment projects are carried out according to detailed specifications – set forth in the Valeo Factory Design guide – concerning site selection, plant architecture and construction, working conditions, the application of regulations, optimized energy consumption and the reduction of emissions and waste. Following the Valeo Security Systems plant in Guarulhos, Brazil, in 2007, two other plants were opened in line with this standard in 2008 – one in Nanjing, China, for Valeo Transmissions and one in Kosice, Slovakia, for Valeo Security Systems.

A long-term commitment

Valeo will continue its policy to protect the environment by certifying its sites and setting performance targets for every indicator and every Product Family. The Group plans to intensify its efforts to reduce the consumption of raw materials, water, hazardous substances and energy and to cut its CO₂ emissions. Strong emphasis will be placed on the energy efficiency of processes and buildings and the use of renewable energy sources.

In 2009, Valeo launched for the first time an evaluation of its carbon footprint, covering raw material and component production, energy and resource consumption in manufacturing; and transport. The Group's carbon footprint in 2009 was estimated at around 3.5 million tons of CO₂ equivalent.