sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

emissions. These filters are gradually being made compulsory
under exhaust emission standards such as the European
Parliament’s Euro 5/6 legislation for 2009-2012, the 2007
and 2010 EPA standards in the US and Japan’s 2009 standards.
We enjoy a leading position in this market, thanks
to our integrated production facilities for value-added silicon
carbide powder, the raw material used for ceramic filters.
Developing water transport
and treatment solutions
Sustainable water supply systems
Because of their very function, Pipe Division products
address a major sustainable development challenge, namely
the supply of drinking water and the removal of wastewater.
As urban centers in developing countries have expanded, their
water supply has had to be sought farther and farther afield.
The Pipe Division manufactures large pipes of up to two
meters in diameter that are used to transport drinking water
to major cities across dozens or even hundreds of kilometers.
In many countries, these pipes meet a vital need, and the Pipe
Division has won numerous major contracts. For example,
it supplied some 200 km of pipework for the Aftout Essahli
project in Mauritania, part of a national campaign
to combat poverty.
Our products are particularly well suited to such applications,
because cast iron is an exceptionally safe and durable material
– as hundred-year-old pipes in cities like Prague
and Montevideo can attest. It requires very little maintenance
and can be laid in all types of soil. In addition, our pipes feature
easy-fit couplings enabling non-specialist personnel
to connect them reliably. From an environmental standpoint,
progress in centrifuge casting of ductile iron has brought
a 20% to 30% weight reduction in standard pipe products over
the past 15 years, with an attendant drop in energy
consumption, coke consumption and CO 2 emissions during
the manufacturing process. The introduction of a new active
surface coating has significantly increased product service life.
Moreover, we maintain stringent standards in selecting
coatings, seals, patching material, lubricant pastes and other
materials that have been formally approved in France for use
in the manufacture of water supply and distribution products.
In addition to pipe transport, the Pipe Division offers financial
engineering services to local authorities, aiding them
in their efforts to obtain project finance from banks, insurance
companies and other financial organizations. The Division
monitors and maintains an active presence among major
global funding agencies such as the World Bank, regional
development banks and European and Arab funds,
and gives customers the benefit of its knowledge
of these organizations and their procedures.
Effective water treatment
We marshal our full expertise to support the treatment
of drinking water, swimming pool water and wastewater.
For example, we supply key components for UV treatment
systems. The Innovative Materials Sector – High-Performance
Materials manufactures quartz tubes that destroy bacteria
without the need for chemical additives that pose a danger to
the environment, while Saint-Gobain PAM’s innovative Ivoire®
system manages and monitors underground water supply and
drainage pipes using radiofrequency identification (RFID) chips
that require no energy.
Raising awareness
A collective approach
In response to the challenge of global warming,
we have adopted a proactive communications policy to raise
public awareness about the dangers of CO 2 emissions
from buildings.
In France, Isover and Eurocoustic (Insulation Division),
Saint-Gobain Glass (Innovative Materials Sector - Flat Glass)
and Placoplatre (Gypsum Division) were among the ten
original members of a group founded in late 2003 called
“Isolons la Terre contre le CO 2” (Let’s Insulate the Earth Against
CO 2). The Group’s mission is to drum up support for energy
efficient construction among government bodies, opinion
leaders and the general public.
The Group also played a direct role in creating France’s
Effinergie label for buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency
standards, inspired by similar programs already established
in other countries, such as Minergie in Switzerland
and PassivHaus in Germany and Austria. Effinergie has
brought together a range of institutions with a stake in energy
efficiency, including leading construction industry
professionals, public authorities, local governments
and the banking sector. We have helped to spur regulatory
progress in favor of more energy-efficient buildings – including
both newbuilds and renovations – by introducing an energy
performance diagnostics system, and have boosted funding
for energy-efficiency initiatives through our campaign
to mobilize the banking sector.
At the prompting of local subsidiaries of Saint-Gobain Isover,
a number of sister associations have been established
since 2005, including Isoterra in Belgium, Spaar het Klimaat
in the Netherlands and Isolando in Italy. In Germany,
Isover G+H has launched CO 2NTRA, a similar program
designed to combat CO 2 emissions. In France, Saint-Gobain
is a member of the Club de l’Amélioration de l’Habitat,
a group comprised of both government agencies and private
firms active in renovation projects, as well as Promodul,
a trade association committed to energy efficiency
and building comfort.
In 2008, Saint-Gobain joined the UK Green Building Council,
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Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report