Environmental commitments of the Société du Grand Paris for the Grand Paris Express project
Abstract

The Société du Grand Paris is a public body set by the French government to deliver the Grand Paris Express, a new automatic metro network and contribute to the urban development of the areas it will serve. The project aims the construction of four new lines for the inner and outer suburbs, and the extension of one line.

The three strategic goals of the Grand Paris Express :

  • Create a new public transport offer for everyone finally providing easy and fast travel from suburb to suburb, a genuine alternative to the car, practical, regular and comfortable, providing passengers a train service that is simply less strained.
  • Provide the Paris metropolis an essential framework for its future economic growth, guaranteeing better connections between residential and work areas, better circulation of both people and brainpower, opening up the region both nationally and internationally, connecting clusters to the network, launching new business and housing projects…
  • Make Greater Paris an example for the regeneration of its environment, the development of public transport and the preservation of natural, agricultural and forested areas.

The role of the SGP is that of contractor with three essential assignments : construction of lines, works and fixed installations, construction and development of the stations, the acquisition of rolling stock.

The SGP has set out several environmental commitments that will inform its work:

  • Avoid, reduce or offset environmental impacts : From establishing the route to the construction phase and final entry into service, the environmental approach is underpinned by a rigorous, comprehensive method that is tailored to each section of the metro, each station and each new building ;
  • Anticipate natural risks : In strengthening the principe of “urban resilience”, the SGP is fully in line with the COP21 objectives. More specifically, it has developed a “flood” strategy that sets out guidelines for designing infrastructure exposed to this risk.
  • All new buildings must take account of their environmental, architectural and landscape context : The architectural and landscape heritage must be taken into account for each new building, underpinned by an innovative strategic environmental assessment carried out upstream of the project and the impact studies.
  • Develop a circular economy for spoil management : Traceability, alternative transport recovery, the SGP intends to pursue an exemplary policy for managing the 43 million tonnes of spoil from the construction sites.
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