03-10-2009 Heppner wears the colors of sustainable development

An environmental project inspired by an eco-citizen and individual initiative 
Clean fuel for greener distribution to the Paris region: this project is the brainchild of the Heppner University, a veritable laboratory of ideas stimulating the creativity of the company personnel. It denotes the launch of a real « environmental challenge » that the entire group is taking up.    

« In a context favoring environmental protection, we have decided to take action and willingly bring about real change by initiating a policy of sustainable development based on concrete measures. Heppner is finding the means to do this by turning to the ingenuity of its staff. All the activities of the company are concerned, » explains Gilles Moutel, Heppner’s Managing Director.   

The operation consists of test-driving a Sprinter from CharterWay Benz, subsidiary of Mercedes, which runs on Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) fuel for six months starting in March 2009. The partners associated with the project include GNVert, a subsidiary of GDFSUEZ for supplying the fuel and MEGAMARK for painting the vehicle with sustainable development colors in compliance with very strict ecological norms.   

This vehicle, used for making the rounds between the Rungis agency and the surrounding communities of Champigny-sur-Marne, will fill up on NGV fuel at the Paris-Bercy GNVert service station.   

« With our NGV Mercedes Sprinter, we are proud to accompany our partner Heppner as it seeks to distribute merchandise in an environmentally friendly way. Thanks to an innovative product and related services, CharterWay is thus able to answers the needs of its client. This new hybrid motor is the best alternative today to a diesel motor, notably in city centers where the level of automobile pollution is very high,» comments Régis Dupont-Rougier, Director of Large Accounts at Mercedes-Benz CharterWay.   

Nicolas Napoli, Managing Director at MEGAMARK adds, «We are particularly satisfied to be a part of this initiative that reflects our values as well. Our teams chose to contribute to this environmental protection project by orienting their creative responses and technical recommendations accordingly: utilization of a PVC-less film and aqueous inks without solvents, respect of the Imprim’vert norm and managing the resulting waste.»   
  
« GNVert wanted to be a part of Heppner’s decision to put their first truck using Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) fuel on the road. This decision affirms our desire to accompany enterprises committed to setting up logistics chains that respect the environment. What’s important is not to focalize uniquely on CO2 but also particle emissions (mainly responsible for respiratory diseases in urban milieus) that NGVs can reduce by nearly 90%, » adds Karine Vernier, President of GNVert. 

The vehicle is today compliant to the EEV (Enhanced Environmental friendly Vehicle) antipollution norm, more stringent that the Euro IV norm currently in place and the Euro V norm that will become effective in October 2009. 

This will eventually foster a 10% reduction of CO2 emissions and a 90 % reduction of pollutants generated by diesel vehicles.  

Sustainable development as seen by Heppner: an eco-responsible strategy closely tied to the quality strategy 
Recall that the Loi de Grenelle (France’s Environment Round Table) recommends that transporters in particular adopt a CO2 charter and evaluate their carbon charge in order to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions between now and 2012.   In order to ensure clients of the professional handling of their merchandise flows while all along respecting the environment, Heppner is pursuing the following plans of action:     
- At the environmental level 
o reduce CO2 emissions over 3 years thanks to better follow-up of performance and the progressive integration of less polluting vehicles, especially those running on NGV fuel, 
o reduce and recycle waste starting with awareness-building among its personnel. 

- At the human resources level 
o protect and involve the staff in the fight against environmental and occupational risks, via among other things, eco-behavior training for employees on the road, « gests and postures » training for personnel working at the docks and the application of the Plan Santé au Travail 2009 (occupational health directive).   The preliminary step for Heppner will consist of signing the CO2 charter elaborated by the ADEME (French Environment and Energy Agency, the Agency), proof that the group is adopting a sustainable development strategy.